IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV: Results, Highlights and Grades for Nov. 19

Tonight’s IMPACT episode on AXS TV is set to feature a number one contender’s elimination main event between Tessa Blanchard, Rich Swann, Brian Cage, Michael Elgin, Moose and Daga.

Following a cold open video package recapping last week’s events, IMPACT Wrestling opens with a four team tag team match pitting The Rascalz (Des and Wentz) vs. Desi Hit Squad (Raj Singh and Rohit Raju) vs. The Deaners (Cousin Jake and Cody) vs. Reno Scum (Adam Thornstowe and Luster the Legend).

Luster and Wentz start with a lock up, Luster with the advantage via an arm wrench, but Wentz gets out of it with flippy stuff. He tags in Des for a bevy of tag team strikes before Des makes the pin for a two count. Speaking of strikes, it takes a kick to the stomach for Luster to get back into this. He tags in Thornstowe to hit a tag team move for a two count.

Following a chokeslam buckle bomb, Thornstowe tags back Luster before the latter drives Des into the former’s arm pit. They isolated Des in the corner, but Des tries his best to fight back. Unfortunately for Des, it is to no avail. The Deaners tag themselves in and work over Luster enough with some dog pile punches to make the pin, but Hit Squad break it up. Hit Squad make their own tag to hit a backbreaker/big boot combo on Deaner.

Deaner and Raj go at it. The latter hits an Ushigoroshi before driving Deaner into the corner for a big splash, but Deaner ducks it. Cody’s Cousin Jake gets the tag and hits a flurry of powerhouse offense, before Rojit stomps into his back, then goes into the corner for a running senton, but gets caught by a powerbomb. Anarchy breaks loose as everyone hits the ring.

This anarchy includes a suicide dive from Cousin Jake onto everyone on the outside, then a dive from Cousin Jake. Rohit teases his own dive, but waves off the crowd. He then gets kicked in the face by Wentz, who dives onto everyone outside himself instead. Des sets up a dive of his own on everyone, but hits a spaceman plancha outside instead. All eight men are down.

Des tags Rohit allowing Rascalz tag team offense, but Rohit dodges it, allowing the Hit Squad to hit an assisted DDT. Cousin Jakes takes out both men, then he and Cody hit an assisted Uranage. Adam hits the ring and Reno Scum go for their own tag team finish before getting taken out by The Rascalz, who superkick Jake, then hit their standing moonsault assist for the win.

Reno Scum attack the Rascalz after the match, but Trey hits the ring to make the save by dropkicking both men. Suddenly, X Division Champion Ace Austin hits the ring to lay out Trey with a title shot to the face. Not only

He then puts a piece of metal into his wrist tape and clobbers Trey in the face with the loaded backfist, knocking him out cold. The champ and Reno Scum celebrate over Rascalz’s bodies.

Winners: Rascalz

Grade: B-

Fun for what it was. The dives got a little repetitive, but again, fun stuff for what it was. Really loved the post-match angle.

Jordynne Grace vs. John E. Bravo and Taya Valkyrie

Taya Valkyrie and Jordynne Grace start this off, but the Knockouts Champion immediately tags to her manager. John E. Bravo pokes Jordynne in the chest, but Big Mama Pump runs right at Taya, knocking her off the apron. Jordynne sends Bravo to the outside before hitting a suicide dive on him.

Back in the ring, she stomps out Bravo in the chest before hitting a series of forearms. Taya tries to cause a distraction by sweeping Jordynne’s leg from the outside, but Jordynne pulls Taya by her hair onto the apron, but that’s enough for Bravo to get the jump on her with Taya.

Bravo helps Taya hit a series of assisted chops before they whip Grace into the corner for back to back clotheslines. They attempt it once more, but Grace fights back. She tosses Taya into Bravo (putting him in a DDT position), then dropkicks Taya, forcing her to DDT her own manager.

Grace starts kicking Bravo in the face repeatedly before executing a senton. Bravo begs for the tag, but Taya (out of fear) drops from the apron and makes her way to the back with her title. Bravo offers his pet, plush dog as a peace offering, but Grace kicks the dog out the ring and into the crowd. Bravo hits Grace from behind, but Grace no sells it and goes postal on the manager. She drives him into the ring post, then an Elijah Express (look it up), uppercut, then a Vader Bomb for the win.

Winner: Jordynne Grace

Grade: B

This was hella (as the kids say) entertaining. Not a masterclass of in-ring wrestling, but it was never supposed to be. Good way to progress the feud between Taya and Grace as we ease our way closer towards an actual one on one title match.

Backstage, Desi Hit Squad get berated by their manager, Gama, for once again losing earlier tonight. Gama threatens to leave them and go back to India and storms out.

Angered, they bully Fallah Bahh while on his lunch break and slap the food out his hand. This causes a fight and, obviously, two on one is two much, even for the big man, who gets a production box tossed into him, sending him back first into the wall. While Fallah is passed out, they order him for when he wakes up to tell the locker room that The Desi Hit Squad are not losers.

Back from commercial, RVD has an “important update.” He says while he promised last week he and Katie Forbes would return to IMPACT tonight, he changed his mind because of their party, but because everyone in the locker room does all of his moves anyway, no one will notice he’s gone.

Then, a backstage segment with “Suzie,” who runs into the Sinister Minister himself, Father James Mitchell. Mitchell “introduces” himself to the former Su Yung, asking what a nice girl like her is doing there. She doesn’t know, but understands she’s drawn to IMPACT for some reason.

He calls the locker room “a shark tank,” so he offers protection for her to take her under his wing. She agrees to follow him outside to his Cadillac. Suzie makes her way out, but suddenly, while Suzie’s gone, Rosemary appears behind Mitchell, who says she knows that Mitchell is trying to suppress what’s left of The Undead Bride. But their father (Satan) wouldn’t like that.

Instead, Rosemary wants to re-release that Undead Bride onto the world so she can realize her full potential. Mitchell takes the warning in stride.

Backstage, a signature Rascalz promo that gets interrupted by Trey’s mom. Trey reminds his mom that “no girls allowed in the treehouse,” but Mama Trey knows exactly what they’re doing. She’s concerned about his wrestling after seeing them get attacked earlier. She promises to make an appearance herself in New York.

Johnny Swinger vs. Bucky Gunderson

Gunderson offers a handshake to Swinger, but the heel kicks the babyface enhancement talent in the gut and hits a clothesline. He then rakes his eyes before choking the poor lad with his bandana, then punching him in the head. He then “uses his brain” by hitting the guy below the waist, then rubbing his face into the ropes. Scoop slam then a fist drop.

While Swinger motions to the crowd, Gunderson hits a sneaky dropkick. After picking up just a little bit of momentum, Gunderson sets up a back body drop, but Swinger reverses it into a Swinging Neckbreaker for a win.

Right after the match, Ken Shamrock hits the ring. Remember that segment last week where Swinger took a dump in Ken’s bag? Ken remembers, and he makes sure Swinger remembers by wailing his fists down on the 80’s throwback man. He then makes Swinger immediately tap out to an Ankle Lock.

Winner: Johnny Swinger

Grades: N/A (I don’t grade squash matches)

This was a quick squash match to promote next week’s Throwback Throwdown, where wrestlers will roleplay as 80’s throwbacks (which, to be honest, should be really fun and I am actually looking forward to seeing that one, believe it or not). Not much to say beyond that. The post-match angle was good to make Shamrock look like a beast, I suppose, but not much to say beyond that about this angle.

Afterwards, backstage, Swinger asks Joey Ryan if he has any tips to take on Shamrock. “Yeah, don’t let him touch your dick.”

Moose vs. Daga

The 6-person elimination match starts off as a one on one (so, essentially, it’s a Gauntlet Match in everything but name) between Daga and Moose, who powers Daga into the corner and slaps him to start. Sends him to the opposite corner, but Daga changes direction and tries use speedy, luchador offense to mount the big man. He dropkicks Moose to one knee, then hits a running dropkick to send Moose outside, then hits a diving corkscrew press.

He tries to send Moose back in the ring, but Moose back chops him. Daga runs to the apron to hit a moonsault and send Moose to the ground. He finally throws the big man into the ring and tries to follow up, but Moose suckers him and drives Daga into the middle turnbuckle. Back on his feet, he picks Daga back up just to chop him back down.

He then strong arms Daga into the corner back first into the turnbuckle. He clubs Daga’s already hurt back with his forearm, then follows up with a Dominator (shoutout to Farooq). He runs at Daga for a Spear, but Daga leapfrogs and Superman Punches Moose into the corner. He pops up to the middle rope, but Moose grabs him by the throat for a Go to Hell Spinebuster, but Daga reverses into a hurricanrana and follows up with a sat down dropkick for a two count.

Back to his feet, Moose hits a Spear outta nowhere to eliminate Daga. Right after, Moose’s next opponent is Rich Swann.

Moose vs. Rich Swann

Moose stalks Swann against the ropes, but Swann crawls underneath Moose’s legs. But Moose finally catches him and sends him to the ropes, only for Swann to reverse with a hurricanrana, then a victory roll attempt, but goes for a kick that Moose evades. Moose kips up and catches a dropkick, but stands tall. Swann hits the ropes for another, but Moose hits a dropkick of his own, sending Swann outside.

Outside, Moose chops Swann down before telling the front row to get out the way. He teases tossing Swann into the crowd, but sends Swann back in the ring, taunting the crowd, but it allows Swann to hit a dropkick. He dives off the top rope, but Moose catches Swann’s hurricanrana attempt for a powerbomb attempt, but Swann hits the hurricanrana attempt anyway. Swann sends Moose back in the ring, but back in, Moose sends Swann to the top rope for a dropkick, sending the little man to the outside.

Moose lets the ref count Swann out to catch his breath, but Swann makes it back in at a count of nine. Moose sends him to the ropes, but Swann turns it into a tilt-a-whirl DDT. Chops and punches to Moose, then hits the ropes, but gets caught by Moose who longdarts the lad into the middle turnbuckle for a two count. Angry, Moose pounds into Swann’s skull. He then sets up a powerbomb, hitting a Razor Ramon taunt to boot, but Swann lands on his feet.

He punches Moose in the mouth several times then hits a high kick. He hits the ropes and runs into a pump kick. Moose goes for a moonsault dive to follow up, but gets caught with a Cutter!

Swann hits a Lethal Injection for a near fall. Swann goes to the top for a 450 Splash, but Moose gets the knees up. Moose runs at Swann, but gets kicked in the face. Swann hits the middle rope again, but Moose grabs him for a Go to Hell Spinebuster for another near fall.

Moose sets up a Spear , but runs into a superkick. Moose quickly recovers to drop Swann neck first onto the ropes. He goes for the Spear once more, but Swann turns it into a crucifix/jackknife pin for the win! Unlucky for Swann, Elgin is out next.

Michael Elgin vs. Rich Swann

Swann immediately side steps Elgin out the ring and attempts a dive, but gets caught with a springboard neckbreaker, sending Swann to the outside, allowing Elgin to dive onto him outside right before the commercial break.

Back from break, Elgin evades a dive and a Lethal Injection attempt. He goes for a Burning Hammer, but Swann wiggles out and hits a series of kicks, but Elgin returns with some kind of pop up spinebuster.

Swann kicks out. Elgin then clotheslines Swann into the corner. Swann is dead tired after wrestling for 20+ minutes against two big men.

Elgin goes for a superplex, but Swann wiggles out for a low back kick. He then hits a school boy powerbomb off the top rope. The two trade punches to the face, but Elgin pumps the breaks with a tilt-a-whirl buckle bomb that Swann turns into a jackknife pin attempt, which Elgin turns into a crossface. Swann struggles to get out of it, but slowly but surely, he gets one foot on the ropes.

Elgin brings Swann to the apron for a fireman’s carry, but Swann fights free and retaliates with a kick. Swann then sets up what appeared could’ve been a poison rana on the apron, but Elgin turns it into a half nelson suplex on the apron.

Back in the ring, Elgin goes for a spinning senton, but Swann gets out the way just in time. Swann goes for a frog splash, but Elgin evades him. Both men down on opposite sides of the ring. Swann in the corner.

They meet in the middle of the ring, evading and reversing each other’s moves until Swann nails a spinning back kick, only for Elgin to hit kicks of his own, then a dragon suplex. Elgin takes his head off with a clothesline, but Swann kicks out whilst spitting up blood.

Elgin sends Swann to the top rope for a superplex, then attempts a powerbomb, but Swann turns it into a poison rana, followed by a kick to the face, then another poison rana. Elgin somehow kicks out. Swann struggles to make it to the top, and the slow timing allows Elgin to run up and hit a deadlift falcon arrow off the top for a near fall. The closest near fall you can imagine.

Burning Hammer attempt, but Swann grabs the ropes to break it. Elgin attempts it once more, but Swann jumps to his feet. Swann ducks a clothesline and Elgin runs into the ref. He jaw jacks for the ref to get out of his way, but turns around into a Superkick from Swann, then ducks a clothesline only to get caught by a comeback clothesline. He’s punching Swann in the corner. Ref tries to break it, but Elgin pushes him away twice to cause the DQ. Elgin is furious, but Swann is your winner.

An angry Elgin punches Swann in the mouth and powerbombs Swann as he is pouring out blood. Swann is tended to by the refs for a few minutes before the next opponent makes his way out.

Rich Swann vs. Brian Cage

After 30 minutes, bloodied and bruised, Swann somehow is up to his feet, but is petrified to see his opponent. But he urges himself to fight through the pain and the anguish to lean against the ropes. Cage acknowledges his sympathy to Swann, but Swann slaps him in the face. He goes for a chokeslam, but Swann reverses with an armbreaker and a series of kicks. Cage is down.

Swann hits a 450, but Cage kicks out at one. He goes to the top once more, but gets caught by Cage once more. Swann tries to wiggle out for a roll up, but Cage flips Swann through the air. Cage runs at Cage, but Swann gets the knees up and hits a superkick. Swann wiggles out of a pumphandle to kick Cage in the face again. He climbs to the top one more time for another 450 for a near fall.

Lethal Injection attempt gets reversed by a German suplex. Cage puts him in a fireman’s carry, but Cage gets by a Cutter. Swann finally hits the Lethal Injection, but he is too dead to make the pin immediately. He crawls and nails his way to the pin for a near fall.

He attempts a Phoenix Splash, but Cage has it scouted and hits a Weapon X for the mercy kill of a win. Tessa Blanchard is out next and is the final competitor to come out at that.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Brian Cage

Staredown at the start. Collar and elbow tie up, but Cage strong arms her into the corner. Tessa pushes him and dodges a series of clotheslines. She attempts a backslide and arm drags, but isn’t strong enough. He goes for a powerbomb, but Tessa, landing on her feet, springboard dropkicks Cage to the outside before hitting a suicide dive. Cage does not leave his feet, but she hits a second one.

He’s now down to a knee as Tessa goes for a third, but Cage catches her in mid-air to F5 her onto the apron. Tessa is laid out, leading us to one last commercial break.

Back in the ring and back from the break, Cage shoulder blocks Tessa into the corner. He then whips her into the opposite corner for a clothesline, but Tessa gets the foot up. She goes for a dive, but Tessa catches her. He goes for a fallaway slam, but she lands on her feet, sends him into the ropes, then running kicks him into his injured back.

He pushes her away off the cutter and he goes for a tilt-a-whirl slam, but she turns it into a DDT for a two count. She goes for her finisher (Hammerlock DDT), but Cage pushes her off. He goes for a powerbomb, but Tessa hits a hurricanrana, then a Codebreaker off the middle rope, followed by a crossbody splash for a two count.

She dives, but Cage side steps it for a military press slam for a near fall. He goes to the top rope to hit a deadlift suplex for another near fall. He sets up another suplex, but Tessa lands on her feet, hits a superkick, then Cutter, then a Hammerlock DDT for the nearest of near falls!

Cage back up, he hits a Sit Out Alabama Slam for a two count. He puts her on the top rope to set up a Razor’s Edge from the top, but she turns it into a rana. She then climbs to the top to hit a diving Codebreaker for the near fall!

She climbs to the top once more for another diving Codebreaker, but Cage catches her and turns it into a buckle bomb. He sets up Weapon X, but she turns it into a snap sunset flip for the win! Tessa Blanchard is your new number one contender for the IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship!

Cage and Blanchard hug after the match. Cage raises her hand, then leaves the ring to allow Tessa her moment in the ring.

Winner: Tessa Blanchard

Grade: A+

This match was awesome. Well, all the matches were awesome. Everyone involved gave it their all, especially Rich Swann in a star making performance, best one I’ve ever seen from him. Every single competitor came out of this match looking like a million bucks. Best Gauntlet Match I’ve seen in a long time, probably since that one from Raw last year. And this was better than that.

Overall Grade: A

Really loved this episode. First hour of matches and segments were fun enough, but that last hour or so of that Gauntlet Match made this a must see episode and the best IMPACT episode on AXS TV since the premiere episode earlier this year. Go out of your way to see this main event, folks. It’s a match of the year candidate.