Impact Wrestling
Date: August 23, 2019
Location: Oceanview Pavilion, Port Hueneme, California
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis
We’re out of the northeast for a change and in this case it’s for a special show called Cali Combat. Impact has a tendency to make their bigger shows pretty good as they know how to do the all action events, but I’m not sure how well that is going to work this time around. Let’s get to it.
Opening recap.
Opening sequence.
Michael Elgin vs. Rhino
The ring is especially small here. Rhino goes with the power game to start and shoulders him to the floor as the fans start a WAR MACHINE chant. Back in and a running shoulder in the corner has Elgin in more trouble but he’s on the floor again before the Gore can launch. Elgin nails an enziguri for his first shot and it’s time to unload in the corner. A collision gives us a quick double knockdown but Elgin is back up with a release Rock Bottom out of the corner.
The twisting Swanton misses though and the comeback is on, including a spinebuster to give Rhino two. Elgin’s bridging German suplex gets the same as the power brawling continues. A piledriver plants Elgin for two more and a superplex makes it even better. Elgin kicks the Gore away and they fight to the floor for the double countout at 11:37.
Result: Michael Elgin vs. Rhino went to a double countout (11:37)
Post match the fight continues until referees break it up.
Post break Elgin says this isn’t over. Rhino comes in to brawl some more.
The announcers preview the show.
Tag Team Titles: Reno Scum vs. The North
The North is defending. Luster the Legend headlocks Ethan to start and then runs him down with a shoulder. The bigger Luster cranks on the arm and it’s Thornstowe coming in with an ax handle. Alexander comes in for a swinging Texas Cloverleaf of all things and it’s the chinlock to take us to a break.
Back with Alexander stomping Thornstowe down in the corner and handing it off to Page for a spinning backbreaker. A shot to the face allows the tag off to Luster for the big power comeback, including a spinebuster for two on Alexander. Everything breaks down with Page’s suicide dive taking out Luster. That leaves Thornstowe to get crotched on top, setting up the toss Alabama Slam for the pin to retain at 11:25.
Result: The North b. Reno Scum – Assisted Alabama Slam to Thornstowe (11:25)
Ace Austin is banged up so Alisha Edwards helps him get his shirt off. Ace confirms that the bandages are from Eddie Edwards but Alisha leaves for her match. The chicanery continues.
Madison Rayne tries to smooth things over with Jordynne Grace, who shouldn’t be associating with some newcomer. Grace doesn’t need her help, just like she didn’t need Rosemary’s help last week either.
Havok vs. Alisha Edwards
Alisha hammers away at Havok but her crossbody is shrugged off. Havok tosses her around and chokes on the ropes as we talk about Moose insulting Ken Shamrock’s bare knuckle boxing company. Alisha gets in a bulldog, only to get Tombstoned for the pin at 3:33.
Result: Havok b. Alisha Edwards – Tombstone (3:33)
Post match Ace comes out to check on Alisha so here’s Eddie for the chase….right into a chokeslam from Havok as Ace leaves with Alisha.
Su Yung appears on screen, speaks gibberish, and is gone.
Sami Callihan blames Dave Crist for the loss last week so tonight he’ll handle Tommy Dreamer himself. Sami is coming for the World Title when he’s done with Dreamer.
Moose tells Ken Shamrock to meet him in Las Vegas because while Ken is a fighting legend, Moose is a five star athlete.
X-Division Title: Rich Swann vs. Jake Crist
Crist is defending and kicks Swann in the face at the bell. Swann is fine enough to block a suicide tornado DDT on the floor and a 619 from the apron connects. Back in and Swann gets superkicked out of the air, setting up the early chinlock. Swann gets sent outside and dropped onto the apron for two and the chinlock goes on again. That’s switched into the reverse Rings of Saturn but Swann is back up with a rolling clothesline.
Some rapid fire strikes send Crist outside, where Swann flips off the stage to kick him in the face again. Back in and Crist plants him with a Death Valley Driver so Swann comes back with a swinging neckbreaker. The middle rope 450 gets two on Crist so Swann loads up the Lethal Injection, which nearly takes out the referee. That’s enough of a distraction for Crist to grab a rollup with trunks for the pin at 8:43.
Result: Jake Crist b. Rich Swann – Rollup with a handful of trunks (8:43)
Tenille Dashwood is coming.
The Desi Hit Squad go to the Deaners’ farm. The Deaners put them in overalls, which Raju seems to like. Gama slaps him in the face and more on this later.
Flashback Moment of the Week: Ken Shamrock wins the NWA World Title on the first show.
Taya Valkyrie promises a big title defense next week as she comes up on the longest title reign in Knockouts Title history.
Trey Miguel vs. Willie Mack
Trey starts with the Running Man and dances up off a hard shoulder. A Samoan drop into the standing moonsault gives Mack two as the fans aren’t sure who they like more. Trey’s double springboard wristdrag is blocked with raw power and some running forearms in the corner put Trey down.
The running Cannonball connects but the Stunner is countered into a rollup to give Trey two. Trey wins a slugout and goes up top, where he slides between Mack’s legs to set up a Cheeky Nandos kick. The 619 around the corner connects, only to have Mack come back with the Stunner for the pin at 5:26.
Result: Willie Mack b. Trey Miguel – Stunner (5:26)
Tommy Dreamer says Sami Callihan is one of the bad people in wrestling and he can’t wait to beat Sami up tonight.
Next week: Rhino vs. Elgin, falls count anywhere.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Sami Callihan
No DQ. Sami charges at him to start and gets punched in the face as they quickly head to the floor for the brawling. A ring bell shot to the ribs each take us to a break and we’re back with the two of them on opposite aprons for a staredown. Dreamer uses a kendo stick for Sandman’s White Russian legsweep but Callihan gets in a chair shot.
Then it’s time to go hybrid with a stick shot to the chair to keep Dreamer in trouble, followed by pulling the stick across Dreamer’s mouth. Neither can hit a DDT so Callihan shoves him onto the chair for two instead. Something close to a Conchairto has Dreamer in agony so Sami takes a bow. Dreamer comes back with the Dusty Rhodes punches and Bionic Elbow for two and it’s trashcan time. And for a bonus, ladder time.
Sami hits him with both of them but Dreamer catapults him into the trashcan in the corner. The DDT gets two on Sami, who grabs Tommy by the crotch. The drop toehold sends Dreamer into the open chair and it’s time to put a piece of wood between two chairs. Dreamer gets in a piledriver for two but a middle rope elbow only hits ladder. Some kendo stick shots set up the piledriver through the wood to finish Dreamer at 15:28.
Result: Sami Callihan b. Tommy Dreamer – Piledriver through a board (15:28)
Post match the beatdown stays on until Tessa Blanchard runs in for the save with a baseball bat. Jake Crist runs in to take Tessa out to end the show.
Results
Michael Elgin vs. Rhino went to a double countout
The North b. Reno Scum – Assisted Alabama Slam
Havok b. Alisha Edwards – Tombstone
Jake Crist b. Rich Swann – Rollup with a handful of trunks
Willie Mack b. Trey Miguel – Stunner
Sami Callihan b. Tommy Dreamer – Piledriver through a board
Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books. His latest book is KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews.
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