Final IMPACT - IMPACT Wrestling recap for August 17, 2023

Johnny Swinger beats Sheldon Jean in the BTI Match after Heath shows up and hits Sheldon Jean with the Wake-Up Call as Kenny King distracts the referee on the ring apron.

"The Virtuosa" Deonna Purrazzo beats KiLynn King with the Venus de Milo. Trinity is seen having watched the match backstage afterwards.

Backstage, Gia Miller interviews Kenny King and Sheldon Jean. Kenny calls Johnny Swinger "748 years old" and says Swinger has no business challenging for his title. King also says Heath is a coward and that he will not face him one-on-one and that Zicky Dice will not be around to push Swinger around on a wheelchair once he drops Swinger on his hips.

Backstage, Director of Authority Santino Marella talks with Kevin Knight when Bully Ray takes Santino aside and tells him that he needs him help with PCO, saying he is a bad man who will not go away after everything he has done to him and wanting to know why he is in a no-disqualification match. When Moose and Brian Myers show up, Bully Ray goes from begging to being a tough guy, then leaves. Myers then asks for a match with Alex Shelley for tonight, and when he gets it, he finds out it is not for the World Championship and that Santino will have to tell Shelley about the match first. Moose then says Shelley will say no because he is a coward, just like how KUSHIDA is a coward, which gets Kevin Knight's attention. Santino then makes a match between Moose and Kevin Knight. After Myers says he just wanted a World title match against Shelley, Santino entertains the idea of asking Shelley if he wants to defend his title against Myers. Shelley soon shows up and says "Yep." Santino then makes Myers vs. Shelley next week for the IMPACT World Championship.

Killer Kelly beats Jessicka and Savannah Evans in a three-way match.

We hear from Dirty Dango and John E. Bravo. Dango says the problem with Jake Something is his last night, and says that if he has something going on other than being the loudest guy in the gym, he wouldn't be working outlaw mudshows, he would be ranked in the PWI 500, and he would not be allergic to money. Dango then says that Jake Something will get a rub from him before going back to working in bingo halls, and that Jake "looks like Tarzan but plays like Jane."

Moose beats Kevin Knight in a hard-fought match.

Backstage, Gia Miller interviews The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz). Trey says they are one step closer to the tag team titles, and that Sami Callihan and Rich Swann do not stand a chance. Suddenly, ABC ("Inevitable" Ace Austin and Chris Bey) shows up and tells The Rascalz to stay away from the tag titles, which starts an argument. Director of Authority Santino Marella shows up, and ABC says The Rascalz paid off The Good Hands (John Skyler and Jason Hotch), costing them the tournament. Santino allows ABC to get some revenge against The Good Hands in a match next week. ABC says this works for now, and that this is not over.

Eric Young beats Kon by disqualification after Deaner hits Young from behind with a chair. After the match, Kon hits Young with a choke slam, then Deaner hits Young with the Antidote into the chair.

We see a music video/training montage of Joe Hendry and Yuya Uemura getting on the same page.

We see part two of Tom Hannifan's interviews with Crazzy Steve. Steve talks about growing up in a broken home in a trailer park in a small town. He says that his father was hard-working but an alcoholic, and that most of the abuse was mental before escalating to physical violence, which only lasted for a short time before he ended it by his own hands. He says that his other was his biggest fan and supporter, but she never lived a healthy day in her life after he was born to kidney failure, cancer and depression, and while she did her best to look after him and he did his best to look after her, but it is hard to explain to a five-year-old what dialysis. Despite all that, she supported him and his dream to become a famous pro wrestler, and he would grind and work hard for twelve years in the hopes of one day signing a contract with IMPACT. In March of 2014, that dream came true, but while it should have been the best day of his life, his mother took her own life three weeks before he signed the contract. He then said that he was told he would look like a clown and make the fans happy, but he was anything but happy, for his mother will never be able to see him perform in an IMPACT Wrestling ring. Steve goes on to say that people might see this as theater, but he is no clown and he is not crazy. Tom Hannifan tells Steve that he believes him and that he and his fans have never heard this story, then asks why he is telling this story now before asking what the future holds in store for him.

Backstage, we hear from Chris Sabin. He says he looked forward to Lio Rush being in the X Division, but Rush does not represent honor, respect and hard work as he attacks people from behind. After he says that he will come for Lio Rush and the X Division Championship, Samuray del Sol shows up saying he wants revenge against Lio Rush. Sabin says Lio Rush is nowhere to be found, but tells him that if he wants to make an impact, they can have a match next week. Samuray del Sol accepts the challenge.

Bully Ray beats Black Taurus in a no-disqualification match after Black Taurus misses on a top rope twisting senton and landing spine-first on a ladder. After the match, the lights go out and lightning strikes, and when the lights come back on, PCO is behind Bully Ray. Bully Ray grabs PCO and puts him through a table, but PCO gets right back up and scares Bully Ray out of his wits.

Backstage, Gia Miller interviews Eddie Edwards. Eddie says Alisha Edwards is a bad-ass, and while she is beaten up and hurt, she will be fine. He says that he will not allow Alisha in the building as long as Frankie Kazarian is around. Kazarian shows up, and security steps in as Kazarian says it was an accident and that he told Traci Brooks to stay at home for this very reason. Kazarian then proposes that they end this, and Eddie agrees, with Kazarian proposing they end it at Killer Kowalski's wrestling school. Eddie agrees to these terms of engagement.

The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz) beat Sami Callihan and Rich Swann to advance in the IMPACT World Tag Team Championships #1 Contender's Tournament after Trey spray paints Sami in the face to block the Cactus Driver as the referee checks on Swann on the outside, allowing The Rascalz to hit the Hot Fire Flame for the win.

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