Jay White, Rocky Romero, Tomohiro Ishii leave TV mark

IMPACT wrestling saw heavy NJPW influence this week, as Tomohiro Ishii and Jay White are both set for action at the promotion’s Under Siege event May 7 and X Division Champion Ace Austin prepares for his NJPW debut during Best of the Super Jr. 

At Under Siege, Tomohiro Ishii will be challenging Josh Alexander for the IWGP World Championship in the main event, and he was put to the test in a warmup match on IMPACT against Steve Maclin. 

Maclin would show no intimidation in the face of Ishii as the two traded elbows off the bat, but it would be Ishii delivering the first shoulder knockdown of the match. A powerslam would follow, and Maclin appeared to have trouble getting any sustained offense until an uranage slam out of the corner created an opening to target Ishii’s back.

Maclin would keep Ishii under thumb; an Olympic Slam and Boston Crab would keep the CHAOS member at bay even as Ishii landed a back suplex and heavy forearm shots. Pushing the pace, a German suplex and lariat gave Maclin two, but a cement headbutt created the window for Ishii’s own lariat, and the Vertical Drop Brainbuster quickly followed for the win. 

Earlier in the evening, BULLET CLUB’s Chris Bey and Jay White took on Rich Swann and Willie Mack. White started fast with Swann and took control in the corner, but a dropkick cut the Switchblade off, and the tag was made to Mack. The athletic powerhouse Mack scored some impressive offense, but it was a stungun from White to Swann over the ropes, with a double team assist from Bey that gave control of the match to BULLET CLUB. 

Swann was in deep trouble as he was repeatedly denied a tag until an enzuigiri finally brought in the well rested Mack. Mack ploughed through both his BULLET CLUB opposition before a Samoan Drop and a double team on Bey that almost secured victory. As the match broke down, Mack wanted a pop-up elbow on Bey, but White provided the save with a snap sleeper suplex, before seeting Bey up for Art of the Finesse. 

After the match, the Honor No More group charged the ring trying to get the better of BULLET CLUB, but Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows evened the odds, leading to a stare down before the two factions do battle at Under Siege.

After Rocky Romero extended an invitation to X Division Champion Ace Austin into Best of the Super Jr. 29, Rocky challenged Austin to a title match this week on IMPACT. Rocky would back Austin into the ropes with a cravate and kept control early, but The Inevitable would switch levels and landed a clubbing kick, before escaping the Forever Clotheslines and coming out of the corner with a roundhouse. 

Austin thought he had full control of the match when he took a breather outside, but his challenger would fly with a tope suicida before corking the champion with a European uppercut. With remarkable athleticism, Austin used the apron for an assist on a handspring and then a kick down the line to Romero, but Rocky would keep his momentum going, hitting a tijeras on the floor before a swinging DDT and then Sliced Rocky for two. 

Austin would lean to his feet to get back into the match, a spectacular kick creating distance. Following up, the champion connected with The Fold flipping neckbreaker to pick up his first defence. Austin now looks to bring the X Division gold into Best of the Super Jr. May 15, but must first face former champion Trey Miguel at Under Siege May 7.