On Thursday, February 23rd, 2023, IMPACT Wrestling aired another episode of IMPACT on AXSTV (United States) Fight Network (In Canada) as we review after the IMPACT for 02/23/23. It’s the final stop before No Surrender on Feb 24th; we had 6 matches on this show.
We got IMPACT World Tag Team Champions Motor City Machine Guns faces off against opponents at No Surrender Mike Bailey & Jonathan Gresham. We also got 2 Beat The Clock Challenges. Trey Miguel defends the X Division Title against Crazzy Steve in a Monsters Ball Match & a preview of the Knockouts Tag Team Title match as 1/2 of the champs, Taya Valkyrie, faces off with The Hex’s Allysin Kay & also got The Design’s Deaner & Sami Callihan goes against Yuya Uemura & Frankie Kazarian.
After The IMPACT for 02/23/23
Non-Title Match
Motor City Machine Guns vs. ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey & Jonathan Gresham
Alex Shelley & Jonathan Gresham began the match by exchanging wristlocks. Gresham leaped over Shelley once & tried to leap over him twice, but Shelley evaded & got a school boy on Gresham for a near fall. Gresham hit a dragon screw on Shelley before he & Mike Bailey targeted at Shelley’s left leg.
Bailey hit a knee breaker into a knee lift on Shelley, but Sabin tagged in before Motor City Machine Guns hit the Hi/Low on Bailey. Motor City Machine Guns laid out Gresham before Sabin got a near fall on Bailey. Sabin locked in a Cravat on Bailey before Shelley tagged in.
Motor City Machine Guns hits double lariats to the chest & back before hitting a lariat on Bailey. Bailey did a back flip to evaded Motor City Machine Guns’ offense before hitting an enziguri kick on Shelley & the Machine Gun Kicks on Sabin.
Gresham & Sabin exchanged strikes before Gresham hit an enziguri kick on Sabin to cause Sabin to hit a dragon screw on Shelley. Gresham got a pin on Sabin but Shelley broke the hold before hitting a knee breaker on Bailey.
Motor City Machine Guns hits an assisted Cradle Shock before connecting the Magic Killer on Gresham for a near fall. Sabin went for a suplex but Gresham dropped his weight before hitting a stalling vertical suplex on Sabin. Bailey & Shelley tagged before Bailey hits a spinning gut kick & went for the spinning tornillo on Shelley but Shelley evaded.
Bailey hit kicks on Motor City Machine Guns before getting Shelley in a modified Figure 4 and hitting a twisting suplex on Sabin, causing the hold on Shelley to be tighten up on Shelley’s knee before Shelley got a rope break. Shelley hit a flat liner on Bailey into the middle turnbuckle before Motor City Machine Guns hit stereo kicks in the corner on Bailey. Bailey tossed Sabin to the outside before hitting him with a triangle Asai Moonsault on Sabin.
Gresham pulls Sabin to the mat before locking in the Figure 4 on Shelley before officially tagging in. Shelley tried to ran the ropes but was stopped by his left leg before Gresham hit a springboard moonsault on Shelley. Bailey hit an Asai Moonsault on Sabin before Gresham hit a Tope Suicida on Shelley.
Bailey hit a standing Moonsault double knee drop on Shelley while Gresham got a Figure 4 on Shelley before Bailey hit the double knee drop on Shelley to strengthen the hold. Sabin came to the ring & powerbombed Bailey onto Gresham to finally break the Figure 4 from Gresham.
Gresham got Shelley in La Casita for a near fall & tried to attack Sabin with a forearm but got Bailey instead. Sabin hit a Cutter to neutralize Gresham. Motor City Machine Guns ended proceedings by hitting double gut kicks into the Dirt Bomb on Gresham to get the win.
Winners: Motor City Machine Guns
There was a video vignette recapping the feud of Rich Swann & IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander ahead of their match at No Surrender.
Deonna Purrazzo cut a promo ahead of her match against Gisele Shaw at No Surrender on the Pre Show. Purrazzo promised Shaw that the she would show her the best form of revenge is not a bowl of chilli, but a broken arm.
After The IMPACT for 02/23/23
Beat The Clock Challenge
Tommy Dreamer vs. Jason Hotch
The match starts off with Jason Hotch laid in a series of body shots on Dreamer to begin the match, but Dreamer responded by hitting a hip toss on Hotch. Hotch hit a rolling neckbreaker on Dreamer for a near fall before climbing to the top rope, but Dreamer met him on the top before hitting an Avalanche Dreamer Driver for the win.
Winner: Tommy Dreamer (1:15)
Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry was in a meet & greet with fans.
After The IMPACT for 02/23/23
Taya Valkyrie vs. Allysin Kay
Taya Valkyrie began the match by attacking Allysin Kay in the corner, but Kay responded with a series of body shots before Valkyrie hit a two consecutive chops to Kay’s chest before they exchanged lariat & back elbow strikes before Valkyrie locks Kay in a modified Yuji Gatame on Kay before Kay got a rope break.
Kay got back up & hit a back elbow, but Valkyrie responded with a spear on Kay for a near fall. Valkyrie stomped away at Kay before hitting another chop on Kay’s chest. Kay slams Valkyrie into the corner & went for a corner splash but Valkyrie evaded & hit a corner lariat, a hip attack & corner Meteora on Kay for a near fall before the commercial break.
After the break, Kay slams Valkyrie to the corner before hitting a chop on Valkyrie in the corner, followed by an Irish whip into the opposite corner. Kay went to return the favor to Valkyrie for the hip attack but Kay refrained by saying she would not do it for free. Valkyrie responded by slamming Kay into the bottom turnbuckle before hitting a Hip Attack into a Stinkface but Kay cleaned her face & hits a forearm strike to knock Valkyrie down for a near fall.
Valkyrie hit a series of forearm strikes, a gut kick, a knee lift, a lariat & a Blue Thunder Bomb on Kay for a two count. Taya hit a Romero Special Curb Stomp on Kay before locking in an STF on Kay before Kay got a rope break to release the hold. Valkyrie hit another gut kick before slamming her onto the mat & hitting a double stomp on Kay for a near fall.
Valkyrie went for a powerbomb on Kay, but Kay got Valkyrie & reversed it with the Strong Zero for a near fall. Marti Belle distracted Valkyrie to allow Kay to hit a roundhouse kick into the AK47 to score the victory.
Winner: Allysin Kay
IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander & Rich Swann signed their contract backstage ahead of their match at No Surrender. Alexander said that he did not mind the kick, but Swann responded by saying that he was bamboozled by Alexander’s answer. Swann said that he expected a fight out of Alexander for the IMPACT World Title & promised that he would not let the IMPACT Title slip through his fingers. Steve Maclin interrupted proceedings & promised to come for the IMPACT World Title. Swann & Maclin brawled backstage before Swann told Maclin to not play him like a fool.
After The IMPACT for 02/23/23
Tag Team Match
The Design vs. Yuya Uemura & Frankie Kazarian
Deaner & Frankie Kazarian starts this match off, but Deaner immediately tags Sami Callihan into the match. Callihan punched Kazarian in the face before hitting a running back elbow on Kazarian, which brought enough delight to Deaner to demand to be tagged in. Deaner laid in the punches on Kazarian, but Kazarian responded with two chops.
Deaner bit Kazarian’s face into the corner before hitting a slap. Kazarian leaped over Deaner before he hit two arm drags and a lariat on Deaner. Yuya Uemura & Kazarian hit a gut punch into a spinning neckbreaker on Deaner for a near fall. Uemura hit a back elbow into two elbow drops on Deaner for a near fall.
Uemura got a wrist lock on Deaner, but Deaner leaned Uemura into the corner before Callihan tagged in and put his thumbs on Uemura’s eyes. Deaner pulled Uemura from the hair before Callihan gauged Uemura’s eyes. Deaner tags in, hitting a straight jab in Uemura’s eyes.
Callihan tagged in and hit a snapmare on Uemura before hitting a knee lift on Uemura but Uemura responded with a Pele kick on Callihan before trying to tag Kazarian but Big Kon attacked Kazarian while the referee was distracted by Callihan. Callihan hit a Scoop body slam on Uemura to set Deaner for a diving headbutt but Uemura rolled out of the way before tagging in Kazarian while Callihan tagged in.
Kazarian hit lariats on Callihan & Deaner before hitting a running forearm on Callihan, a guillotine leg drop on Deaner & a springboard leg drop on Callihan for a near fall. Angels distracted Kazarian to allow Callihan to hit an exploder suplex on Kazarian. The Design went for a double suplex but Kazarian flipped over & tags in Uemura.
Uemura hit a series of strikes on The Design before hitting a double under hook suplex & a diving crossbody on Deaner for a near fall, thanks to Callihan breaking the pin. Callihan tagged in & went for the Cactus Driver on Uemura, but Uemura evaded before Kazarian tagged in & hit a slingshot DDT on Callihan.
Uemura hit a spinning uranage on Deaner before Callihan hit a forearm strike & tossed Uemura to the outside. Callihan hit a spinebuster on Kazarian.
Callihan tried to tag in Deaner, but Deaner got off the apron to see if Callihan can win on his own & that backfired as Kazarian got Callihan in a Chicken Wing for the submission win.
Winners By Submission: Yuya Uemura & Frankie Kazarian
Knockouts Champion Mickie James, Jordynne Grace & Masha Slamovich cut promos ahead of James’s match against Slamovich for the Knockouts Title at No Surrender. Slamovich told James that she will choke James out, with James promising that Slamovich would not be the one to take the Knockouts Title off her. Grace said that James tapped out in Hard To Kill.
Callihan argued with The Design. Callihan wanted to know what the hell was step 5 to which Deaner responded by saying it was a test of loyalty. Deaner told Callihan that he already made it further than he thought before telling him that The Design chooses who joins.
After The IMPACT for 02/23/23
Beat The Clock Challenge
Bully Ray vs. Bhupinder Gujjar
Jason Hotch distracted the referee to allow Bully to hit a chain-assisted jab to Gujjar’s jaw for the quick win.
Winner: Bully Ray (0:30)
Backstage, Tommy Dreamer consoled Gujjar with Dreamer telling him that he was the future of the business.
After The IMPACT for 02/23/23
X Division Title
Monsters Ball Match
Trey Miguel (c) vs. Crazzy Steve
Crazzy Steve hit a lariat on Trey Miguel to begin the match. Steve hit a series of uppercuts on Miguel before clotheslining Miguel to the outside before hitting a crossbody on Miguel to the outside. Steve & Miguel brawled on the outside before Steve slammed Miguel as we go to a break.
After the break Steve set up 4 standing chairs, but Miguel hit a drop toe hold on Steve onto the 4 chairs. Miguel got a chair & tried to hit Steve with the chair but only got the post before Steve hit a back drop on Miguel onto the stack of standing chairs. Back in the ring, a busted open Steve was grated with a dropkick by Miguel before hitting a series of punches onto Steve’s head.
Miguel got a chain from the trash can before tossing two trash cans & a staple gun to the ring. Miguel tried to hit Steve with the can, but Steve got the staple gun & stapled Miguel’s little rascalz before placing a trash can on Miguel’s head & hitting a cannonball on Miguel into the corner before the commercial break.
Back from a another break, Steve tried to stab Miguel with a fork but Miguel reversed it with a neckbreaker for a near fall. Miguel tried to return the favor & stab Steve with the fork but instead leaped & hit a double stomp on Steve. Miguel got a bag of thumbtacks from under the ring & placed them in the center of the ring.
Steve hit an uppercut on Miguel & went for a diving DDT, but Miguel evaded but Steve responded by paying homage to Abyss & hitting the Black Hole Slam on Miguel onto the thumbtacks rather than going for the pin, Steve instead chose violence & attacked Miguel’s thumbtack filled back with a trash can & an Irish whip. Miguel hit a series of kicks before connecting a double curb stomp on Steve onto the thumbtacks for a near fall.
Miguel rolls out of the ring & got a table before bring himself & the table to the ring. Miguel set the table in the corner but Steve responded by hitting a slam on Miguel to put himself & Miguel onto the tacks again. Miguel pulled a random Spike from under the ring but Steve responded by bringing back Abyss pet spike stick Janice.
Miguel hit Steve with a spike to the abdomen, but Steve responded by hitting a Death Valley Driver onto a table for a near fall. Steve tossed a chair into the ring & set another chair to the corner, but Miguel hit a chair shot to the abdomen of Steve. Steve bit Miguel’s face off, but Miguel placed Steve into the corner before hitting a 619 onto the chair onto Steve’s head.
Miguel went for a Meteora, but Steve evaded before hitting a Canadian Destroyer on Miguel onto the thumbtacks as Steve did Snow Angels onto the thumbtacks. Steve went for a pin on Miguel, but Miguel kicked out at two as he got busted open, to which Steve reacted to that visual by getting Janice & slamming it onto Miguel’s head.
Steve saw a wooden board with barbed wire & tried to slam Miguel, but Miguel responded by hitting a low blow before hitting Cross Rhodes on Steve onto the barbed wire board then he rolls him back in the ring for the win.
Winner: AND STILL X-Division Champion: Trey Miguel
********
Stay tuned to Pro Wrestling Post for this and additional stories from the wrestling world. Readers can rely on Pro Wrestling Post as their daily source for everything inside the squared circle. As a result, readers can expect daily news, history, and much more.
Please visit IMPACT! Wrestling’s site here for news and information on the promotion and upcoming events pertaining to IMPACT are available on IMPACT+ and FITE TV’s official website. FITE+ currently boasts 1000+ hours of live action each year. $7.99 a month/$79.99 a year with a 7-day Free Trial.
