IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: March 22, 2019
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

It’s title time as Rich Swann defends the X-Division Title against Sami Callihan, who is ticked off over Swann turning down the chance to join OVE. Other than that we’re likely to get some fallout from Johnny Impact turning heel last week, which is probably best for everyone. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at everything going on around here, including Moose beating up the Rascalz, Jordynne Grace becoming #1 contender and the World Title situation.

Opening sequence.

Moose vs. Trey Miguel

Fallout from the Rascalz making fun of their clothes and not getting anywhere with Melissa Santos. Miguel goes for the legs to start and actually pulls off a hurricanrana. Moose gets sent to the floor a few times but a suicide dive won’t even put him off his feet. The second attempt is countered into a release apron bomb but Trey slips out of another one and kicks Moose in the face. Something like a 619 is countered with a swing into the steps (geez) and Moose hammers at the head inside.

A heck of a clothesline looks to set up a superplex but Moose slips out and hits a quick superkick. There’s a missile dropkick to send Moose outside for the required flip dive as we keep up with the all the required big man vs. little man tropes. Moose isn’t really phased by a frog splash but the discus lariat misses. An enziguri gives Trey two but Moose has had it and sends him into the post twice in a row. The No Jackhammer Needed spear finishes Miguel at 9:22.

Rating: C+. This was a fun big vs. little match and it’s not like the Rascalz are hurt by losing to a main event star. There’s a good chance that the feud isn’t done and that’s not a bad thing, as anything that gives the Rascalz a potentially big win is a positive thing. They’re that good and I could go for a lot more of them.

Sami Callihan isn’t sure how he’s going to hurt Rich Swann but he’s walking out as champion.

Tessa Blanchard says Impact is completely responsible for Gail Kim’s actions. First up, Kim needs to make a public apology.

The announcers preview the show.

KM/Fallah Bahh vs. Eli Drake/Eddie Edwards

Bahh shoulders Drake down to start and we go to a gator roll to keep him in trouble. KM comes in and doesn’t do as well, allowing a tag off to Eddie to crank on the arm. A superkick to the ribs cuts KM off as everything breaks down. Drake puts KM on top for a superplex but Bahh runs Drake over. That earns him a trip to the floor and a suicide dive from Eddie. That means it’s Kenny time but Eddie gets caught. That’s fine as he throws it to Drake and since the referees aren’t that bright, KM takes a shot to the head and it’s the Boston Knee Party for the pin at 4:59.

Rating: D+. Edwards and Drake continue their nice roll as a team and that seems likely to set them up for a title shot, likely at Rebellion. The Lucha Bros and LAX are both awesome but you can only have those two fight for so long until they need something else. Then again there’s always the chance that Drake turns on him, which would seem to be his nature.

Taya Valkyrie grabs Melendez (the annoying interviewer) by the throat for asking why Johnny Impact turned on Brian Cage last week.

GWN Flashback Moment of the Week: Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson from Against All Odds (though this might just be the international version, as the American show might have aired Fenix vs. Brian Cage from the Impact vs. Lucha Underground show last year).

Melendez gets thrown in the trash for being annoying.

Swann tells Willie Mack that he’ll be one on one with Sami tonight. Mack promises to take care of OVE but here’s Ethan Page to say he’s coming for Mack tonight.

Ace Austin vs. Damian Hyde

Ace starts fast with a trip into a basement dropkick to send Hyde to the floor. A handstand on the apron makes Hyde miss and it’s the Space Flying Tiger Drop to keep Hyde in trouble. Back in and Austin hits a springboard kick to the head and a middle rope Swanton. A double stomp to the back of the head sets up the Fold for the pin at 3:08.

Rating: C-. Total and complete squash here, which is what should have happened when Austin debuted. The important thing here was letting him come out there and get in all of his cool offense, which Austin can do quite well. I’ve liked Austin in all the promotions I’ve seen him in and having him in Impact is a good move.

Video on Sami Callihan vs. Rich Swann with Swann turning down the offers to join OVE and laying all of them out.

A Knockout is back in two weeks. Odds are that’s Madison Rayne.

Here are Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie for the big explanation with Callis ripping them apart on commentary. Johnny has been asked by everyone from local news to TMZ. He did it because of the internet smart marks (oh here we go) who are watching this stuff for the crashes. They liked him and then they saw Cage, who got ripped off at Homecoming. Impact had to sit in a room with that moron who just doesn’t get it. How can Impact be loyal to the fans when no one is loyal to him? He cheated on the fans with himself and loved it.

As for Taya, she’s not worried about facing Jordynne Grace next week but would rather complain about how the fans treated Johnny. There might not be a title match next week because they have the power and they make the rules. Johnny says the only things that matter to him are the title and his wife. This was one of the more generic “you turned on me” promos I’ve heard in a good while, which is fine enough and not the worst idea, though the smart marks line didn’t really add a thing.

Rosemary comes in to see James Mitchell because she’s gotten Allie’s meat suit and not her soul. Mitchell says he was a man of his word but if Rosemary has a problem, she can talk to him, whoever that is. She’ll go to the undead realm and get the Bunny’s soul back.

Video on Jordynne Grace defeating Tessa Blanchard to become #1 contender.

Ethan Page vs. Willie Mack

Page jumps him in the corner to start and sends Mack into another corner for an elbow to the face. That just earns Page a Samoan drop into a standing moonsault and they head outside. Page kicks him in the face for two back inside as the fans are behind Chocolate Thunder. That switches to an ETHAN SUCKS chant so he puts on a chinlock and shouts about how the chants mean nothing.

Mack fights up with a shotgun dropkick into the corner for the running hip attack. A DDT gets two but Mack gets caught with an Iconoclasm out of the corner, setting up a middle rope elbow for another near fall. Mack finally goes simple by kicking Page in the head and hitting the Stunner for the pin at 5:59.

Rating: C+. Page has grown on me a lot in recent weeks and Mack is still one of the most charismatic guys on the roster. These two could have a very nice program or even a longer match down the road and I wouldn’t be complaining. That’s a pretty good place to be for what should be just a quick one off match like this and again suggests that the future is bright around here, assuming they don’t all get signed away.

Melendez annoys Johnny and Taya again so Johnny says he smells like hot garbage. They run into Killer Kross, who whispers something to him, which seems to please Johnny.

Video on Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Glenn Gilbertti.

Melendez goes up to Gilbertti, who is doing shots to train. The match with Scarlett is going to be one star, after six stars for Glenn and negative five for hers, making it the highest rated match ever involving a woman.

Gail Kim is going to apologize and resign from her position to appease Tessa’s lawyers. Can we PLEASE just get to the match already?

LAX and the Lucha Bros get in a rather intense fight in the hallway. Konnan comes in to yell as security breaks it up.

The Crist Brothers jump Mack in a locker room…but he’s ready for them and lays them out with a chair.

X-Division Title: Rich Swann vs. Sami Callihan

Sami is challenging and doesn’t seem to know that the Brothers aren’t a factor. Swann isn’t wasting time and goes straight at Sami, knocking him tot he floor for a big flip dive. That earns him the spit chop but Swann isn’t about to be dropped on the steps. The piledriver on the steps is broken up and Swann hits a running clothesline off said steps. An exploder suplex onto the ramp cuts the champ off though and we take a break.

Back with Swann caught in a chinlock, followed by another spit chop in the corner. The neck crank goes on and Callihan pulls on the mouth for a painful visual. That’s let go for an elbow and it’s right back to the chinlock. Thankfully Swann fights up and gets in a jawbreaker, followed by a running headscissors. A top rope hurricanrana gives Swann two and he can’t believe the kickout. Callihan pops up with a piledriver into a knee to the face into Get Out Of Here for two and his own surprised reaction.

Swann gets the better of an exchange of kicks to the head, setting up the middle rope 450 for two. A super hurricanrana is countered into a super Jackknife, followed by an STF of all things. Swann breaks that up and makes the rope, setting up a huge spit in the face from Sami. That earns Callihan a Lethal Injection but he avoids the Phoenix splash. Swann is fine enough to grab a rollup to retain at 15:03.

Rating: B. This was the big showdown between these two and, as usual, Swann showed that he could hang in the main event settings. It’s a good match and while Sami losing didn’t help things, he’s the kind of guy who can be built up again in short order. That’s the perk of having lackeys: as long as you have them there to beat people up, you look like a monster all over again.

Post match Sami knocks Swann down and grabs a chair, only to get kicked in the face. Cue the debuting Madman (Sawyer) Fulton to chokeslam Swann. Mack comes in for the save and gets dropped as well, allowing Sami to hit Swann in the throat with the baseball bat to end the show. Fulton has been around Sami before and is a great fit for a monster enforcer.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty good show this week with some rather nice matches and a good debut to wrap things up. As mentioned, the future looks promising as they’ve signed up some talent with a lot of potential and that means we should be able to get some more shows like this (if not better) in the future. Good show this week, and one of their better in recent memory. The lack of the same main event matches has no connection to this whatsoever I’m sure.

Results

Moose b. Trey Miguel – No Jackhammer Needed

Eli Drake/Eddie Edwards b. KM/Fallah Bahh – Boston Knee Party to KM

Ace Austin b. Damian Hyde – The Fold

Willie Mack b. Ethan Page – Stunner

Rich Swann b. Sami Callihan – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

So I took in the OVW vs. Impact Wrestling One Night Only Show in Louisville’s Davis Arena on Saturday night. That would be the same place where John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar and Batista among others got their start (for all intent and purpose). It was a long night and mostly fun, but there was one problem.

I managed to delete my notes because that’s what I get for trying to take notes on my phone instead of on paper as I usually do. Since the show is debuting this weekend I’ll wait for the full thing to do an entire review, but here are some quick highlights.

The Davis Arena is a warehouse on the outskirts of Louisville and if you don’t know it’s there, you would never find the place as it’s the second warehouse from the road. The place holds about 350 seats (400 at best) but there’s certainly a feeling that some important stuff has gone on in here. As you walk in through a small hallway, there are some drawn pictures of some of the legends who have worked there, which is a really nice touch.

I paid for the meet and greet (total cost including general admission seating: $20 for one of the best bargains I can ever remember) with most of the roster, which was quite the disorganized mess and not really worth the extra $10 on top of the ticket. Most of the Impact wrestlers were there while the OVW wrestlers were mainly ignored. I got a handshake from Brian Cage (nice guy), Eddie Edwards (who apologized for being on his phone as I came up and seemed to be having a good time) and Moose (who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else).

Sami Callihan was at the end and I’ve never seen someone who can go from calm and polite (asked him to sign my card that they gave you upon entry and he shook my hand, smiled a bit and handed it back with a thank you for one of the most polite exchanges I’ve ever had) to on in the blink of an eye. Once I got to my seat, you could see Callihan doing various shenanigans with fans, including clapping along for random chants, being carried about by (the gigantic) Sawyer Fulton or just being an energetic guy oozing charisma. He stood out more than anyone else on the show by a mile and it’s easy to see why he’s become a big deal in the last few years.

Since a lot of the show was built around OVW talents I won’t go into all of the matches here but there were some highlights:

Sinn Bodhi (Kizarny) is doing the I’m A Weird Freak thing and actually comes off as weird for a change, which is a nice surprise.

Madison Rayne (who walked by me at the meet and greet as she was setting up) might have had her return match for Impact here and blew away every woman in OVW. The women they haven’t aren’t bad but you can see the difference in experience and quality.

One of OVW’s younger guys is named Justin Smooth, a tall guy with a good build. He’s got a long way to go but there’s some potential there.

Johnny Impact was an unannounced surprise and got involved in a match which became a three way for the World Title. You would think you might advertise an OVW legend but the show was already sold out so it’s not the biggest mistake in the world. He and Eddie Edwards worked most of the match with OVW mainstay Adam Revolver, who did enough to make this match of the night.

The OVW act that really made an impression was a tag team called King’s Ransom, a pair of brothers (Leonis and Maximus Khan. They may be twins but they’re close enough that you need to look at them closely to tell a difference.) who look like muscular Usos and wrestle a power style. From what I can tell they’re still in their rookie year, with the first match I can find for them coming in April 2018. They have a lot of work to do (promos are far from great) but that look and style is going to get them somewhere. The two of them stood out, which doesn’t often happen on a show like this.

Speaking of not standing out, current OVW Champion Tony Gunn is….nothing special to put it mildly. He’s a guy in trunks whose nickname is Shotgun Tony Gunn, who calls himself the Gunn Show and stands 5’11 and weighs 200lbs. His promos are rather weak as well and I don’t get what OVW sees in him. He and Callihan (who have been doing an angle on OVW TV) were the main event, which went about 28 minutes and featured a ton of interference from Impact and OVW wrestlers. It was good, but Gunn isn’t someone I can ever picture myself caring about.

Overall, it was a fun night and you can’t beat the price (Seriously, $20 for a show and meet and greet with free parking?), plus getting to go to the Davis Arena, which is an important place in wrestling history, was the real highlight. Good show, and hopefully that holds up on the broadcast.

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: March 1, 2019
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

The Las Vegas swing continues as we continue to build towards Rebellion. The big story coming out of last week was LAX seemingly turning heel by attacking and unmasking the Lucha Bros, though LAX was provoked. Other than that it’s the same World Title scene we’ve had for months now as Brian Cage is chasing the title with Moose and Killer Kross running around too. Let’s get to it.

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

Standard opening recap, meaning it’s well done.

Opening sequence.

Willie Mack vs. Jake Crist

Dave Crist is in Jake’s corner. Mack isn’t wasting time and Thesz presses Jake for some right hands. A swinging slam gets two as the fans are behind Chocolate Thunder. Jake sends him outside for a suicide dive, a flip dive and a diving tornado DDT for a good looking trio. Back in and Jake’s high crossbody is countered into a Samoan drop with a standing moonsault getting two. The Codebreaker connects but Dave shoves Mack off the top for the DQ at 3:23.

Rating: C. It was exciting while it lasted but you can only get so much out of a three minute match that existed to set up an angle. There’s something so engaging about Mack and that was on display here. The Crists are both very talented as well and they got to show it off in the limited ring time here.

Post match Tommy Dreamer (egads) comes out, saying he’s spent thirty years trying to write the wrongs of pro wrestling (Fan: “THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL WRESTLING?”). The match is on after the break.

Tommy Dreamer/Willie Mack vs. Crist Brothers

Tommy goes straight to the food from the crowd as we head inside for the opening bell. Some double elbows and a jumping legdrop get two on Jake and it’s time to start in on the arm. A blind tag lets Dave come in and it’s a top rope backsplash to Dreamer’s eternally injured back. The chinlock lasts even shorter than usual so Dreamer fails at a sunset flip attempt to keep himself in trouble.

An enziguri gives Jake two and it’s off to another quickly broken chinlock. With the holds not working, Jake goes up and gets superplexed right back down. Mack comes in to pick up the pace and the Stunner sends Jake outside. That leaves Dave to take a Death Valley Driver into the frog splash from Mack for the pin at 6:46.

Rating: D+. Dreamer comes in, does his Dreamer thing, and leaves. I’m glad Mack got a win, though you would think there would be a better choice to pair him with than Dreamer. At least he didn’t pin one of the Crists, even if he’s someone who doesn’t exactly offer much in terms of value, mainly due to him always being around in so many promotions.

Johnny Impact doesn’t like the implication that he’s handing out title matches as favors. The only reason Brian cage hasn’t gotten a title shot is the interference from Killer Kross and Moose. Just get rid of them and the title match is there.

KM/Fallah Bahh vs. Reno Scum

I didn’t get Scum back then and I don’t get them now. Adam Thornstone tries to slam Bahh for some reason and the pain is on in a hurry. KM comes in for some elbows in the corner but gets taken into the other corner so the beating can begin. A standing legdrop gets KM out of trouble and it’s back to Bahh for a running crossbody. Back to back rolls crush Luster and it’s a Rocket Launcher into a Samoan drop to finish Thornstone at 4:36.

Rating: D. Yeah I still don’t get them. Scum are two guys with an uninteresting look who don’t do anything in the ring that sets them apart. I’m not a fan of KM and Bahh either but they’re certainly better than what Scum was doing. They’re not a good team and I’m not sure why Impact brought them back in.

Post match Scum beats them up to try and get some heat.

Glenn Gilbertti annoys Ethan Page and runs into producer D’Lo Brown. He finally gets into the creative office and thinks we should have an X-Division tournament. The unseen creative laughs at him instead and sends him off for coffee. Gilbertti: “I’ve booked with Vince before!” Voice: “Wrong Vince!” I get the joke and laughter isn’t coming.

KM and Bahh want revenge.

United We Stand rundown.

GWN Flashback Moment of the Week: LAX defends the Tag Team Titles against Killshot/The Mack at Impact vs. Lucha Underground from last April.

Eli Drake congratulates Eddie Edwards on his win but says he won too. It was Eli drawing out the old Eddie last week and Eddie got a win. They can win the Tag Team Titles together but Eddie is fine with Kenny as his partner.

Scarlett Bordeaux’s in-ring debut is next week.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Delilah Doom

Fallout from Tessa attacking Delilah last week. It’s a fight to start with Doom hammering away and hurricanranaing her down. A top rope armdrag does it again but Tessa counters another hurricanrana into a sitout powerbomb. Tessa’s Saito suplex gets a delayed two as she’s not exactly intimidated here. A running elbow to the back misses though and Doom scores with a 619. Doom gets two off a crucifix bomb but Tessa powers her up and gets the Buzzsaw DDT for the pin at 5:00.

Rating: C-. This was a nicely done story with Tessa breaking a bit of a sweat against the newcomer, who got to show off a little bit here. There wasn’t much of a doubt here but at least they tried to make you believe that Doom could pull off the upset. Tessa is gearing up for her big showdown with Gail Kim though, which may or may not be the best idea.

Tessa says she’s getting her rematch for the title or else.

Cage says he can team with Impact if the World Title is the prize.

Rosemary is excited about the challenge for the war and tells Kiera Hogan to stay out of it. Kiera isn’t happy with that suggestion so Rosemary agrees to let her fight. But once Allie is back, they’re done.

Ethan Page vs. Zachary Wentz

Wentz flips out of a very early wristlock and Page isn’t sure what to do with this kind of speed. A handspring elbow is countered into something close to an F5 and a tilt-a-whirl faceplant gives Page two. The chinlock goes on so Wentz comes back with an enziguri into a shooting star for two of his own. Wentz’s dive is countered into a butterfly backbreaker of all things but Page stops to yell at the NFL alumni and gets in a shoving match with one of them. With Page distracted, Wentz hits a big springboard dive, followed by a springboard cutter for the pin at 4:55.

Rating: C. Match of the night so far though that’s not saying much. Wentz and the rest of the Rascalz are a fun team to watch and can have entertaining matches with anyone. Page isn’t bad either as I’m digging his stuff more often than not and this was no exception. Doing something with the NFL people is fine for a short story and I can’t imagine it’s going to be more than that.

Gilbertti talks to Dreamer and says he was hired as the new suckup. They find the Anthem owl and Dreamer throws him into a room with the thing. Gilbertti comes out and spits feathers.

Ace Austin is coming next week.

We recap Rich Swann vs. Sami Callihan, who were friends back in the day but now Swann wants nothing to do with him, including joining OVE. That’s not cool with Sami, who wants to be paid back by corrupting Swann like he does to everyone else.

Moose and Kross agree to work together. How many times have we heard something like this? Moose: “Tick friggin tock.”

LAX says they treated the Lucha Bros like they would treat anyone else that disrespects them. Konnan freaks out and says that’s not what he wanted so next week he’ll handle things. LAX better not screw it up.

Preview of next week’s show.

Moose/Killer Kross vs. Johnny Impact/Brian Cage

Kross and Cage slug it out to start with Cage picking him up for a backbreaker. Impact slingshots in with a legdrop and punches Kross into a corner for the tag off to Moose. That goes badly for Moose as well as he gets sent into the corner for some running elbows. A superkick into a gutwrench suplex sends Kross flying and we take a break.

Back with Moose’s rake of the eyes allowing the tag to Kross, who gets kicked in the face. The apron superplex sets up Impact’s breakdancing legdrop but Johnny stays on the mat, holding his neck. He’s fine enough to crawl over to Cage for the tag and it’s a spinebuster to plant Kross. Cage fights away but gets kicked out to the floor and here are the referees to check on Impact.

It’s enough of a distraction for Kross to hit Cage with the belt to bust him open. Back in and Moose hammers on the cut before dropping the backsplash for no cover. The bloody Cage gets pulled back to the corner as Johnny is checked on the floor. Cage and Moose trade clotheslines and Cage manages an F5 to Kross. Cue Taya Valkyrie to check on her husband as the Krossjacket Choke with a spear are enough to knock Cage out at 14:50.

Rating: C+. Again more storytelling than wrestling here, but the problem is how late they’ve waited to get to something interesting in the story. This feels like an Impact heel turn as Cage trusted him when he shouldn’t have and it allows Impact to avoid facing Cage again. Not a bad match at all though and it advanced the story, which was the point.

Impact is carried out and Cage is unconscious to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This ranged from pretty lame to fine and that’s about what I’ve grown to expect from the regular shows around here. Some of the stories are moderately interesting but there’s not enough to make me want to see the show week to week. I would say there’s been more good than bad though and the big bad hasn’t been there, so at least things are stable instead of all over the place. In this case, that’s a great relief.

Results

Willie Mack b. Jake Crist via DQ when Dave Crist interfered

Tommy Dreamer/Willie Mack b. Crist Brothers – Frog splash to Dave

KM/Fallah Bahh b. Reno Scum – Rocket Launcher into a Samoan drop to Thornstone

Tessa Blanchard b. Delilah Doom – Buzzsaw DDT

Zachary Wentz b. Ethan Page – Springboard cutter

Killer Kross/Moose b. Johnny Impact/Brian Cage – Krossjacket Choke to Cage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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: February 15, 2019
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re still in Mexico City and the big story coming out of last week saw the Lucha Bros become the new Tag Team Champions with about 184 piledrivers. The big question now is where things go from here, though tonight being the Uncaged special should help a lot. That means a stacked card, including the World Cup match (meaning a company vs. company tag) and a four way for the World Title. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at tonight’s big matches, mainly focusing on the World Cup and the World Title. Makes sense.

Opening sequence.

Knockouts Title: Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie

Street fight with Tessa challenging while wearing jeans and a shirt that her dad wore back in the 80s. Tessa charges up the ramp with a chair but gets taken down for some right hands. They get inside with a table already set up in the corner as Tessa loads up a chair in the corner. Taya runs her over and sends things outside but takes too long posing, allowing Tessa to blast her in the head. A running dropkick drives a chair into Taya’s head into the barricade but the champ is back with a sign shot.

Tessa takes a beer to the face but she wraps a chair around Taya’s neck and drives it into the post. Since this is modern wrestling, Taya is up without much damage done. Back in and we hit the choke with a cable cord and it’s time to rip off Taya’s shirt. Taya finally manages to send her into the chair in the corner, followed by a chair driving a metal sheet between Tessa’s legs. Tessa is right back up and throws in a bunch of chairs, one of which is pelted at her head.

Taya gets thrown onto a pile of chairs though and we take a break. Back with the two of them sitting in the chairs for a slap off until Taya kicks a chair into Tessa’s face for two. A spear drives Taya into the table in the corner but they bounce off for a good visual. It works so well that they do it again and the thing still doesn’t break. Tessa loads up a regular table but gets shoved outside for a big plancha from the top. Back in and Taya hits a top rope double stomp through the table to retain at 17:56.

Rating: B-. They beat each other up here and it felt like a fight, which is exactly the point. Taya needs a fresh challenger and while Tessa is still the best in the whole division, it’s time for someone to take her place. She can be back later on with no issues as she’s that good, though they had a good match here to wrap up the feud.

The announcers preview the show.

GWN Flashback of the Week: Team Impact vs. Team AAA from Bound For Glory 2017. At least it ties into later tonight.

Team Impact is ready to win tonight but they’re not sure on the team captain. Sami Callihan goes to take care of something so Eli Drake takes charge and gives them a pep talk.

Ethan Page vs. Willie Mack

Mack is now Hot Chocolate. Page slugs away to start but Mack does a dancing handstand in the corner because he can. A double nipple twist has Page in more trouble so he grabs a running DDT to take him down. Mack’s suplex puts Page down but a middle rope enziguri of all things (that’s a new one) gives Page two. Mack hits his running strikes in the corner, including the reverse Cannonball. A standing moonsault gets two so Page kicks him in the head a few times. Those have limited effect on Mack’s hard head and the Stunner finishes Page at 5:03.

Rating: C-. Didn’t have time to go anywhere but Mack is ready to break into the next level. That’s the case with every promotion he’s in and for some reason it just never happens. This might be the place though as Mack is getting pushed well enough around here and stays on TV, even in a quick match like this one.

Killer Kross says tonight is like a 3-1 handicap match for Johnny. Everyone pays the toll.

The Crist Brothers follow Mack and seem to jump him.

Team AAA speaks Spanish.

Here’s Sami Callihan for a chat. Everyone knows he and Rich Swann are brothers and what Swann said last week is fake news. Sami has given him multiple chances to join OVE so tonight is the final offer. A serious Swann comes out and throws the shirt away again so the fight is on. Sami gets the better of it and piledrives Swann on the stage, followed by a toss through a table.

World Cup: Team Impact vs. Team AAA

Impact: Fallah Bahh, Eli Drake, Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan

AAA: Hijo Del Vikingo, Aerostar, Puma King, Psycho Clown

Elimination rules and thankfully we get a mention of Callihan vs. Drake from last year. Clown and Callihan slug it out to start as Callis wonders if Callihan can be traded to Mexico. A middle rope crossbody takes Callihan down and it’s off to Aerostar for a top rope corkscrew crossbody, followed by a Codebreaker in the corner. Drake comes in and hammers away but Aerostar quickly brings in Vikingo.

The pace pics up and the fast tags begin, capped off by King brainbustering Edwards for two. That’s enough to bring Bahh in for the first time with a belly to belly suplex planting King. Everyone comes in for the big staredown but wind up on the floor just as fast. Back in and King snaps off a running hurricanrana to Edwards.

Aerostar hits the first running dive (How did we not get to one of those yet?) and Bahh dives off the apron for a bonus. Vikingo adds a crazy springboard inverted moonsault before going up again, only to get powerslammed down by Drake. It’s time for the kendo stick but Edwards doesn’t like it, allowing King to roll Drake up for the elimination at 9:01.

Back from a break with Callihan chinlocking King until Bahh slams Callihan onto him for a near fall. Since Bahh isn’t very good, a single shot slows him down and it’s off to Vikingo to springboard Codebreak Callihan. Vikingo gets to clean house and kicks Bahh into the corner without much effort. A dive is countered into a powerslam though and Vikingo is out at 15:49. Aerostar comes in for a variety of dropkicks before avoiding a Banzai Drop to pin Bahh at 16:40.

It’s Edwards in now and a rolling cutter takes him down, only to have the Boston Knee Party take care of Aerostar at 17:39. We’re down to King/Clown vs. Callihan/Edwards and King powerbombs Callihan for two. Not to be outdone, Callihan piledrives King for the elimination at 18:39 to continue the rapid fire eliminations. Clown says bring it on and beats both of them up in a hurry until a Boston Knee Party takes him down.

Not so fast though as Sami wants the pin and gets rolled up to make it one on one at 20:06. They slug it out with Eddie being sent outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Clown gets two off Sliced Bread #2 but here’s Drake to hit Edwards with the kendo stick. Clown grabs la majistral for the final pin at 23:12.

Rating: C+. The best thing I can give this one is that it didn’t feel long and the right team won, though it’s not like this means anything long term. To be fair though, it’s not like it was supposed to and the whole World Cup thing is just a nice bit of marketing. All in all, it’s perfectly watchable and that’s not a bad thing to have going for you.

Reno Scumm is coming back. Dang it why?

We look back at the Lucha Bros taking the Tag Team Titles from LAX.

Konnan is going to get LAX one more shot but that’s it.

Allie and Su Yung are panicking about Rosemary, who seems to hack the feed.

Scarlett Bordeaux is in bed in lingerie and promises to make her in-ring debut in Las Vegas.

Next week: Edwards vs. Drake.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Johnny Impact vs. Brian Cage vs. Killer Kross vs. Moose

Impact is defending and it’s one fall to a finish. Moose gets low bridged outside early on and it’s time to kick people in the head. Cage sends the champ outside though and it’s the big flip dive onto all three of them. Back in and it’s a double powerbomb to plant Impact but Moose and Kross fight over the pin. I’m as shocked as you are but the alliance actually continues, this time with a double teaming on Cage.

Shockingly enough, Moose rolls Kross up for two and there’s the first suplex to Moose. Impact gets back up and starts cleaning house until Moose kicks him in the head. The chokebomb out of the corner gets two on Impact but Cage German suplexes both other monsters at the same time. Everyone hits everyone in the face until Impact’s springboard spear hits Cage for a four way knockdown.

It’s Impact up first and they all heads to the corner for the required Tower of Doom. Instead of covering, Kross switches gears a bit with a cross armbreaker on Impact but Cage makes the save with a dragon sleeper to Kross. It’s Kross up again with some suplexes all around but Impact kicks him in the face for two more. A pop up powerbomb into a backsplash gives Moose two, only to walk into the Drill Claw from Cage. Impact is right up with Starship Pain for the pin on Moose at 10:37, just as Cage had Kross pinned off the Drill Claw.

Rating: B-. It was entertaining while it lasted and the more I think about it, the more I think it should have been a bit shorter like this. The problem is that it’s still not a great story and Cage has no reason to be annoyed here because he lost the match completely clean. I’m not sure why this is going to keep going, even though it feels like it has been forever already.

Overall Rating: B+. This was one of the action shows and that’s where Impact works best. The worst match was the short Mack vs. Page match and even that was perfectly watchable. What we got here was almost all wrestling and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially when Impact isn’t the best storytelling company in the world. I had a very good time here and it worked quite well with one of their better shows in a long time.

Results

Taya Valkyrie b. Tessa Blanchard – Top rope double stomp through a table

Willie Mack b. Ethan Page – Stunner

Team AAA b. Team Impact – La majistral to Edwards

Johnny Impact b. Moose, Killer Kross and Brian Cage – Starship Pain to Moose

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: February 1, 2019
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

We’re still in Mexico and last week, that was a good thing. There’s all kinds of extra talent to throw in there and you never know what kind of surprises you’re going to find. Some of the stuff around here has been rather good as of late and there’s a strong chance they’ll keep that going. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks back at last week’s big stories. As usual, the main event scene doesn’t feel like anything that stands above the rest in the slightest.

Opening sequence.

Lucha Bros/Taurus vs. LAX/Daga

It’s a big staredown to start until Santana and Pentagon actually get things going. There’s no contact in the first minute so Fenix flips in to dropkick Santana down. Everything breaks down (well duh) and Daga hits the big flip dive onto Taurus. It’s back to Santana and Pentagon for a chop off as I’m very glad they’re going with lucha rules here as it’s the only logical move. Santana backflips into a rolling cutter for two on Taurus and Ortiz gets two off a splash.

A little miscommunication lets Fenix come in with a dropkick to Ortiz’s back but he grabs a Blue Thunder Bomb to drop Fenix. The double tags bring Taurus and Daga back in with Daga getting two off a bridging German suplex. Ortiz sends Taurus outside and it’s time for the parade of dives. Fenix hits a CRAZY high one and we take a break. Back with all six inside and a spike Fear Factor finishes Ortiz at 14:53. The post break stuff was less than a minute.

Rating: B-. Exactly what it needed to be here as we continue to move towards the big rematch with the Lucha Bros likely winning the titles in Mexico for a cool moment. These guys are incredibly entertaining and that’s exactly what a match like this was supposed to be. Just let them go nuts and set up the big match down the line while waking the fans up for the start of a show. Exactly what it should have been.

Post match Pentagon lays out the challenge for the rematch next week. It’s on.

The announcers preview the show.

Killer Kross and Moose are fired up for their tag match with Brian Cage and Johnny Impact. A lot of shouting ensues.

Konnan tells Santana and Ortiz to be ready for next week. He wants them to keep it professional and they’re cool with that.

GWN Flashback of the Week: a triple threat tag match for the Tag Team Titles with a date not important enough to mention. LAX retained though.

Su Yung/Allie vs. Kiera Hogan/Jordynne Grace

Grace isn’t about to get jumped from behind and shrugs both of them off without much effort. Allie gets thrown into Yung and it’s Hogan coming in for two off a splash. A dropkick sends Yung into the corner for a running hip attack (Hogan keeps pointing at them so it makes sense that she would attack with them). Grace comes in for a fall away slam and it’s off to Allie, who gets dropped in a hurry as well. Yung tries some mist but Allie uses the distraction to nail a superkick on the floor and take over for the first time.

Back in and Su seems to freak out a bit but it’s just a way to draw Kiera in. See, she’s crazy and smart at the same time. A double leg snap keeps Grace in trouble and we hit the chinlock. Grace starts shrugging off clotheslines and runs Allie over, allowing….well nothing yet as the lights go out. They come back up with Rosemary having taken Yung’s place and reaching out for a tag. Allie panics though and walks into a fisherman’s neckbreaker to give Hogan the pin at 7:33.

Rating: D. I like the idea of the Dark Allie story with Rosemary wanting to go into the world of darkness to save her friend, but it loses a ton of steam with Allie losing so many times. She’s not a threat and she’s not menacing, but for some reason I should want to see her vanquished? Neither Allie nor Yung have been mentioned in the Knockouts Title hunt so they’re not on a reign of terror or anything, so why should I need to see Allie be saved?

Scarlett Bordeaux knocks Bobo into a pool. This has been your eye candy moment.

Rascalz vs. Eddie Edwards/Eli Drake

Xavier and Wentz for the Rascalz here. Eli has to talk Eddie out of swinging the Singapore cane so Eddie goes in alone to start with Wentz. Eddie works on the arm so Drake tags himself in and gets armbarred for his efforts. A springboard spinning crossbody gives Wentz two and it’s time for the double teaming to begin. Xavier gets two off a double stomp to the back and Wentz adds a slingshot hilo for two of his own.

Eddie is back in and Drake pulls Wentz off the top, much to Eddie’s annoyance. Therefore it’s back to Drake for a side slam and we hit the chinlock. Wentz fights up and hits a handspring knee to the face to drop Eddie. Drake breaks up a hot tag attempt though and comes back in, only to allow the hot tag a few seconds later.

The Rascalz load up a double DDT but Drake reverses into a double northern lights suplex….which gives Wentz two as I guess it was reversed into the DDT after all? It didn’t quite look to connect but close enough. Eddie makes the save and dives onto Wentz before grabbing the stick. The referee isn’t letting that happen so Drake takes it away and knocks Xavier silly. The Gravy Train connects for the pin at 8:36.

Rating: C. I can live with the Rascalz losing to a pair of former World and Tag Team Champions with cheating involved. Drake and Edwards could lead somewhere interesting and I can always go for more Drake on this show, as he’s one of the best things around. The Rascalz are as well and they’re going to be fine going forward.

Post match Eddie isn’t sure what to think.

We look back at Tessa Blanchard attacking Gail Kim.

Tessa sends in a response via Twitter and promises to come back on February 15 to get her title back.

We look back at Sami Callihan offering Rich Swann a spot in OVE.

Swann talks about having no family when he was 18 when he met Sami. They traveled the roads together and became a family. Then Swann learned more about Sami and who he was, so while Swann will always care for him, they aren’t family anymore.

Taya Valkyrie is ready for Tessa and we might as well just make it a street fight.

Fallah Bahh vs. Psycho Clown

Clown is a pretty big star in Mexico so this isn’t a comedy match. He even has Dr. Wagner Jr.’s mask, which is a serious deal around here. Bahh runs him down with the power of the gut to start so Clown forearms him without much avail. Clown gets knocked outside and splashed as Callis doesn’t seem comfortable with clowns in general.

A tear at the mask just annoys Clown, who ties Bahh in the ropes for a top rope double stomp. Clown hits a suicide dive into a running flip dive but Bahh, apparently not a Del Rio fan (And who is?), shrugs it off and hits a belly to belly. A running splash in the corner crushes Clown but a regular version misses, allowing Clown to grab la majistral for the pin at 5:39.

Rating: D. I’ve never cared for Bahh so someone beating him isn’t exactly going to make me care all that much. Clown is a name in Mexico and is going to be involved in the upcoming World Cup competition, but a win over a comedy guy is hardly the way to make him seem like a big deal.

Cage and Impact agree to work together tonight.

Clown fires up Team AAA for the World Cup match against Team Impact.

Preview of next week’s show.

Killer Kross/Moose vs. Johnny Impact/Brian Cage

This still feels like a midcard feud. Moose shoves Impact down and strikes some poses before shouldering him to the mat and doing it again. Impact snaps off a hurricanrana so Moose nips up. A dropkick works better for Johnny so it’s off to Kross vs. Cage, the latter of whom has to tag himself in. Cage shoulders away and slams Kross down but Impact tags himself in as well.

A Moose cheap shot lets Kross throw Impact with a suplex and the villains take over. Kross and Moose take turns stomping away in the corner, which isn’t the most dastardly offense. Moose sends him into another corner to mix things up a little bit before handing it back to Kross for a dragon sleeper. A belly to back suplex gives Moose two but Johnny finally rolls away and makes the hot tag off to Cage.

Everything breaks down and Moose hits the middle rope chokebomb on Cage as Impact tags himself back in. The running knee to the head gets two on Moose and there’s a 619 for good measure. Cage gets in the way of the Flying Chuck though and the near fight lets Moose hit a spear (Cage saw it coming and did nothing to stop it) for the pin (again, with Cage not moving) on Impact at 11:46.

Rating: C-. Again, it’s still just a fine match with nothing beyond that, especially as far as interest goes. The wrestling was watchable and the story has made sense, but there’s nothing going on that makes me want to see where this is going. There’s no reason this needs to be for the World Title, but where else is it supposed to be right now?

Cage leaves on his own to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show was all over the place but what worked was quite good and the bad stuff was more just not my taste than anything else. The stuff they’ve built up for the future sounds good though and that’s one of the best things that you can get out of a show like this. Just let the big stuff deliver and the show will get a lot better.

Results

Lucha Bros/Taurus b. LAX/Daga – Spike Fear Factor to Ortiz

Kiera Hogan/Jordynne Grace b. Su Yung/Allie – Fisherman’s neckbreaker to Allie

Eli Drake/Eddie Edwards b. Rascalz – Gravy Train to Xavier

Psycho Clown b. Fallah Bahh – La majistal

Moose/Killer Kross b. Johnny Impact/Brian Cage – Spear to Impact

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: January 25, 2019
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

We’re south of the border again and that means things should be interesting. It worked well last time, if nothing else due to having a bunch of luchadors included. We’re also getting ready for Johnny Impact vs. Killer Kross for the World Title in a rematch from a few weeks back, but things have changed a bit since then. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

There’s a lot of room between the ring and the barricade. Like way more than almost any arena.

Rich Swann vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo

Non-title. Swann grabs a wristlock to start so Vikingo walks through the ropes for a break. Not bad. They flip away from each other with Swann spinning out of a headscissors in a nice looking counter. Vikingo does his own flip counter before kicking Swann in the head. Makes more sense than flipping. Swann gets sent outside for the big running flip dive but comes right back with a springboard off the barricade. There isn’t much of a spring in a barricade but the idea works the same.

Back in and Swann puts on a seated abdominal stretch, followed by a rather hard kick to the ribs. Vikingo is right back with an enziguri into a fisherman’s buster Jackhammer for two. That’s a new one, as has tended to be the case for Vikingo. Swann catches him with a top rope hurricanrana for two, only to walk into a swinging Rock Bottom. A Michinoku Driver gives Swann two more and the middle rope 450 finishes Vikingo at 9:14.

Rating: B-. I had a good time with this as Swann can more than hang in a lucha style match. Vikingo looked awesome too with some unique offense that was very crisp throughout the whole thing. Swann still needs more competition, but he’s feeling like a star as champion. The fact that the matches are actually taking place almost weekly is a nice bonus as well.

Post match here’s OVE and post break Sami congratulates Rich on his success but it’s time the fans learn the truth about the two of them. They’re close outside of the ring so it’s time for Swann to come home and join OVE for good. Sami says Swann wouldn’t be able to take care of his family without him, which seems to be a step too far for Swann. Rich says the shirt is the right size but the family isn’t the right fit. Sami: “That wasn’t a no!” He wants Swann to keep thinking about it. Sami isn’t great at subtleties.

The announcers preview things.

New interviewer Melissa Santos talks to Killer Kross and Moose, the former of whom says it ends for Johnny Impact tonight. They’re not worried about Brian Cage watching, because Cage had some customs issues and won’t be here.

Jordynne Grace and Kiera Hogan are ready to face Allie and Su Yung next week. They’ve been training you see. Melissa asks about Rosemary so the cameras start to flicker. A message appears on the screen behind them, saying “The Darkness Will Take You Too. This Is Not Your Fight. – R.” Confusion reigns. I’m thinking it’s a message from Rellik, which is still Killer spelled backwards.

Keyra vs. Taya Valkyrie

Non-title again. Keyra jumps her from behind to start as Callis explains the idea of a rudo. A backbreaker cuts Keyra off but she’s right back with a running basement dropkick in the corner. Taya is still rocked so a Backstabber out of the corner sets up a middle rope moonsault for two. A running Liger Bomb gives Taya two of her own, followed by the curb stomp. Taya’s modified STF makes Keyra tap at 5:35.

Rating: D+. Keyra was aggressive but this was little more than an obvious ending as Taya isn’t losing in her first match back. Or as a champion. Or likely in Mexico. In other words this looked like a squash but at least Keyra tried and got in some offense instead of just taking the loss in a hurry.

Post match Taya talks to the crowd in Spanish before talking about what the people here have meant to her career. Taya wants Tessa Blanchard and will be waiting for her when she gets back.

Swann admits that he and Callihan do have a history but there’s more to it than that.

From March 10, 2004, Hector Garza vs. Jack Evans.

The Rascalz are in their circle and realize they’re in Mexico so they switch to Spanish.

Scarlett Bordeaux trains in not the most efficient gear.

Desi Hit Squad vs. Rascalz

Can we leave the Squad in Mexico? It’s Dezmond and Zack for the team here in what should be at least half of a good match. Raj forearms Dezmond up against the ropes but gets leapfrogged and dropkicked. Wentz knees him from the apron to keep the Squad in trouble so it’s off to Raju. A corkscrew press gives Zack two but a cheap shot from the apron lets Raju get a breather.

Raj comes in and plants Wentz, including holding him on the floor for a double stomp from Raju. Back in and Wentz beats both of them up with ease, allowing the hot tag to Dezmond. Everything breaks down and it’s Wentz hitting a heck of a dive to the floor to take both of them down. Raj comes back in and gets kneed in the face, setting up the Push Moonsault for the pin at 7:01.

Rating: C-. I really can’t get over how boring the Hit Squad is. They’re the definition of warm bodies as heels, which isn’t exactly enough for me to get interested. I’m not wild on the That 70s Show stoner deal for the Rascalz, but they’re a very fun team who does entertaining stuff while also giving Dezmond something to do after months of nothing. That’s how you make something from the pieces you have around and it’s working here.

A serious Johnny Impact swears revenge on Kross tonight. He’s not worried about Cage either.

LAX and Konnan are ready for the Lucha Bros. Konnan isn’t exactly sure though and next week we’ll be having some singles matches between the team members.

Trey Miguel vs. Ethan Page

Joined in progress with Ethan blocking a hurricanrana to the floor and hitting a superkick. That doesn’t seem to bother Trey, who is right back with an Asai moonsault. Back in and a tilt-a-whirl faceplant drops Trey again, followed by a hot shot onto the top rope. The chinlock doesn’t work so well so Page switches to a pump kick instead.

Trey finally gets a breather off a jumping neckbreaker, followed by a 619 in the corner. The split legged moonsault gets two but Trey misses the top rope double stomp. It doesn’t really matter though as he Rolls the Dice (Fresh to Death) to finish Page at 6:50. I had forgotten about that move and seeing it again makes me tired of it all over again.

Rating: C. Just like the other Rascalz, Trey is a lot of fun to watch and this was no exception. It’s also a good sign for the future: this was two young stars who haven’t overstayed their welcome yet having a perfectly watchable match. You need to bring some new people along at some point and that’s what Impact is FINALLY starting to do.

We look back at Eli Drake yelling at Eddie Edwards about losing the way last week.

Drake talks to Eddie again, this time about an upcoming Impact vs. AAA match. Eddie doesn’t seem to listen, but they’re in a tag match next week against the Rascalz.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Killer Kross vs. Johnny Impact

Johnny is defending and Moose is here with Kross. A shoulder puts Johnny down but he nips up in a hurry, only to get pulled into a chinlock. That’s rather early to need a chat. Back up and Johnny knees him in the head, only to get kneed in the chest to cut him back down. A hurricanrana gets Johnny out of trouble but Moose breaks up a springboard attempt. Back from a break (without much having changed) with Kross dropping an elbow for two and choking in the corner.

A DDT gets two more and it’s off to a seated cobra clutch. Johnny fights up and hits the Flying Chuck for two, only to have Kross hit a hard clothesline for the same. The Krossjacket choke doesn’t work so Kross switches to a cross armbreaker instead. That’s broken up as well so Johnny hits the sliding German suplex. A springboard spear (cool) gets two but Starship Pain misses. The Krossjacket choke goes on again but here’s Cage to clothesline both of them for the no contest at 14:49.

Rating: C+. I just can’t get that into this main event scene and that’s still the case here. I don’t know if it’s everything being wrestling focused with limited angles or something else, but the spark isn’t there and it’s hurting things. The wrestling was fine, but nothing here makes it feel like you’re watching a major feud for the top prize in the company.

Post match Cage cleans house until it’s a showdown with Impact. Moose and Kross are cleared out and Cage stares at the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Another perfectly watchable and at times entertaining show. The problem continues to be a lack of a connection to anyone, which is probably why the main event scene is a problem. What reason do I have to cheer for Johnny? What reason do I have to cheer for most people here? I know who the good people and bad people are, but that doesn’t mean they’re strong characters that the fans want to get behind. That’s the big problem around here and it’s been that way for years. Until they fix that, nothing is going to get better, at least not in a big way.

Results

Rich Swann b. El Hijo Del Vikingo – Middle rope 450

Taya Valkyrie b. Keyra – Seated STF

Rascalz b. Desi Hit Squad – Push Moonsault to Singh

Trey Miguel b. Ethan Page – Fresh to Death

Johnny Impact vs. Killer Kross went to a no contest when Brian Cage 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: January 18, 2019
Location: The Asylum, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re still in Nashville and that means the fallout from last week’s medium sized angle. Moose cost Johnny Impact his non-title match with Killer Kross, but Brian Cage is still lurking. We also get to find out who Scarlett Bordeaux’s new talent is, which could be a disaster. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the big stories, with the three way feud over the World Title getting some extra focus, including Moose interfering.

Opening sequence.

KM vs. Caleb Konley

Konley jumps him from behind but gets kicked in the face. We cut to Cage rampaging through the back and looking for Johnny as it sounds like the bell rings. Cage comes into the arena anyway and drops KM, which counts as the DQ at 1:39. So now I’m hearing phantom bells.

Post match Konley gets taken down as well and Fallah Bahh gets powerbombed out of the corner. KM gets an F5 on the ramp and Cage beats up the referee, who he blames for a bad count at Homecoming, as a bonus. Cage wants his title shot and he’s going to be watching next week’s title match with Kross in Mexico City. This brings out Johnny but Kross and Moose jump him on the stage. Cage watches the beatdown before slowly walking up to make the monsters leave. He carries Johnny to the ring but Moose and Kross come in to beat them both down. Pretty good stuff.

Post break Cage says he only cares about the World Title but he’ll beat Moose up tonight.

Eddie Edwards vs. Ethan Page

Eli Drake is on commentary. They trade some shots to the face as Drake goes on a rant about how he was told he stepped up at Homecoming, suggesting that he doesn’t do that every single week. Fair point. An overhead belly to belly sends Ethan outside and Drake is impressed. Page sends him into the steps to take over and we take a break.

Back with Eddie still in trouble in the corner until he catches Page on top. That means a super hurricanrana and a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. With Drake singing the Wolves’ theme, Eddie hits a suicide dive to keep Page in trouble and sending Drake into an anti-dive rant. Despite being in full control, Eddie grabs a kendo stick and blasts Page, followed by a swing at the referee for the DQ at 11:08.

Rating: C. As usual Drake was the most entertaining thing about this match and I’m so glad that he’s FINALLY getting something more interesting than the Tommy Dreamer/Abyss feud. Eddie is better than this but at least he’s done something other than talk about hardcore in the last five years. Their match should be good because there’s talent there and I’ll always take that.

Post match Eli grabs the mic and says Eddie is just a few sandwiches away from being Tommy Dreamer. Eddie used to be great and now he’s just another hardcore guy. When was the last time he was in the title scene? Maybe he should go back to the green tights and the old Eddie because that guy is great. This could be interesting.

GWN Flashback Of The Week: a six man cage match from 2003 featuring Abyss and CM Punk. How random.

OVE wants Rich Swann to come home but it’s also time to get the Tag Team Titles back. LAX vs. OVE was the bloodiest feud of 2017 and it’s back tonight.

The Rascalz are in their smoke circle, with a laugh track. Various unfunny shenanigans ensue.

Allie vs. Jordynne Grace

Su Yung and Kiera Hogan are here as seconds. Grace throws her down with a German suplex go start and a delayed gordbuster gets two. Yung’s distraction lets Allie get in some choking but it just fires Grace up. The Codebreaker out of the corner is blocked and Grace finishes her with a pumphandle driver for the pin at 2:36. I really don’t see the need to have Allie lose clean in less than three minutes.

Post match Allie and Jordynne leave but the lights go out and Rosemary is back, with Yung having disappeared. The terrified Allie bails in a hurry.

Scarlett Bordeaux has picked her new talent…and it’s herself. She’ll be wrestling soon. It fits her personality, but my goodness what a waste of time this whole thing has been.

Moose vs. Brian Cage

Cage hammers away to start and the referee is thrown down early on. A shoulder sends Moose outside and he chops the post by mistake, allowing Cage to start in on the hand. Moose tries a charge but gets caught in a powerbomb against the apron. Back in and Moose starts hammering on the knees because an apron bomb means nothing.

Some cannonballs down onto the leg keep Cage down until he uses the good leg to kick Moose outside. Moose is fine enough to wrap the knee around the post, followed by dropkicking the knee in the corner. Cage gets up for the forearm slugout until Moose takes him down with a dragon screw legwhip.

Back from a break with Moose hitting a pop up powerbomb into a backsplash but Cage pops up. The pop up powerbomb into a discus lariat gives Cage two but Moose catches him on the top with the chokebomb. Moose takes his time getting a chair (proper weapon selection is a thing) so Cage knees him in the face and hits the Drill Claw for the pin at 15:33.

Rating: B-. That’s a good way to make Cage seem like a monster and the kind of guy who should be right back in the World Title scene. Both of these guys are great at beating each other up and they had an entertaining match as a result. This isn’t really a hard concept and thankfully they didn’t do anything more than what they should have.

Taya Valkyrie is still banged up but will be back next week in Mexico City.

Killer Kross has hurt Johnny’s wife and he’ll take the title next week.

Tessa Blanchard rants about Gail Kim costing her the title and beats up a backstage worker. Gail Kim, who just happens to be here, pops up and a fight starts. Gail gets choked out without much effort.

Post break Tessa gets suspended. I’m sure Gail isn’t going to get in trouble though, because she’s Gail Kim.

Rich Swann vs. Trey Miguel

Non-title. Trey grabs a wristlock which goes as far as an opening wristlock is going to go. Rapid fire nipup get Swann out of trouble and they trade armdrags for a standoff with Miguel not exactly being intimidated. Swann gets sent outside for a dive and they head back in for more striking. A jumping hurricanrana brings Miguel off the top and a rather nice frog splash gets two. They hit a pinfall reversal sequence with Miguel getting a few more twos, followed by a heck of a superkick for two more. Swann kicks him right back though and the middle rope 450 finishes Trey at 5:49.

Rating: C+. Miguel really is fun to watch and it’s cool to see Swann looking motivated again. This was a nice little match as the X Division is finally feeling like it matters again. Swann is a good choice for a champion as he has the work and the charisma to be a star, which has been missing from the division for a long time.

Post match OVE comes out to offer Swann the shirt again. Before he answers, here’s LAX to start the main event.

LAX vs. OVE

Non-title and the brawl starts on the floor. Santana gets taken down on the floor and it’s Jake taking Ortiz inside to rip at his face. Sami cheap shots Ortiz from the floor and the chinlock goes on again as Dave kicks Santana on the floor. A middle rope dropkick gets Santana out of trouble and the house is cleaned with Ortiz tagging himself in.

LAX hits the double suicide dives but Santana gets caught with a superplex into a sitout powerbomb combination. He’s fine enough to hit a rolling cutter on Jake, setting up a Codebreaker from Ortiz. A superkick sets up a double belly to back faceplant to finish Jake at 7:08.

Rating: B-. Good while it lasted but I was hoping for a bit more than that. LAX is on another planet right now as they can do no wrong with only the Lucha Bros being able to hang with them at the moment. With Mexico City coming up, I think you know what might be coming up next.

Post match LAX heads to the back where the Lucha Brothers congratulate them. Ortiz offers them a rematch for the titles. Konnan: “WHAT??? WHAT ARE YOU DOING???”

Overall Rating: C+. A few minor booking choices aside, this was an entertaining show with a lot of stuff making sense and matches that I want to see in Mexico City. They’re doing better since Homecoming and that makes for some good television. Now if only they could get people to watch the shows.

Results

KM b. Caleb Konley via DQ when Brian Cage interfered

Ethan Page b. Eddie Edwards via DQ when Eddie used a kendo stick

Jordynne Grace b. Allie – Pumphandle driver

Brian Cage b. Moose – Drill Claw

Rich Swann b. Trey Miguel – Middle rope 450

LAX b. OVE – Double belly to back faceplant to Jake

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

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:

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

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.

Callihan gives him a double underhook shoulder breaker and we cut to the back where OVE beats up Lashley. Back in the arena, Sami puts a chair on Eddie’s chest and hits it with a baseball bat…but the bat keeps going and HITS EDDIE IN THE FACE (with a sickening sound) to end the show. That shot to the face wasn’t planned, mainly because it’s about as dangerous of a thing as you could have done.

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
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel & Gaming Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
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/

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