Impact World Champion Josh Alexander and KENTA will be on opposite sides of an all-star trios match on Thursday's Impact on AXS TV.
Alexander will team with former champions Rich Swann and Frankie Kazarian as they take on Bullet Club's KENTA, Ace Austin and Chris Bey. Alexander, Swann and Kazarian will battle Time Machine (KUSHIDA & Motor City Machine Guns) at next Friday's Sacrifice.
The Knockouts Tag Team titles will be on the line as The Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie & Jessicka) defend against The Coven (KiLynn King & Taylor Wilde). Valkyrie debuted with AEW on Wednesday while King was announced as signing an exclusive contract with Impact last week.
Steve Maclin, the next challenger for the aforementioned Alexander, will take on Heath in singles action.
Past opponents will reunite as "Speedball" Mike Bailey will team with Jonathan Gresham to take on Decay's Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus.
The BTI pre-show will feature Zicky Dice against Champagne Singh.
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BTI pre-show: Champagne Singh defeated Zicky Dice
This week's show was taped in Las Vegas, Nevada, as Impact continues their road to Sacrifice next Friday in London, Ontario, Canada.
Mike Bailey & Jonathan Gresham defeated Decay (Crazzy Steve & Black Taurus)
Bailey and Gresham previously went to battle, but have teamed before. Steve is coming off a loss to X-Division Champion Trey Miguel in a Monster's Ball match while Taurus just continues to do his thing in the lower mid-card.
This was basically Bailey and Gresham getting beat down until they made hot tags. After things broke down and several near falls, Bailey hit Ultima Weapon on Taurus to get the pin and win. They continued their uneasy alliance with a handshake and hard arm pats afterward. Foreshadowing!
– Gia Miller caught up with Impact World Champion Josh Alexander, Frankie Kazarian and Rich Swann ahead of their trios debut tonight against Bullet Club and Time Machine next Sacrifice. Steve Maclin walked in and tried to stir things up between them.
– Gisele Shaw talked to Miller and complained about how she lost to Knockouts Champion Mickie James and how Deonna Purrazzo is jealous of her. In walked Johnny Swinger and Zicky Dice for some "comedy" which is setting up Swinger vs. Jai Vidal tonight. Buckle up.
Steve Maclin defeated Heath
Maclin is looking ahead to his long-awaited title match with Alexander at next month's Rebellion while Heath is back in singles action after his run with Rhino.
Maclin was rolling until Heath made a comeback. He made a mistake and Maclin hit the KIA (double-arm DDT) for the pin and win.
– The Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie, Jessicka and Rosemary) were backstage getting excited for their Knockouts Tag Team title defense against The Coven. Valkyrie talked Jessicka into doing something else (because she is scared of magic) so she and Rosemary could defend the titles tonight instead. Alright, then.
– PCO was shown dragging a shovel through Las Vegas yelling for Eddie Edwards after the events of last week.
– Bailey was about to leave and Gresham walked up and engaged him, saying he didn't know he had such a great sidekick. Bailey then said he hasn't forgotten about their first match when Gresham won and challenged him to a rematch at Sacrifice. Gresham accepted, so we're on.
Jai Vidal (w/ Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans) defeated Johnny Swinger (w/ Zicky Dice)
This was a lot of comedy, but Vidal looked pretty good in there. He just hasn't got much of an in-ring opportunity in Impact just yet.
Dice got tossed when he was caught grabbing Vidal's leg followed by Evans and Shaw getting ejected after Evans dragged Swinger outside the ring. Deonna Purrazzo then attacked Shaw from behind before getting knocked by Evans, leading to security breaking everyone up.
Back in the ring, Vidal landed a leaping kick on Swinger to get the pin and win.
– The Design (Deaner, Angels and Kon) delivered a message explaining how Callihan hadn't passed step six despite defeating Rhino last week. Callihan then entered the frame very upset and Deaner explained step six was to take a beating like a man. He then said they didn't forget that Callihan cost Kon a match against Frankie Kazarian at No Surrender and asked if he was willing to take that beating. Callihan obliged so you can look forward to that.
– PCO arrived outside Sam's Town, still screaming "Eddiiiieeee!!!"
– Tommy Dreamer was chatting with someone backstage when Mickie James interrupted as she learned she and Dreamer were taking on Bully Ray and Masha Slamovich next week. Jordynne Grace then walked in and asked James if it was a good idea about her taking the match before their rematch at Sacrifice. James didn't have a good answer.
Eddie Edwards promo
Edwards said it's time to focus on his future and for all of this business with PCO to come to an end. He said after last week (when someone ran PCO over with a car), it's officially over. After the footage aired, the arena went black and PCO's entrance played. As he came out, Kenny King attacked from behind with a shovel. King and Edwards then delivered a back suplex, but PCO came back alive as they walked away and attacked both men.
The numbers game caught up to PCO as he was bloodied up by a chair, pinned behind the steps and held there by both men for a beating until he rallied again. Edwards eventually slowed him down with a kendo stock and a Boston Knee Party with a chair as King helped out. The final shot was a kendo stick into the chair as it laid on his head.
– Santino Marella was with former WWE star Vladimir Kozlov who was very excited. Dirty Dango walked in as Kozlov walked away, but Marella cautioned him that he couldn't say his name as it was trademarked unlike his.
Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry then walked in and decided to invoke the rematch clause on behalf of Brian Myers for Sacrifice so he could get revenge on him. Dango said he was a bit starstruck and offered his help to Hendry anytime, leading to Marella making Hendry & Dango vs. Myers & Moose for next week.
The Coven defeated The Death Dollz (Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie) (w/ Jessicka) to win the Knockouts Tag Team titles
I learned the Dollz were the longest-reigning female-only Knockouts Tag Team Champions of all time at more than 160 days. The more you know, huh?
The stip here: if the Coven (KiLynn King & Taylor Wilde) lost the match, they would have to stop practicing witchcraft. Has that ever been a stip in a match ever? Wilde was looking through tarot cards while standing on the ring apron, perhaps for the last time.
The outcome wasn't really in doubt given Valkyrie's debut on AEW Dynamite Wednesday, followed by the news she signed a Khantract. Also, Impact announced King signed an exclusive deal this week.
King got the clean pin after hitting her impressive Kingdom Falls on Valkyrie to win the titles. I am going to guess there's some kind of storyline ending to Valkyrie next week. I mean, she was sent to prison after she admitting to shooting John E. Bravo the last time, right?
– Two new matches were made official for Sacrifice: Bailey vs. Gresham II and Hendry vs. Myers II for the Digital Media title.
– They also revealed that the Thursday March 30th Impact will be a special live edition counting down to the Impact x NJPW Multiverse United event starting right afterward on PPV. The show will feature Josh Alexander vs. KENTA which took place at these same Las Vegas tapings.
Bullet Club (KENTA, Ace Austin & Chris Bey) defeated Josh Alexander, Frankie Kazarian & Rich Swann
All six men have plenty of action coming up at both Sacrifice and Multiverse United. Austin & Bey are the Impact Tag Team titles, Alexander is the Impact World Champion and KENTA is the NJPW Strong Champion.
The mood changed a bit when Alexander and KENTA got in there for a few minutes. The babyfaces stood tall going into the commercial break, but Swann got into trouble afterward, leading to the Bullet Club running roughshod through the middle portion.
Kazarian got the hot tag and did his thing, taking out everyone including a double DDT on the tag team champions. As Bey got the advantage, Alexander got the hot tag and dished out some punishment to Bey, punctuated with a power bomb onto his knee for a near fall.
Things broke down as expected with action spilling to the outside. In a really cool spot, Kazarian hit a cutter on Bey as he springboarded over the top onto the mass of wrestlers.
Let's just watch it together:
Things again broke down back inside the ring and as Alexander was about deliver the C4 on Austin, he got distracted by Maclin watching from afar. KENTA took him out and Swann got taken out by Bey's The Art of the Finesse and Austin's The Fold to give Bullet Club the win.
Next Week:
Bully Ray & Masha Slamovich vs. Mickie James & Tommy DreamerDeonna Purrazzo vs. Savannah EvansMoose & Brian Myers vs. Joe Hendry & Dirty DangoThe Design (Deaner, Kon & Angels) vs. Time Machine (KUSHIDA & Motor City Machine Guns)Click Here: derry gaa jerseys