Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage for the 1/20/22 edition IMPACT Wrestling!
— The show opens with commentator Tom Hannifan announcing that D-Lo Brown won't be joining him tonight due to him recovering from last week's attack from Ring of Honor's Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Vincent, PCO and Maria Kanellis. IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion Mickie James makes her way down to the ring and she'll be joining Hannifan in the booth for our opening contest of the evening.
Tasha Steelz (with Savannah Evans) vs. Chelsea Green
— Chelsea goes right at Tasha and drills her with a jumping drop-kick to the chest. Chelsea continues the attack and lays into Tasha with a few strikes, Tasha trips her up, misses and up-kick, Chelsea goes for a crucifix bomb, Tasha lays her out with a cutter, goes for the cover but Chelsea kicks-out at two. Tasha puts Chelsea on the top rope, looks for a super-plex, Chelsea knocks Tasha down, jumps off the top but Tasha catches her with a kick, goes for the cover, Chelsea kicks out at two, she immediately kips up, drills Tasha with a DDT, goes for the cover but Tasha lifts the shoulders after a count of two. Tasha flips under Chelsea, nails her with a kick to the head and gets the crucifix bomb and the ensuing three-count for the win!
Winner - Tasha Steelz
— After the match, Tasha grabs a mic and congratulates Mickie James on retaining the title at Hard To Kill but now it's time for her to step onto the wrong side of the street, it's the same side of the street her parents warned her about because 'savages' like her are lurking. Tasha says the games are over and it's time to get dirty...time to get nasty and she knows Mickie likes to get nasty sometimes and when they have their Knockouts Women's Title match, she's going to send her back to Virginia as a failure and will send her back to her husband Nick [Aldis] and back to NWA. Tasha says she's going to send her back to her son as a failure. Mickie gets in the ring, Savannah Evans stops her, Tasha tells her to let Mickie go and they begin to brawl. Savannah attacks Mickie, Chelsea comes back down and makes the save but Steelz takes her out as well.
— We then see highlights from tonight's episode of 'Before The IMPACT', where Jordynne Grace defeated Lady Frost to retain the IMPACT Wrestling Digital Media Championship. Following the match, Matt Cardona came down to the ring and seemingly challenged Grace for a title match. Backstage, Gia Miller's with Cardona, who says even though he came up short in his bid to win the IMPACT World Championship, there are other titles to be won...including the Digital Media Championship. Cardona says just to clarify, he's officially challenging Jordynne Grace to a match for her title.
— Back from the break and we see a highlight video of Charlie Haas in multiple promotions ahead of his IMPACT Wrestling debut against former IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander later tonight.
The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne) with Kaleb with a K vs. Decay (Rosemary & Havok)
— Both Tenille and Madison toss Havok out of the ring and blindside Rosemary with a drop-kick and a sliding kick to the shoulder. The referee checks on Rosemary and throws up the X, medical officials come down and say Rosemary can't compete as Kaleb takes pictures of Tenille and Madison in the ring. Rosemary tells Havok to fight Tenille and Madison one-on-one since she isn't cleared, Havok seemingly accepts and we head to a commercial break. Back from the break, Kaleb joins Tom Hannifan on commentary. Back in the ring, Havok eats a chop to the chest from Madison and tosses her around the ring, Tenille comes in and double team Havok, Madison hits Havok with a front-kick to the face and tags-in Tenille, who unloads kicks onto a cornered Havok. Madison's tagged back in and unloads some strikes onto Havok, who fires back, tosses Madison across the ring, knocks Tenille off of the apron and knocks Madison to the mat with a toss. Havok kicks Madison down, takes out an interfering Tenille and drills Madison with a super-kick to the cheek. Madison jumps off the top rope, Havok catches her, Tenille then dives off the top which takes out Havok, Madison goes for the cover but Havok kicks out at two. Madison tags-in Tenille, takes out Havok with a cutter, Tenille follows-up with a super-kick, they hit 'The Influence', Tenille goes for the cover and gets the 1-2-3 for the win.
Winners - The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne)
— We then see the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Jessie McKay and Cassie Lee of The IInspiration, who are back home in Florida. Jessie says if that's The Influence's strategy in their title match next week, they have no chance to win. Cassie says Tenille's selfish inside of the ring and even more selfish outside of it. Jessie asks Tenille how she can trust a tag partner like Madison that retires almost every single year. Jessie and Cassie joke that they'll host a retirement party for Madison. Cassie says she and Jessie are the most successful women's tag team in the history of professional wrestling and if anyone is trying to imitate anybody, it's Tenille and Madison trying to be them and we head to a commercial break.
— Back from the break, we see a quick vignett saying 'The Quintessential Diva' is coming to IMPACT Wrestling soon.
— 'Speedball' Mike Bailey's backstage, Ace Austin and Madman Fulton approach him. Ace says he thinks he and Mike got off on the wrong foot, Fulton says he and Ace are the kind of friends that you want to have around there. Ace leaves Mike his card as he and Fulton walk out.
The Learning Tree (Zicky Dice & VSK) with Brian Myers vs. W. Morrissey
— Brian Myers joins Tom Hannifan on commentary for this one. Morrissey evades an attack from both men, plants Dice with a choke-slam and VSK with a power-bomb for the three-count and the win.
Winner - W. Morrissey
— After the match Morrissey grabs a mic and says he told Moose that he won't stop until he gets a title match and if he doesn't want to show his face around here, he'll come find Moose himself. Morrissey heads backstage and IMPACT Wrestling Executive Vice President Scott D'Amore asks Morrissey to calm down and he won't get his hands on Moose tonight because Moose isn't here but at No Surrender, he'll get his chance to face Moose one-on-one for the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship. IMPACT officials interrupt and tell Scott that something urgent happened and they rush off as we head to a commercial break.
— Back from the break and Ring of Honor's Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Vincent, PCO and Maria Kanellis are at the front of the arena with tickets and say they just want to support their champion Jonathan Gresham. IMPACT officials aren't allowing them in even though they have 'tickets'. Scott D'Amore says they don't need tickets and if they want to support ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham, they can have a free upgrade, they can sit in a sky box instead of the general seating area.
Jonathan Gresham (C) vs. Steve Maclin — Pure Rules Match, Ring of Honor World Championship
— Ring of Honor's Bobby Cruise makes tonight's introductions ahead of the match and the voice of ROH Ian Riccaboni joins Tom Hannifan on commentary. Maclin refuses to shake hands with Gresham and the champion immediately baits Maclin into using his first of three rope breaks right off the bat but Maclin returns the favor and gets Gresham to use one of his. Gresham offers up his hand for a hand-shake again but Maclin, again, doesn't oblige. Gresham gets Maclin to use another rope break and now the challenger just has one remaining but Maclin drills Gresham with a massive punch and the referee warns him as just one close-fist is allowed in a Pure Rules match and if Maclin uses another, he will be disqualified. Maclin takes Gresham out with a suplex, goes for the cover but Gresham kicks-out at two. Maclin pushes Gresham towards the ropes, locks-in a choke and Gresham's hand is still on the top rope and that'll be Gresham's second rope break as well and now both men each only have one remaining. Maclin quickly plants Gresham with an Olympic slam, goes for the cover but Gresham kicks out after a count of two. Maclin locks-in a leg-lock and forces Gresham to use his final rope break. Maclin stomps on Gresham's back and locks-in a camel clutch, Gresham grabs the ropes but he has no rope breaks remaining, Maclin tightens the hold, Gresham powers out but Maclin sends him right back down with a clubbing blow to the neck, scoops him back up, drills him with a forearm to the chin, goes for another cover but Gresham kicks-out at two. Gresham fights back, kicks Maclin in the mid-section, launches himself off of the ropes and lays out Maclin with a moonsault. Maclin sends Gresham to the corner, Gresham kicks him on the stomach, goes up top, dives back down but misses a cross-body, Maclin goes for a Boston crab but Gresham rolls him up and gets a two-count but Maclin's able to lift the shoulders. Maclin drills Gresham with a slam, goes for a cover of his own but Gresham stays alive after a count of two. Gresham locks-up Maclin's knee and forces the challenger to use his third and final rope break, Gresham super-kicks Maclin, goes for the cover, Maclin kicks out at one, hits Maclin with another big kick, Maclin again kicks-out of the ensuing pin attempt at one, Maclin wallops Gresham with a slam, goes for a cover but Gresham kicks out at two. Gresham knocks Maclin down with a drop-kick and gets him into a leg-lock, they exchange strikes while tangled up, Maclin force his weight onto Gresham for a pin but Gresham kicks out, Gresham does the same but Maclin also kicks out, Gresham still has Maclin locked-up, both men grab the ropes for leverage but the break isn't forced by the referee since they've both exhausted all of their rope breaks, Gresham grabs the top rope and forces Maclin's shoulders to the mat and gets the three-count for the win! What a match!
Winner - Jonathan Gresham
— We then see Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Vincent, PCO and Maria Kanellis exiting the arena following the ROH Title match ahead of our next bout.
Doc Gallows & Joe Doering (with Karl Anderson, Eric Young & Deaner) vs. Heath & Rhino
— Karl Anderson joins Tom Hannifan on commentary ahead of this one. Doc and Rhino start this one off, Rhino tosses Doc into the corner and unloads strikes. Doc fights back with a chop to the throat, Rhino kicks Doc down and tosses him out of the ring, Doering enters but Heath tosses him to the outside as well and we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Rhino is working over Doc in the corner, Deaner distracts Rhino and Doc hits him from behind. Doc tags-in Joe who drills Rhino with a big boot. Joe chokes Rhino with the middle rope, the referee forces him to break the hold, Joe obliges but goes right back to it and tags-in Doc, who blasts Rhino with a boot to the chin as Eric Young and Deaner yell at the crowd to stop cheering Rhino's name. Back in the ring, Doc continues to work over Rhino but they take each other out with a pair of cross-bodies. Both Doc and Rhino crawl to their corners, Rhino tags-in Heath, Doc doesn't, Heath sends Joe out of the ring, Doc lays out Heath from behind, Deaner trips Heath, Doc and Joe lay Heath out with a double choke-slam and Doc pins him for the 1-2-3 and the win!
Winners - Doc Gallows & Joe Doering
— Tom Hannifan announces that Mickie James will give a 'State of The Knockouts Division' address on next week's show ahead of her entry into the 2022 WWE Women's Royal Rumble match, next weekend and we head to a commercial break before Charlie Haas' IMPACT Wrestling debut against former IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander in our main event of the evening.
Charlie Haas vs. Josh Alexander
— Chris Sabin joins Tom Hannifan on commentary for our main event. Haas and Josh have a lengthy grappling exchange to start it off, Haas drops Josh down with a trip, goes for a quick cover but Josh quickly kicks out. Josh sends Haas out of the ring with a boot and we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Haas is working over Josh's left leg back inside of the ring. Haas has Josh wrapped up in a leg-lock, Josh tries to strike his way out of the hold, Josh powers out and nails Haas with a rolling senton and then a bevy of German suplexes but Haas returns fire and nails Josh with a pair of his own. Haas tosses Josh to the corner and unloads a number of strikes, then backs up and charges forward at Josh and nails the former champion with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, goes for the cover but Josh is able to lift the shoulder after a count of two. Haas ankle picks Josh, gets him into a leg-lock, Josh rolls out, locks-in an ankle lock, Haas rolls it into a roll-up pin but Josh rolls right back around and locks in the ankle lock even tighter and Haas has no choice but to tap! What a match!
Winner - Josh Alexander
— After the match, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Vincent, PCO and Maria Kanellis of Ring of Honor attack both Josh and Haas. Sabin leaves the commentary desk to come make the save, Rich Swann and Willie Mack run down to assist Sabin against the ROH Five, as do Rhino and Heath as well as Eddie Edwards. The ROH crew make their way out of the ring, Maria Kanellis grabs a mic and says 'it used to be about honor but now it's honor no more!' as the show goes off-the-air.
