12 Ups & 2 Downs From IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary 2021

4. Purrazzo Vs. Rosa, Of Course, Rules

Thunder Rosa was a marvelous choice to challenge Knockouts Champion, Deonna Purrazzo. No one was really expecting someone as currently top-tier as Rosa, so when her music blasted and it wasn't the immediate sound of 'HARDCORE COUNTRY!', an aura of genuine surprise floated around Skyway Studios.

The match, as expected and as the heading suggests, was oh so close to being a certified banger. Nothing wrong with it per se; there just wasn't enough material there when you consider their other outings. Still, the pair's shared technical prowess allowed for a sublime contest. Their early lockups and strikes were soon matched by more high-risk manoeuvres, such as the sick double stomp from Rosa that you can view in the GIF above.

Rosa very nearly shocked the audience when she applied a rear-naked choke, until an inevitable Deonna title retention came by way of the Cosa Nostra. That the duo escaped each other's primary signature moves was critical in reaching the finale; Deonna, realising the submission method wasn't working, instead compressed Rosa's neck with the Gotch-style Piledriver, for example.

The aftermath will be talked about later in the article, but some good stuff in here. No word yet on if this was a one-off for Thunder Rosa in IMPACT, though; IMPACT and NWA reportedly will work together more, however.

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Can be found raving about the latest IMPACT Wrestling signing, the Saints Row franchise, and King Shark in The Suicide Squad.