IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV: Results, Highlights and Grades for Dec. 3

ODB Returns

Justin Roberts introduces the former Knockouts Champion to the ring, pointing out that her food truck she’s been running for three years was tragically burnt down and all proceeds from the night will go to having her truck repaired.

He hands her the mic and the ring to herself. ODB says it’s been a rough couple months, but it feels good to be home.

She recalls getting the call about her truck burning down and is almost brought to tears. “Hitting 40 sucks. You cry,” she quips. She says her insurance company were no help, but she doesn’t need them because she has the best fans in the world.

Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo interrupts to laugh off ODB’s pain. She points out ODB being beloved as a four-time Knockouts Champion, but acknowledges that as the longest reigning champion, this is her show. She insults ODB’s famous barbecue sauce as the fans boo her. Taya says she’ll be nice and donate to ODB’s Indiegogo campaign (which you can actually donate to here) so that she can buy a fire exstinguisher to clean up the food truck fire that burnt up faster than ODB’s career.

She orders ODB to get out of her ring, but ODB punches her in the face instead and sends her into the corner until John E. Bravo pulls his client out the ring to retreat.

Grade: B

This was actually kind of great. Started off really real, raw and honest. ODB stumbled over her words a bit, but that’s to be expected when she’s talking about a real life tragedy. Added to the rawness. Then, Taya coming out, being a jerk and getting attacked made for a nice feel good moment that actually sold me on seeing a match between these two, which is a big plus.

Speaking of, right after, IMPACT confirms that Taya Valkyrie will defend her Knockouts Championship against ODB later tonight.

After that, we get a press conference hyping up the main event of IMPACT Hard to Kill in January: Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan for the IMPACT World Championship. The conference is moderated by Justin Roberts and Scott D’Amore.

Tessa takes to the podium to big-up that despite being destructive, Callihan is a heck of a talent, but she’ll finish what they started eight months ago by beating him for his belt in January.

Callihan takes to the podium to say his own peace. “I don’t dislike Tessa Blanchard because she’s a woman [or] because she had everything handed to her on a silver platter … I dislike Tessa Blanchard because she’s a spoiled brat.”

He says he worked hard and hates that Blanchard gets special treatment because of her last name. He says this is not a history making moment for Blanchard. January 21st, on Pay-Per-View, will be another successful title defense for him on his road to be the greatest IMPACT World Heavyweight Champion of all time. He promises to crack Blanchard’s skull open at Hard to Kill, which gets a rise out of Blanchard. They staredown, he smooshes her in the face and they have to be separated.

Grade: A

This was awesome. I love a good press conference angle and this was a darn good press conference angle. Intense and gets me excited for their PPV match.