IMPACT Wrestling Hard to Kill 2020: Full card preview and predictions

Sami Callihan (c) vs. Tessa Blanchard – IMPACT World Championship

These two have been feuding for the better part of a year and not only has it made for incredible television, it has been fascinating to watch this rivalry evolve over time.

As Sami Callihan has reiterated time and time again, this isn’t a “man vs. woman thing.” Callihan’s beef with Tessa Blanchard has always stemmed solely from the fact that he does not respect her as a competitor because of where she comes from. While he grew up in poverty, Callihan has argued that Blanchard was born with a “silver spoon” in her mouth because her dad was a Four Horseman.

No matter how bitter and personal every attack became (both verbal and physical), Blanchard has struggled to put away Callihan. He first beat her at Slammiversary, then again at Unbreakable where Callihan defeated Blanchard in a number one contender’s match, which directly led to Callihan winning the World Championship.

Blanchard then won her own number one contender’s match on the Nov. 19 episode of IMPACT, setting the stage for the third match in this trilogy. Which, given the history and stakes of this match, I think Blanchard wins.

IMPACT has already pulled the rug under our eyes every time we expected and hoped Blanchard would pull out a big victory. Slammiversary, Unbreakable, and even at Bound for Glory during her X-Division Ladder Match. You can only disappoint the fans so many times before it becomes frustrating enough for them to change the channel.

Now, on a night where the stakes could not be any higher, I think it is time for IMPACT to finally pull the trigger. Now, with that said, I don’t expect Blanchard to leave Hard to Kill with her title.

Enter Michael Elgin.

My impression about the “Call Your Shot” trophy (as this is the first year it’s been implemented by IMPACT) is that it works like Money in the Bank where the holder can literally call their shot whenever they want. If Elgin does win as I predicted earlier, then I suspect that he’ll cash in his trophy on a battered and bruised Blanchard moments after a brutal match with Callihan. Then, after picking the scraps, he wins.

On one hand, we get the title winning moment all the fans wanted to see. On the other, we get a new heel champion that opens the door for new storytelling, a new feud, and a chase for Blanchard that (hopefully) would lead to a longer reign once she wins the belt back. It’s a win-win.

Prediction: Tessa Blanchard wins, but loses the title almost immediately to Michael Elgin