IMPACT Wrestling Results - April 8 2021: Next Stop Hardcore Justice

IMPACT Wrestling once again took place at the Impact Zone, as IMPACT celebrated their first night back on Thursday nights.

As always, we started with a recap of last week’s episode, focusing on Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers brawling with Rich Swann, Willie Mack, and Eddie Edwards, and James Storm’s 1000th match.

Don Callis made his way to the building with Omega and The Good Brothers as we went into the opening video.

Our first match of the night saw a six-Knockouts tag match between Tenille Dashwood, Alisha Edwards, and Nevaeh against Rosemary, Jordynne Grace, and Havok. Everyone bar Nevaeh will be participating in the Hardcore Battle Royal at Saturday’s Hardcore Justice, and we had a taste of it here as there was brawling all over the ring, and a big Russian legsweep off the apron through a table by Nevaeh onto Havok. Rosemary eventually got the win with the Red Wedding on Lish.

Gia Miller talked to Matt Cardona. Cardona was confused by Brian Myers turning down their match last week, but he’s happy! Myers is a friend, and he doesn’t want to fight him. Cardona then announced that tonight he’s taking on Jake Something.

We had another of the punk toilet vignettes, but this time it had a message: Let’s Get Wilde. Taylor Wilde is returning! We then headed backstage, where Deonna Purazzo woke up a confused Susan. A doctor told her her time has come, before red streaks appeared across the screen. Is the Undead Bride set to reappear?

Matt Cardona vs. Jake Something was up next, but barely a few minutes into the match and Brian Myers appeared to savagely attack Cardona outside the ring, giving him the DQ win. Myers grabbed a mic and said he’d had a change of heart, and will see Cardona at Rebellion.

Backstage, XXXL approach Trey Miguel asking if he’s ready to get his ass kicked. Trey asked if they even watch IMPACT, and again said that he’s not Sami’s friend, saviour or partner. XXXL said Trey lacks passion and has become a joke.

We then cut to a Violent By Design backstage promo. Eric Young talked about losing to James Storm last week, but said in the end it was Deaner who failed himself, failed EY, and failed the group. EY said when you fail, that’s when the disease is the most aggressive. Deaner is not going to fail tonight, and he has to go it alone, otherwise the consequences will be very severe.

Next we had XXXL vs. Sami Callihan and Trey Miguel. At first it looked as though Callihan was going to go it alone in a handicap match, but a fired up Miguel soon came to the ring. Miguel and Callihan were in each other’s face throughout the match, but still got the win as Miguel forced Larry D to tap to the Hourglass. 

Backstage, James Storm, Chris Sabin, and Chris Harris were playing blackjack in Swinger’s Palace. Storm and Sabin went to get ready for Sabin’s match with Deaner, and asked Harris to stay put and “win us some Beer Money”.

Sabin and Deaner were up next, and went back and forth throughout their match. Eventually Sabin’s veteran instincts worked to his advantage, as he nailed the Cradle Shock for the win. Post-match Eric Young and Joe Doering were shown in Swinger’s Palace with Chris Harris held hostage. EY said it was all part of the plan, as Rhino and Deaner assaulted Storm and Sabin in ring. Young went to hit Harris with a chair as the cameras cut.

Backstage, Ace Austin was asking Madman Fulton how many hoops he has to jump through. Josh Alexander turned up and said Rebellion will be a triple threat for the X Division title, as TJP turned up to remind Austin and Alexander that he’s beaten them both before. Tommy Dreamer arrived to calm things down, and told Alexander, Austin, and TJP to find partners for a Triple Threat Mystery Partner Tag Match at Hardcore Justice. Dreamer then had a run in with Eric Young, and told him that his mission with VBD was a load of s***. Young said Dreamer has the sickness, as Dreamer proposed a match between himself and three friends vs. Violent By Design at Hardcore Justice.

Next up we had Jazz talking about her career, from training, to ECW, to WWE. Jazz said there was no way for her to turn down IMPACT, saying she wants to add more titles to her legacy. Jazz wants the IMPACT Knockouts title so bad she was willing to put her career on the line, and said she will become Knockouts champion.

We then saw Deonna Purazzo backstage, who said without women like Jazz and ODB, there’d be no Knockouts division, and there'd be no Virtuosa. Purazzo is building upon the foundation Jazz built, but we are in the age of the Virtuosa, and brick by brick the Virtuosa is building a new foundation. Gia Miller asks about Susan, but Purazzo says she owes it to Jazz to face her woman-to-woman, and vows to retire Jazz at Hardcore Justice.

Tommy Dreamer and Brian Myers talked backstage. Myers said he’s the new Innovator of Violence, but Dreamer said what he is is always pissing people off. Jake Something wants a match with Brian Myers, and as Tommy Dreamer is the Executive in Charge of Wrestling (ECW) of Hardcore Justice, he’s booking Myers vs. Something in the first ever Blind Games match (a blindfolded hardcore match). Myers said it’s a stupid idea for a match and walked off. 

Time for out main event as IMPACT World Champion Rich Swann, Willie Mack, and Eddie Edwards took on AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers. Don Callis came out pre-match to say “Gotch, Hackenschmidt, Flair, Hogan are all insects in the shadow of Kenny Omega” as the AEW Champ made his entrance.

The match itself was a back and forth affair, with both sides enjoying periods of control. Towards the climax Kenny Omega went for One Winged Angel on Swann, but Swann wriggled out and hit a 450 for nearfall, only broken up because Don Callis pulled Swann out of the ring. Things fell apart as all six men brawled, until Swann hit a Phoenix Splash on Karl Anderson for the win. The former Bullet Club members licked their wounds and walked off, as Swann stood in ring with Mack, Edwards, and his title belts.

Here are the full results:
• Rosemary, Jordynne Grace, & Havok def. Alisha Edwards, Tenille Dashwood, & Nevaeh
• Matt Cardona def. Jake Something
• Sami Callihan & Trey Miguel def. XXXL
• Chris Sabin def. Deaner
• Rich Swann, Willie Mack, & Eddie Edwards def. Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers