Tonight on IMPACT Wrestling, Christian Cage will once more being making an appearance as Sami Callihan takes on Chris Sabin in singles action. Plus, what is next for the new number one contender, Ace Austin?
IMPACT WRESTLING
August 26, 2021, Nashville, TN
Commentary: Matt Striker & D’Lo Brown
MATCH 1
Chris Sabin vs. Sami Callihan
Sabin didn’t wait for the light to flicker back on during Sami’s entrance to dive onto Callihan. The two go into the ring, Sami powerbombs him and the bell rings for the match to officially begin. Sami starts off by slamming Sabin, but the momentum changes as Sabin hits a backslide driver from the apron. Callihan does catch Chris with a powerbomb against the ring post. The brawl continues on the outside until Sami thumbs the eyes of Sabin. Sami keeps the control back in the ring after that. He has a leg lock on Sabin, but he thankfully makes it to the ropes.
Sami sets Sabin up top and hits him with a few strikes. He goes for a superplex. Sabin fights back until Sami thumbs him in the eyes. Sabin however still changes the momentum with a tornado DDT in the opposite corner. Two count.
The two men go back and forth. Sami trips Sabin up for a camel clutch before curb stomping Chris. He nails the piledriver. 1-2-nope. Sami goes for a package piledriver, but Sabin wriggles free and gets a near fall. He enziguris Sami and then hits his Cradle Shock for the finish.
WINNER: Chris Sabin
Post-match, Moose comes out and tosses Sabin. He spears Sami. He throws in a chair and has a metal bat. Moose goes to replicate Sami’s bat actions with a chair and ironically, Eddie Edwards comes in to save Sami with a kendo stick.
Gia Miller asks Taylor Wilde about booking herself a three-on-one match. She says if they’re going to attack her from behind, she might as well face them head on.
After break, Gia is about to ask Eddie why he helped Sami and Callihan comes in to gloat a little about Eddie having a change of heart. Eddie makes clear that Sami helped him once, so he helped him…once and that’s it. They’re done. He walks off.
Out comes Mickie James to hype up NWA EmPowerrr. She says she, Gail Kim, Madusa and Jazz are going to put on one of the greatest women shows ever. She airs a video package promoting Deonna Purrazzo vs. Melina and afterwards Deonna makes her way to the ring with Matthew Rehwoldt. Purrazzo states that she’s excited to be a part of history, but she does take exception to one thing: her easily defeating Melina at EmPowerrr. It so happens Mickie left Deonna defeating Melina at Emergence out of the video. Mickie makes it clear that it was Matthew who defeated Melina, not Deonna. Melina is a hellcat and she’ll have no problem taking that title from Deonna. Denna threatens to kick Mickie’s ass and starts attacking her, but Trey Miguel runs into attack The Drama King. Mickie and Deonna start brawling and out comes Melina to nail her finish cleanly. “Melina” chants go down.
Brian Myers is trying to teach Sam Beale how to yoke a wrestling shirt. He does one to an IMPACT tee and Beale states he looks like Big Stevie Cool with the mid-drift. Myers decides he needs to have a casting call.
MATCH 2
Chris Bey vs. David Finlay
Bey comes out with his new Bullet Club tee on. Finlay and he exchange strikes as David really lays it in. Finlay remains mostly dominate at the beginning. Bey springboard flips into the ring during the match and Finlay catches him with a dropkick. Bey is on the outside, but Finlay sends him in. We go to break.
Back from it, Bey is in control and hits a spinning neckbreaker for a near fall. Very sharp kicks from Bey but that fires Finlay up to hit a European uppercut. Bey has Finlay in a sleeper hold but Finaly counters only to be caught into a cravat. That grounds David. Bey shows some more offense and gets a near fall, but a bit of taunting gets Bey in trouble. Finlay attacks him on the outside and powerbombs Bey on the apron. He hits a jumping European from up top and gets a two count. Finlay downs Bey soon after for another pin attempt. He attempts a suplex, but Bey fights through only to get caught with a Brodie Lee like slam for a near fall. Bey hits a spinning hook kick. Bey ends up getting the win by rolling Finlay up with his feet on the ropes.
WINNER: Chris Bey
Back from break Gia Miller is with Josh Alexander. She congratulates him on the W against Jake Something at Emergence. Who is next for him? Alexander credits the offense of Jake Something. Next week, he offers an open challenge to any ex-X-Division Champion.
Out comes Christian Cage to the IMPACT Zone. Emergence has come and gone. He beat Brian Myers like he said he would, but now there is a new contender in Ace Austin (that elicits boos). Cage takes a moment of silence to contemplate the impact of the IMPACT Title before changing the tone by dismissing Ace as a challenger. Out comes Tommy Dreamer. Christian jokingly asks what the hell is going on with his hair. Tommy wanted to publicly come out here and say if there is one man who cares about every man and woman in the back, it’s Cage. It was an unfortunate seven years when Christian was gone but he hasn’t missed a beat. Cage loves this business and performs for all the fans no matter where he is. Tommy thanks him for representing IMPACT Wrestling like a true champion. He hugs Christian. One last thing: one way or the other, he’d love the opportunity to wrestle Christian one more time. Just like Cage, he’ll out work everybody too to earn it. Out comes Ace Austin with Madman Fulton.
Ace Austin says he’s the guy around here. At Victory Road, he’s going to make the history that he’s meant to make by being the youngest IMPACT World Champion of all time. Tommy Dreamer will never be a champion again. Christian is living just like the old days. After Victory Road, Cage’s schedule is going to get a whole lot lighter and his bag will get about ten pounds lighter. Christian says he’ll never be the man as long as he’s here. If he talks such a big game, make sure he stands on his tippy toes so they can see his face over the top rope. That starts a fight, but he and Dreamer clear the ring.
Eric Young blames Rhino for losing the IMPACT Tag Team titles. They will cleanse him in the holy waters of change.
After break, Ace Austin approaches Scott D’Amore and wants Tommy Dreamer next week. D’Amore gives it to him, but if Dreamer beats him, it becomes a three-way at Victory Road.
MATCH 3
Taylor Wilde vs. The Influence
Taylor doesn’t wait to dive on all three of her opponents. Bell rings as she nails Kaleb with a K with a leaping hurricanrana. She punts him and gets a near fall. Taylor fights off Madison and Tenille until Kaleb grabs the leg of Taylor and the numbers game come into play. Taylor ends up downing all three in the corner to hit a corner dropkick on the trio. She covers for a two count.
Taylor fights off the three for awhile and rolls up Madison, but Tenille nails a Spotlight Kick for the W.
WINNERS: The Influence
Post-match, The Influence looks to inflict more pain but out come Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering to make the save.
Brandi Lauren is with Gia Miller who asks about her match with Melina last week. Before she can get much of a sentence out, the screens flicker and Gia realizes that Su Yung and Kimber Lee are afoot. She warns Brandi that they both need to get out of there, but before Brandi can she’s pulled into a door by Lee and Yung.
TJP returned with a match on BTI against Steve Maclin, but it didn’t pan out the way he wanted. He talks about tagging up with Fallah Bahh previously and in comes Petey Williams. He talked about being partners
Matt Cardona says his rivalry with Rohit Raju should be over. Chelsea Green pitches a tag match: her and Cardona vs. Rohit Raju and Shera. Matt likes it.
Fallah Bahh wants to make it up to Tasha Steelz after Emergence, but she doesn’t see a way he could.
MAIN EVENT
The Good Brothers vs. Willie Mack & Rich Swann
After a break, Karl shows control against Swann, but a head scissors allows Rich to tag in Willie. They double team Machine Gun with a double elbow. Two count. Willie nails a wiggle forearm on Karl, but he finds himself cornered as Anderson tags him in.
Gallows soon corner Swann and lays it in the corner with kidney shots. Knife edge uppercut. Willie tags in eventually but soon finds himself in the same trouble. Willie later turns the tide with a pop-up uppercut. Rich gets the hot tag. He delivers a mad flurry to Gallows, a neckbreaker and a rolling thunder splash on Anderson to get a near fall. Anderson nails a spinebuster on Swann. He covers: 1-2-kickout. The finish comes when Karl goes for a Gun Stun, but Rich rolls him up for the finish.
WINNERS: Rich Swann & Willie Mack
Post-victory Rich immediately gets attacked by the irate GBs. They go for a Magic Killer, but Willie stops them. With Swann down, however, they end up cornering Willie and Mack. They wedge a chair into the corner and sends Swann into it. Magic Killer on Willie. They toss Willie outside, hold up a chair and send Rich into it again. Gallows and Anderson pull out a table and set it up. They powerbomb Willie through it.
