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Impact Wrestling Recap: The Crossover With AEW Has Only Just Begin

With Hard to Kill in the books, Impact Wrestling sets the stage for 2021 with an exciting, crossover-heavy episode with a brand new announce team. It's a new and improved Impact Wrestling, and we're here to recap it for you while spinning out as many clickbait articles as possible. On with the show!

Impact Wrestling Recap for January 19th, 2020

In a video from after the main event last Saturday, Don Callis congratulates Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers on their victory at Hard to Kill. Then Don Callis speaks directly to the viewers. He says he's gonna take a hiatus from Impact because he and Kenny have some business with AEW, but they'll be back.

Eric Young vs. Rhino

Eric Young's stable, Silent But Deadly, heads to the ring to kick off Impact as viewers who didn't watch the PPV get their first taste of an Impact without Josh Matthews on commentary. It's glorious. Another new development from the PPV: fake crowd noise. It's not glorious, but it's good enough. Rhino and Cousin Jake come out.

Young and Rhino have a match. These two kids aren't bad. They may have a bright future ahead of them. Rhino taps out to a leglock.

Winner: Eric Young

Young, Joe Doering, and Deaner beat down Rhino and Cousin Jake after the match.

Our saviors, D-Lo Brown and Matt Striker, introduce a video from after Hard to Kill wherein Moose is asked about what happened in the main event. Instead of answering, he assaults Rich Swann. He says he was a good teammate from bell to bell, but now that the match is over, Moose wants Swann's Impact Championship.

Rich Swann cuts a promo in front of a 90s screensaver. He says he's gonna give Moose an opportunity to prove himself tonight. Impact takes a commercial break.

No Melissa Santos. What's up with that? Now is also probably a good time to point out that Twitch viewership is up from last week, already at 6,500, 500 higher than last week's peak, and much earlier as the show normally peaks with about a half-hour to go Twitch viewership.

Acey Romero, with John E. Bravo in tow, tries to convince Tommy Dreamer that Larry D was set up. He shows Tommy the Ring Rust cologne he found in the Knockouts locker room. Tommy says that cologne is really popular right now, but Acey insists that someone used the scent to trigger Larry D. He says he analyzed the fingerprints and knows who used it… but we won't find out because the segment ends. What, you never heard of a cliffhanger?

Promo: The Good Brothers

The Good Brothers come to the ring. They brag about winning at Hard to Kill. They say they're gonna hold onto the titles for a long time and do the Too Sweet.

Chris Sabin interrupts. He disagrees on who is going to have the belts for a long time. He says the Machine Guns were never pinned and they want a rematch. Doc Gallows understands, but the problem is Sabin doesn't have his partner with him. Sabin says Alex Shelley isn't here, but he does have a partner: it's James Storm.

Storm comes out, having somehow evaded capture after raiding the Capitol on January 6th. Storm tells the Good Brothers that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and Donald Trump was the real winner. The Good Brothers disagree. They're about to settle this with a match when… Matt Hardy comes out with Private Party!!!

Hardy (in his new heel manager gimmick) promotes their match against Matt Sydal and Top Flight for Dynamite tomorrow, and he says he figured he could bring Private Party over here for a warm-up match. He talks about the cut he gets (normally 30%, but 50% for third parties like this). HE gets a little Steiner Mathy when he starts talking about the six-man match tomorrow on Dynamite and what cut he'll get for himself and Private Party.

Storm is insulted by all of this, particularly the math. He tells Hardy this is a private conversation and also the Democrats are a secret cabal of satanist pedophiles. Hardy thinks Private Party ought to fight the Good Brothers for the Impact Tag Team Championships. Gallows says the Good Brothers are gonna go get drunk backstage and Private Party can fight Sabin and Storm, with the winners getting a shot at the Impact Tag Team Championships.

Looks like this match will be happening later tonight.

Gia Miller talks to Matt Cardona, who debuted at Hard to Kill on Saturday. Cardona says he's here in Impact for an opportunity. He's not here to prove anyone wrong. He's here to prove the fans and himself right. You're here for a paycheck, Cardona!

Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb talk to the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan, offering them a chance to get in on Fire 'N Flava Fest,  (for a fee). Johnny Swinger shows up to hit on Steelz and Hogan, disgusting them. But Hogan tells him that if he has cash, he can pay to get in the ring with them. Swinger thinks about it, reaching for his fanny pack, but then says he's got no money, even though Steelz recognizes the fanny pack as hers, where she was keeping the wad of stolen cash that's been going around. Speaking of which, Fallah Bahh shows up complaining about the money Swinger stole from Steelz and Steelz and Hogan stole from Bahh. Brian Myers shows up and insults everyone, leading to a match with Bahh. Well, that one took the long road.

Kimber Lee and Susan vs. Jazz and Jordynne Grace

Kimber Lee and Susan head to the ring with Deonna Purrazzo, followed by Jazz and Jordan Grace. They have a match, and I'll point out that Impact has 8300 viewers now, which is a major growth from last week.  The match is decent, and Susan pins Jazz cheaply off interference from Purrazzo.

Winners: Kimber Lee and Susan

Gia Miller asks Taya Valkyrie what's next for her after losing at Hard to Kill. Taya references Deonna Purrazzo cheating and says she's gonna play dirty too. But before she can elaborate, John E. Bravo arrives. He accuses Taya of making Larry D shoot him using the trigger scent of Ring Rust cologne., which is known to transform Larry into his suave but apparently murderous alter ego, Lawrence D, who had a crush on Rosemary during  Wrestle House. Yeah, it's a long story.

Tommy Dreamer and Acey Romero show up to back bravo up and confirm his story. Left with no choice, Taya admits to it. She says she never supported Bravo and Rosemary's relationship and Bravo has been useless since day one. Her only regret is he didn't die. Dreamer calls security, who drag Taya off screaming. Hinting at which company she'll sign with, Dreamer says if she's lucky she'll go to Jacksonville State Prison (AEW), but more likely she'll go to Stamford Penitentiary (WWE) for two years and an option for three. Bravo says as long as she doesn't get sent to Baltimore. Sick burn on ROH by Bravo.

Rosemary confronts Taya near the exist as she's about to leave. She wants to know why Taya didn't tell her about what she did. Taya says she doesn't know, but being friends with Rosemary was one of her biggest accomplishments here. Rosemary gives her a big hug before security drags her out the door.

Crazzy Steve consoles Rosemary, who says, "This is why we don't have friends. Never works out well for us, doesn't it? Does that frighten you?" Steve says it excites him and they hug too. This was a shockingly touching segment all around. Well done. I hope Taya doesn't go to WWE and get buried.

In the latest "paid ad," Tony Schiavone, from a "real production studio," introduces Tony Khan and his special guest, Jerry Lynn. He talks about Matt Hardy and Private Party wrestling on Impact tonight. Then he throws it back to Tony to talk about tomorrow's episode of Dynamite. Back to Khan, he says Hardy is here to pay Impact back for what they've been doing to AEW. Khan says he can't out-carny Impact because he's not a carny, but Matt Hardy is a huge carny and he can do it. Khan then says he and Jerry Lynn are gonna scout the match tonight. The camera pans back to reveal they're in Skyway Studios. He also has a hundred dollar bill so he's gonna pay for two weeks of these ads.

Promo: Rich Swann

Rich Swann comes to the ring. He talks about the pressure of the match and leading all of Impact Wrestling last Saturday. He says he thrives off that pressure and he puts over his partners in the match, but he did have trust issues with Moose the whole match. He talks about all the bad things Moose has done recently and calls him out to the ring.

Moose comes out. He says Swann is angry and people make bad decisions when they're angry. Moose says those decisions make Moose angry. And Swann wouldn't like him when he's angry. Just ask Willie Mack!

Moose says nothing can be settled between them until Moose gets a title shot. Swann calls him an idiot and says that's why he called him out. He'll give him a shot at the Impact Championship right now.

But Moose doesn't want it right now. He says he's the one who gets to decide when the match happens. Swann punches him in the face. Moose goozles him. They brawl. Moose misses a spear. Swann hits a Phoenix Splash and Moose retreats.

Rohit Raju meets with Scott D'Amore. TJP shows up, holding the X-Division Championship. Raju flips out. He says TJP is Manik. D'Amore says of course that was obvious. He'll give Raju a shot at TJP in two weeks on Impact. Raju accepts the offer. After he leaves, D'Amore and TJP laugh about it being a non-title match. Twitch viewership is now at 9,700.

Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz talk to Alisha Edwards about getting in on Fire 'N Flava Fest. They're gonna let her MC the event. Then they try to sell a package to a referee. Havok and Neveah show up and want to buy one of the packages. Steelz and Hogan say the good ones are sold out, but they can have the Copper package, where they watch at home with their cats. They leave. Havok and Neveah do their best not to burst out laughing.

Brian Myers vs. Fallah Bahh

Brian Myers comes to the ring, followed by Fallah Bahh. They have a match. Myers makes short work of him with a low blow.

Winner: Brian Myers

Gia Miller asks Ace Austin what happened at Hard to Kill. Austin says it was a tragedy that he wasn't added to the X-Division title match where he belongs and that he had to watch a stupid Josh Alexander match on the pre-show. He makes fun of Matt Cardona's crappy WWE career, but Josh Alexander shows up. He says he's sick of hearing about Austin and that respect has to be earned in wrestling. He offers to get in the ring with Austin and shoves him. Madman Fulton grabs Alexander and Austin punches him, but Cardona makes the save and chases them off.

Impact's doctor checks out Eddie Edwards after Barbed Wire Massacre, trying to clear him to wrestle. Brian Myers shows up complaining about getting poked in the eye. He calls Edwards a backyard wrestler. Edwards challenges him to a match next week.

In addition to that, commentary tells us, next week we'll get Ace Austin and Madman Fulton vs. Josh Alexander and Matt Cardona, Joe Doering vs. Cousin Jake., Tenille Dashwood vs. Rosemary, and of course Fire 'N Flava Fest.

Chris Sabin and James Storm vs. Private Party

Chris Sabin comes to the ring for the main event. James Storm follows. Then Private Party heads out with Matt Hardy. Viewership is over 10,000 now. What's that mean? It's about 1/5 of the Twitch audience for the first episode after Kenny Omega won the AEW Championship. But it's 4 times the usual Twitch viewership of Impact. This crossover, indisputably, is a draw.

Anyway, there's a match going on here. Sabin and Isiah Kassidy find mutual respect for each other in the early going. Matt Hardy doesn't like it. The match continues and Tony Khan and Jerry Lynn arrive and set up chairs at ringside.

But they aren't there to just watch. After a hard-fought match, Sabin looks ready to get the win when Jerry Lynn grabs his foot. Private Party hit Gin and Juice.

Winners: Private Party

Matt Hardy jumps in the ring to celebrate with his team. They're the number one contenders for the Impact Tag Team Championships! The Good Brothers come out. They get in each other's faces. Sabin and Storm are back in. Everyone brawls as Impact goes off the air.

Great episode of Impact tonight. Impact was creatively really good throughout 2020, but even still it's a night and day difference with this new announce team and a little bit of fake crowd for background noise. I haven't felt this optimistic about Impact in about a decade.

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