IMPACT Wrestling returns to AXS TV this Tuesday night for another episode of IMPACT! Wrestling, as the company is now entering its second week of the #1 Contenders Tournament for Tessa Blanchard‘s IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship. Hernandez and Trey Miguel were the first two men to move on in the tournament, while indie veteran Kimber Lee made her in-ring debut with the company. What’s in store for IMPACT this Tuesday? Let’s find out!
Crazzy Steve vs. Dave Crist (w/ Jake Crist)
Ever since Sami Callihan turned on his oVe brothers, Dave & Jake Crist and Madman Fulton, weeks ago at IMPACT Rebellion, the remaining members have been struggling mentally with how to proceed without their leader. Recently signed returnee Crazzy Steve went out of his way to stir the pot last week, leading to this impromptu match-up on Tuesday night, where the former Decay leader will battle Dave Crist in singles action. Does Crazzy Steve have bigger plans to perhaps take over the remnants of oVe as his own, or is he simply playing mind games with the lost souls?
"oVe seem to be ove…r!" @steveofcrazzy seems to be ruffling the feathers of @TheDaveCrist, and @JoeyRyanOnline. #IMPACTonAXSTV @TheJakeCrist @FultonWorld pic.twitter.com/3FsJJjosXo
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) May 18, 2020
XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D) vs. TJP & Fallah Bah
The pairing of big men Acey Romero and Larry D as XXXL has resulted in a fun new tag team that has reminded many of the power possessed by former WWE Tag Team Champions The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon). In recent weeks, XXXL has been caught in triple threats and four-way matches with The Rascalz, Reno Scum, and TJP & Fallah Bah, but on Tuesday night they are down to two-on-two as they face TJP & Fallah Bah in their quest to get into the tag team title conversation.
IMPACT X-Division Championship: Willie Mack (c) vs. Johnny Swinger
Last month at IMPACT Rebellion, Willie Mack defeated Ace Austin to become the new X-Division Champion, and a week later defended the title in a triple threat against Austin and Chris Bey. On Tuesday night, Willie Mack will put his title on the line once again, this time against Johnny Swinger. Swinger has had a career resurgence in IMPACT the past few months and at one point was trying to entice Mack into forming a new tag team with him. Mack rebuffed Swinger then and it’s clearly still an issue with Swinger, who will look to gain his first taste of gold in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.
TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Moose (c) vs. Suicide
In a surprising rematch from last week, when Moose defeated Suicide in a match for Moose’s TNA World Heavyweight Championship, the two will face off once again. Shortly before the match, former TNA World Champion Chris Sabin tweeted about looking forward the day that will “soon come when I say ‘Watch me wrestle TONIGHT on IMPACT Wrestling'”, and during the match itself, people began to notice slight mannerisms to Suicide that resembled the former Motor City Machine Gun. Could Sabin be under the mask of Suicide this time around and is this rematch so that Sabin can finally reveal his return to IMPACT Wrestling? Time will tell.
IMPACT Wrestling World Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, First Round: Rhino vs. Ace Austin
Rhino is looking for his second World title in IMPACT Wrestling (he won the NWA World’s Heavyweight title with TNA back in 2005) and has his first-round match-up in the #1 Contender’s tournament on Tuesday night. He was initially scheduled to face Ken Shamrock for his opening round match-up, but an attack by Michael Elgin last week during Madison Rayne‘s Locker Room Talk interview has forced Shamrock to pull out of the tournament. In his place, Rhino will now be facing former X-Division Champion Ace Austin, as each man looks to move one step closer to a World title opportunity.
.@MichaelElgin25 BRUTALLY attacked @ShamrockKen during @MadisonRayne's Locker Room Talk interview. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/1SF5MvZUQT
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) May 17, 2020
IMPACT Wrestling World Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, First Round: Michael Elgin vs. Sami Callihan
In the second first-round match of the tournament, two perennial contenders lock horns, as former IMPACT World Champion Sami Callihan faces Michael Elgin, arguably the wrestler most obsessed with the IMPACT World title right now. A contrast of two styles, the powerhouse Elgin will need to outthink the cunning ways of Callihan. After all, Callihan won his own IMPACT World title against a much larger and stronger wrestler than himself, Brian Cage. The tournament winner may very well be the man who wins this match-up.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. We provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can watch IMPACT every Tuesday on AXS-TV and see past episodes of IMPACT Wrestling on IMPACT+.
