Impact Wrestling Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 26

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Credit: Impact Wrestling

On the road to Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary, the seemingly unbeatable Masha Slamovich found herself confronted by her toughest challenge to date, former Knockouts tag team champion Havok.

The battle between dominant forces was just one intriguing showdown Thursday night on a card that also featured a dream match of sorts between Trey Miguel and Alex Shelley, as well as a throwback to the early days of Impact as familiar foes Chris Sabin and Frankie Kazarian rekindled their rivalry.

A huge six-man tag team main event pitting world champion Josh Alexander and tag team champions The Briscoes against Violent By Design’s Eric Young, Joe Doering and Deaner rounded out one of the most stacked episodes in a long time. 

What went down and how did it affect the build to Slammiversary on June 19?

Find out with this recap of the May 26 broadcast.

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Credit: Impact Wrestling

Two of the greatest X-Division competitors in Impact Wrestling history squared off in the night’s opening match, a spot in the Ultimate X Match at Slammiversary at stake, as Trey Miguel battled Alex Shelley.

Any match with those two involved is sure to be very good and, more importantly, uber-creative and full of moves, counters and reversals others would not even attempt. There was even a certain level of artistry to exchange of right hands that occurred midway through the contest. Miguel shook off an injured left knee and Shelley’s mat mastery to counter into a crucifix rollup for the pinfall victory.

Lofty expectations awaited based on Miguel and Shelley’s reputations but the competitors met them, delivering a lightning-quick match felt very much like it could end with any reversal, and it did. Miguel outwrestled Shelley to earn his way to Slammiversary and a shot at Ace Austin’s X-Division Championship in Ultimate X. 

It would be nice for Shelley to be involved at Slammiversary in some form or fashion given everything he has done for Impact Wrestling over its 20 years, but Miguel winning was the right call based on the ongoing story of his quest to regain the title. 

With all of that said, it was a damn fine way to kick off this show and a match that set the bar considerably high for the rest of the matches to try and eclipse.

     

Grade

A

    

Top Moments

• Tom Hannigan and Matthew Rehwoldt put over the importance of the X-Division Championship to Miguel prior to the match.
• The corner dragon screw leg whip from Shelley was wicked and inventive and set the stage for Miguel to be on the defensive.
• Miguel delivered a double stomp and rather than pretending like Shelley had not just focused on his knee for several minutes, actually sold the pain in his left limb.
• Despite being a great match to that point, the good, old-fashioned slugfest midway through ramped up the intensity.

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Credit: Impact Wrestling

For the first time in her Impact Wrestling career, Masha Slamovich found herself truly tested as she battled former Knockouts tag team champion Havok Thursday night.

Despite a hot start that saw Havok take Slamovich off her feet, the Russian competitor recovered and quickly drove her opponent head-first into the mat for the impressive victory. After the match, Decay checked on their fallen teammate, stunned by the dominant display by Slamovich.

This was as emphatic as it comes. Havok is a former champion in Impact and someone with considerable credibility as part of Decay. She was dismantled in short order, enhancing the mystique surrounding Slamovich and setting her up to be a major force in the Knockouts division in post-Slammiversary Impact.

     

Grade

A

     

Top Moments

• Havok knocked Slamovich off her feet for the first time in her Impact career.
• The strength and tenacity shown by Slamovich as she powered Havok up and down into the mat was super impressive and will help get her over in the long run.
• Backstage, an interaction between Trey Miguel, Kenny King and Blake Christian concluded with Christian vs. King being booked for next week.
• Rich Swann challenged Matthew Rehwoldt to meet him in the ring next week after the Drama King cost him a world title opportunity at Slammiversary.

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Credit: Impact Wrestling

Jordynne Grace dominated the opening moments of her grudge match with Chelsea Green, unleashing weeks of frustration on The Hot Mess, only to reverse her fortunes with a senton off the ring apron. 

Grace fought back into the match but it was still an even contest in the final moments of the contest. Thicc Mama Pump, though, bested her opponent with the Grace Driver for the pinfall victory.

This was a hell of a match; a surprise to those unfamiliar with their work but not so much to anyone paying attention over the last three or four years. Seizing the spotlight a singles match on television provides, they showed up, showed out and the fans in attendance rewarded them for it.

There is an argument to be made that Green should have won given how relatively new her Major Players faction with husband Matt Cardona and Brian Myers is, but Grace has been one of the pillars of Impact Wrestling over the last handful of years and will always be in the mix for a big win. Deservingly so, too. 

Another big match between these two, on a future episode of Impact or pay-per-view, would be more than welcome based on the above-average quality of this one.

           

Grade

B+

    

Top Moments

• Green escaped a Muscle Buster, rocked Grace with a headbutt and downed her with a flatliner for two in a great, late-match sequence.
• The clubbing forearms from Grace to Green were punishing and left the latter stunned.
• Backstage, Scott D’Amore informed Honor No More that The Good Brothers will challenge The Briscoes for the tag team titles at Slammiversary. Eddie Edwards responded by warning D’Amore about what happens when Honor No More does not get what it wants.

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Credit: Impact Wrestling

Chris Sabin and Frankie Kazarian first clashed in an Impact Wrestling ring in June of 2003. Kazarian won that first encounter between X-Division forefathers but over the years, they have had countless battles while laying the foundation for what would become an influential style with no limits.

Thursday night, the familiar foes clashed one more time in celebration of two decades of Impact Wrestling.

Two greats who were incredibly familiar with each other, repeatedly countered each other, seemingly knowing what the other was going to do before they did it. Unfortunately, what was a wildly competitive match never had the opportunity to bring it to a fitting conclusion as Honor No More interrupted the proceedings, resulting in a No Contest.

This was a really good match between two Impact legends. Both men hardly looked like they have lost a step in the 19 years since that first encounter and were well on their way to another spectacular match when Eddie Edwards, Vincent, Mike Bennett, Matt Taven, Kenny King and PCO hit the ring to ruin it.

Hopefully, this results in some sort of showdown with the faction in the near future and Kazarian is involved because this needs resolution.

    

Grade

B

     

Top Moments

• The top-rope German suplex by Sabin was a great spot and a call back to a similar one in their previous encounters.

• Backstage, Rhino and Heath confronted Honor No More, resulting in a pull-apart brawl.

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Credit: Impact Wrestling

The budding rivalry between Bhupinder Gujjar and the tandem of Raj Singh and Shera continued Thursday in tag team action, the former partnering with the massive, unstoppable force known as W. Morrissey.

Gujjar overcame being cut off from his partner to score the win for the babyfaces and continue his unbeaten ways in Impact Wrestling.

The match was fine for what it was and featured perfectly acceptable wrestling, but one has to wonder why Morrissey would have been wasted in what amounted to a throwaway bout. Morrissey was red-hot entering Rebellion, arguably the biggest babyface in the company not-named Josh Alexander.

Here, he was stuck working a tag match with three guys significantly removed from a high-profile spot on the card.

The silver lining? A teased rivalry with Steve Maclin that looks poised to resume next week in a star-studded tag match also featuring Moose and Sami Callihan. 

    

Grade

C

    

Top Moments

• Gujjar scoring the fall, not Morrissey, was a nice touch and continues his growth and evolution early in his career.
• Backstage, Maclin told Moose he needs him to get Callihan out of his head before their match next week. 

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Credit: Impact Wrestling

Josh Alexander will defend the Impact Wrestling World Championship against Eric Young in the main event of Slammiversary but before those two badasses arrive in Nashville, they clashed in a six-man tag team match Thursday night.

Young was backed up by Violent By Design’s Deaner and Joe Doering while The Walking Weapon had Impact tag champions The Briscoes in his corner.

The tag match had plenty of time to develop and tell the story it set out to. The action was solid, with the heels isolating Alexander and making him fight through a bloody nose to make a tag. He did and the action broke down from there. Chaos ensued until Young scored the win for the heels by pinning Mark Briscoe, who had just been laid out by Deaner with a shot to the face with the No. 1 contender’s mask.

A good match that built momentum for Young ahead of Slammiversary.

Momentum is exactly what EY needs right now because as it currently stands, there is not a chance in hell he is dethroning Alexander for the title.

    

Grade

B+

    

Top Moments

• The low crossbody by Alexander that wiped Doering out at ringside, followed by The Briscoes flying through the air to take out the heels, was a great sequence ahead of the final commercial break.
• VBD working the head and surgically repaired neck of Alexander was a great example of psychology-based storytelling. 
• Alexander showed his trademark resiliency, absorbing punishment while isolated from his teammates, only to create separation and make the hot tag.
• Young’s trademark mask was played a key role late as Deaner blasted Mark Briscoe with it, setting up VBD for a big, momentum-shifting victory.