June 26, 2024

Impact Over Drive 2022 Recap and Reaction

Rich Swann def Jason Hotch, Yuya Uemura, Kenny King, Bhupinder Gujjar & Mike Bailey – 6-Way X-Division Match

Reaction – Anytime you have a former World Champion like Rich Swann, despite how badly of a choice that was, it is always smart to keep him looking strong when you can.  The chance of him becoming a World Champ ever again is slim to none, but little wins like this help lean credit to a previous bad choice.

NJPW STRONG Tag Team Champions Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) def Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) – World Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Match

Reaction – I have not been a fan of this cross promotion since day one, and I’m glad that at least a true TNA Impact original team won the match.  That Bullett Club team is about as fake as they come.

Bully Ray def Moose – Tables Match

Reaction – This again is smart, you want to keep Bully Ray looking as strong as possible until he cashes in that title shot against Josh Alexander and promptly loses.  Meanwhile, Moose continues to do what is best for the company line.

Knockouts World Tag Team Champions Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie & Jessicka) w/ Rosemary def Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans – Knockouts World Tag Team Championships

Reaction – Impact continues to keep the WWE regretting their choice to cut loose Taya Valkyrie as she has been red hot since she arrived back in Impact. This division is hanging on by a thread without any true tag teams, but this match was reasonable enjoyable to watch at times nonetheless.

Mickie James def Taylor Wilde – If Mickie James Loses, Her Career is Over

Reaction – This whole angle is circa Ric Flair 2008, but it works!  I think the only true conclusion to this story will be Deonna Purrozzo winning and ending the career of her idol James.

IMPACT World Tag Team Champions Heath & Rhino def Major Players (Matt Cardona & Brian Myers) – IMPACT World Tag Team Championship

Reaction – This all but guarantees that you will be seeing “Zack Ryder” return to WWE alongside his wife Chelsea Green in the coming months. Perhaps both will be Royal Rumble entrants?

Trey Miguel def Black Taurus w/ Crazzy Steve – X-Division Title Tournament Finals

Reaction – Trey Miguel is one of the most talented professional wrestlers in the world! Keep your eyes on him.  This is a great choice and if you keep giving him time to develop, Miguel is the kind of once in a lifetime talent that could be in the Top 5 in the world very soon.

Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace def Masha Slamovich – Last Knockout Standing Match for the Knockouts World Championship

Reaction – I’ve had enough of this ridiculous pushing of Grace to the moon.  This is getting old and quickly.  I have no interest in watching a half woman half man hybrid.  Slamovich is the better talent with the brighter future.  Moving on….

IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander def Frankie Kazarian – IMPACT World Championship

Reaction – A great match that lived up to the hype.  It is kind of funny to me that AEW came to their sense and realized the entire “Elite Hiunter” gimmick of Kaz was just plain dumb. Still, that being said, Kaz needs to remain in Impact no matter what happens next with his career.

As for Alexander, he was attacked by Bully Ray afterwards which is EXACTLY what Frankie told him would happen to him.  Impact will now spend the next 60 days making Ray look as strong as possible until their match at Hard To Kill in January.

 

Vince McKee

Vince is the Owner of KEE On Sports Media Group. A company built on the very best in sports coverage and broadcasts of High School Sports, Boxing, NPSL Soccer, and everything the sports fans of Northeast Ohio want to know about. He is the play by play man for Ohio Boxing, as well as Cleveland SC of the NPSL. Vince is also a 12x published author who has interviewed everyone from Jim Thome & Austin Carr to Bill Belichick and Frankie Edgar.

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