You can’t go more than a week without mentioning these two so it’s time for another talk about them.

This was a double shot as despite being top stars on their own, they are better known as a tag team. Both of them were launched into stardom thanks to Lucha Underground as the two of them are awesome talents who got a lot of support from the American fans who had never seen them before. They have dominated almost every promotion they’ve been in since then and that will likely be the case going forward as well.

The DVD is one long video instead of the double disc set advertised on the back, but both interviews are presented in full (The advertised bonus match with Pentagon vs. Sami Callihan is nowhere to be found.  Presumably it would be on the double disc set.). The interviews, which were filmed in late August/early September 2016 (I love picking up on context clues to figure out the date, but they flat out say a show was two weeks ago at one point so it took away some of the fun) are similar as they came up together and got their starts in similar placed.

These interviews are more traditional shoots as they talk about their careers and favorite matches, along with what they have done to get where they are. This was filmed during the height of Lucha Underground so the promotion is mentioned a lot. Their careers in Mexico are heavily discussed and thankfully the interviewer clearly knows his lucha as it helped quite a bit. The interviews are good if you’re a fan of both guys, though there are some in-depth lucha libre discussions so you might need a bit of research to know what they’re talking about.

If you check it out, you might want to watch it in two parts as the interviews are aired back to back. You’ll hear a lot of the same information but it is presented differently enough to make it work. Pentagon uses a translator to answer and Fenix uses English, which is certainly clear enough to understand. Watch it if you’re a fan but it’s nothing worth the nearly three hours combined.

You can get the DVD from Highspots right here.

All In
Date: September 1, 2018
Location: Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Commentators: Don Callis, Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni

We’ve finally arrived. Last year, Dave Meltzer said Ring of Honor couldn’t sell 10,000 tickets to an event. Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks took it as a challenge and they actually pulled it off in about fifteen months. The tickets sold out in about half an hour and they were off to the races. This is the biggest independent wrestling event in history and really, anything good coming out of the show is a bonus. Let’s get to it.

The arena looks great and rather full. I’d think there were more than 10,000 people there.

Here are Cody and the Young Bucks to say they’re going to blow the whole budget in 90 seconds with a bunch of pyro. The pyro doesn’t go off and Cody asks Nick if he paid the pyro guy. They try again and there is indeed pyro. With that out of the way, here’s Animal on a motorcycle for the wrestling legend cameo (their words). Now it’s time for free merchandise with t-shirts being thrown and launched out of a t-shirt gun.

So Cal Uncensored vs. Briscoe Brothers

The Briscoes’ ROH Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Scorpio Sky (as Apollo Creed from Rocky) and Kazarian (as Rocky Balboa from Rocky II) for So Cal. Before the match, Sky rips on Chicago (Dude it’s Hoffman Estates. Get your suburbs right.) but the fans chant for them anyway. The Briscoes don’t get much of a reaction, likely because they didn’t insult the crowd enough.

Jay and Kazarian start things off but Mark comes in to take over. Everything breaks down and SCU does the fast paced offense, which would make you think they’re the good guys here, despite them insulting the fans before the match. The Briscoes take over with the hard clotheslines and things settle back down. Mark suplexes Sky for two and the right hands don’t get Sky out of trouble.

We hit the chinlock for a few seconds before Sky hurricanranas his way over to the corner for the hot tag. Everything breaks down and Kazarian hits a nice slingshot hurricanrana to put Mark on the floor. Sky adds a running flip dive, followed by stereo dragon sleepers back inside. The Brothers crawl to each other with Jay raking Sky’s eyes for the break. Mark elbows Kazarian in the face and adds the Blockbuster off the apron and Sky is down again.

Back in and the Razor’s Edge/running neckbreaker combination gets two on Kazarian. Sky breaks up a super version though and it’s a Rock Bottom/Backstabber combination to Mark. Jay pops back up and the Jay Driller into the Froggy Bow gets two with Sky diving in for a save. It’s Doomsday Device time (appropriate) but Kazarian reverses the clothesline into a powerslam on Mark with Sky taking Jay out for the pin at 12:36.

Rating: B-. Good match, though nothing we haven’t seen from these teams before. The Briscoes are an awesome team and have been for years so there’s not much of a surprise there. As a bonus, it’s nice to see Sky getting a chance instead of the standard Daniels/Kazarian lineup.

Kenny Omega talks about facing Pentagon Jr. tonight, saying it’s the IWGP World Champion against the former TNA World Champion. Sure Pentagon is a killer, but Omega is fired up to be in front of 10,000 Being The Elite fans. Goodbye and goodnight.

Video on Cody vs. Nick Aldis for the NWA World Title.

Over Budget Battle Royal

Brian Cage, Bully Ray, Jimmy Jacobs, Billy Gunn, Austin Gunn, Chuck Taylor, Trent Barretta, Ethan Page, Tommy Dreamer, Moose, Punishment Martinez, Colt Cabana, Hurricane Helms, Rocky Romero, Marko Stunt, Brandon Cutler, Cheeseburger, Jordynne Grace, El Hijo Del Chico

I’ve probably missed someone. Winner gets an ROH World Title shot on the main show. Former World Champion Dalton Castle is on commentary. Ray wastes no time in powerbombing Chico through a table at ringside. A series of dives take a bunch of people out and everyone is on the floor, with Tommy Dreamer and Billy Gunn teasing going over but going through the ropes and jumping off the apron instead. No one has actually been eliminated yet, even though the ring is emptied.

Back in and everyone goes after Moose but gets shoved away. For some reason Moose tries a middle rope crossbody, only to be thrown to the apron. Moose fights that off as well but a very small guy eliminates him instead. Ethan Page breaks up the Best Friends hug so they fight over a suplex to the floor. Cage apron superplexes Dreamer back in and Cutler spins Marko into a Rock Bottom. Ray knocks Marko out (not an elimination) and Cutler follows him as this is a complete mess.

The Best Friends are sent to the apron but Romero makes a save. Trent and Chuckie drop Jacobs and Page to set up the hug but Martinez dumps both of them. Romero catches him with a springboard hurricanrana and the forever lariats start connecting. Cage cuts him off with a discus lariat and there goes Romero. Cheeseburger gets in all of his palm strikes before Cage puts me out of my misery by getting rid of him. Martinez and Cage take turns with their crazy big man stuff but neither can hit a chokeslam.

Hurricane chokeslams both of them to a huge reaction and goes to the apron with Page. Cabana knocks both of them out and it’s time for the weapons so Dreamer can have something to do. Thankfully Riccaboni is there with the Doug references but Dreamer gets knocked out by Ray. Marko is actually still in this and goes after Ray, who finally eliminates him. The Gunns get back in and clean house until Jacobs grabs Austin’s crotch. That means a Five Knuckle Shuffle but Billy makes a save.

Jacobs kisses him for some reason and gets tossed but Austin knocks out Martinez. Bully dumps Austin and throws in a Suck It, only to have Billy hit him with a Fameasser. Cage and Billy have a showdown with Cage knocking him out as we’re almost done. That Marko guy is STILL IN HERE so Bully finally launches him out, leaving us with Grace, Cage, Ray and Cabana.

Rating: C+. This was actually a lot of fun as they made it feel like more than a way to get everyone on the card. There were some stories being told in there and the ending was a great touch. I could have gone with a little more order but it never felt like it was dragging, which is the worry of a match like this. Still though, well done.

Chico unmasks as…..Flip Gordon in a very nice surprise.

National Anthem.

The announcers run down the card.

Matt Cross vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

This is a surprise match. Cross is better known as Son of Havoc in Lucha Underground and Friedman is a rich guy. Friedman shoulders him down to start but Cross moonsaults away instead of trying a dropkick. That earns a round of applause from Friedman but he kicks Cross in the ribs instead.

Cross bails to the floor, only to have Friedman say he doesn’t have to flip to get over. They switch places and it’s a Sasuke Special to drop Friedman. Back in and Friedman rolls away before the shooting star can launch. A stomp to the hand has Cross in trouble and a hammerlock powerbomb of all things gets two. Cross catches him with a super hurricanrana and a springboard spinning crossbody for two of his own.

Friedman is right back with a package shoulder breaker to take the arm right back down. A slugout doesn’t go anywhere so Cross rolls him down and hits a double stomp. Cross weakly covers and gets caught in an armbreaker. The pendulum piledriver (think Orton’s hanging DDT but a piledriver) gives Friedman two but Cross hits something like a Lethal Injection. Now the shooting star can finish Friedman at 10:07.

Rating: C. Totally average match that didn’t need to be on the main card and could have been cut entirely. The high flying vs. technical work was fine and while it wasn’t a bad match, I have a bad feeling about how long the show is going to run if a match like this is getting some extra time.

Sean Mooney is with Nick Aldis (announced as Christopher Daniels in a bit of an error), who is ready to defend his title against Cody. They’re both here for the ten pounds of gold. He has a date with destiny and she is getting impatient.

Singer John Mayer is in the front row.

Christopher Daniels vs. Stephen Amell

Jerry Lynn is the referee, billed as the New Reffin Show. Amell is the star of Arrow, who wrestled at Summerslam a few years back. This is a story from Being The Elite where Daniels framed Amell for murdering Joey Ryan in Japan. Yeah it’s a different world. Daniels takes him down with ease to start and does a little Curry Man dancing. Back up and they chop it out with Amell taking him down and offering a bow.

Amell hits a nice dropkick and clotheslines Daniels to the floor. No dive of course but he does send Daniels into the barricade. A table is set up on the floor but they get back inside where Lynn accidentally distracts Amell, allowing Daniels to take over. Amell gets sent into the post and we hit the waistlock. The Arabian Moonsault, with very little elevation, connects for no cover as Daniels would rather go for the table. The distraction lets Amell score with a clothesline and a Falcon Arrow gets two.

Amell manages to hit a Coast To Coast (not a bad one either) for two more but gets enziguried down. The Best Moonsault Ever gets two more but it’s time for Chekhov’s Table. Daniels gets knocked down onto it, only to have Amell miss an elbow through the table (which exploded) instead. Fans: “BROKEN ARROW!”

That’s almost enough for a countout….so Lynn picks Amell up and throws him back inside. Lynn shoves Daniels into a school boy for two, earning Amell a pummeling. Amell says bring it on and flips Daniels off before reversing Angel’s Wings into a rollup for two. That’s about it though as Daniels kicks him down and hits the Best Moonsault Ever for the pin at 11:45.

Rating: B-. That’s on a very sliding scale, as it should be. Amell isn’t a wrestler but looked to be at the low prospect level, putting him roughly 1000 steps ahead of most celebrities. You couldn’t have him win here as Daniels is still a big deal in wrestling and having him lose a singles match to a celebrity would have been a disaster. Very nice surprise here.

They shake hands post match.

Chelsea Green vs. Britt Baker vs. Tessa Blanchard vs. Madison Rayne

Blanchard’s Knockouts Title isn’t on the line and Mandy Leon and Tenille Dashwood are on commentary. Baker, who plays a doctor (which she actually is as well) is Adam Cole’s girlfriend and comes out to his old music. Tessa hugs Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard on the way to the ring. The announcers ask why a match called a Survival match isn’t elimination rules. The explanation: it just isn’t.

They stare at each other a bit as Chelsea’s multiple personalities start fighting for control. Tessa blasts Madison and sends her outside for a whip into the barricade. Britt armdrags Chelsea down back inside but gets take down with a springboard wristdrag. Tessa comes back in with a heck of a clothesline to Chelsea but Madison is back in with a couple of twisting rollups for two each.

That’s not cool with Tessa, who gorilla presses Madison down onto the other two. Chelsea is back up with a big suicide dive onto Tessa and Britt, followed by Tessa hitting her own dive (though she seemed to get caught on the ropes). Madison hits her own high crossbody to the floor and everyone is down. Back in and Baker hits Sling Blades on everyone until Tessa gets up to clean house. A missed charge sends Tessa shoulder first into the post but she’s fine enough for a Flatliner on Baker.

Chelsea missile dropkicks Tessa and Madison hits a top rope bulldog (called a cutter) on Baker. An Unprettier hits Madison but Tessa dives in with the Magnum (jumping Codebreaker from the top) with Baker stealing the two. Tessa rolls Baker up for two of her own and Chelsea gets two on Baker off another Unprettier. Back up and Tessa grabs the hammerlock DDT to plant Chelsea for the pin at 12:46 with Baker not making the save in time. That seemed to have been a botched finish.

Rating: C. It was good with the big spots but it went on too long and there were too many false finishes. Tessa winning was the right call as she’s on a huge roll at the moment. The other three were perfectly fine (save for the messed up ending) and the spot fest stuff was good. Just a little longer than it needed to be.

They hug post match, which seems to be a trend tonight.

Video on Cody vs. Aldis, which is really just Cody wanting to win the title to be like his father. Aldis basically told him to try it and we have a match. The promos between the two have actually been quite good.

NWA World Title: Cody vs. Nick Aldis

Cody is challenging and has Brandi (sweet goodness), Brandi’s father, his dog, Diamond Dallas Page, Tommy Dreamer and GLACIER in his corner. Aldis on the other hand has Sam Shaw, Tim Storm (who he beat for the title), Shawn Daivari and Jeff Jarrett with him. The seconds, save for Brandi, all go to the back though (good) and we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far off a few holds.

A wristlock and headlock go nowhere so Cody catches him with a dropkick for the first big move. Aldis heads outside and there’s a big dive to take him out. Back in and Aldis chops away, setting up a pretty early chinlock. They ram heads with Aldis seeming to bang up his nose, followed by a double clothesline for the breather. Stereo crossbodies give us another double knockdown and Aldis rolls outside. The big dive from the top is knocked out of the air but Aldis goes down as well.

Cody isn’t getting up so here’s Page to check on him. Daivari comes out with a towel and shoves Page, earning himself a Diamond Cutter inside. With Page and Daivari gone, Aldis drags a very bloody Cody back in but gets powerslammed down (with Aldis’ head hitting the mat) for two. The moonsault press misses and Aldis drops a top rope splash for his own near fall. Cody is right back with the Figure Four but they roll to the ropes in pretty short order.

A powerslam on the floor has Cody in more trouble but he’s fine enough to hit an Alabama Slam. Aldis powerbombs the heck out of him and the Kingsland Cloverleaf goes on. Brandi’s cheers bring Cody over to the rope and she tells him he doesn’t have to do this. Aldis doesn’t care and piledrives him before heading up top, only to have Brandi come in and beg for mercy.

She climbs on top of Cody and takes the elbow for him (Aldis jumped before she moved), sending Aldis into panic. That’s only good for two on Cody, who pops up with the Disaster Kick and Cross Rhodes for two. Cody can’t hit a Vertebreaker but counters a sunset flip into a cradle (ala British Bulldog/Bret Hart) for the pin and the title at 22:02.

Rating: B-. I get what they were going for here and there had to be some shenanigans because the ending wasn’t in any serious doubt, but the match went longer than it needed to and there were times where I was wanting them to just get on with things already. The Page/Daivari segment didn’t need to be there and the Brandi thing felt like a forced heel turn that was forgotten ten seconds later. I liked the match and the ending was the only possible option, but the overbooking hurt things.

We get the big presentation of the belt with all of the seconds coming back in. New champion, people in matching track suits, woman in sequined bikini. Just like back in the Brisco vs. Funk matches.

We recap Hangman Page vs. Joey Janela. Page thought Joey Ryan’s, ahem, signature area was fake and may have murdered him, so Janela is fighting for him. Or something.

Nick Jackson wakes Page up and nearly gets strangled.

Adam Page vs. Joey Janela

Street fight. I’m still not sure I get Janela (with Penelope Ford) so maybe he can win me over here. Page wastes no time in sending him to the floor for a suicide dive but Janela hits one of his own, complete with the flying middle finger. Janela is staggered though and Page moonsaults down from the top to take him down again. A chair is set up in the ring and Janela gets suplexed onto (not through) it for the first big crash.

With that out of the way, it’s time for an actual cracker barrel, but Page takes too long looking at it and Janela whips him into the barrel instead. The barrel is used as a springboard for a flip dive onto Page but he’s fine enough for the Buckshot lariat over the barricade. Page loads up a table at ringside but of course takes too long and gets Death Valley Driven into the corner.

Janela bridges a ladder between the apron and the barrel but gets caught in a “Burning Hammer” (really a torture rack throw because, you know, the real thing would have killed him) onto the ladder instead. With Janela down, Page pulls a bag out from underneath the ring. That’s enough for Ford to come in and slap him in the face before backflipping away from some clotheslines. A Stunner sends Page to the floor for a heck of a crossbody and Page is laid on the table.

That means the big elbow through the table but of course Page is right back up. Two more tables are set up in the aisle and Page powerbombs Janela off the stage….near the tables at least with Janela’s head banging off the edge. Back in and the Rite of Passage gets two with Ford making the save. There are now two garbage bags in the ring and one of them has Page’s cursed cowboy boots (they talk to him).

Ford goes to pick one up and eats a superkick, followed by Janela superkicking Page for two of his own. Janela throws in a ladder and a table with the ladder being set up. Fans: “SAFETY FIRST!” The other bag has a phone (which Page used to kill Joey Ryan) and a few shots to the head rock Janela. Rite of Passage through the table ends Janela at 20:04.

Rating: C+. Way longer than it needed to be but they did what they needed to do. This was all about Being the Elite and that’s perfectly fine. As someone who doesn’t watch the show, they explained it well enough that I got the idea. Page continues to look like a star, but Ford stole the match here, which is saying a lot for someone as new as she is. Janela was the same guy I’ve seen a bunch of times, which isn’t exactly a great thing. He’s fine, but not great.

Post match….an army of people dressed like male genitalia comes out and here’s the very much alive Ryan. Page can’t believe it and there’s the You Plex. A superkick knocks Page out and the army takes him away.

Jay Lethal’s eyes are bugging out for some reason.

Ring of Honor World Title: Flip Gordon vs. Jay Lethal

Lethal is defending and has Brandi Rhodes in a military outfit. Lethal one ups her by coming out as Black Machismo, complete with Lanny Poffo in his corner. Now that’s smart. Brilliant even. You might even say it’s…..dang it I need a word for someone who is really smart. Sandow! That’s it. Poffo is introduced as Lethal’s brother from another mother. The Mega Powers handshake gives us the Code of Honor but Lethal rolls to the floor and tells Brandi to stay in the corner.

Flip snaps off some armdrags to start but gets clotheslined to the floor for his efforts. Lethal has to yell at Brandi and chases her inside, where he puts her on his shoulder in the obvious homage. That earns Lethal a slap and it seems to rock him back into reality. The basement dropkick misses though and Flip hits a standing moonsault for two. Flip’s bouncing nipups avoid some clotheslines and there’s a suicide dive to send Lethal into the barricade.

A second sets up the running flip dive over the top and Lethal is in trouble. He’s fine enough to hold up half of a pinfall reversal sequence until a standing moonsault to the back puts him down. Lethal takes too long going up and gets kicked in the head but the 450 misses (Flip lands on his feet anyway). The Lethal Combination gets two so Flip knees him in the face, followed by a Falcon Arrow for two of his own.

That’s enough for Poffo, who fires Lethal up to bring the Savage out again. A slam sets up three straight top rope elbows….for two as Gordon starts Hulking Up. The right hands set up the big boot but Gordon goes with a Star Spangled Sling Blade instead of the legdrop. The backwards fall away slam sets up the Spiral Tap (Cancun Tornado) for an even nearer fall. Gordon takes too long going up though and it’s a cutter off the top. The Lethal Injection retains the title at 14:23.

Rating: C+. The comedy was a little much for me here as they hammered away with it instead of just having a good match. We’ve covered the shenanigans tonight and that’s not the best idea in the world. Lethal can wrestle a straight match but thankfully they didn’t go with just straight shtick here. It wasn’t great, but fine for a TV main event.

The shake hands post match but here’s Bully Ray to take them both out. Even Poffo gets beaten up until Colt Cabana runs out for the save. A TripleBomb through the table (Ray: “HOLY S***!”) plants Ray and the good guys stand tall.

Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon Jr.

Non-title and you can feel the energy on this one. Pentagon does a few CERO MIEDO’s and kicks him in the ribs to send Kenny outside early. Back in and the Backstabber out of the corner has Omega in more trouble but he’s ready for a dive. Pentagon waits inside and hits the Sling Blade, followed by the big running flip dive to the floor. Omega gets sent into the barricade as it’s all Pentagon early on.

Back in and Omega hits the Regal Roll and a running tornado DDT drops Pentagon for the first time. A big springboard dive takes Pentagon down again and the Snapdragon has Pentagon rocked. The One Winged Angel is reversed into the Backstabber though and Omega is in trouble. He’s fine enough to hit a V Trigger in the corner but can’t hit a super brainbuster. Instead Pentagon ties him in the Tree of Woe for a double stomp but the Fear Factor is broken up.

Another V Trigger (Pentagon: “CERO MIEDO!”) sets up another V Trigger (Pentagon: “CERO MIEDO!”) which sets up a powerbomb into another V Trigger. The One Winged Angel is broken up and the Pentagon Driver gets two. They slug it out on the apron with Pentagon asking for a V Trigger. Tis but a ruse though as Omega charges into a Fear Factor on the apron, which should likely kill him.

Back in and a top rope double stomp gets two with the fans knowing that’s not it yet. Omega hits his own Fear Factor for a near fall, followed by another V Trigger. The One Winged Angel is broken up again and Pentagon snaps the arm. Another Fear Factor gets two so Omega hits a sixth V Trigger, followed by the reverse hurricanrana for two more. The seventh V Trigger sets up the One Winged Angel for the pin at 17:48

Rating: B+. Best match of the night and I’ll spare you the rant about Omega with all of the finishers again. Both guys looked like stars and that’s exactly what the match should have been between the two. You knew Omega wasn’t losing here so the false finishes didn’t do much for me, but that’s the case with a lot of his matches.

Post match the lights go out and we’ve got….Omega standing there and a very aggressive Pentagon, who happens to be missing a tattoo. A Codebreaker hits Omega and it’s CHRIS JERICHO under the mask. Another Codebreaker puts Omega down and Jericho says he’ll see him on the cruise. Callis freaks out so much that he actually falls out of his chair. Or maybe Jericho pushed him.

Marty Scurll runs into someone off camera who yells at him for not being very good. Someone else disagrees with him because Scurll is quite good. Scurll breaks their fingers and that’s that. Apparently this is another Being The Elite things.

Marty Scurll vs. Kazuchika Okada

We even get the Okada Bucks. Feeling out process to start with Okada laying Marty up against the ropes and slapping him on the chest. Marty teases doing the same thing but stops with a pose instead. The announcers entertain themselves with inside jokes as Okada’s wristlock doesn’t get him anywhere. Marty starts slugging away with running forearms and an apron superkick, followed by the suicide dive.

They chop it out with Marty getting the better of it but Okada flapjacks him back inside. That’s enough for in the ring so they head outside again with Okada DDTing him on the floor. Back in and Marty pulls himself up but gets caught in a crossarm choke. That’s reversed into a Backstabber followed by a tornado DDT for two more.

Another DDT gives Okada two and they strike it out until Scurll grabs the brainbuster to knock Okada silly. Scurll grabs a piledriver but can’t pick him up. Instead he stops to fire himself up, allowing Okada to hit the over the White Noise onto the knee to put Marty right back in trouble. They go to the corner to slug it out with Okada getting the better of it, followed by the pinfall reversal sequence for two each.

Scurll powerbombs the heck out of him for two so Okada missile dropkicks him for two of his own. Another DDT gets Scurll out of trouble but there’s the Tombstone. Okada spends too long loading up the Rainmaker though and Marty snaps his finger (Ian: “We found the umbrella!”). The Rainmaker is countered a second time into the chickenwing but Marty can’t get the grip. Okada stands up and drops back on him for the break, only to have Marty slap it on again.

Rating: C. It was pretty good at times but GOOD GRIEF this was long. They easily could have cut ten minutes out of this and when the show is already running long, it would have done them a lot of good. The story of Scurll trying to rise up to the heavyweight level was a good one, but sweet goodness it wasn’t the right time to go the better part of half an hour. I was worried they would do that late in the show and they did it here.

Rey Mysterio/Bandido/Fenix vs. Young Bucks/Kota Ibushi

Rey is Wolverine. Matt and Bandido start things off with Bandido wasting no time in the spinning corkscrew high crossbody. A headscissors puts Matt on the floor and there’s a big spinning flip dive. Everything breaks down and it’s Fenix coming in to kick at Nick. It’s off to Ibushi vs. Rey and that gets the fans back into things. Ibushi gets hurricanranaed down but he pops up to kick Rey in the chest.

The standing moonsault misses but Ibushi lands on his feet (of course). It’s back to Matt to superkick Fenix as a producer talks about going home when he tells them to. The fast tags continue with Ibushi moonsaulting into a double knee drop onto Bandido, followed by moonsault Pele kicks to Bandido and Fenix. Everything breaks down with Rey hurricanranaing Matt to the floor, followed by a top rope Asai moonsault to take everyone down.

Fenix dives onto all of them as well, leaving Bandido to corkscrew dive onto the pile as well. Back in and the Bucks hit their buckle bomb/enziguri combination on Bandido, followed by Ibushi getting two off a German suplex. Rey comes back in and sends the Bucks into each other but Matt breaks up the 619. Fenix walks the rope to break up the Meltzer Driver before throwing Bandido at Nick for a hurricanrana.

Fenix superkicks Matt into the 619, followed by the running Destroyer. Bandido’s reverse hurricanrana sets up some double dives to Nick and Ibushi, leaving Rey to frog splash Matt….for two. Bandido hits a backflip Blockbuster (egads) but Nick makes another save. More Bang For Your Buck gets two, followed by the Five Star Golden Meltzer Driver for the pin at 11:33.

Rating: B. Well you knew the Bucks weren’t jobbing here. They were doing some very fun high flying stuff with the idea of just turn off your brain and have fun. That’s all this match needed to be, though there’s really not much of a reason for it to be the main event. Let this be the match that picks things up somewhere in the middle and it’s a lot better. Still though, good, mindless fun.

We’re off the air IMMEDIATELY with Ian not even being able to completely sign off. Channeling some Barely Legal there to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B. This one is going to be divisive no matter what I say. Here’s the thing: this wasn’t a standard wrestling show and therefore it’s going to be looked at differently. This is a glorified supershow with matches that are there because fans seem to want to see them without any stories being built up for the card. Aside from the wacky Being the Elite stuff, there were next to no stories being built up for the matches. The announcers said Omega vs. Pentagon was built up as Omega fighting “that crazy guy from Impact”. Fair enough, but I tend to go for a bit more than that.

The other big issue was just how long the show ran. Every match went at least ten minutes and two broke twenty. With a nine match main card, that’s quite a bit to sit through and I was very burned out by the time the Lethal vs. Gordon match started. Cut some of that stuff out (MJF vs. Havoc didn’t need to be there and you could cut at least five minutes off multiple matches, or ten plus off Okada vs. Scurll) and the show is FAR more enjoyable.

Now all that being said, I had a good time watching it and nothing was truly bad. It felt like a really souped up ROH show (which is pretty much what it was) and that’s not a bad thing. As a one off event it was good and I could see it being a yearly thing, which would be a very cool event to have every year. I’m fine with not getting the Being the Elite jokes as I don’t watch it too as that’s on me instead of them. Overall, I had a good time and the wrestling was solid enough, but it wasn’t some blowaway event and there were some big problems. More positives than negatives though, and that’s all you can ask for.

Results

Matt Cross b. Maxwell Jacob Friedman – Shooting star press

Christopher Daniels b. Stephen Amell – Best Moonsault Ever

Tessa Blanchard b. Britt Baker, Chelsea Green and Madison Rayne – Hammerlock DDT to Greens

Cody b. Nick Aldis – Rollup

Adam Page b. Joey Janela – Rite of Passage through a table

Jay Lethal b. Flip Gordon – Lethal Injection

Kenny Omega b. Pentagon Jr. – One Winged Angel

Kazuchika Okada b. Marty Scurll – Rainmaker

Young Bucks/Kota Ibushi b. Bandido/Rey Mysterio/Fenix – Golden Meltzer Driver to Bandido

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 23, 2018
Location: Rebel Sports Complex, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

This is all about the violence with a Mexican death match between Sami Callihan and Pentagon Jr. These two have been feuding for weeks now and it’s actually been one of the best things about the promotion. Sometimes it’s just about beating the heck out of each other and when you have the representative lackeys to help move things along. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap talks about Fenix beating Sami Callihan last week, Killer Kross and Austin Aries laying out Eddie Edwards, Jimmy Jacobs and Kongo Kong (sweet goodness that’s a lot of alliteration) vs. Johnny Impact and the LAX war.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Eddie, in a Rocky Balboa shirt, to admit that he’s been beaten up for the last few weeks and lay down on the mat. He’s picked himself up though and now he’s standing in this ring again. Now that he’s back on his feet, he’s looking for a fight because he has nothing to lose. Eddie wants Aries and Kross out here right now so here they come.

Aries talks about how Kross is even crazier and more dangerous than Edwards so Eddie hits Aries in the face. Some stick shots have Kross in trouble but Aries chop blocks him. The Cross Jacket Choke and a Figure Four go on at the same time but here’s Moose with a chair to chase them off.

Callihan is ready for Pentagon Jr. and says OVE can blame Pentagon for their troubles.

Eddie and Moose are in the back when a very excited Alisha comes in to thank Moose for the save. Things seem to be better between she and Eddie.

Zachary Wentz vs. Matt Sydal

Sydal promises to help Wentz awaken. A headlock takeover puts Wentz down but he’s right back up with a corkscrew crossbody for two. Sydal bails to the floor and gets taken down with a dive. Back in and Wentz charges into a boot in the corner, setting up a cobra clutch. That goes nowhere so Wentz kicks him down and hits a standing moonsault for two. A Codebreaker looks to set up a running shooting star but only hits knees. Sydal hits a Paige Turner for the pin at 4:08.

Rating: C. They packed a good amount in there and Wentz looked good, even in defeat. I still don’t get the appeal of this third eye thing but Sydal can have a good match when he gets the time to do something. The match didn’t go long enough to get very far but Wentz should get a few more chances.

The Cult of Lee come up to Eli Drake in the back but he wants nothing to do with them. Two unnamed guys come in and the Cult impersonates Drake to yell at them. Drake says this should be interesting and leaves.

Video on Impact coming to Mexico.

Video on Brian Cage. He wants to bring a new era to the X-Division Title. Whatever Fenix can do in the ring, Cage can do just as well.

Classic Clip of the Week: AJ Styles returns in 2013.

Earlier today, Fallah Bahh had a present for KM (in a bag with Bahh’s face on it) that should help them win.

Video on Impact coming to Mexico. Nothing has changed in the last ten minutes.

Video on Callihan vs. Pentagon.

KM/Fallah Bahh vs. Desi Hit Squad

How many times can these teams fight? The gift was matching gear, albeit in a small size and KM’s has a ferret on the side. Actually hang on though as Bahh tells him to lose the boots. The announcers talk about a Scarlett Bordeaux photo shoot and Callis does a slightly less creepy Jerry Lawler impression. The Squad can’t hurt Bahh so it’s off to KM, who hurts his foot by kicking without a boot on.

This works a bit better for the Squad, who double teams KM down and hit a basement dropkick. KM’s comeback gets stomped down as Callis actually offers some insight to wrestling barefoot. A double clothesline gets KM out of trouble and it’s off to Bahh, who sits on Singh’s chest. The double roll crushes the Squad and KM sends Singh into Raju’s jumping knee. KM gives Raju a Project Ciampa, followed by a Banzai Drop for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: D. The oddball tag team isn’t my cup of milk in this case but some of the fans seem to like it well enough. The problem is there isn’t exactly a division of teams for these guys to fight and now that the Squad are just two guys, there’s a limit to how far either team can really go. Can you imagine either of them against LAX or the OGz? There’s such a divide between those teams and anyone else that it’s not even a division at this point.

Katarina yells at Grado for losing every single time. Joe Hendry just wants Grado to make progress and gives him a pep talk. Hendry and Katarina leave together and it turns out Scarlett Bordeaux is behind them. She wants him on her show….and then Grado is stripping on a pole. The interviewer from a few weeks back eats popcorn as Grado goes over to Scarlett, who spanks him over the couch. I never need to see this again.

Kiera Hogan vs Alisha

The go technical to start with Hogan armbarring her way out of a headlock. A pinfall reversal sequence goes to a standoff as Josh plugs upcoming tapings in Las Vegas. Alisha gets two off a neckbreaker but Kiera is right back with a dropkick in the corner. A charge connects for two more and a kick to the face is good for the same. Hogan shrugs off a comeback and hits a running faceplant but Alisha uses Eddie’s Backpack Stunner. That goes nowhere though as a fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Alisha at 6:08.

Rating: D+. Neither of them were impressive here as it was just a match with no fire or interest for the most part. I haven’t seen Alisha do anything of note since she’s been in the company and while Kiera is better, she’s not exactly leaps and bounds ahead. It could have been worse, but this felt like filler.

Post match Allie praises Kiera before saying that Su Yung has driven her to the darkness. She has to get rid of Yung but now she has to look over her shoulder for Tessa Blanchard. Allie wants a triple threat next week.

Johnny Impact was making an appearance at a pool party when Kongo Kong showed up. Impact beat him up without much effort and sent him into the pool.

The triple threat is accepted and the title will be on the line.

Rich Swann went for a walk with one of the interviewers and says his ultimate goal is the X-Division Title. A bunch of names have influenced him, including Petey Williams, who he’s facing next week.

Pentagon is ready to make Sami respect him tonight.

Remember how Impact was announced as coming to Mexico soon? Still the case.

Aries and Kross are ready to end Moose’s career. Sounds like a tag match next week.

Cult of Lee vs. Brandon Tidwell/Mr. Atlantis

Drake is on commentary and those would be the guys from earlier. The Cult starts doing Drake moves, including the E-Li-Drake elbow. The Gravy Train is broken up though and Tidwell rolls Konley up for the pin at 1:52. Drake finds this kind of funny.

LAX celebrates with their people on the street. Konnan says the OGz are done and has a surprise for some of them. They go to the car…..and a kid is run over by a car driven by the OGz. Well that got rather dark in a hurry.

We run down next week’s Redefined card.

Sami Callihan vs. Pentagon Jr.

Mexican death match, meaning anything goes and falls count anywhere. They go straight for the chairs to start until Sami kicks him in the face. A Sling Blade cuts Sami off and Pentagon opens the vest so the chops are even louder. Two chairs are set up in the middle of the ring but Pentagon’s hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb through (not really) the chairs. A table is set up at ringside but it’s Pentagon hitting the big flip dive to send Sami through it.

Back from a break with Pentagon bringing in a pinata but stopping to kick Sami down. Inside the pinata: a staple gun. Sami spits at him and gets stapled in the arms and crotch, followed by the hat being stapled to Sami’s head. Pentagon is nice enough to rip it back off before hitting a backstabber for two. Another pinata has an electric razor inside so Sami grabs him by the crotch for the sake of saving his beard. They head outside with Sami opening another pinata to find a ball bat.

A trashcan is wrapped around Pentagon’s head for a bat shot but Pentagon hits him with the can to get a breather. Pentagon grabs a running Death Valley Driver through another table and it’s time for one last pinata….which is full of Legos. They trade package piledrivers on the Legos for two each with Sami being left laying. Pentagon loads up a third table but gets caught on top, setting up a super Cactus Piledriver through the table for the pin at 15:52.

Rating: B. They beat the heck out of each other here and the ending looked awesome. Sami has really grown on me with the violence fitting in very well, especially in something like this. Also, I liked that they played into the Mexican part with the pinatas, though the Legos thing may not be up your alley. I get what they were going for with it (with commentary saying how much it hurts to step on one) and it’s nice to not have it be tacks or glass again. This should be a blowoff to the feud and if so, they went out in a pretty violent way.

Overall Rating: C+. Some of the wrestling wasn’t the best here but they set up next week’s big show and there was a good main event to close the show out. They’ve come down a few levels since the build to Slammiversary but I can gladly go for a somewhat above average show rather than something uninspired or bad. They’re going in the right direction and there’s stuff that I want to see, so keep up what they’ve been doing as of late.

Results

Matt Sydal b. Zachary Wentz – Paige Turner

KM/Fallah Bahh b. Desi Hit Squad – Banzai Drop to Raju

Kiera Hogan b. Alisha – Fisherman’s neckbreaker

Brandon Tidwell/Mr. Atlantis b. Cult of Lee – Rollup to Konley

Sami Callihan b. Pentagon Jr. – Cactus piledriver through a table

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 9, 2018
Location: Rebel Sports Complex, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

We’re already at a big night with the World Title on the line. This time around it’s Eddie Edwards getting the title shot against Austin Aries, who is in need of a next major challenger. There’s a ton of time before Bound For Glory so this probably just a one off match. Let’s get to it.

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

The OGz and LAX are fighting in the back with Ortiz throwing hangers at Hernandez. Those are some dangerous weapons. Hernandez wraps a chair around Ortiz’s head and slams it into a wall though and security breaks it up after the OGz get the better of it.

Opening sequence.

Taiji Ishimori/Petey Williams vs. Desi Hit Squad

Ishimori spins around Singh to start and takes him down with a springboard seated senton. Williams comes in for a few running dropkicks to both Singh and Raju but the numbers get the better of him. A knee to the back sets up a jumping Downward Spiral and Raju gets two off a DDT.

The gordbuster gets the same but Petey sends them into each other and tags Ishimori. House is cleaned, including a reverse DDT/Downward Spiral combination. Raju sweeps the leg and gets two off a double stomp as everything breaks down. The Canadian Destroyer is broken up with a Backstabber so Ishimori knees Singh. Now the Destroyer can hit Raju, followed by the implant DDT onto the knees to finish Raju at 6:29.

Rating: C. I can’t imagine they’re pulling the plug on the Hit Squad so soon but my goodness they’re lifeless as a team. Their work is fine though rather generic but the bigger problem is there’s no spark. They’re just not very interesting and don’t have anything to distinguish themselves other than they’re from India and their manager was a star in his day. I need a lot more than that.

Pentagon Jr. promises to introduce Matt Sydal to a universe of pain.

Allie promises to get back at Tessa Blanchard. She’s not done with Su Yung either and wants to fight next week, even if it’s a non-title match. Kiera Hogan says bring the Undead Bridesmaids and the whole Undead family.

Video on Eddie Edwards snapping and his descent into madness, including attacking Austin Aries two weeks ago.

Aries wants to know what happened to Edwards. He used to be one of the best wrestlers in the world but now Aries doesn’t know what has become of him. Aries is that much better, no matter how dangerous and over the top Edwards has become.

Grado is annoyed at losing last week but Joe Hendry and Katarina calm him down. Hendry will take care of Eli Drake next week. They leave without Grado.

Alisha vs. Tessa Blanchard

No more Edwards name for Alisha. Tessa isn’t waiting here and gorilla presses Alisha in an impressive power display. A headscissors is shrugged off and Tessa suplexes her for two. Alisha gets caught on the ropes for a running dropkick to the back as this is pure dominance so far. Tessa misses a running elbow on the ropes though and comes up favoring her arm. A bulldog gives Alisha two and a bulldog is good for the same. Tessa gets creative with a slingshot spinebuster (she’s been watching her dad) and the hammerlock DDT is good for the pin at 6:19.

Rating: D+. Mostly a squash here and Tessa looked good in the process. You don’t need to have her destroy Alisha so the minimal offense was fine and the ending was all it needed to be. That’s a good two move combination for Tessa as well with the homage to her dad and then the finisher. They have something special with her and if the company pushes her right, she could be a big deal for a long time to come.

Post match Tessa calls out Allie as being selfish. If she’s coming for Yung and the Knockouts Title, Tessa is coming for Allie.

Bob, the love smitten interviewer from last week, carries all of Scarlett Bordeaux’s bags, including a small one that she gets on him for forgetting.

Matt Sydal says he’s lost the X-Division Title but he has the same spirit that allowed him to win it in the first place. He’ll open everyone’s third eyes.

From Unbreakable: Chris Sabin vs. Petey Williams.

KM and Fallah Bahh argue with Bahh only saying his name. Bordeaux comes in and says they’re looking good, flustering both of them.

Bordeaux complains to the faceless reporters about all of the women being mean to her. They fall all over her (the leaning forward in the revealing top likely helps) and she gets a talk show out of it.

Matt Sydal vs. Pentagon Jr.

A lot of shouting about CERO MIEDO and third eyes fill in the first minute until they go to the mat for some broken headlocks. Pentagon goes with what works best for him by kicking at the leg and chopping at the chest. Some kicks from Sydal gets him out of trouble just as fast but Pentagon hits back to back Sling Blades, as is his custom.

Both guys crawl under the ring with Sydal coming out first and dropkicking Pentagon in the side of the head. Sydal stays on the knee and Pentagon has some trouble getting back inside. Instead of following up, Sydal points at the third eye over and over. Dude it didn’t work for CJ Parker in NXT and it’s not going to work for you either. A running knee off the apron takes Pentagon down and takes us to a break.

Back with Pentagon hitting a Backstabber out of the corner for two but Sydal avoids having his arm broken. The Pentagon Driver only gets two and Sydal blocks another Backstabber. A top rope splash to the back of a standing Pentagon gets two and it’s time to go up again. The shooting star only hits knees though and the Fear Factor gives Pentagon the pin at 16:58.

Rating: B-. I’m really not feeling the third eye thing but at least the matches have been fine enough. Pentagon is an absolute star and is tearing it up everywhere he goes at the moment. The fact that he’s a former World Champion here makes it even better as he has credibility in the bigger promotion instead of just being an indy sensation. Good match.

Post match OVE pops up on screen with Sami Callihan ranting about how he’s sick of being mocked for having his head shaved. One of the Crist Brothers is getting their head shaved right now so Jake shaves Dave. Sami likes the three of them looking like a family.

Here are LAX and Konnan for a chat. Konnan talks about winning the street fight because they’re undefeated in that kind of a match. If the OGz and King want a fight, come get one. King and the OGz are in the balcony but Konnan cuts him off, calling King a glory hole. King talks about taking the titles from LAX and yells at the fans to shut their stupid Canadian mouths. They need to take it to the streets, which seems to be accepted with Konnan being involved in some way.

Preview for next week, including Bordeaux’s Smoke Show.

Jimmy Jacobs says he’s a good guy and didn’t deserve to have Johnny Impact punch him in the face last week. He was trying to spare Johnny from the wrath of Kongo Kong but Johnny wants the monster. Jimmy says it’s on next week, because Jimmy is the monster. I think that means Jimmy vs. Johnny next week.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Austin Aries vs. Eddie Edwards

Aries is defending. After waiting for Eddie to put down his kendo stick, we’re ready to go with Josh listing off Eddie’s career accomplishments. Eddie is in street clothes and hits an early belly to belly before doing angels in the snow on the mat. Aries is so freaked out that he goes to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Josh saying that absolutely nothing happened during the commercial because Aries is so scared. They switch places with Eddie blocking Aries’ suicide dive with a forearm to the head and chopping him up against the barricade. Aries begs off and gets thrown down with a release gordbuster. He’s fine enough to pull Eddie to the floor and that means a suicide dive. Back in and Aries slugs away with forearms and chops, though Eddie just opens his shirt and invites him to chop harder.

A Blue Thunder Bomb drops Aries, with Josh pointing out how long it’s been since Eddie has used that move. In other words, despite the insanity, the talented Eddie is still in there. Eddie gets two off a tiger driver but Aries is right back with a sunset bomb off the top into the Last Chancery. A bite of the finger gets Eddie out and Aries grabs the belt. The referee breaks that up so Eddie hits him low and rolls Aries up for two.

There goes the referee but Aries misses a belt shot, allowing Eddie to grab a DDT. There’s no count so let’s get the kendo stick. A shot to the head knocks Aries silly and Eddie chokes in the corner. Cue Killer Kross to give Eddie a Saito suplex, leaving Aries to hit the brainbuster to retain at 17:11.

Rating: B. Eddie is becoming a fascinating character and while I could go without the Tommy Dreamer tributes, he could go quite a ways off of this thing. Kross being Aries’ muscle isn’t something I’m thrilled with as Kross could be something special on his own. I’m not sure why he should be working for someone else, even the World Champion, when he could be a top heel on his own. If nothing else it does make more sense to have him lay out Anthony Carelli last week.

Kross leaves his calling card on Eddie and poses with Aries to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. That’s back to what it was a few weeks ago with two very good matches, angle advancement and some stories that make me want to come back and see where this is going. They also set up some stuff for next week, which is a lost art in wrestling outside of NXT these days. Very strong show this week and I had a lot of fun watching it, as is the case more often than not as of late.

Results

Taiji Ishimori/Petey Williams b. Desi Hit Squad – Implant DDT onto the knees to Raju

Tessa Blanchard b. Alisha – Hammerlock DDT

Pentagon Jr. b. Matt Sydal – Fear Factor

Austin Aries b. Eddie Edwards – Brainbuster

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 2, 2018
Location: Rebel Sports Complex, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

Things are still fresh off of Slammiversary but at the same time we don’t really have anything big going on yet. Austin Aries’ next challenger seems to be Eddie Edwards, but I’d assume that’s more of a one off TV match than a major pay per view story. Still though, there’s enough interesting stuff going on around here to keep me entertained. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Aries retaining at Slammiversary but getting jumped by Eddie. Johnny Impact, Brian Cage, Pentagon Jr. and Sami Callihan get some attention as well.

Opening sequence.

Su Yung/Undead Bridesmaid vs. Kiera Hogan/Allie

Allie and Kiera slug their way through the read of the Bridesmaids with Kiera diving onto one of them and Allie diving onto the rest. Yung gets caught inside for a double teaming but Allie gets takes into the corner as the Bridesmaid comes back in. It’s Kiera getting beaten up in the corner with Yung coming in to hammer away with wild rights and lefts.

Kiera kicks the Bridesmaid away and hits a dropkick, allowing the hot tag off to Allie. The Codebreaker is blocked so it’s the Best Superkick Ever for two on Yung instead. Everything breaks down and a fisherman’s neckbreaker drops the Bridesmaid. The Panic Switch sends Kiera outside but the Codebreaker gives Allie the pin at 6:10.

Rating: D+. That should set up Allie for the next title shot but with Tessa Blanchard in the background, there’s a chance that we might be in for a triple threat. I’m not sure if it’s the best idea to have Yung lose twice already but it’s a little better than having her go on a long undefeated streak and then losing in a tag match like this.

Post match Tessa Blanchard comes in and takes Allie out with a hammerlock DDT.

Post break Tessa mocks Alie for wanting to save everyone when she can’t even help herself. Allie is only in this for herself and isn’t getting a Knockouts Title shot before Tessa.

Aries vs. Edwards in a title match is set for next week.

OGz vs. ???/???

Hernandez throws one across the ring and Homicide hits the Gringo Killer on the other one (in a SICK landing) for the pin at 50 seconds.

Post match, King says he told us so by getting rid of Konnan and the young boys and taking their titles. Cue LAX for the brawl as Konnan watches from the ramp. Ortiz pulls out A HATCHET but security and Konnan break it up. It being the attempted murder/butchering that is.

Post break Konnan says that was a trap and they’ll get their revenge when the time is right.

Classic clip: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Petey Williams from Sacrifice 2006.

Sami Callihan, still with a bad arm, and OVE are ticked off but tonight they’ll make up for it by beating up the Lucha Brothers.

Desi Hit Squad vs. KM/Fallah Bahh

Bahh pounds his chest to start so the Squad tries some double teaming. I say try because Bahh whips them both in for a double crossbody and the Squad is flattened. The big fat leg connects and it’s off to KM for….well nothing of note before Bahh comes in again. This time he spends too long going after Gama though and a chop block brings him down.

Raju comes in for some kicks to the ribs but Bahh crushes him in the corner. That’s enough for the tag back to KM so house can be cleaned. The double roll over has the Squad in more trouble and some pokes to the eye make them scream. KM hits a full nelson slam but Bahh won’t leave, allowing Raju to hit a jumping knee to the face. Singh adds a jumping Downward Spiral for the pin at 6:13.

Rating: D. I still don’t get the point of either of these teams but neither of them are likely to go anywhere anytime soon. The Squad is your pretty run of the mill foreign team and KM/Bahh are the oddballs, which don’t exactly inspire me either way. When the LAX vs. OGz feud is dominating the title scene, it’s not like they’re getting close to the titles anytime soon. Can we get some better filler?

Anthony Carelli gives his student Dustin Cameron a pep talk before the match with Aries tonight. Cameron leaves and Carelli prays that he doesn’t die out there.

Johnny Impact wants his rematch with Kongo Kong but gets Jimmy Jacobs instead. Before Jimmy can say much, a right hand takes him down.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Austin Aries vs. Dustin Cameron

Aries is defending, eating a banana and wearing street clothes. Cameron gets taken down with ease, followed by a headlock takeover and a walk on his back. Some judo tosses give Cameron his only offense but there’s a discus forearm into the brainbuster for two, with Aries picking him up. Carelli throws in the towel at 3:29.

Rating: D. I was tempted to not even call this a match as it was just an angle, but the problem is it’s an angle to advance Aries vs. Santino Marella. I don’t know if Carelli can get in the ring (though I don’t think he can) but this doesn’t exactly scream great idea. The angle makes sense, but I’m not sure about one of the people involved.

Post match Aries puts on the Last Chancery, drawing Carelli in. The fans chant for the Cobra but settle for a low blow to Aries instead. Eddie Edwards comes in for a kendo stick shot to send Aries running.

Alisha Edwards says she’s getting back in the ring when Eddie comes in to say things are going to be back to normal. He’s going to be World Champion again! That’s too much for Alisha and she leaves. Eddie: “Ok bye.”

Here’s Scarlett Bordeaux for a chat in the aisle. The interviewer can barely talk because he’s too busy staring at her and the stuttering is intense. Scarlett flirts with him (after naming him Bobo due to his stuttering) and says she won’t be hot shamed. He leaves and she dances a bit because the Smoke Show is here. I still need to see more of this but I don’t hate it.

Grado comes up to Eli Drake to yell about the gift from last week. A challenge for a tag match is thrown out and Drake steps to the side to grab Trevor Lee as his partner.

Grado/Joe Hendry vs. Eli Drake/Trevor Lee

The villains, including Caleb Konley, send Hendry outside and triple team Grado before Drake starts with the latter. A knee and basement clothesline have Grado in more trouble and Drake shouts to the crowd a lot. Grado is right back with his clothesline and the snap jabs but Lee pulls Hendry off the apron. The distraction lets Drake hit the Gravy Train for the easy pin at 3:12.

Rating: D-. Another match designed to be more angle advancement than anything else and that’s fine, but the match was a bunch of very simple stuff until the finish. They’re taking their time getting to Katarina leaving Grado and I’m not sure why. Unless there’s a surprise in there, we’re just kind of wasting time until we get to the obvious and correct ending.

Post match Hendry and Grado hug it out.

The Desi Hit Squad is pleased with themselves but Gama Singh comes in to slap them in the face.

Video on Brian Cage retaining the X-Division Title last week in a good match.

Sydal admits that Cage is the better man but he’ll be looking inside of himself and questioning everything.

OVE vs. Fenix/Pentagon Jr.

They start fast and take turns running at each other until the Lucha Bros slide to the floor and take stereo suicide dives into the barricade. OVE beats them up a little more with Pentagon going into the post, only to come back with stereo superkicks. Now it’s a pair of flip dives to take out the Crists as we take a break. Back with Pentagon opening Dave’s shirt for a skin ripping chop.

Fenix launches Pentagon into Jake in the corner but Sami saves him from the spike Fear Factor. Some kicks to the head sent Pentagon outside, leaving Jake to put on something like a reverse Rings of Saturn (Naomi used to use it) on Fenix. Jake and Dave take turns going for the mask until Fenix kicks Jake in the head. Pentagon comes in but the Crists tie their masks together so the Lucha Bros are in even more trouble.

The masks come untied and Jake spikes Fenix for two. Pentagon gets back up though and it’s time for some corner clotheslines, followed by stereo superkicks on Jake. Fenix hits a top rope double stomp to Jake’s back, leaving Dave to take the spike Fear Factor. A flip dive takes out Jake and Sami as Dave is pinned at 17:23.

Rating: B-. Good match here to continue the Sami vs. Pentagon feud, with Sami’s arm selling being a nice surprise. Seriously how many people sell an injury for more than a week anymore? Pentagon and Fenix are one of the best acts around right now with Pentagon looking more and more like a star every time he’s out there and Fenix being close to a modern day Juventud Guerrera with a little more size.

Killer Kross talks about realizing you’re in your final moments. The camera pans down to show an unconscious Carelli to end the show. That feels like writing him off TV, and that’s for the best.

Overall Rating: C. It’s not quite up to the standard they had a few weeks ago but this was still a perfectly watchable and at times good show. The main event is entertaining and they’ve set up a main event for next week, but there wasn’t much else as far as good wrestling went. I’ll chalk this one up to an off week and really hope that they bounce back to where they were recently. Still though, far from bad.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tessa Blanchard vs. Allie

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

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

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

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

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

Eddie Edwards vs. Tommy Dreamer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

X-Division Title: Matt Sydal vs. Brian Cage

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

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

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

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

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

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

Knockouts Title: Su Yung vs. Madison Rayne

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

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

Post match Rayne is put in a coffin.

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

Tag Team Titles: OGz vs. LAX

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sami Callihan vs. Pentagon Jr.

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

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

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

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

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

Bound For Glory is October 14 in New York.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Austin Aries vs. Moose

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

Tessa Blanchard b. Allie – Hammerlock DDT

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

Brian Cage b. Matt Sydal – Drill Claw

Su Yung b. Madison Rayne – Mandible Claw

LAX b. OGz – Frog splash to Homicide

Pentagon Jr. b. Sami Callihan – Fear Factor

Austin Aries b. Moose – Brainbuster

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

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