IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

We’re back to the old stomping grounds for Impact Wrestling with a show at the Asylum. Thankfully they don’t seem to be trying anything like a One Night Stand show because egads a flashback night for this company could be a very scary sight. Basically it’s just about the venue and getting back on pay per view, which isn’t the worst thing in the world. Now if only the show can be that good. Let’s get to it.

Willie Mack vs. Sami Callihan

This was added to the show after the go home show and that’s not the worst thing in the world. At least the match was set up on the TV show and it’s not exactly something wedged in. I’m not sure what to think of this one as Callihan is a big heel but Mack has a special kind of charisma that could make him a special deal and I’m not sure you want him to lose a high profile match like this.

I’ll take Callihan though as he’s already a star while Mack is still waiting to get there. Those are two different things and a loss to a prospect instead of someone already established isn’t the best idea for Callihan. Mack can get a lot from the match though and a few weapon shots are likely going to be involved. Callihan wins, but Mack looks good in his big defeat.

Jordynne Grace/Kiera Hogan vs. Su Yung/Allie

Here’s the second match added to the show since Impact and again, it was set up on TV. Hogan is outgunned against Yung and Allie and Grace is someone who was brought in without much to do. I’m not sure how much of a reason she has to be involved in the story but it’s as good as anything else for her. Hogan clearly needs some help here and it’s certainly not the direction I was expecting them to take with the story.

That being said, there’s not much of a reason for Allie and Yung to lose here. That seems to be a long term story instead of anything that can be wrapped up here and they shouldn’t be taking a loss to someone brought into the story this fast. Grace can dominate and Hogan can take the fall, but Yung and Allie need to win to keep Allie hot as a heel. There are several places this story can go and I don’t want to see them getting taken out so soon.

Abyss vs. Eli Drake

This is Monster’s Ball and the story that has made my head hurt since the beginning. Tommy Dreamer was involved early on but then Raven made an appearance on Impact, because again we can’t have a story involving hardcore wrestling without throwing in the ECW tribute again. It’s not like there are hardcore wrestlers from Impact’s past to use in that spot instead, but I’ll cut myself off there.

Normally I would say that Drake has to win here, but you never can tell with something like this. If there’s one thing that Impact Wrestling likes to do, it’s pay tribute to its past. Giving Abyss one last moment of glory here wouldn’t shock me whatsoever, especially if Dreamer and Raven can get in there to help him. Drake is a former World Champion and could be on that level again at the drop of a hat, but he’s been stuck in this story for months now. Just let him win, which is about the bare minimum that he can get from the whole thing.

X-Division Title: Ethan Page vs. Jake Crist vs. Rich Swann vs. Trey Miguel

The title is vacant coming in (because it’s treated like a gift certificate instead of something worth keeping) and this is Ultimate X for old times’ sake. The match is almost guaranteed to be a fun spot fest, though as someone with a fear of heights I’m not exactly looking forward to seeing it come back. There isn’t exactly a clear favorite here as none of them are the biggest stars in the world, but that can make things more interesting.

I don’t see how this can be anyone but Swann, who is the biggest star in the match by a long stretch. Crist is part of a (talented) lackey team and there’s no reason to put him a long way ahead of his brother. Page is still just a guy and I really don’t want to have another reason for Matt Sydal to talk on TV. That leaves Miguel as another option and while I like what I see from him so far, they still need to do a little more with him to make him champion. I wouldn’t lose it if he won the title, but Swann is the safer and smarter pick.

Eddie Edwards vs. Moose

Falls Count Anywhere here, which makes enough sense. This would be the second story involving Raven for some reason. There’s a long backstory here as Moose and Edwards were friends but Moose claims that Edwards didn’t care when he got hurt. Moose came back and turned on Edwards, sending him even further over the edge and into a mental hospital. Edwards got out (with the help of Raven for some reason) and is ready to fight for revenge and the sake of violence.

In theory, Edwards has to win, as the Eddie Is Insane story can only go so much further. It’s been done at this point and Moose is the kind of guy who can absorb a loss. Edwards could be someone who could head back to the top of the card in a hurry as he has all the tools to go there, including the history. It should be a heck of a brawl, but Edwards should (and needs to) come out with the win.

Knockouts Title: Tessa Blanchard(c) vs. Taya Valkyrie

I think I know where this is going and while it’s not surprising, that doesn’t make it any better. Gail Kim is special guest referee here for the sake of her being Gail Kim and there’s a good chance that’s going to play a big role in the finish. Valkyrie has been chasing the title for several months now and Blanchard has escaped with it every time. Blanchard is one of the best stars the division has seen in a long time and while I don’t think it’s time to take the title off of her, something needs to change here.

I’m going with Blanchard retaining here, though through some shenanigans. Either way, I fully expect Kim to show up again and somehow get a title match out of this, as it’s been a long time since we’ve seen her in the title picture. All she did was retire as champion after all and that’s no reason to not make her the focus of the division. The division needs some fresh blood, but as soon as Kim came back in you had to have an idea where things were going. The match should be good, but I’m not thrilled with having Kim there (if that wasn’t clear).

Tag Team Titles: LAX(c) vs. Lucha Bros

This is easily the best looking match on the show and has had a lot of fans drooling for weeks now. The key here has been Konnan, who didn’t want LAX to take the match and has disappeared since. I’m not sure what he’s going to do on Sunday but you have to believe he’s going to show up and do something important in the match. Either way, it’s going to be awesome, which is what matters most.

The Lucha Bros get the titles here, due to a combination of the story going in that direction and LAX being out of teams to fight. They’ve held the titles since June and there’s not much of a reason to keep the belts on them much longer. The Lucha Bros are a big deal right now and have the credibility to win them easily. The big thing here though is seeing an awesome match, which these teams have delivered for months. I’m looking forward to this one and it should be the best on the show.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Johnny Impact(c) vs. Brian Cage

They did what they could to set this up on the go home show and came about as close as possible to making it work. If there’s one thing that this company has never quite been able to pull off, it’s the emotional World Title match and this has been no exception. Impact winning the title was cool but it hasn’t exactly changed anything. There’s something that worries me though and I have a feeling it’s where things are going.

I’m thinking Impact retains, albeit with help from Killer Kross, who has been running around for weeks, offering Impact his help in retaining. Impact has seen Cage’s power up close now and might thing he needs the help, which would be one of the dumbest things they could do. They don’t need to turn Impact heel but the signs seem to be there. Since he’s already beaten Kross in a title match, there’s not much of a point in setting up another match. Kross could help Cage win the match, but does he exactly need the help? I think they’ll go with the ill advised heel turn here, just for the sake of tradition.

Overall Thoughts

Like I said, there’s some potential for some fun here but you never can tell. This hasn’t been the most thrilling build in the world, though the two weeks off for the sake of the Best Of shows didn’t help things. The card looks pretty good and the big matches have been built well. I’m expecting a strong show, though again nothing that is going to make my overall opinion of Impact go up that much. Still though, I’ll take what I can get.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: December 20, 2018
Host: Josh Matthews

It’s the end of the year and therefore it’s time for something a little different. For the next two weeks we’ll be looking at the Best Of 2018, which could be an interesting collection. I’m not sure what to expect from this as Impact’s definition of best could be all over the place. There’s good stuff in there though and this could be entertaining. Let’s get to it.

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

Note that I’ll be posting the full versions of any matches or segments rather than the clipped versions aired on the show.

Opening sequence.

Josh is in a full arena for the intro, which is rather odd to see.

Video on Rich Swann.

From Bound For Glory.

Willie Mack/Rich Swann vs. Ethan Page/Matt Sydal

Interesting choice for an opener. Swann strikes away to start and it’s Sydal telling him to open his third eye. Instead it’s off to the Mack for a heavy flying tackle to drop Sydal, meaning Page comes in to try his luck. Swann headscissors him down but a backdrop gives us a 450, sending Swann face first into the mat. Sydal comes back in to start on the arm, including a Fujiwara armbar.

A big boot from Page and a kick to the face from Sydal send Swann outside, where there is barely any room between the ring and the barricade. It doesn’t seem to bother Mack, who cannonballs down onto the other three. That’s still not enough for the hot tag though as Sydal cranks on something like a cobra clutch back inside. A side slam cuts Swann off again but he rolls over and brings in Mack to clean house. That means a Cannonball in the corner and a German suplex to set up a standing moonsault on Page.

Swann comes back in for a flapjack/bulldog combination before taking Page to the top. That’s not the best idea, as Page slams him down and hits a Swan Dive for two more. Sydal knees Mack in the face and hurricanranas Swann off the top, only to have him land in a hurricanrana to send Page flying instead for a cool spot. Everything breaks down and it’s a series of kicks to the face to put everyone down. Page kicks Sydal by mistake and takes a Stunner, leaving Swann to hit a Lethal Injection. The Phoenix splash is good for the pin on Sydal at 12:34.

Rating: C+. Good choice for an opener here with the fans loving Mack and Swann being his usual charismatic self. IT makes sense to have Sydal take the pin as well with Page being the newcomer and full of potential. As usual, Sydal is much easier to watch when he’s in the ring instead of talking about the third eye stuff. Just stick to what you do best.

Post match the fans seem to like Mack, who grabs a mic and says there are two empty seats in the front row. Therefore, whoever cheers the loudest is getting an upgrade courtesy of the show’s sponsor. Nothing wrong with that.

Tessa Blanchard talks about how awesome her first year here was. She’ll continue her dominance at Homecoming against Taya Valkyrie.

From Slammiversary.

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.

Video on LAX vs. Lucha Bros.

Brian Cage talks about how great this year has been, including fighting OVE, and now it’s time to win the World Title.

From Impact, March 29.

Brian Cage vs. Bobby Lashley

They waste no time with the power lockup and neither can get much of anywhere. A hurricanrana sends Lashley down and a clothesline puts him on the floor as Cage gets the early advantage. Back in and Lashley gets two off a clothesline, followed by a neckbreaker for the same. Cage powers back up and sends him outside for a running flip dive. They both jump from the apron the floor but it’s Cage scoring with a series of kicks. Lashley slams him off the top though and we hit the chinlock.

That goes nowhere so Cage fights up and hits a springboard tornado DDT of all things. Josh: “HE SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO THAT!” I can’t believe I’m saying this but Josh is absolutely right. Back up and Cage gets two off a floatover spinebuster but Lashley is right back with a running powerslam for two. Cage misses a discus lariat and gets speared to the floor for a delayed near fall. The second attempt at the discus lariat connects to give Cage the big upset at 11:03.

Rating: B. This was a lot of fun as Cage looks like the new beast on the block, which is exactly the point of this match. Cage pinning Lashley clean is a big deal for him and not something that happens very often. Lashley is on his way out so putting someone over clean like this is a great parting gift.

Eddie Edwards talks about how bad his year has been, as he’s basically gone insane but he’s still kicking. He likes what this year has done to him and at Homecoming, he’s finishing Moose for good.

From Impact, March 1.

Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards

Eddie sends him outside for the suicide dive five seconds in but Sami rolls back in to hit one of his own eleven seconds in. Eddie hits another though and we get to thirty seconds on the replays. Some chops rock Sami and OVE is ejected for a distraction. Sami gets in an apron kick to the face though and we take a break. Back with Eddie fighting out of a chinlock and chopping away, but getting caught in a piledriver on the apron. Since this is a regular TV match though, Sami doesn’t even bother to cover.

Eddie fights out of something like a standing Crossface and kicks Sami in the face to catch him on top. A superplex brings Sami back down for no cover as Eddie can’t follow up. The Backpack Stunner gets two but Sami is right back with the running knee in the corner. A slingshot suplex neckbreaker gives Sami two and an exchange of kicks to the head puts both guys down. Sami loads up a powerbomb but Eddie backdrops into a cradle for the pin at 15:04.

Rating: C+. I liked this better than most Sami matches as it actually felt like a match. I’m still not sure why Sami and OVE are going after Lashley and Eddie but I’m guessing it’s something to do with the team being insane. Eddie winning makes sense as it’s not like a member of the team losing a singles match to a former World Champion is a huge blow.

KM and Fallah Bahh can’t believe they’re here and Bahh they’ll win gold soon enough.

From Impact, September 13.

Impact World Title: Fallah Bahh vs. Austin Aries

Aries is defending as Josh talks about some of the greatest upsets in sports history. As you might expect, Aries has Moose and Kross, both armed with chairs, backing him up. KM is there with Bahh as well. We even get some Big Match Intros with a good sounding announcer. Aries isn’t exactly looking nervous to start and slaps on a headlock to frustrate Bahh early on.

Bahh’s headlock works a bit better as Aries can’t do much with him. Back up and Bahh makes the mistake of running the ropes, leaving him sucking wind on the ropes. We come back from a break with Bahh running Aries over and chopping him down in the corner without needing oxygen. Aries is smart enough to go after the leg but Bahh is right back with more chops. The sitdown splash misses so Aries tries the brainbuster due to reasons of temporary insanity.

Bahh eventually reverses into a suplex and goes back to the chops. The Samoan drop gets two and a belly to belly is good for the same. Bahh tries to roll over Aries but gets reversed into the Last Chancery. That means a foot on the ropes for the break so Aries tries another brainbuster. This one is reversed and a crossbody gives Bahh two but the Banzai drop is broken up again. The Last Chancery goes on for the second time and Bahh taps at 16:22.

Rating: B-. Part of that is due to a surprise as I never would have guessed that this would have been any good and it wound up being rather entertaining. I had a good time watching this, mainly because it wasn’t Bahh doing his annoying comedy. Instead it was a good performance from a guy knowing how to use his size to his advantage. I wonder how much Aries had to do with that, as it was easily the best Bahh performance ever.

Post match KM gets laid out with chairs as the fans still cheer for Moose.

Moose isn’t sure what his best moment of 2018 was but it involved him on some big vacation. He’ll end Eddie at Homecoming.

From Slammiversary.

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.

Video on Cage vs. Johnny Impact.

Impact is glad to win the title and it’s time to move forward from the top of the Impact mountain.

From Slammiversary.

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.

A Josh voiceover wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B+. Yeah this worked as Impact has gotten that much better over the last year. The wrestling has been better put together and the storylines have been that much more interesting. If nothing else, it’s an improvement on the Best Of shows when this company couldn’t figure out how to put up the dates of the shows. It’s almost amazing how much better this place can get in a year, and hopefully that continues next year as well.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: December 13, 2018
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

This needs to be a good show as the next two episodes are going to be Best Of 2018 editions, meaning this is the last chance to set up Homecoming until the go home show. They’ve got a big main event with Moose vs. Brian Cage, which should see both guys beating each other up very well. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at the big stories. Well and the smaller stories too but that doesn’t sound as good.

Opening sequence.

Ultimate X Qualifying Match: Rich Swann vs. Dave Crist

Jake Crist and Sami Callihan are at ringside with Dave. Crist sits in the corner for a long time to start, which is enough to lure Swann in to a false sense of security and a big boot. Stomping and choking ensue in the corner, followed by Swann being sent to the floor so Jake Crist can drop Swann on the apron. Back in and Swann starts hamming away with right hands (and some dancing of course), followed by a Lethal Injection for two. The Phoenix splash misses but Swann is right back with a rollup for the pin at 3:59.

Rating: D+. Not enough time to do anything but it was perfectly acceptable while it lasted. It also makes sense to have Swann move forward to the title match over a second Crist Brother as there’s little reason to believe that they wouldn’t dominate any two other wrestlers. The wrestling was fine enough here, but the time hurt them a lot.

Post match the Crist Brothers jump Swann….until Sami calls them off. Willie Mack comes in for the save and Stuns Sami, but Swann pulls him off for a change. Sami looks back as he leaves. Interesting indeed.

The announcers preview the rest of the matches.

Moose isn’t worried about Eddie Edwards because he’s busy drinking orange juice or whatever they do in a nut house. As for tonight, he’s got Brian Cage. Machines die, but legends never do.

Mack asks Swann what was up with that. Swann is trying to protect Mack, who is going to get into a war he doesn’t want if he goes after Sami.

Josh is in the ring to talk about the history of the Knockouts Title. After listing off some legends and former champions, he brings out Taya Valkyrie and Tessa Blanchard for a chat. Taya says this isn’t a rivalry because Tessa has had to cheat to save the title both times. That’s not how a champion or a Knockout represents themselves and she’s done it twice.

Tessa asks how Taya would know how a champion acts, because the best she can do is watch her husband. Taya is a loser, just like all these people. It may not be how a champion acts but it’s how she’s kept the title all this time. Josh interrupts because there’s going to be a special referee for their title match: Gail Kim. WELL OF COURSE IT IS!!! I mean, she’s barely been gone a year since retiring as Knockouts Champion so it must be time to bring her back again.

Post break Tessa isn’t happy. Can you blame her? She certainly respects Gail (expect to hear that a lot) but she’ll run through her if necessary.

Ultimate X Qualifying Match: Trevor Lee vs. Trey Miguel

Miguel is the Fresh Prince Of Midair. I rather like that. Lee goes with an armbar to start so Miguel flips out into a hammerlock for a counter. A moonsault out of a German suplex messes with Lee and he snaps off a running hurricanrana to make things even worse. Lee gets dropkicked outside for another hurricanrana but he grabs a belly to back backbreaker to take over.

Another backbreaker legs Lee bend Miguel’s back over his knee as things certainly have slowed down. A nipup into an enziguri staggers Lee though and a jumping neckbreaker gives Lee two. Miguel tucks Lee’s head into a turnbuckle for a 619 and a running West Coast Pop finishes Lee at 6:28.

Rating: C+. The extra time helped here and I’m getting into the Rascalz more every time I see them. Miguel is very fun to watch when he gets to go out there and flip around a lot, which he does as well as almost anyone else at the moment. You can always use someone to go out there and do some fun high flying stuff and a trio makes it even better. Good stuff, as I’m not wild on Lee’s Impact stuff.

The Lucha Bros are ready to fight LAX. Tonight it’s Fenix vs. Santana, which should be good.

Su Yung makes Allie say that it’s the beginning of the end.

Classic Clip of the Week: Ultimate X at Bound For Glory 2009.

Video on LAX vs. the Lucha Bros. As I said as soon as this was hinted at: YES PLEASE!

Konnan yells at LAX for not being ready for the Lucha Bros. He leaves, so LAX says they’ll do this on their own.

Fenix vs. Santana

Everyone shakes hands before the bell and Santana starts with Fenix’s bouncing armdrag, with Fenix landing on his feet because he can. Fenix gets sent to the floor for the running flip dive but he’s right back with a jumping kick to the head. That means a moonsault from the top to take Santana out again but he misses the Swanton back inside. Santana’s running dropkick gets two and a swinging Rock Bottom is good for the same. Fenix is fine enough to hit the rolling cutter (he does that very well) for two of his own.

They trade reverse hurricanranas, with Fenix dropping Santana on his head for a double knockdown. Back up and Santana misses a charge to get himself caught in the ropes, allowing Santana to walk the ropes for a kick to the face. Santana hits his own rolling cutter and a Batista Bomb gets two more. Fenix kicks him in the head, but can’t hit the Black Fire Driver. With Santana fighting out, Fenix blasts him again and the second attempt is good for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: B. Well of course this was fun, with both guys beating the heck out of each other with one big spot after another. It’s a very fun match with both guys doing whatever they could come up with, which is how a match like this should have gone. If they give these teams twenty minutes (or more) at Homecoming and tear the house down, we could be in for an instant classic.

Killer Kross isn’t sorry about what he’s been doing lately with Johnny Impact. This brings Johnny in to stay stay away from him and his wife. Johnny grabs him by the throat, which is what Kross wanted all along. Impact again says to stay away from the two of them. Just don’t have Johnny turn heel to retain.

Kiera Hogan is still shaken after what Allie did to her last week. She’ll do whatever it takes to save her friend in the end.

We go back to the mental hospital, where Raven is explaining aliens to Eddie Edwards over a game of chess. Eli Drake of all people comes in to tell Raven that the hardcore style is dead at homecoming. Raven: “You staying for lunch?” Drake wants Raven to make sure he watches but Raven says they don’t get pay per view there. Orderlies take Drake away.

Homecoming rundown.

For the next two weeks: the Best of 2018.

Ruby Raze vs. Jordynne Grace

Raze has Katarina in her corner. Grace sends her into the corner to start and Raze isn’t getting anywhere off an Irish whip attempt. A running hip attack in the corner has Raze in trouble so Katarina gets on the apron for a distraction. That’s enough for Raze to snap off a German suplex and a hanging swinging suplex gives her two. Grace powers out of a chokeslam attempt and they start trading the big forearms. A missed charge in the corner lets Grace electric chair Raze up for a powerbomb. Katarina comes in and gets MuscleBusted onto Raze, setting up the Vader Bomb for the pin on Raze at 4:10.

Rating: D+. Again, not enough time to go anywhere but at least it didn’t go on longer than it needed to and the right person won. Callis is right in comparing Grace to Rhyno and that’s not a bad thing at all. Grace is different than all of the other Knockouts and that’s the kind of thing the division needs.

Gama Singh and the Desi Hit Squad argue about Scarlet Bordeaux when he shows up. She says they’re in the running with KM and Fallah Bahh so they can fight over her. Fair enough.

Moose vs. Brian Cage

This could be fun. The exchange of shoulders doesn’t get either of them anywhere so Cage hits a dropkick and hurricanranas Moose outside. Moose chops the post by mistake though and then chops Cage as well, hurting his hand even more. Cage catches a charge and powerbombs him against the apron but Moose is right back with a delayed running dropkick to the head.

Some hard whips into the corner keep Cage in trouble and another dropkick knocks him off the top. Cage is fine enough to get in a shot to the face, setting up a big running flip dive over the top. Back in and Cage gets two off a spinebuster but gets pulled off the middle rope with the chokebomb.

Cage is right back with the apron superplex and the kickout gives us some confusion. Moose takes his glove off to chop a little harder but an exchange of discus lariats puts both guys down. Cage’s powerbomb barely gets Moose up and he’s right back to his feet for a spear to drop Cage again. They head to the floor and here’s Eddie, still in a hospital gown and without shoes, to jump Moose for the DQ at 11:18.

Rating: B-. Take two bulls and have them hit each other a lot for about ten minutes. It’s worked for years in wrestling and it’s always going to, especially when they’re two guys as scary as these two. I’m fine with the DQ ending as you don’t want either of them losing before a big show. Good match, and something I could go for more of at a later date.

The fight is on and Eddie hits a suicide dive to send Moose into the barricade. Some kendo stick shots have Moose in trouble and he runs away to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a few steps away from being a great go home show (Impact interacting with Cage would have helped) as it had good angle advancement and some rather good wrestling up and down the card. If they can get the main event working better, they’ve got a great pay per view waiting on them in January. Hopefully they can get the momentum back with one show in January before Homecoming though, as the next two weeks are going to throw them off a lot. Still though, strong show here.

Results

Rich Swann b. Dave Crist – Rollup

Trey Miguel b. Trevor Lee – Running West Coast Pop

Fenix b. Santana – Black Fire Driver

Jordynne Grace b. Ruby Raze – Vader Bomb

Moose b. Brian Cage via DQ when Eddie Edwards interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: December 6, 2018
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

We’re a month away from Homecoming and the card is already starting to take shape. That means there’s plenty of time to build things a bit higher, including the main event which doesn’t exactly have the strongest setup so far. The most interesting story around here is the Tag Team Title situation, with Konnan playing a great wild card role. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the most recent stories, which is one of the best ways to open any show. Quick, easy and gets you up to date going into the night. Unfortunately it also serves as a reminder that Tommy Dreamer was in last week’s main event.

Opening sequence.

Ultimate X Qualifying Match: Jake Crist vs. Willie Mack

Mack is Chocolate Thunder for a pretty good nickname. Dave Crist and Sami Callihan are at ringside while Mack is alone. Mack hits an early dropkick as the announcers compare him to Refrigerator William Perry. Crist raises a boot in the corner and flips up to the top in one move (cool) for a top rope dropkick. That just earns him a fall away slam to send him outside, but he catches Mack with a superkick to take over again.

The chinlock doesn’t last long but adding in the second version makes it a longer form. A knee to the face gives Jake two and it’s off to the third chinlock. Mack fights up, likely out of boredom from all the chinlocks, and hits a few clotheslines. Crist charges into a pop up right hand and a Codebreaker (becoming WAY too popular of a move) gives Mack two.

A super sunset powerbomb gets two on Crist but he’s right back up with two spinning kicks to the face. That’s not enough though as a snap German suplex gives Crist two so Mack throws him down with an exploder suplex of his own. A quick distraction from Dave lets Sami crotch Mack on top though and it’s a super cutter to give Jake the pin at 8:35.

Rating: C. The ending looked very cool and it’s amazing how much more entertaining the Crist Brothers are when they’re not standing behind Sami and nodding. I’m rather surprised that Mack took a fall this early, even if it’s with some interference included. The match was fun though and the right choice for the opener as the Crists have a lot of cool offense that can get a crowd going.

Tessa Blanchard says Taya Valkyrie is nothing but Johnny Impact’s wife. That doesn’t matter tonight though, because Tessa has Mr. Impact Wrestling for her partner. That would be Moose, who promises to do the same thing to Johnny that he did to Eddie Edwards.

Allie vs. Heather Monroe

The Dark Allie look suits her very, very well. Heather slugs away at her to start and even hits a few running shots in the corner. Allie is right back with a Backstabber for two and she throws Heather into the corner for some hard stomping. The slow walking around the ring in between her offense works so well as it looks like she’s in another world. A missed charge in the corner lets Heather hit a running enziguri but Allie slaps herself in the face. That means a running superkick for two more and the Codebreaker finishes Heather at 3:36.

Rating: D+. The wrestling wasn’t great here, though Heather got in some more offense than you would have expected. What matters and works more here though is the character shift for Allie, who is nailing this new evil version. I’ve heard a lot of great things from her indy days but this is much better than I was expecting.

Post match Allie puts on Su Yung’s bloody glove and gets the Mandible Claw on Heather. Kiera Hogan comes out to try and talk some sense into Allie but gets her code broken instead. Allie and Su leave together.

Mack isn’t happy about the loss and talks about revenge to Rich Swann. Rich tells him to let it go because it’s not worth what comes with it. Swann will take care of Dave Crist next week.

Desi Hit Squad vs. Damien Hyde/Manny London

Raj shoves London into the corner to start as I try to stay awake during the Squad’s match. Hyde comes in and gets punched in the jaw for his efforts, followed by a neckbreaker. It’s off to Raju for a middle rope knee to the head and the rapid fire stomping in the corner doesn’t make things any more interesting. Everything breaks down and the jumping knee into the Samoan drop finishes London at 3:24.

Rating: D-. Does Impact owe the Hit Squad money or something? It’s the only explanation I can think of for why they keep them on the show. The rest of the tag division is actually pretty awesome at the moment but the Squad….is awful. I don’t know of any other way to put it and I don’t want to see them anymore.

Matt Sydal continues his babbling to Ethan Page for a pep talk.

Katarina introduces a friend to deal with Jordynne Grace: Ruby Raze, a woman of a similar build to Grace.

We look back at Chris Sabin cashing in Option C to become World Champion. What a waste of time that was.

Eli Drake leaves the bosses’ office and says that last week’s letter was an invitation to a Monster’s Ball match against Abyss at Homecoming. He doesn’t like the idea but he’ll take care of Abyss if he has to.

Scarlett Bordeaux comes to visit the Rascalz in their That 70s Show circle.

Ultimate X Qualifying Match: Ethan Page vs. Matt Sydal

Matt talks to him a lot to start before getting caught in a headlock. That lets Ethan point to his third eye and we hit a crisscross before they stop and chat some more. A headscissors doesn’t get Page very far as Sydal points to his head again and escapes. Some chops in the corner have Page in trouble until he sends Sydal to the apron.

Matt is fine enough to slip out of a powerslam attempt and hit a standing legdrop for two. A jumping kick to the face lets Sydal start in on the leg, followed by a running kick to the face in the corner. Sydal dives off the middle rope but gets caught in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Some shots in the corner set up a big boot to drop Sydal again.

A tilt-a-whirl faceplant sends Sydal to the apron, allowing Page to grab a cutter onto said apron as we take a break. Back with a chop off and more pointing to the head, followed by Sydal getting two off a hurricanrana. They both head to the corner with Page shoving him off, setting up a Swanton for two. That sets off a rollup exchange with Page grabbing the pin at 15:21.

Rating: C. I liked the match well enough but I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen someone whose in-ring work is so different from their character. Sydal is completely fine in the ring and can have a good match with anyone, but this third eye stuff is beyond annoying. It’s not entertaining and hopefully it leads to Page doing anything else. Page and Sydal are fine together. Just get rid of the third eye thing for both of them.

Post match Page offers respect to Sydal and everything is cool.

Video on Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie.

We go to Eddie Edwards’ mental hospital where he gets frustrated by a chess game with Raven. Why is Raven here you ask? Apparently he checks himself in once a month, but that’s not cool with Eddie because he shouldn’t be here. Raven recounts his feuds with Tommy Dreamer and Sandman and then picks an orderly’s pocket to give Eddie a keycard, granting him access to the whole building. Ok then.

We get a face to face meeting in the back between LAX and the Lucha Bros. It’s clearly not personal but Konnan seems to be panicking anyway.

Johnny Impact and Taya are ready for the main event tonight and their matches at Homecoming.

Video on Impact vs. Cage.

Moose/Tessa Blanchard vs. Johnny Impact/Taya Valkyrie

Taya has a far different entrance where she almost dances to the ring. Yeah I’m missing the old version. The guys start things off with Moose yelling at Tessa for no apparent reason, allowing Johnny to roll him up for an early two. A dropkick sends Moose crawling over for a tag off to Tessa so Taya comes in as well.

Taya stomps her down in the corner and Johnny hits the Flying Chuck on an invading Moose to send him outside. The villains are sent into the barricade but they knock Taya and Johnny into it as well to send us to a break. Back with Tessa choking Taya on the ropes and getting two off a running kick to the back of the neck. Moose knocks Johnny into the barricade again, leaving Tessa to put on a hammerlock with some hair pulling included.

Back up and Tessa misses a charge into the post (must be a modern wrestling heel), allowing the hot tag to Johnny. That means running knees to take Moose down but Starship Pain doesn’t work. A pop up powerbomb sets up a running backsplash for two on Johnny but Moose misses his own charge.

Johnny’s superkick into the Moonlight Drive gets two and it’s back to the women. Taya scores with the running knees in the corner but Tessa scores with a cutter. The Buzzsaw DDT is countered into a release German suplex for two with Moose pulling the referee out. That’s fine with Taya, who hits a curb stomp to set up the STF to make Tessa tap at 15:08.

Rating: C+. Perfectly fine main event here and I like them having Moose in there as someone who would actually want to fight Johnny instead of someone who would be conflicted. If nothing else we might get a Johnny vs. Cage match to fill in a little bit of the gap between now and Homecoming.

Post match Moose loads up the spear on Taya but Johnny takes the bullet for her. Killer Kross runs out to take a chair away from Tessa. Cage runs in to clean house but Kross walks away from the showdown. Johnny and Cage stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This wasn’t much of a buildup show as the best match on the Homecoming card only got the one backstage segment. The problem, as usual, is that a lot of stuff doesn’t feel personal around here. The stuff that does works, but the majority of the title pictures don’t have much life to them. That’s been an issue around here for years and it’s not getting any better. It’s likely to be a good pay per view, but nothing that has any staying power.

Results

Jake Crist b. Willie Mack – Super cutter

Allie b. Heather Monroe – Codebreaker

Desi Hit Squad b. Damien Hyde/Manny London – Jumping knee/Samoan drop combination to London

Ethan Page b. Matt Sydal – Rollup

Johnny Impact/Taya Valkyrie b. Tessa Blanchard/Moose – STF to Blanchard

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 8, 2018
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

It’s a big show this week with Final Hour, which includes World Champion Johnny Impact defending the title against Killer Kross. That could make for an interesting match as Kross has been the unstoppable monster and is getting a pretty early title shot. It’s hard to say what else we could see tonight and that makes things interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video focuses on the title match, with Impact talking about how scary Kross is and Kross saying he just wants to hurt Impact. Makes sense from both sides.

Opening sequence.

OGz vs. Lucha Bros

They start shoving each other before the bell and it’s Fenix starting with Hernandez as Homicide and Pentagon slug it out on the floor. A big shoulder drops Fenix, leaving Homicide trying to stab Pentagon with a fork. Hernandez gets two off a backbreaker to Pentagon and it’s time to crank on the neck. Some superkicks get Pentagon out of trouble but King breaks up a springboard. That just means Fenix has to dive onto Pentagon, King and Homicide so Hernandez adds a big dive of his own.

Back in and Homicide rolls Fenix with some suplexes before handing it over to Hernandez for a sitout powerbomb. Everything stays broken down as Pentagon comes back in for a kick to Hernandez, followed by What’s Up to Homicide (with a double stomp instead of a headbutt). More superkicks set up a splash for two on Hernandez so King throws in his slap jack. That goes nowhere either and with Homicide knocked off the apron, it’s an Alberto double stomp into the Swanton. Pentagon adds a top rope double stomp and the wheelbarrow slam into a splash finishes Hernandez at 7:21.

Rating: B-. Geez do you think they did enough to Hernandez at the end? The Lucha Bros are crazy good and a match against LAX, which almost has to be coming, where they let it all just hang out sounds incredible. Just let them have the kind of match that only they can and it’s going to be awesome.

Post match Konnan congratulates the Bros on their win when LAX comes up and gets invited to a victory party. Oh this is going to be awesome.

Katarina vs. Jordynne Grace

Jordynne is making her debut and is rather thick, with some incredibly large thighs (Not overweight by any means. It’s muscle and she looks incredibly strong.). Katarina hammers away in the corner and chokes with the long leg but Grace slams her off the top. The sunset flip is blocked but Grace’s right hand only hits the mat. Grace is right back up with alternating forearms to the chest and back until Katarina hits a springboard tornado DDT. That’s only good for two and Grace slaps on a bearhug to make Katarina tap at 2:35.

Grace looked good for a power wrestler, but Katarina got in more offense than she should have. This should have been more of a squash rather than Katarina beating her up until Grace caught her with a hold for the win. That being said, the bearhug looked good and could work for a solid finisher.

Brian Cage arrives at Rock Star Pro Wrestling in Dayton, Ohio and wants Sami Callihan. After a break, Cage comes into the ring and calls Callihan out for a fight. He’ll even put the title on the line right now.

X-Division Title: Brian Cage vs. Sami Callihan

Cage is defending and starts fast with the rapid fire clotheslines in the corner. Callihan sends him to the apron though and nails a springboard clothesline to knock Cage outside. That’s fine with Cage, who powerbombs Callihan into the post and then throws him into the crowd. Back in and Cage counters the Cactus Piledriver with a sitout Alabama Slam, drawing in the Crists for the DQ at 2:23.

Post match Cage German suplexes both Crists at the same time. Some other wrestlers from the promotion run in and get dropped as well. Six guys get together and hold Cage in place for a belt shot from Callihan. The big beatdown is on with everyone hitting something to a huge face reaction. Sami caps it off with the Cactus Piledriver. Good segment here with Sami’s cult idea working far better in his own promotion.

Taya Valkyrie says we’ve seen the real Tessa Blanchard, who knows she’s a beaten woman. She’s coming for the title and Tessa can step up anytime.

Classic Clip of the Week: Motor City Machine Guns vs. Naruki Doi/Masato Yoshino from Impact in 2008.

Moose is ready to destroy Eddie Edwards because Eddie used to be his brother. Tonight, he’s going to destroy Eddie and be done with this. Kross is ready to huge Impact and become the new champion.

We see more fan auditions for Scarlett Bordeaux’s talent search. Yeah.

Fallah Bahh and KM come to see Scarlett and want to be at the front of the line for the talent search. She’s not impressed, even by Bahh’s dancing. Next week, they’re going to Las Vegas and maybe they can win her something and get lucky.

Moose vs. Eddie Edwards

Eddie hits a suicide dive and then a slingshot dive to take Moose out before the bell. They head inside with Moose running right back to the floor for another suicide dive. Eddie throws a bucket of beer at Moose’s head but Moose kicks him low on the way back in. Moose stomps away on the floor and catapults him face first into the bottom of the ring. Since that’s not enough, Moose puts the bucket on Eddie’s head for a bicycle kick and Eddie is in even more trouble.

They head inside for the opening bell and Moose rips at Eddie’s face. Eddie gets up (not a fan of having his face ripped it seems) and hits a suplex but gets dropkicked off the top, right back to the floor. Moose misses a charge at the post though and Eddie wraps the leg around the steel. Back in and Eddie gets two off the Blue Thunder Bomb before putting Moose on top, only to get caught in a top rope chokebomb.

Somehow that only gets two but Eddie is right back with a spear. The tiger driver gets two more but Moose plants him with a spinebuster to send us to a break. Back with the slugout and Eddie telling Moose to hit him harder. The chop exchange goes back and forth and they trade running shots to the face until Eddie scores with a lariat.

Eddie is down as well though and has to pull himself up, allowing Moose to powerbomb him over the ropes and onto the ramp. Alisha Edwards comes out to check on Eddie, who somehow gets up. Back in and Moose hits the No Jackhammer Needed spear (clever, though I’m not sure if it’s necessary) for the pin at 15:35.

Rating: B-. They were a few steps away from hitting a great match but it didn’t quite connect. It felt like they needed to have a big fight that got thrown out and then needed to do the big hardcore brawl, but instead they went with a weird combination of both. Still though, entertaining enough and Alisha coming in was a nice touch. There will probably be more of this and that’s a good thing.

Allie runs into James Mitchell in a stairwell where he tells her that she has to fulfill her half of the deal. He’s been in her place before and she just has to embrace the darkness. Mitchell extends his hand but Kiera Hogan runs in to say no. Allie agrees to go with him to save her friends. Su Yung appears as well and Allie leaves with them.

Eddie has a concussion but wants to go fight Moose again anyway.

Here are Eli Drake and Joseph Park to discuss their lawsuit against the company. Eli isn’t happy with the new generation who thinks they can get in the ring for thinks like death matches. He’s the last of a dying breed so this company is trying to hold him down. The Open Challenge is dead and now he’s suing the company. Park explains things and explains that this is an unsafe working environment. He lists off some issues at Bound For Glory and says there are some others who are joining the lawsuit.

Drake jumps him from behind and stomps away while shouting about Park ruining the business, just like Abyss. A bunch of chair shots leave Park laying and Drake chokes him with the coat. I know I’ve asked this before but I still need an explanation: are we supposed to forget that Abyss was unmasked as Park? Drake seems to be the only person who acknowledges that Abyss and Park are the same person and it can get a little confusing. Anyway, Drake getting a push out of this is a good thing.

Impact says if Kross wanted a title shot, he just had to ask. His calling card is Starship Pain.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Killer Kross vs. Johnny Impact

Impact is defending and Moose is here with Kross. Johnny starts fast and goes up but has to wait on a Moose distraction. That means an early ejection so it’s a slugout with Johnny actually getting the better of things. A charge in the corner is swatted away though and Kross starts in on the knee. There’s a dragon screw legwhip to stay on the leg but Impact counters what looks like a powerslam into a tornado DDT which is reversed into a northern lights suplex. A Shining Wizard staggers Kross and a piledriver gives Impact two. The neck work continues with a DDT and the Moonlight Drive for two more.

They head up the ramp with Kross taking over and hitting a Razor’s Edge over the top rope and back inside. A Liontamer without enough cranking has Johnny going to the ropes and he’s able to kick Kross to the apron. Countdown to Impact gets two but Kross is right back up with a gutwrench powerbomb. The Krossjacket choke is escaped and Impact hits a superkick. There’s a hurricanrana into the corner and Starship Pain retains the title at 12:09.

Rating: C. Well so much for Kross as the big monster. He came in a few months ago and was no selling shots from a former World Champion and now he loses completely clean in twelve minutes. It’s good for Impact to get a win like this, but Kross lost a lot more than Impact gained. It wasn’t even a great match as Impact went move for move with him, taking away a lot of the drama and build that they could have had.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty good show for the most part, though the main event left a lot to be desired. I have no idea why this needed to be billed as a special as the first hour was nothing that you wouldn’t see on any other given week. LAX vs. the Lucha Bros sounds outstanding though and if they build that up well, we’re in for quite the feud. It’s an entertaining show and it flew by, but they have to do something about this time slot. Finishing at midnight on a week night isn’t going to work, no matter what you’re putting on.

Results

Lucha Bros b. OGz – Wheelbarrow splash to Hernandez

Jordynne Grace b. Katarina – Bearhug

Brian Cage b. Sami Callihan via DQ when the Crist Brothers interfered

Moose b. Eddie Edwards – No Jackhammer Needed spear

Johnny Impact b. Killer Kross – Starship Pain

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: October 25, 2018
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

This show is still in a bit of a strange place as we’re less than two weeks removed from Bound For Glory, meaning there aren’t many major stories going on at the moment. There is however a World Title match tonight in the form of Fenix challenging for the World Title against Johnny Impact. That and I’m sure something else about Tommy Dreamer. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video recaps last week’s events.

Opening sequence.

Scarlett Bordeaux comes out to scout talent.

Sami Callihan vs. Trevor Lee

Sami jumps him to start as Callis drools over Scarlett (fair enough). Trevor gets sent into the ropes so Dave Crist can kick him in the back. A kick to the back of the head staggers Sami but he’s right back with a Death Valley Driver for two. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Callihan grabs a neckbreaker out of the corner. With almost everyone looking at Scarlett, she takes a walk as Trevor elbows Sami down and dives onto the Crist Brothers. Jake is up in time to shove him off the top though and the Cactus Piledriver finishes Lee at 5:50.

Rating: C-. I wouldn’t have believed it possible but Sami has completely turned around for me. When you get him away from wrestling regular matches and let him be the far more naturally violent brawler, he can be entertaining. The lack of shouting about Ohio all the time does wonders for him too.

Post match Cage comes out and wrecks OVE. Sami’s bat shot is swatted away and Cage offers him a free shot. That’s blocked as well and the Crists save Sami from the Drill Claw.

King yells about not being able to touch Konnan. He has an idea of how to get around the bosses though and the OGz are with him.

Rohit Raju helps Gama Singh warm up before their match tonight. Sweet goodness put ANYTHING ELSE on this show.

Preview for the rest of the show.

Eli Drake invades the commentary booth and threatens Callis for bringing up the lawsuit Drake is filing.

Heavenly Bodies vs. LAX

Non-title. The Bodies are Desirable Dustin and Gigolo Justin. Santana chops away at we’ll say Dustin as the match is ignored to talk about the lawsuit. Ortiz lets Santana springboard off of him for a moonsault but the Bodies come back and knock Ortiz into the corner to take over. A missed charge allows the hot tag to Santana as Drake tries to remember wrestling on a show with the Bodies.

Everything breaks down and a reverse DDT/powerbomb combination gets two on Justin but a Michinoku Driver into a top rope splash gets the same on Santana. The Bodies put Santana on top but Ortiz powerbombs one of the down, leaving Dustin to take the Street Sweeper for the pin at 5:57.

Rating: C. Totally watchable match here as the Bodies may come off like a rather old school team but if they work like this, they could be regulars around here. The tag division is almost non-existent at this point so even having an average team added to the roster would do it some good. Drake was really entertaining on commentary here, even if he talked about the match for about thirty seconds.

Tessa Blanchard comes into Taya Valkyrie’s locker room and yells at her for the things she’s been saying. Blanchard is even willing to put the title on the line next week. Taya says see you next week then.

Matt Sydal and Ethan Page come up to LAX with Sydal not liking the way he’s treating his boys. Konnan doesn’t seem to care.

Moose is ready to beat up Fallah Bahh. Killer Kross says KM and Bahh are like two dogs chasing a car. Tonight, they’re both his. Kross: “Good talk. Tick tock.”

Video on Fenix, talking about his rise in the American wrestling scene, including his time in Lucha Underground.

Rich Swann and Willie Mack are glad to be here and Mack wants him to be his opponent for his debut match next week. Swann is cool with that.

Gama Singh vs. Rohit Raju

Singh introduces himself and lists off his resume. Gama shoves him away as the fans already start chanting YOU STILL GOT IT. A rake to the eyes has Raju in trouble and Gama slaps him for good measure. Cue someone from the back for a fireman’s carry gutbuster on Raju for the DQ at 1:50.

Post match Singh and the new guy beat Raju down but they all pose together because this seems to be the new Desi Hit Squad. I’m so thrilled.

Johnny Impact praises Fenix, who he says is like family. Some families fight though and tonight they’ll fight for the World Title. May the best man win.

Scarlett is in a bath to watch fan submitted applications for her talent search. They’re as bad as you would expect.

Killer Kross/Moose vs. Fallah Bahh/KM

KM and Moose start things off with KM shouldering him down in a bit of a surprise. Some right hands keep Moose in trouble but it’s off to Kross, who is a bit more skilled on the mat. KM actually takes him down as well, allowing Bahh to hit a corner splash. Moose comes back in and puts a People’s….foot on the face for your comedy of the match. It’s back to Kross, who just gets angry at being clotheslined. The beatdown is on with Bahh in trouble, mainly due to Moose not liking having toes in his mouth.

A lot of yelling ensues, with Moose calling Bahh fat. You don’t do that to Bahh, who hammers away and hits a crossbody. Kross will have none of that and starts dropping knees on Bahh to take over. Moose slugs away and Bahh shouts a lot, setting up a belly to belly suplex to cut him down. A Samoan drop takes Kross down as well but here’s Eddie Edwards to choke Moose with a kendo stick. As they fight to the back, Kross chokes KM out at 9:23.

Rating: C-. Remember how I said the tag division was basically non-existent? That’s even more frustrating when you consider how many teams there could be at the moment. Would you be interested in seeing Kross and Moose vs. LAX in a long brawl? You even have KM and Bahh as the resident comedy goofs. There’s a division there, if it was actually put together.

Post match Moose and Eddie fight all the way up to the roof with Eddie being tossed into the wall. Eddie gets in a stick shot to save himself from flying over the edge.

Classic Clip of the Week: Samoa Joe and AJ Styles vs. Sting and Kevin Nash from Impact in 2008. It’s very nice that they’ve cut these down to short clips instead of almost full matches.

Jordynne Grace is coming.

Eddie talks to his stick when Alisha comes in, panicking over what just happened. He kisses her and says she drives him crazy before leaving.

Kiera Hogan vs. Su Yung

Kiera goes straight at her on the ramp and hits a sliding kick to the face in the corner. A hurricanrana out of the corner gives Kiera two but Yung snaps her across the top rope by the hair. Kiera gets caught in the Tree of Woe so Yung charges, only to have Kiera sit up. That’s fine with Yung, who takes her down with a neckbreaker in a sweet counter.

The Mandible Claw is loaded up but Kiera gets a powerbomb where she nearly drops Yung. They fight onto the apron but here’s Allie to save Kiera from a Panic Switch on the ramp. Allie says she can’t help Kiera now though and leaves, only to have Yung hit a hanging Pedigree. The Panic Switch finishes Hogan at 4:52.

Rating: C-. This was energetic while it lasted and I’m wondering where the Allie story is going. A lot of it is built on the return of Rosemary, which could take some time and therefore allow this story to build up properly for a change. Hogan is becoming a star by association and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Next week: LAX vs. Sydal/Page for the Tag Team Titles and Blanchard vs. Valkyrie for the Knockouts Title.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Johnny Impact vs. Fenix

Impact is defending. Feeling out process to start as they exchange a few grapples. Fenix’s big kick misses but Impact’s doesn’t, only to have them flip into a standoff. They’re certainly nailing the battle of athleticism so far. Fenix grabs a nip up but Impact nips out of it for a second standoff. Impact tries a springboard inside but Fenix dives underneath it and lands on the ramp.

They both run for the same buckle but it’s Fenix shoving Impact off, setting up a spring springboard into a spinning crossbody for two, even though he nearly overshot Impact. A Russian legsweep takes Fenix down and the Flying Chuck takes us to a break. Back with Impact putting on a crossface (with the other arm pinned down for a little change of pace) but Fenix slips out.

They lock hands and somehow manage to jump to the middle rope without breaking their grip (geez) until Fenix springboards up into a huge hurricanrana for a near fall of his own. Fans: “THIS IS IMPACT!” Yeah and that’s Fenix. A quick Spanish Fly gives Impact two of his own and he drives Fenix into the corner for some shoulders.

Fenix backflips over him into a German suplex but the running knee into the standing shooting star gives Impact two more. The Countdown to Impact misses (of course) so Impact settles for the flipping neckbreaker instead. A springboard spinning headbutt takes Johnny down for two more but it’s too early for the Black Fire Driver as Johnny reverses into a DDT. Starship Pain retains the title at 14:23.

Rating: B. It’s not great as a technical exchange but you’re missing the point here if that’s what you’re looking for. This was all about an athletic spectacle and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just let two incredibly talented guys going in there and doing cool looking stuff. What more can you want from a fun match like this?

Impact shakes his hand and leaves, allowing the OGz to run in and beat down Fenix. Pentagon makes the save.

Kross talks about being crazy and trying to make change. He leaves, revealing Impact out cold to end the show. It was this or the Tag Team Titles so I’m fine with going here.

Overall Rating: B-. You know, if you cut out a few of the really bad things, you have a heck of a show here. The Desi Hit Squad is horrible and some of the wrestling could have been a lot better but the storytelling is there and I want to see where some of this stuff goes. That’s what matters most as the wrestling can catch up later on. Good show, and I want to see more like this.

Results

Sami Callihan b. Trevor Lee – Cactus Piledriver

LAX b. Heavenly Bodies – Street Sweeper to Dustin

Rohit Raju b. Gama Singh via DQ when an unnamed man interfered

Killer Kross/Moose b. KM/Fallah Bahh – Krossjacket Choke to KM

Su Yung b. Kiera Hogan – Panic Switch

Johnny Impact b. Fenix – Starship Pain

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: October 18, 2018
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

It’s a big show this week as we’re officially past Bound For Glory, meaning the long road towards Homecoming begins. That can wait in a few weeks though as we’re now looking at the fallout from the biggest show of the year. Johnny Impact FINALLY won the World Title from Austin Aries, who seems to be done with the promotion for the time being. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Bound For Glory if you need a recap.

Of course we open with a long recap of Bound For Glory. It’s not like it could have been anything else.

Opening sequence.

The ring is still tiny. I know it’s due to the venue but egads.

Here’s new World Champion Johnny Impact to open things up. After saying wrestling is unpredictable and being cut off by a YOU DESERVE IT chant, he talks about how he wanted to do this for his entire life because he’s it’s like nothing else. He grew up watching it when he was a kid at the Great Western Forum and he’s always been someone who does things a little differently. People told him that making a movie with his own money was crazy but now it’s streaming on Netflix. Even if it’s in a bin at Dollar General, he’s proud of it.

He’s been told he just has the look of a wrestler but now he has the title on his shoulder. This business is what we make it and he’s not going to hide behind goons and tweet passive aggressively because he’s a coward. If someone deserves a title shot they can get it, so here’s Fenix to interrupt. Fenix says he’s won titles around the world but never here. It’s an incredible opportunity to fight for that title and he wants a show next week. Johnny: “Well it’s not like I can say no.” The match is on for next week.

Next week: the show moves to 10pm. That doesn’t sound good.

The announcers talk about Bound For Glory.

Tommy Dreamer talks about great football players who became great wrestlers. Moose wants to join the list but he doesn’t want to put in the work. Tonight, Tommy is going to beat something into him and doesn’t mind giving him a concussion. Not the best thing in the world to say at the moment.

Outside, Moose hits on McKenzie Mitchell and is ready to beat up Dreamer. Killer Kross asks if Dreamer feels in control and says they both accept his challenge.

Katarina vs. Taya Valkyrie

Katarina gets aggressive to start and stomps away in the corner as Callis talks about the ring skirt costing Taya the title “last night”. Some knees to the back set up a backbreaker for two as it’s all Katarina to start. A missed charge lets Taya forearm away and a pair of running knees, including one against the ropes, gets two. The Road To Valhalla finishes Katarina at 3:50.

Rating: D+. Nothing to see here but Taya will pretty clearly get a rematch with Tessa Blanchard for the title. Katarina has already cooled off since returning, though I’m sure they can find something for her to do. Just getting away from Grado is already doing her some good and finding a new star to manage will help a lot.

Post match, Taya says she doesn’t respect Tessa Blanchard for having to retain the title like that.

Matt Sydal and Ethan Page sit in the dark and talk about opening third eyes. Sydal has made Page in tune with himself and tonight, Page can show Trevor Lee how to suffer.

Gama Singh attacks Rohit Raju, who has one more test to pass: facing Gama Singh himself next week. I really can’t stand these people much longer.

Trevor Lee vs. Ethan Page

Sydal is here with Page. There’s something funny about Josh Matthews managing Sydal being banished from all history. Lee chokes him in the corner to start and then chokes differently to mix things up. Page comes back with some right hands and points at his forehead because that’s his gimmick.

Some stomping in the corner (a common move around here) doesn’t do much as Trevor sends him outside for the running kick from the apron. A Sydal distraction (with another offer to join) allows Page to hit a hanging double arm DDT for two as the fans aren’t sure who to cheer for here. Lee hits a jumping knee to the face and gets two off a middle rope moonsault. Page elbows him in the face, sends him into the corner and elbows him again, followed by a Rock Bottom for the pin at 6:22.

Rating: C-. Page looked good here and clearly has enough talent to make it in this company. However, Lee still does nothing for me at all. Now that being said, I’ve heard he’s WAY better outside of Impact and he wouldn’t be the first person to be in that situation. Maybe he just needs a refreshing, but at the moment he’s just the guy who can give you a watchable match.

Rich Swann, with Willie Mack, is ready to win the X-Division Title tonight. Mack had a good time on Sunday, but Swann has to do it on his own tonight. That’s cool with Swann.

Video on the Allie/Kiera Hogan/Rosemary/Su Yung/WHAT THE HECK EVER THAT WAS segment from Sunday.

Kiera talks to Allie, who insists she’s fine but clearly isn’t.

Classic Moment of the Week: Daniel Bryan beats Randy Orton for the World Title. They called it Eric Young beating Magnus but it was Bryan over Orton.

Petey Williams asks Scarlett Bordeaux when she’s going to announce him as her new client. She flirts on him for a bit, but says the talent search is ongoing, and open to fans too. Petey seems confused, but Petey confuses me more often than not.

Killer Kross vs. Tommy Dreamer

Moose is here with Kross of course. Kross misses an early knee drop and Dreamer knocks him out to the floor. Dreamer, wearing his Dusty Rhodes shirt and Dusty Rhodes pants, gets to do the Dusty Rhodes Bionic Elbow and gets choked down for all that gimmick infringement. Back in and a hard whip into the corner keeps Dreamer’s back in trouble and a t-bone suplex gets two.

The cravate goes on but Dreamer gets up top to catch him with a right hand. There’s a superplex as the fans chant ECW. Dreamer loses a slugout but escapes a German suplex and hits a cutter. Moose tries to come in but takes a cutter of his own. The Doomsday Saito is broken up with a bite to Kross’ head but the second attempt drops Dreamer on his head. Kross does it again and that’s a referee stoppage at 7:02.

Rating: D+. This was the not great Dreamer match that you would have expected. I’m still not sure why he keeps getting on TV shows as it’s not like he’s interesting on his own, but nostalgia is a powerful weapon. I had the same reaction to this one that I have to every Dreamer match and that’s not the best feeling in the world.

Post match Dreamer gets beaten up even more.

We see part of Abyss’ Hall of Fame induction speech, which sounds rather good. The fact that he’s the first Impact Original to go in is rather telling.

Eli Drake isn’t happy with Abyss putting him through a table because it’s an unsafe work environment. Those are words that I never need to hear in wrestling again. Oh and he’s suing the company. Well a lot of people have over the years so he might as well join the team.

LAX is celebrating their win when King comes in. According to the bosses, he and the OGz get to keep a piece of New York but they have to stay on their own sides. Konnan says get on your own side then and get out of here.

We look back at the opening sequence.

More announcers talking and recapping the show so far.

Allie vs. Alisha Edwards

Rating: C-. This was much more storytelling than wrestling and there’s nothing wrong with that. Allie can only be the Bayley style character for so long as she’s a very well rounded performer and the kind of person who could be a fixture in the division with a different character. Alisha is getting better as well so the future is starting to pick up for the Knockouts.

Post match Allie stays on Alisha until Kiera pulls her off. Fans: “PSYCHO BUNNY!”

Jordynne Grace is coming.

X-Division Title: Rich Swann vs. Brian Cage

Cage is defending. Swann starts with the dancing and gets shoved down for his efforts. Cage shrugs off a dropkick but Swann flips out of a German suplex attempt. A hurricanrana doesn’t work either as Cage throws him down and hits some Roman Reigns clotheslines in the corner. It’s too early for the Drill Claw though and Cage misses a charge to the floor.

For some reason Swann follows him and gets powerbombed into the post. An apron superplex brings Swann back in and we take a break. Back with Swann being sent chest first into the buckle and then kicked in the face. Cage throws him down again as Josh and Don plug a Titanic marathon on Sunday. An F5 is escaped and Swann tries a front flip seated senton but gets caught in the air.

Instead it’s a DDT to drop Cage but he avoids the Phoenix splash. They trade kicks to the face with Swann getting the better of it, including more kicks to the head for two. Swann tries one kick too many though and gets caught in a pumphandle faceplant. An Angle Slam gets two on Swann but he pulls Cage out of the air with a cutter. A Lethal Injection sets up a middle rope 450 for two but the Phoenix splash misses. Cage powerbombs him, buckle bombs him, and Weapon X’s him for the pin to retain at 14:43.

Rating: B. Easily the best match on the show here and that’s a good sign considering how much potential both of these guys have. Cage is the create-a-wrestler come to life and Swann is a ball of charisma. This was a really fun match and the kind of thing that the show needed after a lot of storyline heavy stuff earlier in the night.

Post match here’s Sami Callihan to show a loop of him pinning Cage on Sunday. A fight breaks out but the Crist Brothers run in for the save. Cage clears the ring to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t a great show but you don’t have to do much on the first night after Bound For Glory. Instead of having a big time show, they went with a cool down show with some stuff that advanced stories and made you want to come back for more. That’s a different path from what WWE would do and that’s not a bad idea. It was a very easy show to watch and that’s often something you need after so many weeks of heavier shows. It works for NXT and it worked fine enough here. Not a great show, but the right choice for this week.

Results

Taya Valkyrie b. Katarina – Road To Valhalla

Ethan Page b. Trevor Lee – Rock Bottom

Killer Kross b. Tommy Dreamer via referee stoppage

Allie b. Alisha Edwards – Codebreaker

Brian Cage b. Rich Swann – Weapon X

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: October 11, 2018
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

It’s the go home show for Bound For Glory and that means we’re needing to add some stuff to the card. You should probably have more than six matches (with one participant not being announced) set for the show with three days to go. There’s a lot going on at the moment but I’d expect a good deal of talking this time around. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of almost every major feud going on at the moment.

Opening sequence.

Trevor Lee vs. Jack Evans vs. Puma King vs. Petey Williams

Good grief can we have Petey detained at customs next time or something? This is fallout from Scarlett Bordeaux hitting on all four of them last week. They stare at each other to start until everyone goes after Lee. Puma and Petey are left alone in short order with Petey putting him in 619 position for a dropkick to the back.

Petey gets faceplanted as the announcers talk about how he tries the Canadian Destroyer far too often. Thanks for finally catching up on that one guys. Lee gets back in to replace Puma and stomps Petey down in the corner. A whip into the corner gets two as the commentary is far less chatty than usual here. Petey hits a Russian legsweep but the Destroyer is broken up with ease.

Evans comes back in with a dropkick on Puma but the standing moonsault hits Lee’s knees. It’s Puma getting back up to clean house and diving outside onto Evans. That doesn’t last long though as Evans comes back in and cartwheels into a kick to knock Puma off the ropes. The 630 hits Puma but Lee stomps Evans down. Not that it matters as Petey hits the Destroyer for the pin on Lee at 7:02.

Rating: C+. This was perfectly fine, but my goodness I’m completely over seeing Petey in any way, shape or form. He’s one move and I’M CANADIAN, end of anything remotely unique about him. The wrestling was fine but this felt like a way to fill in time on the show where they don’t want the bigger names wrestling. I mean, that’s what it was, but it shouldn’t feel like that.

Rich Swann has a partner: Willie Mack, better known as the Mack from Lucha Underground.

Grado vs. Maximo

Maximo is rather effeminate and his shirt says KISS ME so I think you know where this is going. They finally lock up after nearly a minute and it’s time for some chest rubbing. Switching places lets Maximo bend over in front of him but Grado blocks a kiss attempt. Grado drops a headbutt for two and snaps off the right hands, only to have Maximo headbutt him in the ribs. Another kiss is blocked so Maximo dropkicks him to the floor for a dive. The Bionic Elbow drops Maximo but he’s back up with a kiss into a cradle for the pin at 5:16.

Rating: D-. This stuff has never been funny to me and that’s not going to change anytime soon. It’s a one note joke and it’s a very bad sign when Grado is the higher level of comedy between the two of them. It’s another match that doesn’t go anywhere for Sunday, but at least they kept it short(ish).

Post match Grado shakes his hand and kisses Maximo. Ok then.

Johnny Impact, Fallah Bahh and Eddie Edwards are ready for Aries, Kross and Moose. Or maybe Bahh is impersonating a sheep.

Video on LAX vs. the OGz. I’m worried about that match not coming close to the hype.

Classic Clip of the Week: Four way Knockouts match from Bound For Glory 2010.

Video on OVE vs. the Lucha Bros/Brian Cage.

Eli Drake isn’t happy with La Parka bringing in a chair last week. That’s why he’s issuing an open challenge to anyone from New York at Bound For Glory. I think I know where this is going and it could be rather interesting.

Gursinder Singh vs. Rohit Raju

The battle to determine the weak link of the team, which you were totally dying to find out. Gama Singh says that the loser is out of the team and has to go back to India. Can we get a three way draw? Raju stomps him down in the corner to start but gets caught with a Backstabber for two.

They fight over some arm holds with no one getting anywhere so Raju smacks him in the head a few times, only to get rolled up for two more. A suplex into a sitout gordbuster gets a third two as I fight to stay conscious. Gama gets Gursinder’s attention and it’s a jumping knee to the face into a jumping Downward Spiral to give Raju the pin at 5:05.

Rating: F. Good for them. I didn’t think they could manage to come up with a match this uninteresting and boring but they managed to pull it off. These guys are making me long for more of Ascension vs. Bobby Roode/Chad Gable, which I thought was the least interesting story that I could have seen. Oh but how I was wrong. I know there’s worse wrestling out there (like in the previous match) but reaching this level of boring and making me care so little about anyone involved is a failure in every sense of the word.

Gama won’t let Raju celebrate. Whatever gets them out of there faster.

Johnny Impact/Fallah Bahh/Eddie Edwards vs. Moose/Austin Aries/Killer Kross

This should be better, just due to the better charisma and bigger star power. Aries and Impact start but let’s go with Kross instead. Kross suplexes him without much effort so it’s off to Bahh, who isn’t about to be suplexed. Instead it’s a shoulder to run him down and let’s hand it off to Moose vs. Edwards for the violent slugout. Eddie opens his shirt to get chopped even harder, but is smart enough to chop Moose while he’s warming up. Now why does it take a semi crazy person to figure that out?

A top rope hurricanrana takes Moose down but he dropkicks Eddie to the floor so the villains can take over. That means a bunch of stomping, because that’s what heels do in spots like this. Aries actually gives up the hot tag off a chop though and it’s off to Bahh for a big belly to belly. Moose crotches him on top though and it’s time to start stomping on Bahh’s rather large legs. It’s off to Kross to drive some knees to the face in the corner and we take a break.

Back with Aries chopping in the corner and taking Bahh down with a drop toehold. Kross goes shoulder first into the post though and a Samoan drop plants Moose. The hot tag brings in Impact for the slugout and a leg lariat sets up the sliding German suplex in the corner. The Countdown to Impact (minus the countdown and the impact) misses, allowing Aries to slap on a quick Last Chancery.

Impact escapes the brainbuster and gets two off a superkick as everything breaks down. Eddie superkicks Moose to the floor and hits a dive but Aries prevents Bahh from doing the same. The Flying Chuck into Starship Pain gets two with Kross making the save. Kross suplexes Impact on the floor and it’s a brainbuster to give Aries the pin at 18:04.

Rating: B-. Good main event style match here and a match that this wretched show really needed. The ending would suggest that Impact win the title on Sunday but this company has made some questionable decisions regarding the end of their pay per views. Moose vs. Edwards should be a heck of a fight as well, though I don’t need to see Kross vs. Bahh again.

Pay per view rundown with Su Yung vs. Allie being confirmed.

Father James Mitchell is playing the organ when Allie of all people comes in. She needs help dealing with Su Yung and wants to go to the undead realm. Mitchell realizes that Allie is half body and half soul and needs to leave her soul behind to take care of Yung and save Kiera Hogan. He’s willing to help her, but she’ll owe him. They shake on it.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Keyra

Non-title. They slug it out with forearms to start until a Michinoku Driver into a middle rope moonsault gives Keyra two. Tessa wisely bails to the floor so Keyra kicks her down, only to have a hurricanrana countered into a powerbomb to the post. Back in and an abdominal stretch doesn’t last very long as Keyra slips out and starts chopping in the corner. A running basement dropkick gets two but Tessa is right back with a hanging Downward Spiral. The Buzzsaw DDT is good for the pin on Keyra at 3:58.

Rating: C. It was certainly fun while it lasted as I’ve liked this Tessa vs. Mexico stuff that they’ve done over the last few weeks. There aren’t a lot of women left around here for Tessa to beat up so giving her some more seasoned outside opponents has been a good idea. The Taya match should be good, though I can’t picture a title change.

Here are the OGz and LAX for a big showdown to end the show. King gets in Konnan’s face and says the myth ends on Sunday. Konnan has held him back for years but King wouldn’t stop. Now Konnan is using these young marks and needs to be put down Old Yeller style. That’s why King brought in the original LAX and on Sunday (King: “ORDER IT! ORDER IT!”), it ends in King’s city.

Konnan comes back with some Spanish, that seems to call King an idiot. He’s nice enough to throw in a translation that says the fans will come in here at the drop of a hat to take King down. These teams already had a street fight where the OGz lost. That never happened under Konnan’s leadership so maybe King is the problem. Then here in Mexico City, King burned Konnan’s mask in the ultimate show of disrespect. Konnan was the father that King never had and King knows the bosses are watching. They have a message for King: the ceasefire is over right now. The fight is on and we’re off in just a few seconds.

One last Bound For Glory interview wraps things up, with Aries talking about having to raise the bar one more time, which Johnny Impact has never been able to do.

Overall Rating: D+. This one depends on how you look at it. The wrestling wasn’t much to see here and I kind of like the build to Sunday, but this was quite the mess for the most part. The six man tag saved the show almost on its own but you need something a little more than than in the course of two hours. Sunday’s show could be entertaining, but there’s a good chance that it’s going to be the standard Impact show that keeps the roof firmly on top of the building.

Results

Petey Williams b. Puma King, Jack Evans and Trevor Lee – Canadian Destroyer to Lee

Maximo b. Grado – Rollup

Rohit Raju b. Gursinder Singh – Jumping Downward Spiral

Austin Aries/Killer Kross/Moose b. Johnny Impact/Eddie Edwards/Fallah Bahh – Brainbuster to Impact

Tessa Blanchard b. Keyra – Buzzsaw DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: October 4, 2018
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re less than two weeks away from Bound For Glory and things are already starting to clear up. The big matches don’t have the best build and you could argue that the (presumably non-title) match between LAX and the OGz is the biggest thing on the card. That’s not a bad thing, but it makes for a kind of odd build. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap focuses on the upcoming Bound For Glory matches, many of which were adjusted or made last week.

Opening sequence.

Rich Swann vs. Matt Sydal

This feud has done a grand total of nothing for me so hopefully the match is actually good. Swann isn’t interested in a handshake, much like the referee isn’t interested in an opening bell. Sydal gets kicked to the floor for a flip dive off the apron, followed by a headscissors back inside. A kick to the face puts Sydal down again but he’s right back up with a leg lariat to send Swann outside.

Back in and Swann kicks him in the ribs and then the face for two. Sydal’s top rope hurricanrana doesn’t work as Swann lands on his feet, then uses one of said feet to superkick Sydal into the corner. Another hurricanrana attempt is countered into a jumping powerbomb (cool) for two but Swann is fine enough to hit a spinning kick to the head. Swann heads up top but some unnamed guy comes in to powerbomb him down (which the referee somehow doesn’t see), setting up Swann’s snap Angle Slam for the pin at 7:30.

Rating: C. Well that wasn’t too bad. Sydal is so much better once the bell rings but egads this “open your third eye” nonsense isn’t interesting, hasn’t been interesting and isn’t going to be interesting. I have no idea what they see in that gimmick but it’s been old and that’s not changing anytime soon.

Post match Josh Matthews identifies the fan as Ethan Page, who used to be Chandler Park for like a month earlier this year.

Dave Crist is freaking out over what Pentagon and Fenix did to him last week. Sami Callihan tells him to snap out of it and face them in the ring like men.

Moose calls Eddie Edwards and tells him to meet him for a fight at a bar. He also may have kidnapped Alisha.

Here’s Scarlett Bordeaux to do commentary for the start of her talent search. Callis is of course drooling over her, as is his custom.

Eli Drake vs. ???

Open challenge time as I try to imagine the levels of awesome that Drake and Scarlett would be. Before the match, Drake tells a technico to come out here with their fancy planchas, but he’ll take a rudo as well. The challenge is answered by…..La Parka, who isn’t the same guy from WCW but is still a big star in his own right. La Parka yells in Spanish before the fight is on with the masked man taking over. The shaking knee dance takes too much time though and Drake hits his jumping neckbreaker. Drake goes for a chair but gets caught with a reverse DDT, only to run away from the chair for the countout at 2:37.

LAX and the OGz get in their weekly argument. The OGz even steal their alcohol and throw it at Konnan, who still won’t break the ceasefire.

Sydal introduces Page, who praises Sydal’s vision. I liked Page so having him back is a good thing, though not with Sydal. They issue a challenge for a tag match at Bound For Glory against Swann and whoever he can find.

Joe Hendry vs. Murder Clown

Before the match, Hendry and Grado debut a new music video of “Katarina” and “Murder Clown” on a date, complete with lyrics of Clown wanting romance and violence. A sample: “I may not be a pirate and we may not be related, but baby I’m a murderous clown and that cannot be understated.” Clown clotheslines him down to start and ties Hendry in the Tree of Woe for a charge. Hendry manages the fall away slam but gets kicked away without much effort. A top rope splash finishes Hendry at 2:50. Hendry’s fall away slam felt really out of place in what was otherwise a squash.

Post match Katarina hits Grado low and Hendry gets splashed through a table.

Edwards goes to the bar to find Moose and Alisha. Moose tells him to sit down and recaps their feud over the last few weeks. Edwards says Austin Aries and Killer Kross aren’t Moose’s friends but Moose isn’t having that. A lot of yelling ensues until Alisha breaks a glass over Moose’s head. Eddie charges and turns the table over but Kross comes in to grab him. Edwards fights them both off and escapes with Alisha before calling Johnny Impact, telling him to go after Aries now. This was the most coherent Edwards has been in months and he sounded like his old self.

Post break, Impact kicks in the door to Aries’ locker room but the champ is nowhere in sight. Aries is nowhere to be seen backstage either so Impact heads to the ring. Impact wants Aries out here right now so here he comes, with a sling around his arm. Aries claims an arm injury, a back injury, a twisted ankle and a concussion after Impact hit him with the title last week (that’s some high quality whining).

This is about the title though, and that’s why Impact isn’t fighting him right now. It’s about being the best instead of how many goons you can recruit. Aries is so confident that he’s willing to leave Moose and Kross in the back so that it can be one on one. Aries knows he’s the best in the world, but who is Johnny this week? Mundo? Impact? Boone? Survivor? Impact doesn’t know which basket to put his eggs in while Aries has put his eggs in the basket of being the best in the world.

Sure, Impact looks great but he’s just a pretend top star. Aries may not look like he does but he knows that he’s great in the ring. At Bound For Glory, Impact can co-star in Aries’ starring role when he brings his black trunks and black boots. After the match, Johnny can take the name Johnny 205, because it’s the last job he can get. Maybe he can just join Aries as the latest goon.

Impact would rather be stretchered out than follow an idiot like Aries so the beatdown is on. Aries misses a belt shot though and eats a superkick, followed by Starship Pain. Really strong promo here as they make this personal after weeks of having no tension between these two. That’s exactly what this match needed.

Cage is ready to destroy OVE.

The Desi Hit Squad isn’t happy about losing last week and thinks they’re not being aggressive enough. Gama Singh comes in to yell at them again before saying they’re fighting next week to see who the weak link is.

Classic Moment of the Week: Hulk Hogan turns face to save Sting from Immortal at Bound For Glory.

Scarlett, in a different outfit than earlier, turns down various people trying to be her client, including Petey Williams and Trevor Lee. Petey even offers to teach her the Canadian Destroyer, much to Lee’s disgust.

Pentagon and Fenix are down for a fight with OVE tonight.

Kiera Hogan vs. Su Yung

Allie and the Undead Maid of Honor are both here. Kiera goes right at her to start (a common thing around here) and runs Su over in the corner for an early two. An electric chair faceplant out of the corner gives Yung the same thing and some palm strikes keep Kiera in trouble. That’s fine with Kiera, who slugs away some more and hits a low superkick to put Yung on the floor for a suicide dive. The Panic Switch is countered into a sitout powerbomb for two on Yung and Kiera heads up. That means a fight between the seconds and the distraction lets Yung hit the Panic Switch for the win at 4:17.

Rating: D. Yung’s time in Impact continues to astound me as she was pushed as the next big thing for a bit and now this win feels like a surprise just a few months later. Hogan isn’t much but they’re pushing her as an upstart rookie so having her lose here doesn’t make the most sense. Not a very good match either.

Post match the bridesmaids bring out the casket but Allie makes the save. That earns her a Mandible Claw until Kiera makes the second save, only to get slammed into the coffin as well.

Post break, Allie has a panic attack.

Video on Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie.

OVE vs. Lucha Bros/Brian Cage

Bound For Glory preview. Sami gets triple teamed to start and Fenix gets two off a Swanton. We settle down into a regular match with OVE breaking up Fenix’s springboard, albeit after he bounced about four times. It’s too early for the All Seeing Eye though as Fenix sends them into each other, allowing the tag to Cage. House is cleaned, including Cage putting Jake on Dave’s shoulders and German suplexing both of them at the same time. That’s enough for Sami, who shoves the referee for the DQ at 3:39.

Rating: C-. Cage’s power and Fenix’s agility alone are worth seeing here and I can’t complain about a three and a half minute preview for the big match at the pay per view. This was much more of an angle instead of a match that mattered and there’s nothing wrong with that ten days before Bound For Glory.

Post match the fight stays on with the brawling continuing. Cage climbs to the second ropes and deadlift superplexes Jake onto everyone, followed by Fenix hitting a corkscrew plancha off the barricade to take everyone down again. The fighting continues to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The best thing here was they had the big angle that helped push the pay per view main event. Other than that, the show was mainly focused on setting up Bound For Glory’s already announced matches and that’s not the worst thing in the world. The show feels like it’s going to have a lot of stuff added at the end and that’s all well and good, though it’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. Nice enough show here, with Aries vs. Impact carrying things.

Results

Matt Sydal b. Rich Swann – Snap Angle Slam

La Parka b. Eli Drake via countout

Murder Clown b. Joe Hendry – Top rope splash

Su Yung b. Kiera Hogan – Panic Switch

Brian Cage/Pentagon/Fenix b. OVE via DQ when Callihan shoved the referee

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: September 27, 2018
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re still in Mexico City and I’m not sure what that means for this week’s show. Last week’s edition wasn’t exactly great and a lot of that is due to just throwing luchadors out there and using them in matches that aren’t much better than something you would see elsewhere. Maybe this week’s will be an improvement though so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s show.

Knockouts Title: Tessa Blanchard vs. Faby Apache

Blanchard is defending, Faby’s Reina de Reinas Title isn’t on the line and thankfully they get the camera right for Tessa’s entrance. Tessa hammers away in the corner to start but has a whip reversed into a reverse X Factor for two. A hurricanrana gives Faby the same and it’s way too early for the hammerlock DDT.

Blanchard gets more aggressive and scores with a clothesline, followed by a Saito suplex. Faby slaps on a kneebar to put Tessa in some trouble and some Angel’s Wings get two. Back up and Faby gets knocked off the top, setting up Magnum (the top rope Codebreaker) for two, followed by the hammerlock DDT to retain at 5:16.

Rating: C-. You can’t expect much out of a story that was set up one week and blown off the next but that’s what we got here. Blanchard getting a win over a big name from AAA is a good idea and helps establish her as one of the biggest women in the world at the moment. I’m not sure who she’s going to face at Bound For Glory though, as other than Yung and Allie, she doesn’t have any major challengers at the moment.

Post match Tessa says she’s now the best athlete in professional wrestling and the diamond of the Knockouts division. Cue Taya Valkyrie on the screen to speak some Spanish before saying she’s lucha royalty. Tessa can’t say anything until she beats Taya so the challenge is made. Everyone may think Tessa is a b****, but Taya respects her. Let’s see who the best is. It’s certainly better than Allie or Su again.

Eddie Edwards comes up to Alisha and tries to make amends but she calls him crazy. Johnny Impact, Eddie’s partner tonight, comes in and says they have to work together. Alisha still isn’t happy.

OVE takes credit for selling out Bound For Glory and mentions that tonight, it’s Jake vs. Brian Cage, which doesn’t sit well with Jake.

Eli Drake is in Mexico City and brags about his Mexican heritage. Next week: he’s challenging luchadors to a fight. I loved them at first, but these open challenges are getting annoying throughout wrestling.

Brian Cage vs. Jake Crist

Non-title. Cage backdrops him to start and knocks Dave off the apron. He makes the mistake of going after Dave though, allowing Callihan to tornado DDT him off the barricade. Back in and Jake starts in on the arm but an armbar is countered into a powerbomb backbreaker. A jumping knee to the face sets up a 619, followed by a top rope elbow for two. Cage gets two more off a sitout Alabama Slam but Jake spin kicks him in the face to knock Cage down in a rare sight. Crist takes him up top and blocks a superplex, setting up a super cutter….for one. That just ticks Cage off so it’s the Drill Claw for the pin at 4:41.

Rating: C. Cage continues to be an absolute monster with one of the best looks you’ll ever see. At the same time though, I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do with him now though as he’s been booked as completely unbeatable. I’m a little worried about what they might do to take the title off of him and where he goes from there, but at the moment he’s just fun to watch.

Post match the beatdown is on but the lights go out. As they come back on, Dave Crist is nowhere to be seen until Pentagon and Fenix appear on the screen, attacking Dave in the back. Cage beats up Sami and Jake to stand tall.

Austin Aries, Killer Kross and Moose are ready to destroy Edwards and Impact tonight.

Classic Clip: AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels vs. LAX from Bound For Glory 2006. Incredible match.

Katarina comes in to see Joe Hendry and Grado, hitting on the latter a bit due to the success of last week’s music video. That’s going to be another access denied. Katarina expected this and introduces MURDER CLOWN (he’s a clown who MURDERS you), who will be facing Hendry next week.

Scarlett Bordeaux (in a rather nice blue dress) is on the roof to recap her time in the promotion so far. She’s introducing a global talent search, with the winner getting her full time attention. I’ve heard worse ideas.

Desi Hit Squad vs. LAX

Non-title and why yes LAX is indeed over in Mexico. Raju and Santana start things off but it’s quickly off to Ortiz for a double belly to back suplex. A running knee to the face cuts Ortiz off though as the announcers talk about being Scarlett’s servant. Singh comes in for a running dropkick/running knee combination to the face in the corner as the fans are really not thrilled with watching LAX get beaten down.

Santana pulls Singh to the floor for a superkick and Ortiz makes the tag a few seconds later. The fans almost politely applaud Santana cleaning a few rooms of the house as the double teaming begins. Ortiz uses Santana for a platform into a moonsault onto Singh with Raju making the save. The legsweep into the Backstabber combination gets two on Santana until Ortiz Death Valley Drives Raju into Singh in the corner. The Street Sweeper gives LAX the pin at 7:29.

Rating: D. I’m not sure what it means when your main appeal as a team is your old manager is funny when he yells at you. That’s about all the Desi Hit Squad is good for and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. They’re just two guys who can do some average moves and that’s not going to get you very far. Dull match here as LAX winning was never in doubt but we had to sit through the Squad’s insomnia curing offense anyway.

Post match King and the OGz pop up on screen to talk about Konnan’s legend, even showing off some old magazine clips of Konnan as a top star in Mexico. Konnan was wearing a mask back then and King happens to have it right now. Then Konnan started leeching off of people like Art Barr and Eddie Guerrero, just like he’s leeching off of LAX right now. The mask is burned after a solid promo from King, who has come out looking like a star in this whole thing.

Abyss Hall of Fame video.

KM is still injured so Fallah Bahh sings him a lullaby (seriously) and puts a blanked over him. As Bahh leaves, KM calls him back and tells him to get revenge for the two of them.

Tessa accepts Taya’s challenge, even though Taya disappeared when Tessa showed up in the first place. Isn’t that interesting.

Kiera Hogan/Allie vs. Undead Maid of Honor/Su Yung

Allie shoves Su into the corner to start but it’s quickly off to the Maid to do the dirty work. Kiera comes in for a low superkick into a backsplash from Allie for a quick two. The Maid is right back with a springboard spinning crossbody for two but Kiera kicks her right back down into the corner.

It’s back to Allie for a running clothesline, only to have Su come in for a kick to the face. Not that the announcers notice this as they’re too busy talking about Bound For Glory’s sponsor. A Backstabber puts Su down but the Maid pulls Kiera off the apron. Allie ducks a running clothesline though and now it’s off to Kiera to clean house. Stereo kicks put the Maid down and Kiera hits a fisherman’s neckbreaker to finish Su at 6:57.

Rating: D+. I really was expecting more from Yung when she debuted, even though she felt like Rosemary Lite at times. That being said, her one Knockouts Title reigns feels like an afterthought now and she’s taking losses in tag team matches to women not even on the upcoming pay per view. That’s a heck of a drop and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Rich Swann wants to see Matt Sydal’s two eyes instead of his third eye. They’re fighting next week. Good for them.

Eddie Edwards/Johnny Impact vs. Moose/Killer Kross

Aries is at ringside. Moose runs from Eddie to start so Kross goes after Eddie instead. Impact comes in after only a few seconds as it’s a lot of staring early on. It’s already back to Eddie so Moose runs again, meaning we get more Impact as they’re certainly tagging fast to start. Kross runs Impact over though and we take a break.

A leg lariat gets two and the sliding German suplex in the corner drops Kross again. The Countdown to Impact misses and there’s a double clothesline to put them both down. That means another double tag as Eddie comes in to chop Moose. A super hurricanrana gets two as Kross makes the save. Kross sends Impact into the barricade but Impact climbs the thing, rolls back off and hits the Moonlight Drive.

Back in and the Flying Chuck into a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Moose so Kross comes back in, leading to a four way strike off. Aries comes in with the belt but Impact knocks him down, only to get caught with the Saito suplex. Eddie hits Kross with the kendo stick but walks into a spear to give Moose the pin at 16:25.

Rating: C+. Not the most thrilling main event tag in the world but it did its job just fine. I’m still not sure what everyone not named Impact is going to be doing at Bound For Glory but Eddie vs. Moose seems likely. If that’s the case, this makes sense as an ending as it lets crazy Eddie want a match against Moose, perhaps with the kendo stick legal. At least Impact didn’t do the job here though, and that’s what matters most.

Overall Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one again as the build isn’t the best in the world. Both the World Title and Knockouts Title matches for Bound For Glory were set up by someone coming out and saying “yo I want a title shot” and that’s not the most thrilling method in the world. Nothing on here was horrible, but at the same time there was nothing that made me interested in seeing Bound For Glory. They have two weeks left and that problem needs to be solved sooner rather than later.

Results

Tessa Blanchard b. Faby Apache – Hammerlock DDT

Brian Cage b. Jake Crist – Drill Claw

LAX b. Desi Hit Squad – Street Sweeper to Singh

Allie/Kiera Hogan b. Undead Maid of Honor/Su Yung – Fisherman’s neckbreaker to Yung

Killer Kross/Moose b. Johnny Impact/Eddie Edwards – Spear to Edwards

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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