9 Ups & 4 Downs From IMPACT Wrestling & NJPW Multiverse United (Review)

3. Expected Outcome, Thrilling Match

IMPACT played a dangerous game here. Its Knockouts division is undeniably stacked, however, they relied on the same trio of contenders - plus Miyu Yamashita - despite Mickie James, still the recognised champion, having downed them all throughout her past two reigns. The only advantageous result was a Yamashita victory, and that was never happening; the match was Deonna Purrazzo's for the taking, based on the process of elimination positioning 'The Virtuosa' as being above Masha Slamovich and Gisele Shaw, owing to them having lost to Mickie more recently.

Where the match lacked in build and definitive winner, it made up for in its snug execution. The quartet worked a style satisfactory for an NJPW-lite show, placing a significant amount of weight on the impact and force of their strikes. Shaw's stomach-churning rib kicks were just as malicious in this case as Yamashita's patented Skull Kick, which she never got to execute. Case in point of the match being paramount to its competitors, though, was Masha Slamovich's diving Canadian Destroyer, a move abnormal of 'The Russian Dynamite'.

If you didn't think that was utilised venomously, then you probably thought this Queen's Gambit Gotch-style Piledriver was. Gisele Shaw's neck legitimately could've broke from the sharp, sudden impact of the murderous head drop.

As distinguishable as a Deonna Purrazzo win was, it didn't matter once the end move was hit. She'd earned it.