Impact Wrestling Results – December 8, 2020
Impact Wrestling opened with clips of Kenny Omega winning the AEW World title from Jon Moxley with the help of Don Callis.
They showed a bus pulling up to Skyway Studios in Nashville, TN (where Impact is taped and where AEW’s production is also done) with Josh Mathews voicing over that he would enter the bus and have an exclusive interview with Omega and Callis.
Josh Alexander with Ethan Page vs. Chris Sabin with Alex Shelley.
They locked up and went back and forth with some nice action before facing off. Sabin nailed a nice head scissor takeover and locked in an armbar. Sabin nailed a knee strike but was caught with a rolling Samoan Drop. Alexander drilled Sabin with a stomp across the chest and began stomping and beating him down. Alexander drilled him with several chops but Sabin reversed. Alexander cut him off and used a sitting abdominal stretch to wear Sabin down.
Alexander continued the beating with a snap suplex and locked in a side chinlock. Sabin made a comeback but Alexander. kept beating him with elbow strikes. Page told him to stop with the strikes and they argued over strategy, allowing Sabin to score with a Jacknife cover. They are very much teasing the end of The North, as Ethan Page’s deal expires at the end of the month.’
Your winner, Chris Sabin!
This was a very good opener, so if Impact wanted to show any viewers the AEW crossover brought over that they have a strong product, this was a good first attempt at that.
We go to Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne who review everything that happened on AEW Dynamite, with clips from the match with Jon Moxley. They buolt up the interview to the point it almost came off like it would be the main event segment. They noted The Good Brothers must be excited that Kenny Omega is here, so there’s your hint of a Bullet Club reunion.
Chris Bey asked Moose if he wanted to go over strategy for their match tonight. Moose was in the zone in his own world. He said his fists talk for him and did he really want to talk. Bey said he was going to win the title from Rich Swann this Saturday. Moose said they would talk then and walked off.
They went to a “paid advertisement” from AEW with Tony Schiavone and Tony Khan. Khan said that he could have filed an injunction or suspended Kenny Omega to stop him from appearing tonight on Impact but was going to handle this another way, by spending money with this paid ad to assist the budget of Impact and hopefully let the fans know they should tune in tomorrow to AEW Dynamite. He said his only had a problem with the disgraceful way Omega and Don Callis stole and won the AEW title. Khan said he invited Don Callis to come to AEW with Omega. They then ran down the lineup for tomorrow’s edition of Dynamite and said he has some investments in Nashville and there’s been rumors he was going to buy Impact. Schiavone said he had a night in Impact and quit the business for 18 years. Khan said he was happy to bring him back and that he’ll talk to Sting tomorrow. He again invited Callis to come to AEW. Obviously, that is happening. Khan always said he didn’t want to be a character on AEW, so instead he got to be one on Impact. Khan seemed to be playing a subtle heel character, at least in terms of knocking Impact subtly. So weird!
Brian Myers vs. TJP
Myers acted like a complete jerk early. TJP tied him up in submissions but Myers made it to the ropes. Myers worked over TJP who came back and ran him out of the ring. Myers was hit with a springboard dropkick to the outside. TJP went to the top but Myers cut him off and tossed him to the floor as they went to commercial.
When they returned, TJP nailed Myers with a Tornado DDT out of the corner. TJP nailed a series of suplexes and went to the top. TJP came off the top but Myers moved, so TJP rolled through and was caught with an elevated Flatliner for a two count. Myers set up in the corner and charged but was taken down with a body scissors into a kneebar. Myers fought his way to the ropes and broke the hold. Myers rolled to the outside on the apron, where he shoulderblocked TJP in the mid-section and snapped him across the ropes.
Myers was caught with a back suplex. TJP nailed the Mamba Splash but Myers pulled his knees up and small packaged TJP for a close two count. TJP went for a sunset flip but Myers escaped. Myers was grabbed in another kneebar but Myers shoved the referee into TJP “by accident”, breaking the hold. He nailed a clothesline and scored the pin.
Your winner, Brian Myers!
Good, solid bout.
Cousin Jake checked on Cody Deaner and asked if he was ready. Cody said he was. Jake said they were ready. Deaner told him he needed to do this alone and prove he’s not a nobody. Jake said Eric Young would bring Joe Doering with him, so let him be there. Cody told him if he wants to come down to ringside he can, but he can’t get involved in the match, no matter what happens. Deaner had a good, serious promo.
Backstage, X-Division Champion Rohot Raju mocked TJP for losing. He said Saturday will be the final “Defeat Rohit Challenge” of the year and it’s open to anyone but TJP. TJP told him good luck in the final challenge and walked off, hinting he had something planned.
Eric Young with Joe Doering vs. Cody Deaner with Cousin Jake
Deaner was all fired up early, cleaning house on EY and screaming that he wasn’t a nobody. He had the control until missing a charge in the corner and hitting the ring post. Young nailed a DVDR for a two count. He tossed Deaner to the floor, where Jake checked on him. Cody told Jake to back off and returned to the apron, where he nailed a shoulderblock through the ropes on Young. He nailed a sunset flip but was cut off with a clothesline. Deaner fired up but was caught in a front chancery. Young went for a DDT but Deaner escaped and nailed several clotheslines and a slam.
Deaner ascended to the top but Doering distracted him. Jake went to help but Deaner told him not to do it. Deaner went for a swandive headbutt but due to the hesitation, Young was able to roll out of the way and nailed the piledriver.
Your winner, Eric Young.
Doering and Young began beating down Deaner. Jake hit the ring but was mauled by Doering and wiped out with a lariat. Young and Doering began beating the hell out of the Deaners and went for stereo powerbombs but Rhino hit the ring with a lead pipe, backing them off.
They are obviously building to Rhino vs. Doering as a big man match.
Backstage, Tommy Dreamer calmed John E. Bravo down. Dreamer approached Larry D. D said he was set up. Dreamer said he didn’t care. Larry D challenged him to a match where if he wins, he goes free but if he loses Dreamer can take him to jail. Dreamer accepted. D said, “We can do that? I can win my freedom in a wrestling match?” Dreamer said he can do whatever the hell he wants and said he’d see him at the PPV.
After a commercial, Dreamer came into Scott D’Amore’s office. He said he wasn’t happy with wrestlers making their own matches but go ahead and fight Larry D Sunday. Dreamer said he’s really concerned about Kenny Omega and Don Callis being here. Dreamer said Don is out for himself and this sets a bad precedent for those who work here. He said these sort of things between promotions blow up and never works out. D’Amore was clueless of the issues and was just happy about the buzz, saying even Lance Storm thinks this is good and he hates everything. Scott told him he was there to help keep the locker room humming along and to relax, go sell a shirt and retweet the buzz. He told Dreamer he thanked him for his concern but to get on board. Dreamer rolled his eyes like he knew this was all leading to a black hole of garbage. Was this supposed to be a parody of Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer from 1997 on?
Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament – Taya & Rosemary vs. Impact Champion Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee
Purrazzo and Rosemary started and went back and forth. Deonna seemed puzzled by Rosemary’s eccentric style but then grabbed the armbar, only to retreat in fear. Kimber Lee and Taya tagged in. Taya nailed a high cross bodyblock for a two count. Taya ended up worked over by Lee and Purrazzo, hit with a double suplex for a two count.
Purrazzo drilled her across the back of the neck with a series of elbows. She and Lee tagged in and out, working over Taya. Rosemary made the tag and took control on Purrazzo, scoring several two counts. Purrazzo went for the armbar again but Rosemary spun free. She charged but was caught and nailed with a Flatliner. Lee nailed a leaping neckbreaker and knocked Taya off the apron to the floor.
Purrazzo and Lee worked over Rosemary but she came back to life. Taya hit the schocked tandem with a double clothesline. Everyone battled. Purrazzo accidentally nailed Lee with a kick to the head. Rosemary speared her. Taya took out Purrazzo and they battled on the floor. Rosemary hit a sit-out powerbomb on Lee for the pin.
Your winner, Taya & Rosemary!
They advance to face Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz in the second round.
Backstage, Tenille and Kaleb with a K wanted to talk about their new team name, The Influencers. Edwards was more interested in dealing with what happened to Eddie Edwards. She said they should have noticed what happened if they were really her friends and said she didn’t have time for this. They told her they were going to teach her a lesson later. She stormed off.
Backstage, Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee complained to Scott D’Amore about everything she has on her plate. D’Amore said she took out Sue apparently and she was just eliminated from the Knockouts Tag Title Tournament, so she can prove herself by defending against Rosemary this Saturday at Final Resolution.
Inside the ring, Sami Callihan cut a promo while holding a baseball bat. He asked who was the highest rated Impact Wrestler of them all – it was Sami Callihan. He said he was the best in the ring and on the mic and was the most must-see professional wrestler on the planet. He said he’s held the company on his back since and dug it out of the trenches when he arrived. He said Impact needs Sami more than he needs the company, which is why he gets away with what he gets away with it.
Callihan said he was a giving person and asked them to roll the beautiful footage. They showed the footage of Edwards being beaten down. He said Eddie just doesn’t learn. He keeps getting his ass beat for sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. He’s going to get his ass beat over and over until Edwards is driven out of the business. He said it got Ken Shamrock suspended but he’s taking a nice, needed vacation while Callihan holds things down. He said that he’s in a giving mood and asked them to show the footage again, but instead Alisha Edwards came out.
Callihan told her he wasn’t in the best mood and told her to stop. He said she’s maybe 5 foot tall and last time she stepped to someone Eric Young piledrove her but Young has better manners. He told her if she took one step forward, he was going to break her neck. She said she didn’t come alone and Eddie Edwards attacked him from behind. Edwards, with a blackened eye, got control of the bat and ran Callihan off.
Backstage, Alisha Edwards told Eddie it was time to help her take care of her problem. A fired up Edwards said let’s go do it.
Chris Bey & TNA Champion Moose vs. Impact Champion Rich Swann & Willie Mack
Swann and Bey had some entertaining back and forth action early on, showcasing their speed and agility. Moose tagged in and took down Mack, then powerbomed Bey across him. Bey scored a two count and continued working over Mack with kicks and stomps before choking him in the corner with a boot. Bey brought Mack over to the corner, where Moose tagged back in and continued taking Mack down with hard chops. Moose fired away with a series of right hands to the side of the head.
Bey tagged back in with a legdrop for a two count. Mack came back with the stunner on Bey but missed the Six Star Frog Slash. Swann hits the ring but was hit with a headscissors into the buckles. Mack drilled Bey with a big kick but was speared by Moose. Moose began beating him with elbow strikes. Swann kicked him and they brawled to the floor but Bey, the ultimate finesser, capitalized by pinning the unconscious Mack.
Your winners, TNA Champion Moose and Chris Bey!
Solid preview of this Saturday’s matches.
Backstage, Josh Mathews said he will interview Kenny Omega.
Impact Wrestling Champion Rich Swann went to leave the building but was stopped by security because the lot was closed off for the champion, Kenny Omega. Swann was pissed and stormed off.
Josh Mathews entered the bus. AEW Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis sat down with him. Callis said he was going to witness history. They changed the nameplate from Jon Moxley to Kenny Omega, a gift to the Impact fans. As they changed it, Mathews reviewed everything that happened and asked how long the Callis-Omega partnership began. They threw Moxley’s nameplate across the bus in a sign of disrespect. Callis said their relationship began 27 years ago when Callis was trained by The Golden Shiek, Omega’s uncle. Callis has watched over Kenny like Kenny’s Uncle looked over him. He’s always been the invisible hand in pro wrestling. He mocked the idea that he came back to do a podcast or announce for New Japan. It was all part of the plan to be there when Omega won the IWGP title. Then, it was all part of the plan to go to Tony Khan’s house and then be invited back. They are family and they changed the business twice. He booked Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega and that’s the match that inspired the creation of AEW. He said everyone was welcome for that and now they changed the course of wrestling twice. They set the course of history right. The greatest wrestler in the business is the AEW World Champion and they did it together. That makes it special. Some people make matches, some like to make memories, but they make history.
Mathews asked if what happened Wednesday tarnished Omega’s legacy. Callis started losing it but Omega calmed him and asked him to repeat the question. Mathews reviewed what happened and asked if winning the title that way hurt his legacy. Omega said he wanted to know if Josh had a father figure in his life. He asked what would you do if someone attacked your father. Wouldn’t you strike back and get revenge? Of course you would. He said that he and Jon Moxley had a gentleman’s agreement but after what Moxley did, he had to do what needed to be done. He put himself over as having the best matches in AEW history, in Japan, in Mexico, in the UK, in everywhere. Omega got all fired up and cut a good promo. He said that people wanted to know why he was there and why he was living in style. He said that he was starting to feel like his old sense. He said when he was a kid, he was a hobbyist and collected comics but no matter what, he couldn’t collect the rarest to his collection but as a wrestler, he can collect the rarest titles – the AEW title, the AAA title and teased he might be coming for the Impact title. He said he had a big entrance for tomorrow on Dynamite and teased he might be flying in there on a chopper. They dismissed Josh and left.
Very strong promo from Omega and Callis as they sort of played the Nick Bockwinkel/Ric Flair with Bobby Heenan dynamic. This was one of the better Omega promos in recent memory, although I am sure he lost some of the audience with the comic book analogy. I totally got what they were going for with it, but I can see those who aren’t versed in that scratching their head.
So, all of this bleeds back into AEW tomorrow.
Credit: PWInsider.com
