IMPACT Under Siege Review - May 26, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Pre-Show: The Death Dollz def. Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Champions The Coven (Non-Title)

Rosemary has transformed into Courtney Rush, so this was a slightly different match than we've seen from these teams before. I thought it was weird that this was non-title, but I guess them winning here makes sense as it explains why Death Dollz would eventually get another title shot. Like most matches in the Knockouts tag team division, this wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but it was decent enough and the crowd liked Rosemary's new alter-ego.

Pre-Show: Impact Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry def. Dirty Dango by Disqualification

I'm really digging Dango's new heel persona based on what we've seen so far. All he needs to do is ditch the goofy name and he can be taken more seriously. I was fine with this taking place on the pre-show because Dango even admitted in the buildup to this bout that he doesn't care about the Digital Media title. The match was decent, but the non-finish was logical in protecting both men and Santino Marella returned afterward to further his feud with Dango.

Nick Aldis def. Kenny King

There wasn't anything special about this encounter and probably could have happened on any ordinary edition of IMPACT! Wrestling, but it was well wrestled and it gave Aldis a win over an established name. I'm glad Aldis was featured on the show if the idea is for him to eventually challenge for the Impact World Championship, specifically at Slammiversary. The outcome was never in doubt here, but it served its purpose.

Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich Brawled

This was an extension of what we saw from these two on Thursday's IMPACT! Wrestling. They had a really good match a week or two prior to that and it's cool that they're still feuding because it keeps them busy and both women deserve to be showcased. This brawl was well done and I thought it might continue throughout the show, but this was all we got from them. Some sort of hardcore match soon seems likely.

Rich Swann, Sami Callihan and Jake Crist def. The Design (Deaner, Angels and Kon)

Crist was the surprise partner for Swann and Callihan. Obviously, he and Callihan have history from their days in oVe, so he was a logical choice. He's also a skilled wrestler and thus this was a quality contest despite my lack of interest in this storyline with Callihan and The Design. The Design have lost a lot, including here, so I don't see the need for this feud to continue. That said, I'm sure it will since Deaner wasn't pinned.

Trinity def. Gisele Shaw

Shaw has strictly served as a stepping stone for other women this past year and an occasional challenger to championship gold, but to her credit, she has consistently held her own and has had some impressive matches. Honestly, I enjoyed Trinity's recent match with KiLynn King from IMPACT! Wrestling more than this, but it was still solid stuff. The win gets Trinity another step closer to contending for the Impact Knockouts World Championship, presumably at Slammiversary.

Impact World Tag Team Champions A B C def. Subculture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster)

A B C is still a stupid as hell tag team name for Ace Austin and Chris Bey. I've said that a lot in my reviews and I will continue to say it. Maybe because Bullet Club Gold was already taken? I kid. Nonetheless, this was a blast as you'd expect. Fans who aren't familiar with Subculture from WWE NXT UK had no reason to care about them coming into the show or think that they could win the titles, but they definitely had a strong showing in defeat. These four worked a chaotic pace and kept things entertaining throughout.

Impact X-Division Champion Trey Miguel def. Chris Sabin

I love the story of Sabin, one of the greatest Impact X-Division Champions of all-time, trying to end the reign of disrespectful punk Miguel to make more history himself. Unsurprisingly, this was terrific. Sabin is still amazing and Miguel is having a hell of a reign as champ. Miguel cheating to retain made sense for his current character, and although this feud may already be over, I'd love for that finish to set up a rematch and keep it going.

Alex Shelley def. Yuya Uemura, Moose, Eddie Edwards, Frankie Kazarian and Jonathan Gresham in an Impact World Championship No. 1 Contender's Six-Way Match

I've said before Kazarian felt like the most logical choice to become number contender to the title based on his recent sit-down interview that have aired on IMPACT! Wrestling, but it's also just logical for him to feud with Edwards for the foreseeable future instead. Shelley was the perfect choice to go over because although he won't win, he and Maclin should have killer chemistry together. This was all action and the complete chaos made it fun to follow.

Impact Knockouts World Champion Deonna Purrazzo def. Jordynne Grace in a Last Chance Match

As a result of her loss, Grace can no longer challenge for the title as long as Purrazzo is champion. I don't believe Grace has ever beaten Purrazzo on pay-per-view or a live special, and they've had a handful of matches since 2020, so there was certainly a chance Grace could win here. It has since been revealed that Grace is a free agent, so the outcome makes sense. This was the usual strong effort from these two and now Purrazzo can move onto fresh opponents to defend against.

Impact World Champion Steve Maclin def. PCO in a No Disqualification Match

They're not my cup of tea personally, but hardcore matches are obviously the specialty of PCO, so this played to his strengths. It was certainly a spectacle, I'll say that much. They had a bloody brawl and my top takeaway was that Maclin proved he could hang in an extreme environment and emerge victorious. The post-match angle with Maclin, Bully Ray, Scott D'Amore and The Motor City Machine Guns was well done and sets up a few different directions they can go in.

Overall Show

Not only did the main matches deliver, this whole card was a treat with everything serving a purpose and holding my interest. No championships changed hands, but this still felt like an eventful show, especially with the main event and what happened afterward. Even with all of the talent IMPACT has lost lately, Under Siege sent the message that there's still a lot to like about the product and that these monthly specials are worth tuning into.

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