Impact Wrestling 7/21/20 - Motor City Machine Guns vs. The North

It's been a long time since I've done live weekly Impact coverage - but the company put on a great overall show at Slammiversary and they've built some exciting stuff up for Impact as well. EC3 starts the show off with a gritty pre-recorded promo with historic video clips airing about fighting oppression. A new show intro airs with clips of the PPV and our opener has Willie Mack getting a rematch for the title against Chris Bey.

We get some quick matwork before a slugfest erupts and both Josh and Madison talk about the show trending worldwide on Saturday. Bey dives onto Mack, but he catches him and slams him to the floor. Slingshot swanton to Bey. Bey avoids a stunner and a frog splash by rolling back - nice move there. Bey hits his finish and wins it - solid match, but not spectacular. Josh says that EC3 doesn't work here, but what will he do? And why was on the open, and on the PPV?

EY's return and defeat and massacre on Rich Swann are shown. The Good Brothers come out for their Impact debut segment. Karl does a hey yo before Karl hypes up LG's protein powder and takes credit for the show trending and then Doc plugs their paid podcast on FITE. They get some beers before Ace Austin and Fulton come down and talk shit before a brawl breaks out.

HEATH is backstage and can't get in. The doorman asks if he has a last name and he says he used to. Hernandez combs his goatee and argues with Rhino about money. Impact Plus ad Tommy Dreamer (in 2020) - WE ARE ALL ARTISTS! Bey gets some champagne and says he won't waste a lot of it on a girl who's used to gas station stuff. Rojit is backstage to toast the champ. Kiera and Tasha are out for tag action against Havok and Neveah.

They keep teasing the return of the knockouts tag titles and Josh talks about Madison getting Taylor Wilde or Gail Kim out of retirement. Havok is working as a babyface here as the heels attack Neveah before she tags out and Havok runs wild. Havok sets up a tombstone, but gets hit with a chair. Lashley vs. Edwards from a 2016 Impact is shown as the flashback with Eddie winning the TNA World Title. Sami blames Ken for the tag title match loss and Ken takes the blame and says he'll talk to him next week.

RVD and Katie Forbes say words and hype up her site, but next week, you can see her for free.99. Hernandez is out looking like a jacked Mexicool and eats a Gore from Rhino to end it quickly. The North cuts a promo on their dominance and now they're out to prove to everyone that they're the best when they beat the Guns. Eddie Edwards walks around backstage.

A Bryan Myers hype video airs before Moose is shown looking dominant against Dreamer and we see Kylie win the gauntlet. The Guns are shown being great as is Deonna before Eddie is celebrated backstage. This really does make the PPV seem like a big deal. Deonna is a bitch backstage and Kylie says HI, BUT SHE'S YOUR CHALLENGER! They go to shake, but Deonna attacks and Taya and Alisha separate them. Eddie's out with his belt.

Eddie says he talked about his journey and how he is now once again the champion. He says the company has lacked stability and he wants to be a proud, fighting champion. The title needs to be defended more and the last true defense was five months ago and now he'll defend it against anyone every week. Eric Young comes out and looks so much better without the big beard. Eddie says EY took out a friend of his in Rich Swann. They drone on and on for a bit. Eric implies that Eddie only won due to him and then they brawl. Moose is interviewed and asked if he'll defend the title every week like Eddie and he says honey, that's a stupid question.

He is told that he can challenge several other former TNA World Title matches and Moose says he won't give them invites - but he will invite Fallah Bahh. Backstage, Eddie says he'll defend against anyone and Trey comes in and asks for a challenge next week. Moose comes out to face Fallah and Fallah's out with TJP. Bahh hits a corner charge and then a few more but the spear ends it. EC3 sneaks up behind him and hits a falling reverse DDT before the Good Brothers walk backstage and Doc asks when bars close during a pandemic. Ace and Fulton have Reno Scum attack before leaving in an SUV.

Rosemary meets with John E. Bravo about COOKING. Only cooking. Not fucking at all. COOKING. Taya shows up and then Rosemary makes Kylie teleport in before more folks come in. Johnny Swinger says it looks like Stu's place. Wrestle House starts next week and Madison talks about Josh's history with reality TV. Reno Scum faces the Good Brothers next week. Trey vs. Eddie is hyped up and it's time for the North against the Guns. The Guns are out with Shelley doing a Mutoh wizard pose.

Shelley and Page work great together before Josh and Sabin slow it down a bit. "Ethan Page continues to yell and scream for absolutely no reason" is Josh's best call yet. Guns land a pair of boots on the apron to get the lead before a break. Shelley gets a crossbody for 2. Shelley is so great as the glue in this match. Page is IN SHAPE here and Madison praises Shelley for not aging a bit. Ethan starts a suplex and hands it off to Alexander for 2. Alexander misses a moonsault and opens the door for a hope spot for the Guns.

Sabin tags in and hits a rana and a missile dropkick. Sabin in the Robert Gibson role is perfect for him at this stage in his career. Sabin hits a suicide dive and Shelley misses a double stomp. Page invites superkicks and gets them and gets two before Shelley locks him in the Gargano Escape. Sabin and Josh exchange forearms and Sabin hits a corner flatliner. Sabin gets spun into a double team before a stunner into a wheelbarrow suplex gets 2 for the North. Sabin gets a small package and THE GUNS WIN IT!

Wow. They gave the Guns the belts - didn't see that coming at all. I figured they'd use them to build up the North more, and instead, the North still gets the history-making run and to keep the PPV's momentum rolling, they did so here. Great show overall - if you were a lapsed Impact fan, this show caught you up on why you shouldn't have been and it felt like the company has really turned a corner over the past week.