Emergence
source: Wrestlingobserver.com
Opening video did a good job at recapping the path that took us to Christian Cage vs Brian Myers tonight, but also a little bit of Josh Alexander and Deonna Purrazzo.
Matt Cardona (with Chelsea Green) defeated Rohit Raju (with Mahabali Shera)
A couple of weeks ago, Raju and Shera cost Cardona a big loss against the debuting John Skylar, but after getting payback on Shera, he is out to get Raju this time around.
Cardona is starting to get ‘Deathmatch King’ chants.
Cardona dominated early, forcing Raju to constantly leave the ring to get some space, in some occasions, it be Cardona who would toss Raju to the floor to follow with a slide or dive, and it was until one of these that Raju managed to pull the ring skirt and completely make Cardona crash and burn.
Back in the ring, Raju had gained control, Shera started to assist Raju outside the ring, and to make things worse, some of Cardona’s cuts from GCW started to open up.
Cardona made a comeback and went back and forth with Raju for a bit, but as they went on, Cardona gained more and more momentum. Raju would get a couple of near falls with a reverse STO, but after Raju tried to roll him up with his feet on the ropes, Cardona came back with radio silence for the win.
After the match, Shera attacked Cardona and hit the chokeslam on the knee. Shera set up the running boot, but Green got in the ring and confronted him. Shera, reluctant to hit her, walked away instead.
– D’lo Brown & Matt Striker ran down tonight’s card.
Decay (Rosemary, Havok, Black Taurus, & Crazzy Steve) defeated Tasha Steelz, Savannah Evans, Fallah Bahh, and No Way
A lot of things are happening in this match. This is the in-ring debut of Savannah Evans, Steelz’ new enforcer after she turned on Kiera Hogan. Steelz and Evans are teaming with the babyface team of Bahh and No Way since the former and Steelz were a tag team at the Homecoming show and both share an enemy in common in the name of Decay. Steelz and Evans are looking to challenge Rosemary and Havok for the tag team titles, whereas Bahh doesn’t get along with Decay after it was Steve and Rosemary that eliminated them at Homecoming.
Rosemary and Steelz were to start the match, but after some trash talking, it was Evans that ended up starting the match and she single handedly took down both Rosemary and Steve. No Way and Bahh tagged in to try and continue that control, but Steve escaped and in came Taurus, and Bahh ended up being the one cut off from his corner. They did a couple of biting spots before Bahh crawled back to Evans.
We got a better look at Evans and Rosemary, with the latter getting cut off and isolated. Steelz and Evans kept it to themselves to work on Rosemary as they built Havok for the hot tag.
Havok came in and got a quick near fall with a sky high, broke up by Evans, and we finally got that hoss pair up. Havok dominated until they tagged out.
Steve and No Way paired up, followed by Taurus and Bahh again. Taurus and Rosemary hit a double spear on Bahh for the win, no one was able to jump in time to break the pin. Evans looked good in her debut, commentary sold her well.
– We got a promo from Violent By Design about losing the titles because of weakness, but they have learned from it. EY put over Joe Doering for last night’s performance against Doc Gallows. This had great energy, by the end of EY’s promo, it felt like a babyface promo.
– We got a promo from Violent By Design about losing the titles because of weakness, but they have learned from it. EY put over Joe Doering for last night’s performance against Doc Gallows. This had great energy, by the end of EY’s promo, it felt like a babyface promo.
Steve Maclin defeated Petey Williams
Maclin had been on a path of destruction, taking out every local wrestler that got put in front of him, and eventually that path led him to one of Williams’ friends, Trey Miguel. After Williams saved Miguel from Maclin, the latter took it personal and started going after Williams, leading up to this match when they could finally clash in the ring.
Both men started going at each other on the ramp before the bell. They got in the ring to start the match, but the action quickly went back to the floor when Maclin escaped Williams’ destroyer attempt.
After Williams had dominated and chased around Maclin outside the ring, Maclin caught Williams’ rana and turned it into an apron bomb to completely turn around the match. Maclin got his first near fall with a Cactus Jack falling elbow to the floor.
Maclin dominated Williams, who tried a couple of comebacks, but kept getting cut off by Maclin’s power and strikes. It would take a released German and a running knee for Williams to finally take down Maclin. Even so, when he called for the destroyer, Maclin turned it into a double underhook backbreaker. Williams went for a second attempt at the destroyer, but again it was blocked and Maclin hit his spear to the hanging Williams in the corner.
Williams locked in a sharpshooter, but Maclin broke out by biting Williams, followed with a low blow behind the referee’s sight, and a mayhem for all for the win.
After the match, Maclin tossed Williams outside the ring.
– Gia Miller interviewed Taylor Wilde about her match with Madison Rayne, and what her strategy was to counter Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb with a K who are likely to be there. Wilde said she was ready for everything.
Madison Rayne (with Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb with a K) defeated Taylor Wilde
Madison Rayne made her return out of retirement last week, as she came out to help Tenille Dashwood get a win over Taylor Wilde. Dashwood and Wilde have been feuding for some time, but it wasn’t until Wilde returned a couple of weeks ago that they restarted the feud and Rayne joined in.
Match started with both women measuring each other with Wilde constantly getting the better of Rayne, to the point that Rayne left the ring to regroup with Dashwood and Kaleb, only to be on the receiving end of a dive from Wilde. As they went back to the ring, the referee distracted himself with a nasty cut that Rayne got under the eye, and so Dashwood took advantage to pull on Wilde and allow Rayne to sneak up on her and cut her off.
Wilde made a quick comeback before both women started to trade near falls. At one point, Wilde had a bridging German when Kaleb pulled the referee, but between Dashwood, Rayne, and Kaleb, the distractions eventually allowed Dashwood to send Wilde into the corner shoulder first, ready for Rayne to roll her up for the win.
– Miller interviewed the Good Brothers about their match tonight and wanted to ask about Gallows’ status after his match with Doering. Anderson said that Gallows was good because he was the best big man in the business and tonight, they would successfully defend because they’re the best tag team in the world.
Ace Austin (with Madman Fulton) defeated Moose, Sami Callihan, & Chris Sabin to become the new Impact World title #1 contender.
These four wrestlers were the last eliminated in the #1 contender’s battle royale from a couple of weeks ago, and so they were granted a chance to compete for the same position, to challenge the winner of tonight’s main event between Christian Cage and Brian Myers.
Ace Austin’s story of the match was that Fulton kept saving him, either by catching him when tossed out of the ring, or by straight up putting himself in between Austin and whatever kick his opponents directed towards Austin.
Moose started the match taking everyone out, followed by a couple of pair ups between the competitors. We saw Sabin take out Moose, followed by some Sabin versus Austin, and then Austin versus Callihan.
Moose powerbombed Sabin to the floor on top of Callihan and Fulton, followed by Austin hitting a dive on all of them together.
Back in the ring, Sabin got a near fall on Moose after hitting a tornado DDT. Austin came in and took out Sabin, used his speed advantage to take out Moose, and hit a Fold on Callihan for a near fall. He went for a second, but Callihan dodged and countered with a piledriver.
Callihan chased the package piledriver, but all men came back to the ring and instead got into a strike exchange between each other. Moose was taken out by a triple superkick. Sabin took one from Austin, and Callihan and Austin followed with kicks to each other for the ten count knockout draw tease.
Sabin and Callihan exchanged strikes, ending with Callihan hitting yet another piledriver, but Austin and Moose were there to cut them off. Moose hit two uranages on Austin and set up lights out, but Callihan got him with a chair, not realizing that he left him open for Austin to pull him back for the roll up and get the pin.
Ace Austin will challenge at Victory Road against the winner of Brian Myers versus Christian Cage.
– Gia Miller interviewed Brian Myers. She asked him if he had what it took to defeat Cage. Myers said that Cage was a phenomenal wrestler, but he was going up against the most professional wrestler.
X Division Champion Josh Alexander defeated Jake Something to retain the title.
Jake Something won this shot in a four way match defeating Trey Miguel, Daivari, and Rohit Raju.
This match was all about power versus technique, for the first time since winning the X division title, Something was Alexander’s biggest opponent, even bigger than Black Taurus at Homecoming. Alexander was able to out-wrestle Something, but it always took Something just one strike or one slam, and he was able to cut off Alexander and turn things upside down for Alexander. Even when Alexander went for the diving backsplash, Something just took it, got him in a fireman’s carry, and hit a DVD on the floor.
As much punishment Something dealt, Alexander just had better experience and awareness and always found a way to escape Something’s pins. It was the delayed vertical suplex that Something finally got a two count on Alexander.
Eventually, Alexander hit a desperation Rolling fireman’s carry slam and a knee to the head to slow down Something. Alexander could follow with a pin, but followed with a series of 5 Germans, bridging the 5th for a two count, and then 5 more for yet another huge near fall.
Alexander chased the C4, but Something blocked it. Alexander instead went for the ankle lock, only to get kicked to the floor and receive a diving Something.
Something hit the falcon arrow, but Alexander kicked out surprisingly, no one kicks out of the falcon arrow. Alexander caught Something with an elbow to the back of the head, hit an airplane slam for another two count, only for Something to come back with a belly-to-belly. This match is great!
Something decapitated with a lariat and hit the corner spear. Something went for he blackhole, but Alexander countered into the ankle lock, wrapped the legs, and after a struggle, made the ropes. Alexander desperately piledrove Something on the apron and just asked for the countout, but Something made it back.
Back in the ring, Something’s ankle was busted, but he still managed to powerbomb Alexander, but not pin him. Alexander came back, kicked his leg out and hit C4 spike for the win. Fantastic match.
After the match, both men shook hands in acknowledgement.
– Purrazzo and Rehwoldt were interviewed by Gia Miller. She asked about teaming against Miguel and Melina. Rehwoldt said that they’re getting in the ring with the most decorated woman. Purrazzo brought up that it was last year’s Emergence that she became the first ever Ironwoman.
Deonna Purrazzo & Matthew Rehwoldt defeated Trey Miguel & Melina
Melina will be challenging for the Knockouts Championship at NWA’s EMPOWER show. On last night’s Impact, she made her debut, only for Melina and Rehwoldt to jump her afterwards. It would be Trey Miguel who would run out for the save.
Match started with Melina and Miguel showing off a bit, but once it came down to Melina and Rehwoldt in the ring, Purrazzo and Rehwoldt cut off Melina and isolated her from her corner.
Purrazzo started to focus on Melina’s arm, setting her up for the Venus de Milo, and potentially injure her heading into EMPOWER. All of Purrazzo’s offense was submissino based, so it was until she and Melina got to their feet, that Melina was able to get some space between each other, get her with a Thesz press and a neckbreaker, and until then she was free to tag Miguel.
Rehwoldt and Miguel came in with the former using his speed advantage to get the better of Rehwoldt, but they got hot enough that Miguel tried to do the spot where he slams her partner onto their opponent, except Rehwoldt moved out of the way. Rehwoldt took out Miguel and once again, Melina was the babyface in peril, this time with Melina striking Melina to the back of the head and the inside cradle by Rehwoldt for the win. Not the crispiest wrestling from the women. Purrazzo was way too dominant.
– Miller interviewed Christian Cage about his first defense tonight. Cage put over Myers, but told him that he’s not stepping aside for him and maybe one day Myers will be the champion, but not tonight. Good promo.
Impact Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) defeated Violent By Design (Joe Doering & Rhino) (with Eric Young & Deaner) & Rich Swann & Willie Mack to retain the titles.
These three teams were involved in the Slammiversary tag title match that saw the Good Brothers capture the titles for a second time. Ever since, Swann & Mack have feuded with VBD to get tonight’s title shot, which would eventually end in a three way.
Last night, Doering and Gallows had a huge hoss fight, and tonight’s both men wanted to pick up where they left off and started the match with a strike exchange. Mack wanted to play too and tagged himself in on Gallows. Doering was just too big for Mack and easily cut him off.
The match continued with a couple of pair ups, first Rhino versus Swann and then into Swann versus Gallows, who along with Anderson, isolated Swann in their corner. Doering tagged in on Gallows and Swann went from being worked on the Brothers’ corner to the VBD corner. Both teams would continue trading control over Swann for a bit, but once Anderson was in there, Swann was able to escape him and get to Mack for the hot tag.
Mack came in, took down everyone on the apron, and got a near fall with the Samoan Drop and moonsault combo, blocked a gun stun, hit a stunner, and went to the top rope, but Rhino stopped him, tagged himself in, and went for the Gore. Gallows jumped in and distracted Rhino, allowing Anderson to sneak up with a roll up and the pin.
After the match, all of Violent By Design berated Rhino for the loss. I guess the turn is coming for Rhino.
Impact World Champion Christian Cage defeated Brian Myers (with Sam Beale) to retain the title.
Brian Myers won the number one contendership battle royale to earn this shot. At the time, the champion was still Kenny Omega, who was defeated by Cage on AEW’s first ever Rampage show.
Match started with a little bit of back and forth measuring each other. Cage easily got inside Myers head, out wrestling him, which ended up provoking Myers to be more vicious. Cage stayed in control until he gave his back to Beale, who took a cheap shot on Cage, and while it didn’t hurt Cage, it did serve as a distraction for Myers to cut him off with a slam on the apron.
Myers worked over Cage’s neck, but after finally having some control, he decided to go for a top rope elbow, only for Cage to move and let Myers crash onto the mat.
Cage made his comeback, hitting the greatest hits, the punches to the corner, the second rope back elbow, the rope snap the floor, and finally he chased the killswitch, but released it to counter Beale, leaving himself open for a spear by Myers for a two count.
Tilt-a-whirl DDT from Cage for a near fall. Tried to follow with the killswitch, but Myers countered. Myers set up the roster cut, but Cage caught him with a spear and the killswitch for the win. Ok match.
Cage celebrated in the ring as the show went off the air.
