Reviews by Dave
Show air date: January 12, 2020
Impact Wrestling on AXS-TV was a solid go-home show for their Hard To Kill pay-per-view. I thought it was a step down from last week’s go-home for Genesis but still, they accomplished a lot, each match for the pay-per-view had a match, angle, and/or video package, even announcing new matches for the event.
Kimber Lee defeated Taya Valkyrie
Taya Valkyrie, challenging Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo at the Hard To Kill (HTK), faced Purrazzo’s ally and tag partner, Kimber Lee, in a good TV match that got better as it went. Lee got the biggest win of her IMPACT tenure, pinning Valkyrie who’s husband must have come by on furlough because Taya had a “Dumb WWE Face” moment, turning her attention from her opponent in the ring as Purrazzo and the f–king eerie Susan attacked Valkyrie’s partner, Rosemary, on the outside.
Chris Bey and Rohit Raju defeated Manik and Suicide
In a very good tag match, X-Division champion Manik teamed with Suicide (like the Midnight Rider teaming with Stagger Lee) in a losing effort against Manik’s HTK opponents–and guys who do not trust or even like each other–former X-Division champions in their own right, Rohit Raju and “The Ultimate Finesser” Chris Bey.
Credit to Madison Rayne for asking why the ref wasn’t counting the masked men out early in the match but other than that, all four guys looked really good with Bey hitting the Art of Finesse cutter on Suicide for the win.
Deaner defeated Tommy Dreamer
The newly shaven (no longer Cody) Deaner beat Tommy Dreamer by disqualification in a decent brawl where Deaner baited his former tag partner, Cousin Jake into punching him in front of the referee. A big brawl breaks out with Deaner, his associates, and HTK tag partners Eric Young and Joe Doering leaving Dreamer, Jake, and their HTK partner Rhino laying. That’s going to be a wild one at the pay-per-view.
Video Package for Barbed Wire Massacre and Knockouts Contract Signing
Good video package and promos from Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan for their Barbed Wire Massacre at HTK. I loved the contract signing for the Knockouts Tag Title tournament finals with Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan talking big to Havok and Nevaeh, pointing out they are undefeated against the bigger women. Tough one to call but it should be good.
Rosemary defeated Tenille Dashwood
Rosemary promised to have some help in her match with Tenille Dashwood and she did: her old Decay mate, Crazzy Steve, as she got the best of Dashwood, showing a face doesn’t have to be an idiot in the process. They are announced for a mixed tag match at Hard To Kill. Good match.
Moose defeated Matthew Palmer
Moose beat the brakes off Matthew Palmer but Palmer did have his moments. Swann’s biggest threat isn’t the guy from Wed night wrestling.
Main Event: Rich Swann defeated Karl Anderson
World champion Rich Swann had a very good match with half of the world tag champions, “The Machine Gun” Karl Anderson. Anderson has made the most of his time in IMPACT, with a few really good singles matches and this was no different. Swann is a throwback to a Bob Backlund type of babyface world champion: a genuinely good guy who will find a way to win. After the Swann win, they close with a brawl in the back between the combatants in the HTK main event: Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns with Anderson, Doc Gallows, and AEW world champion Kenny Omega.
Great sizzle reel run down at the end, giving the entire Hard To Kill card. Looks like IMPACT is set for two excellent pay-per-view in a month.
