IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Slammiversary 2018
Date: July 22, 2018
Location: Rebel Entertainment Complex, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

Believe it or not this actually looks like a great show. Impact Wrestling has been on a roll as of late with one very good show after another, but now they need to pay that off with a strong pay per view. It’s not impossible either as nothing on the card looks bad. Just please deliver for once. Let’s get to it.

Here’s the preview so you can see how badly I did.

The opening video features the amazing voiceover guy (Barry Scott) that does this show every year, talking about how great things have been around here in the last year. This show is treated like the biggest show of the year in a way and this voiceover helps a lot.

Petey Williams vs. Johnny Impact vs. Taiji Ishimori vs. Fenix

Williams is replacing an injured Rich Swann. After a quick staredown, everyone is sent into the corner with Ishimori getting a very early advantage. Impact sends Williams to the floor for the big showdown with Ishimori. Both of them miss standing flips and that means a staredown. Fenix comes back in and bounces off the ropes for, of course, a staredown.

A series of bounces on the ropes send Impact to the floor so Petey comes back in with a flying headscissors. There’s O Canada to Fenix but Ishimori comes back in with a hurricanrana on Fenix and Williams making a save. Impact hits a big dive onto Fenix and Williams so Ishimori hits an even bigger one onto the other three. That gets a rare IMPACT WRESTLING chant, which doesn’t have a great cadence but it’s a nice idea.

Everyone comes back in with their series of springboards, capped off by Petey getting the Sharpshooter on Ishimori. Fenix is back in with a 619 on Impact before rolling through the ropes for a cutter. Ishimori knees Fenix in the corner and a Tombstone gets two. Impact uses the ramp to flip into the ring and it’s a circle of strikes for a four way knockdown. Ishimori hits the 450 on Impact but gets caught in the Canadian Destroyer. The springboard double knees drop Petey for two more but it’s Impact with a superkick and Starship Pain for the pin on Fenix at 12:27.

Rating: B. That’s how something like this should have gone as it was four guys going nuts and getting to showcase their talents. That’s how you want to open a show: fast, getting to the point, not putting the big match on first and just letting the fans have a good time. Impact will be a big player again soon, just for the presence that he brings to the matches.

King rants to the OGz about how much he hates Konnan. They’re ready for tonight and want the LAX name back.

We recap Tessa Blanchard vs. Allie. Tessa is here to show how great she is and doesn’t care who she runs over in the process. Allie doesn’t care for that so Tessa is ready to teach her a lesson.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Allie

Allie gets the hometown pop and is in a hybrid of her two gears. They talk a lot of trash to start and Allie kicks her down, followed by a basement crossbody. Tessa isn’t happy with this getting beaten up thing and forearms her down, only to have Allie come back with a spinning crossbody to the floor. A hot shot onto the barricade rocks Allie though and Tessa is getting the swagger going.

More forearms and right hands to the head have Allie in more trouble but she manages a hurricanrana to the floor. Tessa comes up limping a bit so Allie hits a Death Valley Driver on the floor to put them both down. They do the double slide back in and it’s time for the slow motion slugout.

Tessa gets the better of it again and chokes Allie down followed by a scary super hurricanrana to drop Allie on her head for two more. Allie avoids a top rope backsplash and the running Codebreaker sends Tessa outside. The Best Superkick Ever gives Allie a near fall of her own and frustration is setting in. Another Death Valley Driver is countered into the hammerlock DDT to give Tessa the pin at 10:58.

Rating: B-. Tessa is as good of a Charlotte clone as you can get and that’s not a bad place to be. The win is the right call and a suggestion that Madison Rayne actually picks up the title later on. It’s not like there’s anyone else to challenge for the title and Tessa has history with Madison already. Allie will be fine as she’s charismatic enough to make anything work. Shame about losing in her hometown, but it makes sense.

We recap Eddie Edwards vs. Tommy Dreamer. Edwards has gone insane thanks to Sami Callihan so Dreamer stepped in to reminisce about ECW and talk about his feud with Raven. Eddie accused Dreamer of sleeping with his wife (Dreamer’s “LOOK AT ME” defense was funny) and tonight it’s a hardcore match with blood promised.

Eddie Edwards vs. Tommy Dreamer

House of Hardcore rules. Dreamer isn’t going to wait and starts the brawl in a hurry. They fight to the floor with a water bottle going off Eddie’s head and the metal weapons being brought out. Dreamer trashcans him in the head and we get the ECW chants because this is somehow about the promotion that ended seventeen years ago. Eddie gets in a shot to the head and busts out the staple gun.

You don’t do that to Dreamer, who easily takes it away but can’t get in a shot either. Eddie tries a hardcore sunset flip and gets stapled, meaning it’s time to chant for another promotion again. Someone hands Dreamer an ECW Title for the shot to the head and we’ve got some blood. That just fires Eddie up even more and he hits Dreamer in the head a few times to take over. Back in and some kendo stick shots rock Dreamer again with Eddie declaring himself the new Innovator of Violence.

A stick shot to Edwards rocks him again and a super Death Valley Driver through a pair of chairs gets two because Dreamer isn’t allowed to win anything (as he shouldn’t). It’s time for a table, lighter fluid and a lighter (I’ll let you figure out the combination) but Eddie hits him low. The fans want fire but Eddie hits the Boston Knee Party to drive a chair into Dreamer’s head for the pin at 11:12 instead.

Rating: D+. I’m not a fan of the ECW stuff but they kept it short enough and Dreamer lost as everyone knew he would. Edwards has been a great psycho and if they can keep that up, there’s potential there. Just don’t turn him into a Dreamer tribute wrestler and we should be fine. That and if we can stop the ECW chants, but that ship sailed many years ago.

Post match Eddie starts sobbing and yells to Tommy (not in anger). Alisha Edwards comes out as Dreamer hands Eddie the kendo stick in a passing of the torch. That torch has probably been passed more often than an ECW check.  Alisha leaves on her own and Eddie holds the stick.

Matt Sydal is ready to use his mind and third eye to get past the Machine Brian Cage and all those muscles.

We recap the X-Division Title match, which is pretty much exactly what Sydal said. Cage is unstoppable so Sydal is trying to use his mind and spirit to beat him instead of the physical aspect.

X-Division Title: Matt Sydal vs. Brian Cage

Cage is challenging and tosses the champ around in a hurry. A standing moonsault gives Cage two as Callis says Hulk Hogan beat the Iron Sheik in 3-4 minutes. Not really but for a title change it was rather short. Sydal kicks at the knee and gets in a suplex as Cage has already lost a bunch of his explosiveness. Another kick to the knee brings Cage off the top and it’s back to the knee.

Sydal gets two off a standing shooting star but Cage is right back up and throwing Sydal around. The knee gives out though and Sydal kicks away, only to get turned inside out off a pumphandle slam. Sydal speeds things up with some more kicks and a snap modified Angle Slam rocks Cage again. The shooting star misses though and Cage blasts him with the discus clothesline for two.

Cage tries the Drill Claw but gets reversed into a snap hurricanrana and another near fall. Another Drill Claw is countered into a small package for a near fall I actually bought. The shooting star hits a raised boot (and the ropes on the way down, which thankfully didn’t lead to a much worse result) though and now the Drill Claw makes Cage champion at 9:48.

Rating: C+. Cage winning was the only result that made sense and it’s not like Sydal was doing much with the title anyway. I’m not a fan of the third eye stuff but they got the title off of him as they should have and that’s the best result. That being said, I have no idea how they get the title off of Cage outside of a triple threat or a climbing match but we can worry about that later on.

Austin Aries says he’s ready to perform at his best with the lights on bright because it’s one on one.

Madison Rayne is trying to make history by becoming a six time Knockouts Champion. She wants to hand the title to her daughter so her daughter can know Madison has made it. Su Yung is the latest evil crazy zombie bride (there are a million of them) and it’s time for her next big title defense, this time against non-scary/evil Madison.

Knockouts Title: Su Yung vs. Madison Rayne

Madison is challenging and continues the trend of starting fast. Yung gets knocked down but here come the undead bridesmaids. They’re dropped as well, allowing Madison to forearm Yung in the face for two. Yung neckbreakers her out of the corner though and ties Madison in the Tree of Woe for a running dropkick. The red mist hits a bridesmaid though and Madison has an opening. A ripcord cutter gets two on Yung, who is now wearing a bloody glove. The Rayne Drop gets two more but a quick Mandible Claw with the glove knocks Rayne out to retain the title at 6:58.

Rating: C. Madison looked rather good here but I’m not sure where they go with the title from here. Unless they do Tessa vs. Yung (which they won’t/shouldn’t), I have no idea who can challenge for the title. How nice is it to have a reason to believe they could pull it off though? That’s not something I’m used to around here but maybe it can work this time.

Post match Rayne is put in a coffin.

We recap the LAX civil war. Konnan was the manager of the original LAX (Homicide and Hernandez) and then eventually returned with Santana and Ortiz as the new version. The team had its ups and downs but Konnan was eventually attacked. This brought in King, who turned the team back around. Konnan returned and said King took him out, so Santana and Ortiz sided with Konnan against their new boss. King brought in Homicide and Hernandez as the OGz and we’re having a street fight. This is a remake of the Midnight Express feud from thirty years ago and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Tag Team Titles: OGz vs. LAX

Street fight and LAX is defending, though I thought this was non-title. LAX comes through the crowd and Konnan meets them on the ramp to say go to it. Hernandez shrugs off the beating but can’t hit the Border Toss to the floor. Instead Santana dropkicks Homicide off the apron and it’s some dives (with the camera missing one) to drop the OGz. A pair of tables are set up in the corner while Homicide puts up one on the floor against the barricade.

Hernandez starts cleaning house and Ortiz gets choked with a chain. The big dive over the top has Santana rocked as Hernandez flashes back to the SuperMex days. More metal shots to the head put Hernandez down and Homicide actually walks into a suplex. Yes that was in fact a wrestling move. The OGz take over again without much effort but Santana superkicks his way out of trouble.

Back in and Hernandez pulls Santana out of the air, followed by a heck of a sitout powerbomb for two. Ortiz is back up with the trashcan lids to the head and it’s ladder time. A flip dive into a Lionsault onto Hernandez onto the ladder has Hernandez down and the Street Sweeper gets two on Homicide. Santana hits a big flip dive to put Homicide through a table at ringside but they’re not done.

Back in and a running Death Valley Driver puts Homicide through a table. It works so well that Ortiz loads it up but Hernandez gives him a Border Toss through the other table. Santana is back up this time with a superkick as Konnan goes after King. Homicide loads up the Gringo Killer but stops to spit at Konnan. The distraction lets Konnan throw a bag of tacks to Santana, who THROWS THEM AT HOMICIDE for what could be a terrifying result. A slam and frog splash put Homicide away at 13:55.

Rating: B. This was exactly the kind of match it should have been, meaning it was barely wrestling and was instead the wild weapons brawl that showed off the violent hatred. You can almost guarantee a rematch and the OGz getting the titles at one point, as they certainly should. I liked the match a lot, though it didn’t hit the level I was hoping it would reach.

Post match King comes in and distracts Konnan so Hernandez can beat him down. King whips Konnan in the back and the titles are spray painted. Must be time for yet another set of new belts.

Sami Callihan doesn’t like being the underdog in the fans’ eyes. Tonight, Pentagon loses his mask.

We recap Callihan vs. Pentagon. Callihan and OVE started going after luchador masks because they’re a little nuts so Pentagon stood up for his friends and brother. Tonight it’s mask vs. hair in the big lucha de apuesta match.

Sami Callihan vs. Pentagon Jr.

After some yelling, they get to the kicking each other in the face. Pentagon scores with a Sling Blade for the first real offense and it’s time for the chops. Sami opens his vest and wants the best shot. The ensuing chop brings Callihan to his knees and a face that says how bad of an idea that was. He’s fine enough to take it outside for a water bottle to the head but they both chop the post.

Pentagon slaps him down as the announcers mention that this has relaxed rules. I know that’s expected and understood, but it’s nice to be officially told. Callihan posts out some spikes of all things and starts gouging at the head, drawing some much needed blood (just kind of necessary in a match like this). That’s fine with Pentagon, who knocks a spike back into Callihan’s head. With nothing else working, both guys grab a chair and beat the fire out of each other, earning a FIGHT FOREVER chant.

There is blood everywhere and Pentagon chairs him down again. The armbreaker is broken up so Pentagon chairs him down for the second time in a few seconds. Cue the Crists to take a shot each, allowing Callihan to throw some powder. Pentagon breaks the ref’s arm instead so there’s no one to count the Pentagon Driver.

Rating: B-. This needed to be a few minutes shorter but it also needed to be a little away from the previous match as having two violent brawls in a row wasn’t the best idea. Pentagon winning was really the only call here given how big of a star he is on the indy scene at the moment so it’s hard to argue with the ending. Give Sami something to bring him back to earth and OVE can go insane again.

Post match OVE jumps Pentagon until Fenix makes the save. Sami has his head shaved and cries throughout.

Bound For Glory is October 14 in New York.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Austin Aries vs. Moose

Aries is defending and Curtis Granderson of the Toronto Blue Jays is holding the title. Feeling out process to start with Aries’ headlock getting shoved away with no trouble. Aries gets in a hard elbow to put Moose down so Moose nips up with no trouble. He sends Aries outside in a heap and the champ collapses on the floor.

Moose’s big dive sends him sailing over the barricade though and Aries is already trying for the countout. Back in and Aries gets one off a slingshot hilo but Moose shrugs off the shots to the chest. A headbutt has Aries sprawling into the corner and there are some rapid fire chops in the corner.

One heck of an elbow drops Moose but he’s fine enough to hit the discus lariat. The spear is countered into the Last Chancery (cool) and Moose takes a long time making the rope. Moose can barely move so Aries hits a Death Valley Driver on the apron, setting up the big suicide dive.

With nothing else working, Moose wins a slugout and throws him over the barricade. Another dive misses though and Aries gives him a brainbuster on the floor. Somehow that’s only good for nine so Aries grabs the belt. Granderson takes it back and Aries gets rolled up for two, only to have him grab the brainbuster to retain the title at 15:55.

Rating: B+. That’s the kind of main event they needed with Moose fighting as hard as he could but coming up short. It didn’t seem likely that he would actually win the title so seeing him get this close and make you believe he could pull it off was quite the accomplishment. Aries is going to lose the title in a big deal down the line and this was the kind of win that is going to make it seem that important.

Overall Rating: A-. Now that worked. They didn’t have the big blow away match but they had about six good to very good matches and that’s more than I would have ever guessed for them about six months ago. The company needed a great show tonight and they got about as close as you can get, so we’ll call this one a big time success. Now follow up on it and make this consistent and it can go somewhere.

Results

Johnny Impact b. Petey Williams, Taiji Ishimori and Fenix – Starship Pain to Williams

Tessa Blanchard b. Allie – Hammerlock DDT

Eddie Edwards b. Tommy Dreamer – Boston Knee Party into a chair

Brian Cage b. Matt Sydal – Drill Claw

Su Yung b. Madison Rayne – Mandible Claw

LAX b. OGz – Frog splash to Homicide

Pentagon Jr. b. Sami Callihan – Fear Factor

Austin Aries b. Moose – Brainbuster

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: February 19, 2004
Location: SaveMart Arena, Fresno, California
Attendance: 3,000
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

Viva la new champion. Eddie Guerrero shocked the world (kind of, assuming you didn’t pay attention to the pretty obvious Wrestlemania booking) and defeated Brock Lesnar to become WWE Champion. He even already has his first challenger with Kurt Angle winning a triple threat match to earn the Wrestlemania title shot. Let’s get to it.

Here’s No Way Out if you need a recap.

We open with a quick look at Eddie winning the title. That’s a pretty cool moment.

Paul Heyman has requested Brock Lesnar not appear tonight due to Lesnar’s temper possibly threatening the public safety. Eddie Guerrero may be the new WWE Champion but the celebration may be short lived. Tonight, Eddie will make his first defense against Chavo Guerrero. As a bonus, there will be a special guest referee to be announced later. Why do I expect him to be bald and told that he sucks?

Opening sequence.

Here’s Kurt Angle to the chorus of YOU SUCKs for a chat. Angle asks if we’re ready to party because tonight is about Eddie. He was never one of Eddie’s critics and it’s going to be a privilege to face Eddie for the title at Wrestlemania. Angle actually has the fans give Eddie three cheers but here’s John Cena to interrupt. Cena mocks Angle for actually saying HIP HIP HOORAY over Eddie. Cena: “I gotta agree with these people. You suck!”

Since three cheers aren’t exactly Cena’s style, he has one side of the arena say Latino and the other says Heat. With that out of the way, Cena praises Angle for making it to Wrestlemania. The thing is though, the chants make it sound like Eddie is going to take care of Angle. Cena is ready to fight but here’s Heyman with a better idea.

John Cena/Kurt Angle vs. Basham Brothers

Angle and Danny start things off with Kurt easily taking him to the mat. An armbar keeps Danny down until it’s off to Cena for a spinebuster on Doug. Angle gets tossed into Cena to knock him to the floor and the fight is almost on. Back from a break with Doug working on Cena’s banged up knee, even shrugging off a headbutt to the head to stay on it. Cena slips out of a slam though and scores with a DDT to put Danny down.

That’s enough for the hot tag off to Angle and let’s hit those suplexes. Danny slips out of the Angle Slam though and sends Kurt into Doug. Cole describes this as some vintage Basham double teaming, even though the Bashams have been around for what, eight months? Angle gets sent to the floor, leaving Cena grab the FU for the pin on Danny.

Rating: C+. In a surprise to no one, Cena and Angle have some good chemistry together whether facing each other or teaming together. This was a nice match and while the tag division can’t really handle the few established teams taking a loss, it’s not like there are many options to face Angle and Cena at the moment.

Stills of Chavo Guerrero Jr. cheating to beat Rey Mysterio for the Cruiserweight Title.

We look back at Hardcore Holly defeating Big Show in a non-title match last month, setting up a title match tonight. The lack of hardcore rules don’t help Holly here.

Mysterio comes in to see Heyman, who summarizes everything he thinks Mysterio is going to say. Actually Rey wants a rematch, which Heyman grants….if Chavo wins the WWE Title tonight. That’s not a bad little twist. Rey is cool with that and agrees to take the rest of the night off.

Here’s Eddie for his big championship celebration and he comes through the crowd for a nice touch. Confetti and balloons fall to really make this feel special, until the balloons are popped to make it a little more annoying. He even gets pyro when he holds the title up. Eddie asks if all this fuss is about him and talks about becoming the new champion along with everyone else.

To everyone who was with him all along, gracias. To everyone else, Spanish swearing. Eddie wants to know who is going to celebrate with him so here are the Chavos. Jr. talks about having one of the biggest moments of his life but IT’S STILL ALL ABOUT EDDIE. This is so Owen vs. Bret it’s not even funny. Eddie offers him a balloon in a much funnier moment but Jr. wants to be serious.

After tonight, this is all over and he’ll have two titles. Eddie isn’t convinced but Jr. has a surprise: the guest referee is Chavo Sr. So….why does Heyman hate Eddie? Just general heel vs. face reasons? I mean, you knew the story was going to happen but a justification or reason might be nice.

US Title: Big Show vs. Hardcore Holly

Show is defending and brushes off Holly’s early jumping. Ever the fighter, Holly even kicks at the knee from his back so Show tosses him around some more. A shoulder to the ribs does put Show down but he avoids the top rope legdrop. The chokeslam retains the title in short order. So long Holly, it wasn’t very pleasant.

Post match here’s Cena again, this time with a challenge for the US Title at Wrestlemania. Show says it’s on and it’s time to teach Cena a lesson. How to have a six month title reign in three short defenses?

Brock Lesnar is here.

Video on Lesnar vs. Goldberg from Sunday.

Here’s a ticked off Lesnar for a chat. Lesnar is rather upset in losing his title because it meant a lot to him. Eddie is just going to pawn it, unlike an All-American like Lesnar. All of this happened because of Goldberg and that means there’s a price to pay. Lesnar begs Vince to set up the match at Wrestlemania, even begging on his knees. That’s quite the visual from Lesnar. Imagine: him having emotion and, dare I say, a personality.

Sr. gives Jr. a pep talk.

Sable and Torrie Wilson had a Playboy signing in New York. There’s something so weird about that.

Tazz plugs a behind the scenes look at the Playboy shoot in Smackdown Magazine. Do these people get how Playboy works?

Recap of Undertaker’s latest creepy warnings to Kane.

Sr. has been knocked unconscious and since Angle happens to be there, he’ll be guest referee tonight. Well duh.

Smackdown World Title: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Only Eddie is defending and Angle is guest referee. The title does look great on Eddie. A toss of the title to Chavo lets Eddie take over early on, including the slingshot hilo. Chavo’s comeback is cut off by an early Gory Stretch as Tazz makes a good point: Chavo won a title too and doesn’t even get a celebration? A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets Chavo out of trouble and he hits his own rolling verticals.

Chavo’s good looking frog splash hits raised knees but Eddie sends him hard to the floor. Cue Sr. to yell at Eddie though, allowing Jr. to grab a rollup for two. Eddie rolls some verticals of his own but he bangs up his knee off a missed frog splash. Now it’s Mysterio running out to hit a 619 around the post on Sr. as we take a break. Back with Chavo working the knee, including a half crab Liontamer. That goes nowhere so Chavo switches gears with a dropkick instead.

A Muta Lock goes back to the knee and we hit the half crab again. Eddie fights up and snaps off a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker of his own (nice touch of them having a lot of the same offense due to growing up together and being in the same family) but it bangs up the knee again. The knee is fine enough for a top rope superplex, though he almost drops Chavo on the way down. There’s some blood on Eddie’s chest and Chavo’s ear (not exactly combinations you often see) and Eddie makes it worse with a powerbomb. The frog splash connects but Angle stops counting at two and attacks Eddie for the no contest.

Rating: B. More good stuff from these two, which isn’t exactly surprising given how well they know each other. There wasn’t a ton of drama for a new champion, but you don’t need to have the big title match two days after Eddie wins the title and especially not a month before Wrestlemania. Just let him have a showcase and set up Wrestlemania in the end. Perfectly fine choices and a good match too.

Post match Angle beats the heck out of Eddie until Mysterio runs in for a failed save. Angle mauls him too and Eddie is busted open to end the show. The EDDIE cheers make Angle even madder and he hits Eddie with the title to end the show after a good beatdown and heel turn.

Overall Rating: C+. Given that the entire show was three matches and two of them involved Eddie and Angle, you can’t say much else about this week. The big angle at the end was great and Cena vs. Show being set for Wrestlemania is the expected and right way to go. Smackdown is already looking better than Raw, but the rest of the card doesn’t have much time to get set up. Good stuff tonight, lead by two of the best around.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Now I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up about this show but really, it’s kind of hard not to in this case. Believe it or not, Impact Wrestling has actually put together a heck of a card and built it up quite well over the last few weeks. I want to see what they have for Slammiversary and there’s a good chance it’s going to be an awesome show. If nothing else, it’s not like they have a high benchmark to beat in order to have their best pay per view in years. Let’s get to it.

Allie vs. Tessa Blanchard

The more I see of Blanchard, the more impressed I am. She’s been in the promotion for all of a few months and they’re already pushing her to the moon. If Su Yung wasn’t Knockouts Champion, Blanchard probably would have won the thing weeks ago. Allie is a good test for her as she’s one of the most popular members of the roster and can go in the ring. This should be fun, especially with Allie being more serious as of late.

I’m going with Blanchard here, as while there’s nothing for her to do in the title hunt right now, a win is a lot more valuable to her than Allie. That being said, Allie needs a win to get her back on track. She took a bad hit when she lost the title to Yung and a win over Blanchard would help. Blanchard has lost enough already though so I’ll go with her to win here, as she should.

Pentagon Jr. vs. Sami Callihan

This is mask vs. hair and they’ve started to book Calliah the way he needs to be booked. He’s not the best in-ring worker and the shouting about how great Ohio is still doesn’t do much for me, but at least they’re booking him as a crazy brawler/lover of anarchy instead of going against his better characteristics.

However, Pentagon almost has to win here as he’s WAY too big of a star pretty much everywhere at the moment to lose one of his trademark things. Callihan’s hair isn’t exactly famous or anything and can be grown back in pretty short order. The match should be a good, violent brawl and with the roll that Pentagon has been on in recent months, there’s a good chance it’s going to be better than I’m expecting.

Eddie Edwards vs. Tommy Dreamer

I’m torn on this one. Edwards’ heel turn and descent into madness has been outstanding….but it’s Dreamer. The guy who has spent probably twice as long talking about ECW than he was actually in ECW. I respect what he did and how he came from nothing to become a nice something in wrestling, but he just doesn’t do anything for me. The whole “I’ve given everything to this business and don’t want you to end up like me” has been done and Dreamer playing the sad old man who can still be violent has lost its charm.

Of course Edwards wins here but the more interesting question is where does he go from here. There’s a ton of potential in that character and if Impact uses him properly, he could be a heck of a star. Just having him target someone new (say Pentagon for getting to hurt Callihan instead) and going all psycho on them could be great, as Edwards has knocked this thing further out of the park than I ever would have guessed.

Knockouts Title: Su Yung(c) vs. Madison Rayne

You can call this one another surprise as Rayne has done far better with the one more run story than I ever would have expected. The problem though is they’ve built her up to the point where she almost has to win the title to validate going over so many others but I don’t think they want to (or should) take the title off of Yung, even if it’s just for a short reign for…well for Rayne.

I’m going to go with Yung retaining through some shenanigans, which is the best way possible to keep things from getting in trouble. Yung can feud with Allie or someone else for the title going forward, though giving it to Rayne and having her drop it to Blanchard isn’t the worst idea in the world either. I’ll stick with Yung retaining though, as it makes more sense at the moment.

Fenix vs. Johnny Impact vs. Rich Swann vs. Taiji Ishimori

It should be noted that Swann suffered a concussion on Thursday and may not be able to work the show. That being said, this has the potential to be a heck of a match. Just throwing a bunch of people who can fly around out there is an idea that usually works and that’s what we’re getting here. Having Impact back is a big positive as well as he has the star power to lend some more credibility to a match like this.

In what isn’t likely to happen, I’ll take Fenix to win. He and his brother are two of the biggest stars Impact has at the moment and having him pin Ishimori, who is cool but not exactly around very often, would be a good way to give him a boost. If you have someone as popular as Fenix at the moment it would make sense to push the heck out of him and a win here would help do that.

X-Division Title: Matt Sydal(c) vs. Brian Cage

It’s another title match where they seem to have booked themselves into a bit of a corner. Cage is on fire at the moment and seems ready to be pushed to the moon. The problem is the X-Division Title isn’t on the way to the moon, nor is having him drop it eventually or having Sydal escape with the title through more shenanigans. That’s a problem here and I’m not sure how they’re going to get out of it.

My guess is they’ll solve it by giving Cage the title and then moving on from there. It’s no secret that Cage is seemingly being fast tracked for the main event scene and this would be a good way to start that process. I mean, a better way would have been to sidestep the X-Division in general and move on to the main event scene but it’s a bit late for that. Having a monster like Cage as champion could be interesting for a change so this seems like the right way, or at least the least painful way, to go.

LAX vs. OGz

Now this is the one that I’ve been wanting to see as Impact FINALLY has a hot story to run on. It’s a retelling of the Midnight Express vs. Midnight Express feud from 1988 and that’s not the worst place in the world to be. If they can do something with the kind of energy they potentially have here, this could be a heck of a match that easily steals the show. At worst, it should at least be pretty good.

As for winners, you almost have to go with LAX, but it entirely depends on how long Homicide and Hernandez are sticking around. If they’re staying then they should win, but if this is a one off appearance then LAX wins easily. Either way, it should be a heck of a brawl and King vs. Konnan on the floor should be interesting as well. The street fight idea is the right call here and they could easily steal the show.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Austin Aries(c) vs. Moose

This has been a very odd build as Moose and Aries have only been in the ring together once in recent weeks. The idea has been to have Moose off training for the biggest match of his life, which is a fine way to write off what was likely a case of Moose not being available for most of the tapings. The match is as interesting as it can be, but Impact has a long history of not having the best main event builds in the world.

I’ll go with Aries retaining here, as the idea has been that Moose has to win the title at some point in the year. There’s a lot of time left in the year for him to pull that off and Aries fighting off some of the other big stars of the promotion is an interesting concept. Also I’m not sure if they would want to switch the title again so soon after having done the Pentagon reign at the last pay per view.

Overall Thoughts

I’m excited. This show looks very good on paper with nothing that feels like filler or a bad match. Don Callis has turned this promotion around (though that’s been said before to less than stellar long term results) and for now, they have a pay per view that I want to see. This is a near miracle for them and if they can pull off a great show, I’m certainly not going to be complaining for once.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #13
Date: July 13, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re getting closer to Battle Riot and the build has been….I guess you could say unconventional so far. No one has really been talking about it but that might have something to do with the taping cycle, which would make sense. The good thing is I’m interested in the card because they’ve set up a nice cast of characters and I want to see where they go. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Before the show went on the air, Shane Strickland was attacked outside and taken to a hospital.

Stud Stable vs. Team TBD/Rhett Giddens

The Stud Stable (Dirty Blonds/Parrow here) has surprised me a lot on this show and Parrow is good for a resident midcard monster. The graphic messes up for Giddens, who stands 6’5 and weighs 260lbs by saying he weight 657lbs. Yuta and Patrick start things up with the former getting two off some rollups. An Octopus Hold (the Yuta Lock) doesn’t do much to Patrick so Cade tags himself in instead. Parrow comes in and Cade has the guts to go right after him, earning a toss into the corner.

Cade does the heelish crawl over to the much bigger Giddens so it’s time for the big forearm exchange. Parrow gets the better of it and drops a big backsplash but Giddens kicks him in the face. It’s back to Yuta to pick up the pace with some kicks to the head, only to have Parrow toss him into the air for a big crash. Brien comes in for a delayed suplex as the slow beating begins. Parrow grabs a torture rack (which should be a finisher for someone anytime soon) before Patrick comes back in for a chinlock.

Yuta sends Patrick into the corner though and scores with a high crossbody for the hot tag off to Cade. Everything breaks down in a hurry and we get more miscommunication between Yuta and Cade. Yuta goes up top while Cade is trying a backslide, making the confusion even worse. Brien breaks things up and powerslams Cade for the pin at 7:56.

Rating: C. The Stud Stable continues to surprise me as I really wasn’t a Colonel Parker fan back in the day but this group of big guys is working for me. The other thing I liked a lot here was something commentary did. Cade and Yuta are having problems. I know this because I’m watching the show and it’s really obvious. Commentary is treating the fans like they understand this and building off that obvious premise rather than saying stupid things like “Do you think Cade and Yuta are having problems?” That’s really nice for a change as WWE tends to treat its fans like complete morons more often than not.

Yuta yells at Cade, who walks away.

Announced for Battle Riot: Fulton, Fred Yehi and Homicide.

Barrington Hughes vs. Jaye Skye

Hughes splashes him from behind and hits a delayed belly to back suplex for the pin at 12 seconds. I’m not big on Hughes but the completely casual look on his face when he covers someone, as if to say “yeah I know I won” is good.

Low Ki did NOT attack Strickland before the show as he was known to be elsewhere.

Joey Janela vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Janela has Aria Blake with him. Friedman attacked Janela a few weeks back to set this up. Janela wastes no time in scoring with a Thesz press and some right hands, drawing a BAD BOY chant. A running boot in the corner doesn’t get to launch though as Friedman heads to the floor, meaning a big dive takes him down instead. Back in and Janela gets sent through the ropes, bouncing head first into the announcers’ area for a sick thud.

We take a break and come back with Janela hitting a dive to send Friedman into some chairs. Janela gets two off a Swanton Bomb but takes too long going up top, allowing Friedman to hit a top rope superplex for two of his own. With Janela in trouble, Aria offers a distraction so Friedman can grab a chair. Janela superkicks the chair right back into his face though and gets the pin at 7:51.

Rating: C. I still don’t quite get the big upside for Janela but this was his best match so far. If nothing else it sets him up as the first contender for the Middleweight Title, which Friedman is likely to win as I don’t think Joey Ryan has actually appeared on the show yet. Janela looked good here and as hot as he is at the moment, it’s a smart move to have him around here.

Post match Janela leaves with Blake, not seeming to notice that she did something a little questionable. Friedman blames both Blake and the blind referee. It’s not Blake’s fault though because she’s been influenced by a bad boy. A real man could fix that so here’s Janela to jump him from behind. Oh yeah that’s your first title program and that’s a good idea.

The injured Strickland is cleared to defend the title against Low Ki next week. That’s a snappy medical evaluation.

Jimmy Havoc says he hasn’t forgotten what Team Filthy did to him and he’s coming back for revenge. He has the table sat for Tom Lawlor’s last supper.

Tom Lawlor vs. Jake Hager

This is billed as UFC vs. Bellator, which isn’t the worst idea in the world. Colonel Parker introduces Hager as the man who rules the world. Well it worked twenty five years ago. Feeling out process to start with the much bigger Hager driving him into the corner. A running shoulder puts Lawlor down again and Parker is talking more trash than I’ve ever heard from him.

The gutwrench powerbomb is countered into a choke to bring Hager down That earns Lawlor a hard powerbomb for the break and a belly to belly/spinebuster out of the corner. It’s too early for the ankle lock so Hager goes with a basic leg crank instead. That’s reversed into a heel hook and a Hennig necksnap puts Hager down again.

A missed charge sends Hager shoulder first into the post and Lawlor changes things up with the strikes. That’s a nice touch for someone like Lawlor, who should be well rounded with the MMA style. A running knee is countered into the ankle lock and Parker is thrilled with the idea of a broken ankle. Lawlor rolls through into a rear naked choke but cue the Dirty Blonds for the DQ at 8:12.

Rating: C+. I like that ending as Lawlor is a top star and it’s clear that Hager is going to be a player around here as well. They had something going here too with the counters and the submissions, which is what you would expect out of a match like this. Lawlor seems ready to move up the ladder in a hurry and this was another good performance.

Post match the brawl is on until Parker calls the guys off. Lawlor implies that Parker has a certain dysfunction and promises to win Battle Riot.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty good show here, though there wasn’t a ton of hype from the wrestlers for Battle Riot. There have been a lot of promos for it, but I could go for more of the wrestlers talking about how excited they are for it or how they want to win the thing. Lawlor talked about it and that’s a nice touch, but he seemed to be one of the few who were interested. As for a regular show, good stuff but as a hype show for a bigger event, not as much.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Summerslam 1990
Date: August 27, 1990
Location: Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 19,304
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Roddy Piper

We open with a look at the fans coming into the arena and buying merchandise.

Now we get a traditional intro with Vince shouting about the double main event.

Rockers vs. Power and Glory

Post match Shawn finally gets into the ring but Marty covers his injured leg and takes a beating himself. Shawn is taken out on a stretcher.

Intercontinental Title: Mr. Perfect vs. Texas Tornado

Back in and Perfect hits a clothesline of his own and the necksnap has Tornado in trouble. Off to a sleeper on Tornado but he quickly makes the rope. Perfect tries slapping him in the face, but Tornado pulls him into a slingshot, sending Perfect head first into the post. The Claw hold and Tornado Punch are enough for the pin and the title.

Mean Gene is talking about Sapphire being nowhere in sight (remember that as it becomes important later) when Hennig and Brain come in and say Tornado cheated by sending Perfect into the post. Heenan swears, yes SWEARS I SAY, that the shoulder was up at two.

Sapphire vs. Sensational Sherri

Warlord vs. Tito Santana

Ad for Survivor Series. That show SUCKED.

Tag Titles: Hart Foundation vs. Demolition

During the break between falls, Demolition knocks Bret to the floor, allowing Ax to run down and sneak under the ring. The third fall starts with Bret getting two off a sunset flip before taking Smash down by the leg. Neidhart picks Bret up for the reverse powerslam for two on Smash. Now things get tricky as Smash rolls to the floor and rolls under the ring, switching places with Ax.

Demolition wants to get their hands on the LOD.

Jake Roberts vs. Bad News Brown

Demolition yells a lot.

Gene sees Sapphire go into a dressing room and lock the door behind her.

Orient Express vs. Nikolai Volkoff/Jim Duggan

Dusty Rhodes vs. Randy Savage

Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake

Bravo gets in some cheap shots on the floor but Earthquake misses an elbow drop back inside. Hogan finally gets to his feet (sidenote: Roddy Piper should not be allowed to cheer for Hogan. Ever.) but falls back down on a slam attempt. Off to a bearhug by Earthquake as the match slows down. Hulk punches out of it and tries a cross body like a schnook, earning the powerslam he gets as a result. Earthquake drops a pair of Earthquake splashes (seated sentons) but Hogan gets up at two to shock the crowd.

Rating: B-. The match itself was nothing of note but this is exactly what the fans wanted to see other than Hogan getting a pin. These two feuded on the house show circuit for the next four months or so, which really is amazing when you consider how basic the angle was that set it up. This falls into the fun category which is fine for a show like this.

Post match Quake chokes Hogan until Bossman blasts him in the back with a STEPLADDER. Quake finally drops him and looks at Bossman so the cop pulls out the nightstick to chase them off. Lots of posing ensues as you can see the house show rematches with any combination of these four guys being made up.

Vince and Roddy talk about Hogan vs. Earthquake happening again.

WWF World Title: Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude

In a cage where you can win by pin or escape. Rude tries to block Warrior from getting into the cage so Warrior knocks him off the top and down into the ring. The champion finally comes in with a top rope ax handle smash and throws Rude into the cage. Rick goes into the cage a few more times but ducks a charge to send Warrior face first into the bars. Rude kicks Warrior away but jumps off the top to put him down again instead of climbing out.

Rating: D. This match sucked and the ending was exactly what people expected. These two had a match on SNME a month earlier and maybe Rude should have taken the title there to give it back to Warrior here. There was nothing of interest here and Warrior never seemed to be in any real danger due to Rude not going for a cover or trying to escape.

Ratings Comparison

Rockers vs. Power and Glory

Original: B-

Redo: C-

Texas Tornado vs. Mr. Perfect

Original: B

Redo: D+

Sapphire vs. Sensational Sherri

Original: N/A

Redo: N/A

Warlord vs. Tito Santana

Original: C+

Redo: D+

Hart Foundation vs. Demolition

Original: A+

Redo: B

Jake Roberts vs. Bad News Brown

Original: C-

Redo: D+

Nikolai Volkoff/Jim Duggan vs. Orient Express

Original: D+

Redo: N/A

Randy Savage vs. Dusty Rhodes

Original: N/A

Redo: N/A

Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake

Original: B+

Redo: B-

Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude

Original: C-

Redo: D

Overall Rating

Original: A+

Redo: C+

Nostalgia is a powerful drug.

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2010/12/12/summerslam-1990/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Summerslam 1989
Date: August 28, 1989
Location: Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,000
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Jesse Ventura

We get an intro video similar to the opening of a regular TV show with various highlights and people enjoying the warm weather.

Hart Foundation vs. Brain Busters

Anvil completely no sells some chops to the chest and sends Tully into the buckle before bringing Bret back in. The fans are all over Heenan with a Weasel chant while Bret works on a hammerlock. Tully grabs a top wristlock but Bret bridges off the mat to escape and the Busters are sent to the outside. Back in and Bret wins a slugout with Tully but gets suckered into a chase with Blanchard making a blind tag to Arn who blasts Bret from behind.

Dusty Rhodes talks about how the man in the blue suede shoes told him he can dance better than the Honky Tonk Man. This is a bit of a step down from Hard Times.

Honky Tonk Man vs. Dusty Rhodes

Rating: D-. Who in the world thought this deserved ten minutes should be carried into the street and shot. Between the leg lock and the WAY too long chinlock, this could have been cut in half and nothing would have been lost. Honky was fine as a jobber to the stars at this point and he would maintain that position for months to come. This was way overbooked for what it was worth, but the fans loved Dusty which is the point of the match.

Honky asks someone to help him find the stage and wants to know where Priscilla is.

Demolition and King Hacksaw Jim Duggan are ready for their six man tag against the Twin Towers (Boss Man/Akeem) and Andre the Giant.

Mr. Perfect vs. Red Rooster

Survivor Series is coming.

The Rockers/Tito Santana vs. Fabulous Rougeau Brothers/Rick Martel

This should be awesome. Martel teases getting in there against Tito to start but sends Jacques in instead. As is his custom, Jacques requests a handshake but sneaks in some choking on Tito instead. The Rockers come in without tags and the good guys hit stereo dropkicks to send the French Canadians to the floor. Things settle down to Marty vs. Jacques with the latter going to the middle rope and head faking Marty, but Jannetty is faking the head fake and punches Jacques on the way down.

Martel tries to hide in the corner but gets caught in a huge backdrop to send him running even further. A dropkick and a suplex put Martel down and the top rope right hand gets two as everything breaks down. Tito hits the flying forearm to send Martel to the floor and Marty rolls up Jacques, only to have Martel slide back in and blast Jannetty with a right hand, giving Jacques the pin.

We recap Rude vs. Warrior. Rude attacked Warrior during a posedown at the Rumble before stealing the IC Title at Wrestlemania with help from Heenan. Tonight is the rematch with rude defending against a ticked off Warrior after Warrior spent months fighting through the Heenan Family. This was also used to set up Warrior vs. Andre the Giant over the winter.

Intercontinental Title: Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude

Roddy Piper laughs about costing Rude the title, setting up his first feud after returning to the ring.

We go to an intermission, which is just a graphic with a countdown clock until the show continues.

Twin Towers/Andre the Giant vs. Demolition/Jim Duggan

Greg Valentine vs. Hercules

Post match Garvin announces Hercules as the winner, which apparently is good enough to get Valentine disqualified. Like I said, this is the time to turn your brain off.

Randy Savage, Zeus and Sister Sherri gather round a cauldron and predict bad futures for Hogan, Beefcake and Liz. The late 80s were weird in case you were wondering.

Ted DiBiase vs. Jimmy Snuka

A quick stun gun sends Snuka into the top rope and Ted can stomp away like a good 80s heel. DiBiase works on the back with knees to the spine and a backbreaker for no cover but a middle rope elbow misses. Jimmy slams Ted down and hits a middle rope headbutt but Virgil breaks up the Superfly Splash. Snuka chases him around on the floor but gets sent into the post by DiBiase for the countout.

Post match Snuka hits the Superfly on Virgil.

Genius recites a poem about Summerslam, saying he thinks Zeus and Savage (his real brother) will win.

Zeus/Randy Savage vs. Brutus Beefcake/Hulk Hogan

Ratings Comparison

Hart Foundation vs. Brain Busters

Original: B+

Redo: B

Honky Tonk Man vs. Dusty Rhodes

Original: F

Redo: D-

Mr. Perfect vs. Red Rooster

Original: C+

Redo: D

Rick Martel/Fabulous Rougeaus vs. Tito Santana/Rockers

Original: B+

Redo: B

Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude

Original: A-

Redo: B

Jim Duggan/Demolition vs. Andre the Giant/Twin Towers

Original: C+

Redo: C

Hercules vs. Greg Valentine

Original: F-

Redo: D

Ted DiBiase vs. Jimmy Snuka

Original: D

Redo: D

Hulk Hogan/Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage/Zeus

Original: B-

Redo: D+

Overall Rating

Original: B-

Redo: C+

About the same this time.

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/07/23/history-of-summerslam-count-up-1989-gather-round-the-cauldron/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Summerslam 1988
Date: August 29, 1988
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 20,000
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Billy Graham

The opening video has what would become the Royal Rumble theme song set over shots of the four guys in the main event plus their managers, Virgil and Miss Elizabeth.

Fabulous Rougeaus vs. British Bulldogs

These two teams could not stand each other behind the scenes, eventually reaching the point where the Bulldogs left the company as a result. Davey jumps Jacques to start and rams him into turnbuckle after turnbuckle to put him down. Smith throws Jacques over to Raymond for a tag in a nice display of bravado. Off to Dynamite for a quick headbutt and a slam to keep Raymond in trouble.

Dynamite finally fights up again and headbutts Jacques down to bring in Davey. Jacques immediately grabs the rope to avoid a dropkick but gets caught in a gorilla press onto the top rope. Everything breaks down and Davey picks up Dynamite to launch him into a headbutt on Jacques, but the time limit expires before there can be a cover.

Bad News Brown vs. Ken Patera

Ad for a boxing PPV which had some kind of promotional deal with WWF.

The Mega Powers (Hogan/Savage/Liz) are hyped up for the main event and say that Liz is their secret weapon.

Rick Rude vs. Junkyard Dog

The Dog is mad post match but nothing comes of it.

Powers of Pain vs. Bolsheviks

The Powers (Barbarian and Warlord) are still faces here and have the Baron (Von Raschke) with them. Just like in the previous two matches the brawl is on as soon as the good guys hit the ring. The Powers double clothesline Boris Zhukov as Volkoff tries to sneak in for a cheap shot. Barbarian easily catches him coming in and sends him flying until we get down to Barbarian vs. Boris to start things off.

Ad for Survivor Series.

Same boxing ad as earlier.

Intercontinental Title: Honky Tonk Man vs. ???

So why was this so awesome? This was one of the most perfectly told stories the WWF ever produced and they nailed it every step of the way. Back in 1987, Ricky Steamboat was Intercontinental Champion but wanted to take some time off. The solution was to put the title on the comedic newcomer the Honky Tonk Man, who cheated to win the belt. Honky viewed as a total joke as champion due to his lack of skill and his gimmick of a wrestling Elvis impersonator.

Regis Philbin is here.

Sugar Ray Leonard, one of the boxers in the advertised show, thanks Vince for promoting his fight.

Video on Leonard and his opponent in the fight Donny Lelonde.

Lelonde talks a bit as well.

We see the intro video from the beginning of the show again.

Dino Bravo vs. Don Muraco

Another Survivor Series ad.

Tag Titles: Hart Foundation vs. Demolition

Smash sends the arm into the post again and Bret is in big trouble on the outside. Back in and Ax pounds away while Graham is SCREAMING at Anvil to do something. Bret comes back with a clothesline with the injured arm but the referee misses the tag. Smash charges into a knee in the corner and now the referee sees the tag. Anvil comes in and cleans house, even slingshotting over the top onto Smash on the floor. Back in and Bret throws Anvil into Smash in the corner for two before everything breaks down. Neidhart goes after Fuji, allowing Ax to hit Bret in the back with the megaphone to retain.

Rating: B-. This took some time to get going but once Bret got in and started selling, it was all awesome. Demolition would hold the titles for nearly another year in the longest tag title reign in company history. These teams would go at it again in two years in one of the most entertaining tag matches ever. This was good stuff, but they were capable of much better.

Boxing ad.

Big Boss Man vs. Koko B. Ware

Koko charges into a front facelock and Boss Man pounds him down with a forearm to the back. A splash in the corner crushes Ware but Boss Man pulls him up at two. Off to a surfboard hold but Koko rolls forward and kicks Boss Man in the face. A stiff right hand puts Koko down again but Boss Man misses a top rope splash. Boss Man misses another splash in the corner and a missile dropkick gets two for Koko. Ware charges again but gets dropped face first onto the post, followed by the Boss Man Slam for the easy pin.

Boss Man hits Koko with the nightstick post match.

Survivor Series ad. Again.

Jake Roberts vs. Hercules

Jake finally fights up and tries a hammerlock but gets elbowed in the face for his efforts. Roberts pulls Herc from the apron to the floor, only to have his neck snapped across the top rope as Hercules comes back in. We hit the chinlock again but Jake immediately jawbreaks his way out of it. The short clothesline looks to set up the DDT but Hercules backdrops out of it. Herc drops an elbow for two but Jake slips out of a slam and knocks Hercules out lukewarm with the DDT for the pin.

Mega Powers vs. Mega Bucks

Ratings Comparison

British Bulldogs vs. Fabulous Rougeaus

Original: B

Redo: C+

Bad News Brown vs. Ken Patera

Original: D+

Redo: F

Rick Rude vs. Junkyard Dog

Original: D

Redo: D

Powers of Pain vs. Bolsheviks

Original: C+

Redo: D

Ultimate Warrior vs. Honky Tonk Man

Original: A+

Redo: N/A

Dino Bravo vs. Don Muraco

Original: B-

Redo: D-

Demolition vs. Hart Foundation

Original: B-

Redo: B-

Big Boss Man vs. Koko B. Ware

Original: D

Redo: D

Jake Roberts vs. Hercules

Original: C-

Redo: C-

Mega Powers vs. Mega Bucks

Original: B

Redo: B-

Overall Rating

Original: D+

Redo: D+

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/07/23/history-of-summerslam-count-up-1988-liz-has-some-nice-legs/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

On Friday, a rather nasty storm knocked out power to about a fourth of the city and at the moment, a rather large tree is laying over the power lines at the end of my street.  I’ve had to go to a hotel just to get out of the pitch black so things are going to be a bit slow until the power is back up.  Odds are there won’t be a Slammiversary review up, or much else other than what I can scrape together.  Sorry for the delays everyone.

KB

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: July 19, 2018
Location: St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

It’s the go home show for Slammiversary and for once I’m actually interested in where we’re going. The build for the show has been rather good so far and that could make for a solid pay per view. They can still hammer in a few more things tonight but really, Sunday is all that matters at this point. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a rapid fire recap of the big stories.

Petey Williams vs. Killer Kross

The Canadian fans are behind Petey, who gets driven into the corner early on. Petey tries to strike away but gets tossed with a t-bone suplex as Kross laughs. Another t-bone drops Williams but he avoids a charge to send Kross shoulder first into the post. A Codebreaker and a tornado DDT have Kross rocked so he comes right back with a hard Saito suplex.

The Krossjacket (a not great looking choke) has Petey in trouble but Kross lets him go. Kross bends over and puts Petey in position for the Canadian Destroyer (as in he puts Petey in position to give Kross the Destroyer) before slamming him down. The Krossjacket knocks Petey out at 5:03.

Rating: D+. I’m not feeling the choke finisher but this was a very effective match and something they should have done rather than the Fallah Bahh match two weeks ago. Kross feels like a monster and that’s exactly what they should be going for with him. Let that kind of evil flow and see how far up the ladder he can go. I liked this WAY more than the Bahh match and Kross looks like he could be a player.

Post match Kross leaves the card on Petey’s chest.

The announcers give their regular preview.

Madison Rayne talks about her daughter wanting to grow up to be a superhero like her mom. Or maybe a ballerina.

Joe Hendry is at a photo shoot when Grado and Katarina come in. Grado isn’t happy with Hendry for flirting with Katarina but Hendry has a surprise.

Desi Hit Squad vs. KM/Fallah Bahh

So yeah, KM and Bahh are back on the same page again. Raju jumps Bahh to start and has as much success off a crossbody as you would expect. Singh comes in and gets crushed by Bahh’s crossbody so Raju gets in a few more cheap shots. Bahh sends the Squad into each other and it’s off to KM (whose full name of Kevin Matthews is mentioned, possibly for the first time ever around here) to clean house. The Squad gets put down so Bahh and KM do the rolls over them twice in a row. Gama Singh offers a distraction though and it’s a rake to the eyes into a rollup to pin Bahh at 4:34.

Rating: D. The Hit Squad is still fine, though not exactly great. Bahh is exactly the same person he’s been since his debut, though you could say that his charisma has gotten better. KM….actually wasn’t too bad here. Imagine that: you let him wrestle an actual match instead of being a clueless putz and his value goes up. The Squad will probably win the Tag Team Titles one day and while I understand why, it’s not the most inspiring thought in the world.

Video on the LAX civil war, which is actually an awesome story so far.

King doesn’t think anything of Konnan who has turned his back on the Latino nation to join his nice white friends in his white neighborhood. Yeah he put the hit out on Konnan because he had the OG’s in his back pocket. Nobody wants the three of them there so they’ve got nothing to lose. They’re taking over.

Eli Drake vs. Joe Hendry

Drake has kind of been lost in the shuffle of late. Hendry sings his own music about making things better, featuring a video of people celebrating in various ways. To be fair, that’s a heck of an entrance and a rather catchy song. The fans chant LOCAL HERO (Hendry’s nickname) but hang on though as Hendry has a video about Eli Drake with Hendry singing about how big of a dummy Drake really is. Apparently Drake likes to dress up like a woman, complete with what looks like regular photos.

Drake isn’t happy and decks Hendry before the bell with the referee starting the match as Drake is choking in the corner. Hendry gets in a jumping knee to the face but misses a charge in the corner to take him right back down. A pair of neckbreakers take Hendry down but he’s right back up with one of his own. Hendry’s DDT gets two but Drake takes him down without much trouble. The Gravy Train is countered into a rollup to give Hendry the pin at 3:50.

Rating: C-. Hendry is someone with a lot of upside as the singing will carry him for a long way and he has a great look. Once you get him away from Grado things can get better, but for now there’s a big upside to him. That’s what has gone well for Impact as of late: bringing in some fresh names who can make an impact in a hurry.

Hendry celebrates with Katarina, much to Grado’s annoyance.

The new LAX knows that the OG’s helped get them here but it’s their time now.

Andrew Everett vs. Dezmond Xavier

And here’s Eddie Edwards to attack the referee at 15 seconds. The bell rang so yes, this was a match.

Eddie says the time has come for Tommy Dreamer and no matter what the stipulation is, pain is coming for Dreamer. There will be blood and Eddie is going to taste it straight from Dreamer’s head. Then Eddie will be the new Innovator of Violence and Dreamer’s never ending nightmare. This was very good and if you just get rid of the Dreamer factor, it’s that much better.

Recap of last week’s Madison Rayne/Su Yung incident.

Rayne is in a funeral home with pictures of her and her family. She opens the casket and finds herself but a man comes up from behind her. His face is in Yung style paint and Madison runs away, finding a girl looking for her mom. Madison panics and is suddenly outside in the woods. Blood falls from the sky and the bridesmaids appear with Yung saying Rayne’s time has come.

Video on Pentagon Jr. vs. Sami Callihan.

Greg Osborne vs. Sami Callihan

Osborne is from Australia and has a boomerang. Callihan wastes no time in kicking him down in the corner but stops to get Pentagon’s mask from the Crist brothers. A double eye gouge sets up the Cactus piledriver for no cover. The fans sing the Goodbye Song and Sami puts the mask on Osborne. Sami starts a Pentagon chest but calls it bull, eventually accepting the hair vs. mask match. Wasn’t that accepted weeks ago? A low superkick sets up Get Out Of Here for the pin on Osborne at 4:09.

Rating: D. Just a squash here with Sami’s ranting being a good chunk of the match. Callihan is fine in short bursts like this and the violence works far better than seeing him trying to wrestle. Throw him in there with someone as good as Pentagon and the match should be a lot of fun.

Post match Sami promises violence on Sunday. Pentagon pops up to say bring it so OVE gives chase.

The OG’s are ready to take back what’s theirs.

Allie doesn’t like Tessa Blanchard but is ready for the tag match tonight.

Tessa is ready to take care of Allie for messing with her plans.

Allie/Kiera Hogan vs. Tessa Blanchard/Shotzi Blackheart

I’m glad to see Shotzi again. Kiera and Tessa start things off with Blanchard taking her into the corner and slapping Kiera in the chest. They switch places and do the same thing, followed by Kiera armdragging her down. Blackheart comes in and misses a charge to send her to the floor. Allie gets two off a snap suplex with Tessa shouting DON’T MESS THIS UP FOR ME.

Tessa kicks Kiera in the face and comes in, only to have stereo big boots give us a double knockdown. The hot tag brings in Allie to clean house on Shotzi with a Russian legsweep getting two. A Tessa distraction lets Shotzi grab a neckbreaker but the Best Superkick Ever puts Shotzi down. That’s enough for Tessa, leaving Allie to hit the Codebreaker on Shotzi for the pin at 7:03.

Rating: C. The division is getting better and better with Tessa clearly being a star (albeit pretty close to a Charlotte clone) and Allie being someone the division could be built around for a long time. Kiera has turned into a nice featured player and Shotzi got my attention as soon as she debuted. Good stuff, though nothing that hasn’t been done before.

OVE is still looking for Pentagon.

Scarlett Bordeaux, now named and shown, debuts next week. This works in a variety of ways.

Video on the international four way, featuring the return of Johnny Impact.

The announcers run down the pay per view card.

Video on Brian Cage vs. Matt Sydal, including Kongo Kong costing Cage the X-Division Title a few weeks back.

Santana talks about having history with Homicide. They’ve known each other for years now and Homicide has made the wrong decision.

Video on Austin Aries vs. Moose.

The search for Pentagon continues and the Crist brothers find him….or rather Sami tied up in Pentagon’s mask. The real Pentagon shows up and seems to break the brothers’ arms but the editing is so fast that it’s hard to tell.

Here’s Moose for the hard sell promo for Sunday’s main event. Moose has been away from the Impact Zone for a long time and wants Austin Aries down here now. Bring the banana with you too. Aries pops up on screen to say chill a bit because we don’t need a moose on the loose. He’s not coming out right now and Moose can just wait until Sunday. Cue Aries from behind (smart move) and the beatdown is on. Moose gets up behind Aries though and tosses him into the corner. A swing with a chair misses and Aries runs. This company has a history of not great main event builds and that’s true here, but it was good enough.

One more Slammiversary run down ends the show.

Overall Rating: B+. I want to see Sunday’s show more than I did when I came in so I don’t know how this could be anything but a success. They did exactly what they wanted to do here with some watchable wrestling but the pay per view build was what really mattered. As long as Sunday can live up to the hype they’ll be fine, but this company has a history of choking at the finish line. Hopefully they break the streak here though, as the show looks rather good. Very well done this week and the best Impact has looked in a LONG time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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Since when???

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