Impact recap & reactions: Good Brothers in-ring debut leads to parking lot brawl

The latest episode of Impact Wrestling (July 28, 2020) featured Eddie Edwards battling Trey Miguel in the Impact World Championship open challenge, the Wrestle House reality show, and the Good Brothers making their Impact in-ring debut.

Let’s roll through the show from beginning to end.

Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne handled commentary duties.

Impact World Championship: Eddie Edwards retained against Trey Miguel. Trey used his speed early, but Eddie took control with his size advantage. Top highlights include Eddie with an inverted atomic drop to push Trey into the ropes to bounce back into an overhead belly-to-belly suplex overhead and Trey with a low springboard cutter.

For the finish, Trey reversed a tiger driver into a hurricanrana. Eddie came back to hit the tiger driver. Trey got his shoulder up on the pinfall. Eddie clobbered Trey with big clotheslines. The champ went for Boston Knee Party, but Trey met him with a jumping knee strike. The impact knocked Eddie back into the ropes. He used that momentum of motion to fire back with a successful Boston Knee Party to win.

After the match, Eric Young came down to the ring to tease a fight with Edwards. EY backed away and said they will do it when he decides. EY will decide Eddie’s fate.

Wrestle House, part 1. This lengthy skit was all over the place with comedic hijinks and one-liners, so I’ll just hit the key moments and pieces of information.

Everyone was stuck on the premises, since Rosemary blocked the exit with burning flames and Abyss. Tommy Dreamer was the host. He claimed the prize was one million dollars. The first segment focused on picking bedrooms. That led to a match between Acey Romero and Crazzy Steve. Acey wanted to sleep in the outdoor ring, but Steve slid in first to claim it. Dreamer announced it would be settled with a match.

Acey Romero defeated Crazzy Steve. The winner earned the right to sleep in the ring. Steve got Acey to run the ropes back and forth several times. Acey became winded. Steve offered to share the ring as their bedroom. Acey agreed then snatched Steve for a rear naked choke to win.

Back in the Impact Zone, Rohit Raju tried to get TJP to say he wanted an X-Division title shot against Chris Bey. TJP reluctantly implied that he wouldn’t pass the opportunity. Rohit immediately ran to Bey to tattle on TJP in a scheme to secure the job of having Bey’s back. Bey said TJP could shoot his shot and allowed Rohit to be right there with Bey.

Ace Austin and Madman Fulton have a problem with the Good Brothers cheap-shotting them. Now, the Good Brothers have their attention.

The Motor City Machine Guns want to prove they’re the greatest of all-time. They are the smartest and most brutal team in Impact.

The North discussed their title loss to MCMG. Josh Alexander was proud of their historic run. He’s excited knowing that they have a rematch clause. Ethan Page was too distraught to speak.

Katie Forbes was sitting on RVD’s lap showing him her new photos. RVD believed they will blow people’s minds.

EC3 promo.

EC3 has to go back down the Impact road to destroy it piece by piece, block by block. When he looks in the mirror, he sees the reflection of failure. Not failure in wrestling. The failure is personal. Every step came at the expense of his soul. He needs to reevaluate the things he had to do to become who he is. EC3 doesn’t fear the past. He is here to destroy his past, so he can move forward to the future. He must control his narrative.

Moose was interviewed backstage. He claimed to have beaten Fallah Bahh last week in 30 seconds (which isn’t true). Moose was in the giving mood to hand out another invitation to challenge for his TNA Heavyweight Championship. When asked about EC3, Moose doesn’t feel like conquering EC3’s narrative just yet. Enter Heath claiming to have a contract from the TNA championship committee. Heath used reverse psychology to anger Moose into the title shot. It will happen next week. Moose exited, and Scott D’Amore entered. D’Amore liked Heath’s moxie. If Heath can win next week, then he’ll get an Impact contract.

Deonna Purrazzo defeated Kimber Lee. Lee took it to the champ with aggression, but Purrazzo regrouped by working Lee’s arm. For the finish, Lee climbed the corner only to have Purrazzo grab her foot and send her crashing to the mat. Purrazzo attacked with a Pentagon arm snap then followed with a Fujiwara armbar to win.

After the match, Jordynne Grace came down to the ring. Her arm was in a sling. Big Mama Pump did a fakeout with her injury. She removed the sling and commenced with ground and pound to Purrazzo.

Katie Forbes ran into Sami Callihan backstage. She thought he was a fan sneaking around. Forbes told Sami to visit her website if he wants to see her.

Bryan Myers (fka Curt Hawkins) was back with another teaser vignette.

Wrestle House, part 2.

Johnny Swinger tried to recruit Steve to be his young boy. Steve accepted with a mischievous smile. The Deaners argued about Jake’s snoring. Match time!

Cousin Jake defeated Cody Deaner. The winner got the bedroom. Cody offered a truce. When Jake returned the truce bow, Cody rolled him up. Jake escaped, then Cody thumbed him in the eye. Jake ended up winning with a sidewalk slam. The Deaners made a truce after the match. Cody found an RV to sleep in.

Sami Callihan approached Ken Shamrock looking for an explanation about their loss at Slammiversary. Ken couldn’t think. He left and doesn’t know when he’ll be back. Enter Forbes and RVD. Forbes ratted out Sami as a creeper from their earlier encounter. RVD said Sami can look at Katie all he wants but to keep his distance. Sami slyly replied that they will never even see him.

To the ring for the reveal of Katie’s website photos. When it was launched on the big screen, Sami’s head was photoshopped on Katie’s photos. Katie threw a fit.

Dez and Wentz were in the Treehouse. Since Trey was busy with his title match, Dez invited Suicide. All three got super high. Suicide’s dance moves reminded Wentz of Acey Romero. Wentz ran away thinking super heavyweight Acey was under the lightweight mask.

Impact teased a medical update from Rich Swann but did not deliver. Swann will come to the ring next week to inform all the fans.

Good Brothers defeated Reno Scum. The Good Brothers made their in-ring debut in the main event. During the bout, Ace Austin sat in a chair to observe from the entrance stage. Reno Scum took control during that distraction. The match built to a hot tag to Luke Gallows. He cleaned house, then the Good Brothers hit the Magic Killer to win.

After the match, Ace went ringside as a distraction for Madman Fulton to attack. All four brawled backstage and out the door into the parking lot. The show closed as Gallows hit a big boot to Madman crashing into the TV camera causing technical difficulties.

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Eddie Edwards’ open challenge is off to a good start. The match was high quality and the finish was clean. If Impact keeps those two aspects each week, then the open challenge will be a success in building the prestige of Edwards as champ. I’m glad they waited until after the bell to advance the story with Eric Young. It lets their story breathe and doesn’t interfere with Eddie’s match goals.

Wrestle House isn’t my cup of tea. It has an enjoyable vibe with comedic moments, but it took up too much time on the broadcast. It feels like fluff with no purpose. It is missing a motivation to care about what happens inside that house. Plus, all those wrestlers are locked down and can’t have matches or storylines in the Impact Zone.

The Good Brothers in-ring debut was a basic layout of the hot tag to the big man leading to victory. The match was okay but not super action-packed. I thought the main event placement made it a little of a letdown. The post-bout brawl seems to be setting toward a cinematic fight in the parking lot.

We’ll close with a bonus of EC3 expanding on his reasons for attacking Moose. EC3 explained on the Busted Open podcast with Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray. In storyline, EC3 had no plans to return to Impact when they teased his music after a Moose match. The arc of EC3’s character is destroying the past. The happiest day of his life was winning the TNA Heavyweight Championship. It has been all downhill from there. EC3’s character wants to destroy that belt as the physical manifestation of his anger, resentment, and guilt. Since Moose has that belt, he is the target.

In reality, Moose cut a promo prior to Slammiversary. His passion toward EC3 made EC3 take notice. If EC3 can take Moose up a level, then that is something he wants to do to give back to wrestling. Here is the promo EC3 referenced.

Moose also cut a short promo after EC3 attacked him. He tied together their past.

One final item that I initially missed until seeing this clip. Impact has not signed No Way Jose.

Share your thoughts on Impact. Who stole the show? Did you enjoy the Good Brothers in-ring debut?

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