Josh Alexander submits Bully Ray to retain Impact World Championship

Josh Alexander is still the king of the mountain in Impact. He entered the Hard to Kill PPV ready to fight Bully Ray at his own game in Full Metal Mayhem with the Impact World Championship at stake. The action was hardcore, and the drama was sports entertainment to the max with a double swerve from Tommy Dreamer and help from an unlikely source.

The world title fight opened the PPV. Full Metal Mayhem rules were in effect, which was basically TLC with all metal objects legal. Bully showed his craftiness right at the start. He entered first then dipped out off to the side. As Alexander entered, Bully looped around from the backside for a sneak attack with his steel chain. Bully smashed the title belt into Alexander’s head, and the champ was bleeding.

Bully set up a table in the ring and demanded the match officially begin. Ding, ding, ding. Bully powerbombed Alexander through a table. 1, 2, Alexander kicked out.

Once Alexander gathered his wits, the fight raged on. Bully was bleeding after Alexander shredded his head with a cheese grater. Alexander emptied a sack of thumbtacks, but that tactic backfired. The fisticuffs veered up the ramp onto the stage. Alexander placed Bully atop a table and climbed a ladder. Bully sprang up to shove the ladder over. Alexander fell backward into the ring onto the tacks. Holy shit, indeed.

Alexander gained momentum toward victory when wrapping a chain around his knee and leaping for a flying knee strike. Alexander wrapped the chain around Bully’s neck and pulled back into the ankle lock. Bully’s backup plan went into effect. John Skyler and Jason Hotch ran in to stomp Alexander. The trio teamed up for a 3D onto tacks. Bully made the cover, but Alexander kicked out.

Bully’s goons zip-tied Alexander to the ropes. Tommy Dreamer! The Innovator of Violence appeared on stage to assist the champ. He punched Skyler and Hotch out of the picture. Dreamer entered the ring ready to fight Bully, but something strange happened. After teasing tension, Bully smiled and handed a trashcan to his former pal. Dreamer reared up to hit Alexander, then he pulled a swerve upon a swerve to hit Bully instead. Bully gouged Dreamer’s eye and speared him through a table.

Alexander was still tied to the ropes. Bully bashed his opponent in the head with a trashcan. Alexander was defiant, but he couldn’t get free. All of a sudden, Alexander’s wife, Jen, entered through the crowd pleading to save her husband. Bully cherished the moment of torment to demand that she beg for mercy. Bully wanted her wedding ring. When Jen refused, Bully shouted, “Okay, now you die!” As Bully pulled back with the trashcan to hit Jen, she low-blowed him in the groin. Jen attacked with Sliced Bread, then she cut Alexander free.

Alexander hit Bully with a chair then landed a flying splash off a ladder through a table. Bully was dead meat, but he still had life left by shockingly kicking out on the pinfall.

Alexander wasted no time in applying the ankle lock submission. Bully held out as long as he could before tapping out in defeat. Alexander remains Impact world champion.

That was one heck of a fun match. The hardcore action of Full Metal Mayhem speaks for itself. It was the story drama that carried this bout into a higher realm. Impact teased the obvious wrestling chicanery then swerved on it as a surprise. Dreamer seemed like he would turn heel, but he turned out to be a true babyface. Jen seemed like she would either toss in the towel for her husband, or Alexander would quit on her behalf. Thankfully, neither of those scenarios played out that way. Jade was the heroine for her man helping him to victory. Those were great twists.

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Get full Hard to Kill results here. The PPV is available for streaming through Fite TV.