IMPACT Wrestling Results: Former WWE star set to arrive; Nail-biting finish to Iron Man match
For weeks, we'd heard that IMPACT Wrestling was ready to deliver one of the best matches of the year thanks to their stellar X-Division. They weren't blowing smoke, as Josh Alexander and TJP had a match of the year candidate.
Moose also faced off against Sami Callihan weeks before his IMPACT Wrestling World Title Match against Kenny Omega at Against All Odds. However, the question on everyone's mind was what would happen if Callihan won tonight?
All that, plus an IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Tag Team Title Match, a Tables Match, and more on a loaded episode of IMPACT Wrestling.
For the first time, a match kicked off on Before The IMPACT and led into the main show. Josh Alexander defended his IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Championship against TJP in a 60-minute Iron Man Match.
IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Championship: TJP w/Fallah Bahh vs Josh Alexander (c) w/Petey Williams
Josh Alexander cautiously moved toward his challenger before grabbing hold of TJP's leg, sending him into the corner. Alexander and TJP traded holds in the opening minutes of this bout, both looking for a quick submission.
These technicians refused to give an inch, and it seemed for the first ten minutes that it would be even throughout. But Josh Alexander finally turned things in his favor when he began working over the arm. An arm wrench and a series of knees really wore down TJP.
The former IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion surprised Alexander with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors that sent the titleholder to the floor. A slingshot dropkick rocked Alexander as he was distracted by Fallah Bahh, and TJP followed that with a tope atomico on the inside for a two-count.
TJP hit a leg DDT, jamming the knee of IMPACT Wrestling's Walking Weapon. With his target identified, TJP locked in on that left leg. Alexander caught his challenger's head in between his legs, and when TJP went to escape with a headstand, Alexander countered with a short piledriver of sorts.
They moved back to their feet, and Alexander nearly had TJP with the Divine Intervention. The challenger countered into an armbar but was blocked. Alexander spiked TJP with a series of German suplexes, dazing him.
When it seemed that TJP was about to mount a comeback, Alexander rolled him up for a surprise pinfall, the first in this IMPACT Wrestling Ironman match.
Josh Alexander pinned TJP for a 1-0 lead.
Both competitors got thirty seconds to prepare for the rest of this bout.
TJP caught Alexander in a cravate, but the champ managed to escape. Alexander regained his composure and sent TJP to the floor where the challenger crashed into the barricade.
He refused to get a count-out victory, though and chased TJP to keep up the pressure.
IMPACT Wrestling's Walking Weapon carried TJP up to the ropes but was caught by his challenger with an octopus stretch.
Alexander responded with a surfboard stretch through the ropes, nearly snapping TJP in half. The IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion was proving his worth at the top of his division, as he'd left one of the company's best in-ring talents in dire straights with over thirty minutes left in the match.
Despite all the punishment, Alexander couldn't get another fall over his challenger. TJP surprised Alexander with a flying crossbody and went back to the legs. An Indian Deathlock was synched in as Alexander was left smack dab in the middle of the ring and a long way to go to the ropes.
TJP released the hold before he could try, leading to both men slapping each other across the mouth. Alexander got another ankle lock in, but TJP made it to the ropes.
Alexander trapped his challenger in a stalling suplex, holding TJP up for a whole minute before dropping him for another two-count.
The IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion and his challenger traded a series of pinfalls, as TJP did his best to catch up to Alexander. Alexander refused to give up his shoulders but was trapped in a sharpshooter. TJP transitioned into the Muta Lock. Again, Alexander refused to submit. When TJP went for a heel hook, Alexander had to rush to the ropes.
Even on one leg, Alexander tossed TJP overhead with a German suplex. TJP's face bounced off the top turnbuckle from on high as we hit the forty-minute mark.
TJP caught Josh Alexander with a springboard crossbody. He hit a slingshot crossbody to the floor, driving the IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion into the mat. Alexander countered a tornado DDT, spiking TJP onto the apron with a brainbuster.
Alexander set up for the Divine Intervention on the floor, but Petey Williams begged for him to stop. As Alexander relented, TJP slapped him across the face. Chris Sabin, Trey Miguel, and Petey all stopped Alexander from doing it again, allowing TJP to drive him into the steel ramp.
TJP crawled to the IMPACT Wrestling ring as Eddie Edwards, Alisha, Chris Bey, Rohit Raju, and the rest of the locker room began to come out to watch the rest of this masterpiece.
Alexander got through the ropes just before ten but he was left busted open. As he held himself up on the ropes, TJP rocked him with a running boot. The Mamba Splash failed as Alexander rolled away. TJP prevented a moonsault attempt and left the IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion in the Tree of Woe.
Even in that exposed position, Alexander continued to slap the taste out of TJP's mouth. TJP washed the face with his boot and hit a high-impact basement dropkick. With that, TJP moved to the apron for a springboard DDT. Somehow it wasn't enough to put the IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion away.
A chicken wing gutbuster connected, and again Alexander kicked out. They left each other down on the mat with a pair of clotheslines. With six and a half minutes left, TJP had to get two falls to pick up a win.
TJP escaped Divine Intervention and hit a Falcon Arrow. Again, not enough. Another running boot left Josh Alexander seemingly out cold. A second boot connected, but Alexander, seemingly out of pure instinct, trapped TJP in an ankle lock.
TJP shook off Alexander and hit the Detonation Kick. Alexander kicked out once again!
The Mamba Splash connected, but Alexander refused to give TJP a point. Alexander countered a Detonation Kick with an ankle lock. The challenger rolled through and was able to lock Alexander in an ankle lock of his own, adding in a grapevine for extra measure.
Alexander refused to tap, leading to TJP synching in the TJ Clutch. Alexander broke it simply by wrenching TJP's ankle.
With a minute left, TJP was caught in the ankle lock again. In the dying moments of original time, TJP got to his feet and countered into a pinfall, tying it up 1-1.
TJP pinned Josh Alexander leading to a 1-1 tie and force sudden death.
Both men stormed towards each other and fell forward as they threw wild haymakers, hoping to walk away with IMPACT Wrestling's workhorse title. Alexander fell to the mat but ducked a kick and standing Spiral Tap. The slam planted TJP for a moonsault, and Alexander earned a two-count. A powerbomb backbreaker connected for another close call.
Divine Intervention finally hit, and Josh Alexander managed to retain the IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Championship.
Results: Josh Alexander defeated TJP via pinfall on IMPACT Wrestling to end the match 2-1.
Grade: A+
The IMPACT Wrestling roster applauded as the two celebrated their incredible match in the ring.