Shane Haste, Kevin Knight make a mark Thursday night
IMPACT on AXS TV this week saw a heavy influence from New Japan pro-Wrestling, with TMDK and LA Dojo both in effect, Kevin Knight facing Kenny King, while TMDK’s Shane Haste took on Speedball Mike Bailey.
Shane Haste was out to strike a blow for TMDK later in the evening to Speedball Mike Bailey, before Bailey turns his attention to United Empire’s Will Ospreay March 30. Haste used his explosive pace to score a dropkick early, but Bailey’s own furious feet would score with rapid fire shots to send the Australian to the floor.
Haste would look to follow with a tope, but was caught with a European uppercut, and dropped with a suplex onto the apron. Now in control, Haste buried a brutal kick to the spine of Bailey and effectively grounding his foe with a stunning Saito suplex.
When Haste set Bailey on the top rope, Speedball found his opening, and landed a top rope shotgun dropkick before a standing corkscrew splash got two. Resetting, both men traded elbows and boots before Haste landed a reverse powerslam for a near two; Bailey escaped the Dynamic Bomb however, and landed a quebrada to the floor.
Back inside, Haste avoided the Ultimate Weapon of Bailey before hitting the Dynamic Bomb for a very near two. Nearing victory, the TMDK member wanted Bomb Valley Death but was dropped with a poison rana, a tornado kick and then the Ultimate Weapon to end a stunning bout.
Later that night, Kevin Knight and Kenny King were on the agenda. King set a high pace, bowling the Jet over early with a shoulder block, but getting shut down with an escalada into an arm drag and then dropkick that put King to the floor. The veteran would take control outside though, and evaded a Knight plancha; still the LA Dojo rep wasn’t to be denied, and a tope con giro would lead to a two count in ring.
King would use the ring ropes against Knight, catching his foe off balance before burying stiff kicks into his young foe. A backbreaker and Camel Clutch kept him in place, but Knight kept flowing, getting some near flash pins and his own backbreaker before King scored with an effective spinebuster. Setting Knight up on the top rope, King followed up with the Royal Flush dead center for three.
