IMG Credit: WWE

Impact Wrestling
Date: February 4, 2020
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

The Mexico run continues and that’s not a bad thing. Some of the local talent has done rather well with a few of them being big standouts. Other than that, we seem to be setting up for Tessa Blanchard vs. Ace Austin, possibly at Sacrifice. If nothing else, maybe we can get some more Eddie Edwards vs. Michael Elgin. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Tessa Blanchard to open the show, with commentary confirming the title match against Austin. Tessa says she isn’t hard to find and she’s a little impatient so here’s a challenge in Spanish. Cue Austin with Reno Scum and we have a surprise match.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Adam Thornstowe

Non-title. Tessa can’t get very far with a waistlock to start so she sends him into the interfering Luster the Legend on the apron. A headscissors puts Thornstowe on the floor but Luster blocks a suicide dive. Back in and Thornstowe rubs his armpit on Tessa’s face and the neck crank goes on.

Thornstowe chokes on the ropes and gets two off a slam. A standing moonsault misses though and Tessa is right back with a running hurricanrana. Tessa superkicks him off the apron onto Ace and Luster, setting up back to back suicide dives and a flip dive off the top. Back in and a cutter gives Tessa two, followed by the Buzzsaw DDT for the pin at 7:59.

Rating: C-. Just a match here for the most part with Tessa never feeling like she was in danger. What mattered more than anything else here though was they never went too far beyond the suspension of disbelief. You can only go so far with a one on one match without it being a bit ridiculous and Tessa is getting better and better at that every time.

Post match, Ace distracts Tessa so Luster can come in and start the beatdown. Tommy Dreamer runs in for the save. Of course he does.

Kiera Hogan and Madison Rayne are arguing when Taya Valkyrie interrupts to complain about facing Jordynne Grace next week. They don’t like how she talks to them and won’t be helping her in the title match.

During the break, Dreamer challenged Ace for a hardcore match tonight.

The announcers talk about the show but the feed is interrupted with a graphic for “realityislost.com”. They don’t seem to notice and preview everything else going on tonight, plus a few matches for Sacrifice on February 22.

Rhino vs. Taurus

Rhino shoves him away to start but his running shoulder has no effect. Another works a lot better but Taurus is right back with one of his own. They go to the floor with Taurus going face first into the apron. That doesn’t seem to matter as Taurus sends him shoulder first into the post and cranks away on the arm back inside.

A Codebreaker to the arm gets two and Taurus scores with a Shining Wizard for the same. Rhino avoids a twisting Swanton though and they’re both down for a bit. Taurus gets sent into the corner for a belly to belly but he’s right back with a running elbow for two. The spinebuster puts Taurus down again but here’s Moose to jump Rhino for the DQ at 6:45.

Rating: C. The ending makes sense given the story that they have been telling and the fact that we are coming up on Moose vs. Rhino at Sacrifice. They were beating each other up here and I liked what I saw rather well. You can always go with two big guys beating each other up in a power match and they did it well enough here.

Post match Moose goes after Taurus and walks into a Gore from Rhino to send him outside.

Michael Elgin is ready to go up 2-0 on Eddie Edwards next week and then win the series the week after.

Johnny Swinger challenges the Desi Hit Squad on behalf of himself and Willie Mack, but it winds up being Shera vs. Mack.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Motor City Machine Guns b. Team 3D and Beer Money at Sacrifice 2010.

Taya tries to get Rosemary’s help next week but Rosemary is too busy attacking James Mitchell and Havok, both of whom she locks in a room.

Rosemary vs. Susie

Susie offers a handshake but Rosemary puts the hand on her throat. Susie: “NO! THAT’S BAD!” Rosemary demands Susie hit her but Susie begs off in the corner instead. The bloodied glove to Susie’s face is enough to make her snap though and Rosemary seems pleased. Rosemary fights out of the Mandible Claw and they fight up the ramp for the double countout at 3:06.

Rating: D+. I almost gave this an N/A as it was an angle instead of a match and that’s ok. This story does keep going places but I’m not sure how much longer they can keep doing things. It seems like they have no idea where this is going to wind up, though Rosemary trying to bring Su Yung back is certainly a goal and that’s better than nothing.

Post match they fight in the back with Rosemary getting the better of it. She grabs the noose that was used to hang Su in this building and wraps it around her neck but security stops her. It’s too late though as Susie has become Su Yung again, complete with flashbacks to being hung.

Post break a distraught James Mitchell staggers out and finds a laughing Rosemary. Congratulations, because they’re all dead.

TJP vs. Vikingo

Fallah Bahh is here with TJP. They go technical to start with TJP taking him down and working on the arm before switching to a headlock. That goes nowhere so it’s an anklescissors to take Vikingo down instead. A Boston crab doesn’t work so they tie their legs together and stand on their heads for a slap off. Stereo nipups give us a standoff until another anklescissors sends Vikingo down. He’s right back with a headscissors to the floor and a shooting star press off the apron crushes TJP.

Back in and TJP hits a double chickenwing gutbuster to set up the slingshot hilo for two. A double underhook arm crank has Vikingo in trouble but he reverses into a….I’m not sure what you call that but he had TJP’s limbs behind him and bent TJP around a lot. Back up and they trade some kicks to the arm until Vikingo pulls him down into a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up and TJP grabs a Muta Lock, plus an arm crank at the same time, to put Vikingo in serious trouble.

TJP can only hold it for so long until they head to the floor for a chase, capped off by Vikingo hitting a dropkick through the ropes. That means a big flip dive over the top to take TJP down again, with the fans deeming it awesome. TJP gets tied up in the ropes for a top rope legdrop but he’s right back with a Tombstone into a frog splash for two.

Vikingo’s running knees in the corner give him two of his own, with the fans wanting them to fight forever. Now it’s TJP back with a superplex into an Octopus Hold but Vikingo is straight out. Back up and TJP loads up the Detonation kick but Vikingo slips out, only to get pulled into a Regal Stretch for the tap at 13:41.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was great as Vikingo is probably going to get himself a job outside of AAA if he wants/can have one. TJP is one of the best talents this company has and the two of them both looked great in everything they did here. This was one of the best matches I’ve seen from Impact in a good while and I could go for more from both of them.

Post match TJP shows respect but here’s the North to beat both of them down.

Katie Forbes tells Joey Ryan that he doesn’t want to touch it. Joey says he’s not interested but Rob Van Dam jumps him from behind. They’ll fight next week.

OVE vs. Daga/Dr. Wagner Jr.

Wagner’s son is with him. Dave and Wagner start things off and take their time to start until they trade some waistlocks. A running kick to the head lets Wagner pose so Jake comes in, only to get punched into the corner. Wagner hits a middle rope cutter for one (?) so it’s Daga coming in and getting caught with a Death Valley Driver. Daga is right back up and sends Jake to the floor for a baseball slide.

Back in and Wagner comes in to clean house again, including a German suplex for Dave. With Josh’s voice giving out, Daga gets two off a brainbuster to Jake. A spike Tombstone gets two on Daga and everything breaks down off the save. Wagner flips onto Jake and Daga’s Jay Driller is good for the pin on Dave at 8:15.

Rating: C. This was a pretty formula based match and they did things well enough to keep my interest. The problem is they didn’t do enough to make me care that much beyond the basics and that’s fine enough for a TV match. It’s good to see Daga get the pin here as Wagner doesn’t need the rub that comes from a win. OVE has fallen a good bit, but they’re still good for a match like this.

Post match Madman Fulton comes in to wreck Daga and Wagner.

Swinger tells Mack that he has heat with Shera so they’ll have a match next week. Mack can handle this on his own.

Preview of next week’s show.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Ace Austin

Non-title falls count anywhere street fight (or hardcore, which ever you prefer). Ace brings the card at Dreamer but gets sent outside for his efforts. A suplex on the ramp lets Dreamer grab a bunch of weapons to throw at Ace. Tommy puts on the sombrero and dances with a crutch before brawling up to the stage. They go into the crowd instead with Dreamer sending him into the chairs as we take a break.

Back with Dreamer posing but getting kicked off the balcony (about a four foot drop) so Ace can dive onto him. Dreamer blocks some kicks on the apron and pulls Ace down, setting up a Conchairto on the arm. Back in and Ace sends him into the post, setting up the paper cut with the card, this time to the head to bust Dreamer open. Ace chairs him down a few times and now it’s time for a table.

Dreamer gets in a shove off the ropes though and they slug it out with Dreamer getting the better of it. A running kendo stick shot in the corner misses though and Ace hits a top rope spinning Fameasser for two. Dreamer shrugs off some stick shots and hits a White Russian legsweep as the ECW tributes continue. Ace kicks him in the face so Dreamer grabs him low, setting up a DDT for two. A running powerslam through the table gives Dreamer two more and it’s time for a ladder, which winds up on the middle rope. Dreamer takes him up top but gets crotched, setting up a super Fold to give Austin the pin at 19:53.

Rating: D. Are they serious? The World Champion gets eight minutes, Dr. Wagner Jr. gets eight and that great TJP vs. Vikingo match gets thirteen, but TOMMY DREAMER gets twenty. You’re in a foreign country and have a ton of options for new and fresh names to put out there (heck make the Wagner match a singles and put Daga in there) but no no, the solution is TOMMY DREAMER. Ace, a champion, needed twenty minutes to beat Dreamer, who turns 49 next week and hasn’t won an important match in forever. What a great way to present your #1 contender as a star. Just….enough already.

Overall Rating: C+. That TJP vs. Vikingo match kept this show from being pretty awful and I’ll take that every week. I like that they’re setting up a big show with Sacrifice as you can’t go from January until April without having something. There are some interesting things going on here and I like where it’s going, but then they have stupid stuff like wasting Van Dam on Joey Ryan and Dreamer getting a twenty minute main event. If they can get rid of the awful stuff and bad ideas, they’re on a roll. As it is, they’re the same Impact that they’ve been for the last year or two: just there, with an occasional good show.

Results

Tessa Blanchard b. Adam Thornstowe – Buzzsaw DDT

Rhino b. Taurus via DQ when Moose interfered

Rosemary vs. Susie went to a double countout

TJP b. Vikingo – Regal Stretch

Daga/Dr. Wagner Jr. b. OVE – Jay Driller to Dave

Ace Austin b. Tommy Dreamer – Super Fold

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-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 28, 2020
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re still in Mexico and that means we should be in for a lot of guest stars. The big question though is what will Sami Callihan be up to, because you know he isn’t going to let the World Title go without a fight. He might have to wait for Taya Valkyrie and Ace Austin though, which could be interesting….maybe. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Josh Alexander vs. Vikingo

Ethan Page is here with Alexander. The smaller Vikingo gets shoved down to start so Vikingo nips right back up. A spinebuster puts Vikingo down again but he hits a quick Trouble in Paradise. Alexander gets knocked outside so Vikingo misses a suicide dive, only to roll through and land just fine. A running elbow takes Vikingo down again on the floor and it’s time to head back in. This time Vikingo counters what looked to be a chokeslam into an armbar but Alexander shoves him into the corner again.

That just earns him a springboard missile dropkick and they go to the floor again so Vikingo can jump from the barricade into the crowd for a moonsault onto Alexander. Back in and Vikingo spins out of a Boston crab attempt and dropkicks Alexander in the corner. A 450 gives Vikingo two but another hurricanrana attempt is countered into a powerbomb breaker. They go to a pinfall reversal sequence until Alexander tries another powerbomb, only to get countered into a hurricanrana for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: B-. Yeah this worked rather well and Vikingo looked awesome out there. Alexander is someone with a lot of potential despite not having much that makes him stand out. This was a good showdown and both guys were solid. I liked this one more than I ever would have guessed and we’ll call this a very nice surprise.

The fans throw money at Vikingo but Page and Alexander chase him off.

Taya Valkyrie isn’t happy with Jordynne Grace getting involved in the #1 contenders match. She’ll be watching closely.

Moose blames Rhino for the loss last week and promises to get him after taking care of Taurus tonight.

Rascalz vs. Pagano/Murder Clown

Dez and Wentz for the Rascalz here and they look terrified. Clown gorilla presses Wentz to start but misses an elbow, allowing Wentz to strike away. It’s quickly off to Dez for a hurricanrana but Pagano is quickly in to….move around in some weird ways. A slingshot reverse suplex puts Dez down and Pagano strikes away to send him outside.

Pagano’s big suicide dive takes everyone out, setting up a wheelbarrow faceplant/middle rope Fameasser combination for two on Dez. LAX’s old Street Sweeper hits Wentz but Pagano takes too much time going up, allowing the Rascalz to hit a double superplex. Wentz hits a Swanton and Dez adds the Final Flash for the pin at 6:11.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see the Rascalz win for a change as it seems like they lose almost all the time anymore. The match was entertaining enough as well as the monsters were built up well at the beginning but fell in the end. As weird as it was to see the Rascalz as just another team to this crowd, I’m rather glad they won.

Michael Elgin wants Eddie Edwards to be the man he was before so Elgin can beat him at his best. The trophy is his.

Moose vs. Taurus

Moose tries some running shoulders to start but Taurus is right back with a running hurricanrana. A teased chop lets Moose kick him in the ribs so Taurus sends him outside for the running corkscrew dive. Moose chops the post by mistake but manages to knock Taurus down again anyway. Boot choking in the corner ensues and Moose’s cockiness gets cranked up even higher. Another charge gets cut off at the knees though and Taurus hits a 619 for two. They hit stereo headbutts to send Taurus into the corner again, setting up No Jackhammer Needed to give Moose the pin at 6:29.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as much as Taurus didn’t get to show off as much as he did last week. Moose winning is the right call as he could be moving forward to something a lot bigger in the future, though at least Taurus got in a little offense. It was better than last week’s tired triple threat, but still not much to see.

Post match Rhino comes in and Gores Moose.

Eddie Edwards is ready to defend his trophy, now with a smiley face, against Elgin no matter how many times they have to fight.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Kurt Angle beats James Storm at Genesis 2012. This was a lot shorter than most of the regular clips.

Joey Ryan is a little hurt by Rob Van Dam’s comments last week but it comes with the territory for him. Maybe Rob is worried that Katie Forbes wants to touch it.

Jordynne Grace vs. Kiera Hogan vs. Madison Rayne

For the #1 contendership and Taya Valkyrie is on commentary. Grace gets double teamed to start but sends them together with almost no trouble and drops Rayne onto Hogan for an early two. A double clothesline puts them both down again but Rayne is back up to hammer on Grace. Hogan gets in a basement dropkick and Rayne adds a sliding lariat to set up….a chinlock.

That works as well as you would expect as Taya says Grace doesn’t have her number because it’s unlisted. Hogan gets in a sliding dropkick in the corner but Grace suplexes both of them at the same time. Grace goes up top and gets slammed back down, meaning it’s time for the required argument over who gets the pin. A series of kicks put Grace on the floor and it’s a game of Rock, Paper Scissors to determine who goes after her. That takes way too long though and the Grace Driver finishes Hogan at 8:13.

Rating: D+. This was very similar to what happened last week with the men’s triple threat and that’s one of the worst things that could have happened. Hogan and Rayne might as well have been evil unnamed henchmen to try and slow Grace down and that’s not exactly an interesting way to go. This was tired and dull, which is the case with most TV triple threats these days.

Ace Austin gives his case for a World Title shot.

Johnny Swinger says he and Willie Mack need to work on their tag skills but Mack makes it clear that they’re not a team. Swinger: “I was pretty cool back in ECW.”

TJP likes Fallah Bahh’s new gear and faces Vikingo next week. I know he’s still big, but Bahh’s physical transformation is remarkable.

Reno Scum vs. Daga/Dr. Wagner Jr.

Wagner’s son is at ringside. Daga runs Thornstowe over to start and it’s a quick standoff until Luster comes in. Wagner comes in as well and gets shoved down by the much bigger Luster. A falling headbutt gets two but the middle rope version misses. It’s back to Wagner but Scum gets in a few cheap shots to take over.

The neck crank goes on until Daga fights up with his string of strikes. That’s enough for the hot tag to Wagner so house can be cleaned. A Samoan drop hits Thornstowe and Daga hits a big corkscrew dive onto Luster. The Wagner Driver gets two on Thornstowe as everything breaks down. Wagner dives onto Luster and a double underhook gutbuster finishes Thornstowe at 8:06.

Rating: C-. This is something I can always live with as Reno Scum losing never gets old. They’re a team with the slightest bit of name value so losing to a legend in Wagner and someone with some potential like Daga isn’t a bad thing. The match was mainly for the live crowd though and wasn’t anything great in the first place, but at least the right team won.

Post match OVE runs in for the beatdown as Reno Scum makes Wagner’s son watch.

Rosemary appears to Susie and asks if she has found what she is looking for. Maybe it’s out there in the arena itself and maybe Rosemary could be her teacher. That works for Susie, so they’ll have a friendly exhibition next week.

Michael Elgin vs. Eddie Edwards

Match #1 in a Best of Five series. They go to the mat to start and that’s a very early standoff. Eddie gets smart by going after the knee and avoids an enziguri to set up a quickly broken STF. Elgin bails to the floor so Eddie busts out the suicide dive. That’s fine with Elgin, who swings him hard into the barricade and we take a break. Back with Eddie hitting the Blue Thunder Bomb to put both of them down. The Backpack Stunner gives Eddie two and the half crab goes back to the knee.

The STF stays on longer this time but Eddie lets go before the rope can be grabbed. A tiger driver is countered with a backdrop to send Eddie head first into the mat for a scary landing. The rolling German suplexes rock Eddie for two but he’s back up to lose the slugout. Eddie hits a clothesline though and this time the tiger driver connects for two. Elgin is up first and hits a super Death Valley Driver before elbowing the heck out of Eddie’s head. The Crossface goes on and Eddie passes out at 12:43.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t as good as some of their other matches but there’s a good formula between having Eddie’s technical/brawling hybrid style vs. the raw power of Elgin. I’m not sure how good it is to have the series go to five matches but it’s cool to see these two fighting anytime. Just don’t overdo it.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was pretty good here and I liked the show better than a lot of the shows down in Mexico. This one felt like it had more of a point and the one off matches were better than last week’s. They still have a long way to go before their next pay per view but they’re plugging Sacrifice at the end of the month quite a bit so maybe it can be the gap show. The fact that I’ll be there has nothing to do with my excitement over it of course. Anyway, not a bad show here and better than last week.

Results

Vikingo b. Josh Alexander – Hurricanrana

Rascalz b. Pagano/Murder Clown – Final Flash to Pagano

Moose b. Taurus – No Jackhammer Needed

Jordynne Grace b. Kiera Hogan and Madison Rayne – Grace Driver to Hogan

Daga/Dr. Wagner Jr. b. Reno Scum – Double underhook gutbuster to Thornstowe

Michael Elgin b. Eddie Edwards via referee stoppage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-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: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #94
Date: January 25, 2020
Location: NYTEX Sports Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: AJ Kirsch, Rich Bocchini

It’s barbed wire night and that means it can only be two people involved. Yes somehow we’re getting another violent match between Mance Warner and Jimmy Havoc, two guys who I liked at one point and now never want to see again. Maybe this can wrap it up and we can move on to ANYTHING else, but for some reason I have my doubts. Let’s get to it.

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

AJ Kirsch is in the ring to welcome us to the show but here’s Contra to cut him off. During their entrance, we see a still photo of the team attacking Davey Boy Smith Jr. at an NHL event over the weekend. Josef Samael goes big by referencing the Kennedy assassination by saying the MLW Camelot falls here as well. The Hart Foundation has a history of tragedy and we hear about Contra throwing a fireball at Teddy Hart back in November. Cue Davey Boy Smith Jr. down the aisle and Brian Pillman Jr. (in disguise, through the crowd for no apparent reason) to clear the ring.

Opening sequence.

Here’s everything you just saw.

Quick preview of the rest of the show.

Earlier today, Konnan was talking about how AAA is coming to MLW but before he can answer a question about Gino Medina, Injustice interrupted him with their usual insults. Konnan isn’t impressed and wants some more respect so Oliver swears a lot. Konnan hopes Oliver is never in prison because he would get traded for some Cinnabons.

Injustice vs. Drago/Puma King vs. Taurus/Low Rider

Fallout from said backstage segment and it’s Kotto Brazil/Jordan Oliver for Injustice. As a bonus, next week it’s Drago vs. Myron Reed for the Middleweight Title. They actually go a full eight seconds with the formality of having people on the apron before everything goes nuts. Low Rider hits a springboard double armdrag on Drago and King and that’s about as good as I can do with the play by play in something like this. Rider kicks King in the face and adds a springboard flip dive onto Injustice, leaving Taurus to clean house inside.

Taurus powerslams Drago into King in the corner and then spears King in half. Injustice comes back in for the save and it’s Rider being sent hard into the corner, setting up an assisted sitout powerbomb to give Brazil two. A double belly to back suplex doesn’t work so King tags Rider on the back (Seriously?) to come in and plant Brazil. King powerbombs Jordan and it’s a Backstabber into a dropkick to make it worse. It’s Taurus back in to clean house again until King launches Drago into a hurricanrana.

Cue Myron Reed for a distraction to cut Drago off, allowing King to DDT Taurus for two. Now it’s Injustice getting to clean house, including a suicide Stunner from Oliver to King. Rider is back up with a springboard Codebreaker to Brazil, with Taurus blasting him with a clothesline to make it worse. A powerbomb/Backstabber combination destroys Oliver and Taurus plants Brazil on the apron. Drago catapults Rider into a cutter from King, who then flip dives onto Taurus. The Dragon’s Tail (spinning, twisting rollup) pins Rider at 7:30.

Rating: C+. This was exactly what it should have been with everyone getting a chance to shine and the #1 contender picking up the pin over someone who got to shine throughout. They shouldn’t have tried to do anything but go nuts with lucha stuff here and we got a good, fun and logical match out of it.

Video on Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc with Mance recapping everything and wanting to destroy Havoc once and for all.

Fightland is coming.

Buy merch!

We look back at Davey Boy Smith Jr. winning the Opera Cup.

Smith is proud of his win and hopes Stu Hart is proud of him. This is the first of many accomplishments for him and he’s coming for the World Title.

Contra’s Josef Samael saw fear in Smith’s eyes earlier when he looked at Simon Gotch. Therefore, how about Smith vs. Gotch in a no ropes match where you only win by submission or knockout?

Chandler Hopkins vs. Low Ki

Hopkins is a country boy who has wrestled in AAA. They stare at each other for a bit to start until Ki cranks on the arm for a bit. That’s broken up and Hopkins works on a hammerlock of his own, only to have Ki pull him into the corner for a hard kick to the chest. A chop and headbutt in the corner put Hopkins in the corner for some pain. Ki shoves off the running hurricanrana attempt but Hopkins pops back up and hits a hurricanrana driver. Hopkins’ rolling Downward Spiral gets two but he misses a shooting star. Ki dropkicks him into the corner and sits on Hopkins’ back for a choke with his boot for the win at 5:47.

Rating: C. This was a lot better than I would have bet on and Hopkins got to impress a lot more than you would have expected. That’s one of the places where MLW gets to shine: bringing in some unknown names and showcase them like this. Maybe Hopkins can turn into something, but what matters is he was given a chance here.

Low Ki shows some post match respect.

Smith accepts Gotch’s challenge. He’s still not a great promo though and a mouthpiece wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Tom Lawlor brags about new student Dominic Garrini and talks about how he’ll be hurting people. Garrini points out that he’s been here before but ignore everything he has done before because everything is new. Oh and Lawlor has brought a sponsor back: Condom Depot.

Erick Stevens is still coming.

The Fightland Control Center announces Alexander Hammerstone defending the National Openweight Title against T-Hawk, Killer Kross vs. Tom Lawlor and Low Ki vs. King Mo.

We look back at the Von Erichs winning the Tag Team Titles from the Dynasty at Saturday Night SuperFight.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman is impressed by Marshall Von Erich’s lineage but Marshall isn’t all elite. Oh and Mance Warner is an inbred who needs to watch his match next week.

We look at the first barbed wire match in MLW history, back in 2003 between Terry Funk and Steve Corino.

Jimmy Havoc and Priscilla Kelly aren’t scared of the barbed wire match because Jimmy loves hurting people. He enjoys blood and wouldn’t mind drinking Mance’s.

The Von Erichs crush apples to show what is happening to MJF next week.

Parental guidance is suggested for the following..

Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc

The ropes have been replaced by barbed wire and Jimmy has Priscilla Kelly. Rich calls this the final encounter, which is the best news anyone could hear. Even the announcers have gloves on in case the wires break. Havoc has his baseball bat and Warner has the chair but both weapons shots miss. They pause before hitting the wire though and it’s already time to tease the wire to the head.

Havoc discus punches Warner but gets sent into the wire anyway. A few whips into said wire make it worse and Warner grabs the chair again. Warner hits him in the back but Havoc is right back with a suplex into the wire. Havoc drives it into Warner’s head before downgrading things a bit with a staple gun shot to the head. Warner’s shirt is ripped off and then stapled to his back, only for Havoc to rip it right back off.

To mix things up a bit, Havoc busts out some bolt cutters and cuts off a piece of the wire. The already bleeding Warner gets the wire wrapped inside of his mouth to draw even more blood. Havoc hits him in the head with the barbed wire bat and there’s a stomp to make it worse. Warner tries to fight back but gets flipped off. That’s fine with Warner, who hits him low with the bat. Havoc grabs the staple gun to stab Warner between the legs (both commentators: “Right in his bucksnorts!”).

Not that it matters again as Warner spinebusters him on the side of a chair (egads) and brings in some extra boards. That takes too long though as Havoc Death Valley Drivers him through a board for two. Warner chokeslams him through a board bridged between two chairs for two more. The wire around the arm looks to set up a lariat but Kelly gives Havoc powder. It goes into Havoc’s eyes of course though and the barbed wire lariat….doesn’t even get a cover. Instead, Warner piledrives him onto a bunch of stuff for the pin at 10:37.

Rating: C+. This was the kind of thing that made sense for the story, even though I wasn’t wild on what they were doing. It was how they should have gone here though as you can’t go from violence to non-violence, especially with the way these two go. What mattered here was it felt like the ending and there is no reason for them to come back again. I’m not big on the violence, but at least it worked for what it was supposed to be.

Overall Rating: B-. Good show for the most part here with three matches that were all at least decent. The best thing here though was that some times wrapped up and it felt like we were actually getting somewhere for a change. That hasn’t been the case in a long time now and hopefully we can go somewhere else going forward. Fightland looks good and things can start up in the next few weeks. This wasn’t too bad though and if we’re really done with Havoc vs. Warner, things are looking up.

Results

Drago/Puma King b. Taurus/Low Rider and Injustice – Dragon’s Tail to Rider

Low Ki b. Chandler Hopkins – Seated choke with boot

Mance Warner b. Jimmy Havoc – Piledriver onto a chair

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-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 21, 2020
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re down in Mexico this week and that means things are going to be a little different. It’s still time for the fallout from Hard To Kill, which could go multiple ways. Hopefully things pick up a bit, though it’s not like last week’s recap show was all that bad. I’m curious to see where things go from here though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Here’s Tessa Blanchard to open things up. She’s glad to be aqui en Mexico and knows that it’s the beginning of the journey. There is a target on her back and knows that Sami Callihan is coming. Cue Taya Valkyrie instead and she brings up a great point: she beat Tessa for the title and deserves a title shot of her own. She has beaten Tessa for the AAA Women’s Title but now she wants the World Title.

Cue Ace Austin to say he should be invited to this party. They were all successful at Hard To Kill and Ace even beat Tessa at Bound For Glory. He could come out on top of her again, either in the ring or at the hotel. The fight is on and Trey Miguel runs in for the save to set up a likely tag match.

Opening sequence.

We recap Willie Mack walking away from Rich Swann after losing in a handicap match at Hard To Kill.

Mack isn’t sure what he’s going to do until Swann gets back but tonight, he’ll face Rohit Raju. Johnny Swinger comes in to offer to be his partner but Mack walks away, even from the offer of rizzats.

Taya is talking about wanting a World Title shot when Madison Rayne and Kiera Hogan come in to say they want their title shots. That’s more than Taya can deal with right now but they can fight next week. Whoever wins gets the first title shot and the loser gets the second.

Moose vs. Rhino vs. Taurus

The ECW chants start fast (for once that’s interesting as Rhino was only around ECW for about two years but it’s still the signature time in his career) and Moose drops to the floor. Taurus springboards out of a wristlock as Moose is content to chill on the floor. He does stop to grab Taurus though and Rhino demands that Moose get in. That isn’t happening so far though and we take a break.

Back with Moose still on the floor as Rhino charges into an elbow to the face. Rhino and Taurus go outside to deal with Moose, who slides back in, only to make the mistake of pointing at his head because he’s brilliant. The beatdown is on with Rhino getting annoyed at Taurus for going for a cover.

Moose gets back up and beats them into various corners, including a whip to send Taurus shoulder first into the post. Some running elbows and a short arm clothesline give Rhino two but Taurus is out of the corner with a spinning crossbody for his own two. Rhino suplexes Moose but a quick referee distraction lets Moose kick Rhino low. Taurus comes in for the save so Rhino Gores Moose, only to have Taurus steal the pin at 14:25.

Rating: D+. Just another triple threat match with the same formula that you could imagine for a long time now. They’re all talented people but how many things can you get out of the same formula? There are other ways to do a match like this but for some reason this is what wrestlers like to do in them no matter what.

Jordynne Grace thinks she should get a Knockouts Title match so she’s in on the Hogan vs. Rayne match.

Tommy Dreamer, in a sombrero, tells Joey Ryan that he’s back in Wrestler’s Court tonight. Joey says no and leaves.

Joey Ryan vs. Maximo

Maximo is an exotico so we’re in for comedy. Joey gives a fan a lollipop from his trunks and it’s time to tell Maximo to touch it. They trade armdrags instead and some near falls give us a standoff. Maximo slams him down and drops a top rope elbow for two, only to make the mistake of trying an atomic drop. Back up and Maximo kisses him for two but Ryan makes him touch it. The Plex and Sweet Tooth Music finishes Maximo at 3:32.

Rating: F. Yeah I think this one speaks for itself. They were nice enough to keep this short but it’s not exactly something I want to see. It doesn’t help that Ryan does the exact same stuff every single time and almost never changes anything. It wasn’t as long as some of these matches but egads I could go with never seeing this stuff again.

Rob Van Dam says that match makes him embarrassed to be a wrestler. He leaves with Katie Forbes instead of answering a question.

Michael Elgin wants to fight Eddie Edwards again.

Havok vs. Rosemary

Havok has James Mitchell and Susie with her. Rosemary bails to the floor to start and talks to Susie but switches places with Havok, setting up a dive. Rosemary beats her up the ramp but Havok gets in a single shot to knock her back. A suplex drops Rosemary on the ramp and Havok heads inside, only to get taken down with a top rope forearm. The Sling Blade sets up a Last Chancery, with Havok getting out in a hurry. Havok hits a running knee but Rosemary gets in a jawbreaker. Mitchell gets on the apron for a distraction so Rosemary mists him down, allowing Havok to hit a Tombstone for the pin at 6:29.

Rating: D+. This story continues to keep going and I’m still not sure what to expect from where it is going. I’m still not sure if Impact knows what they’re doing with it either, though the Susie stuff does have me a little bit intrigued. The match wasn’t very good either but they had too much going on in a short amount of time.

Post match the blind Mitchell celebrates with Havok but Susie wanders off.

The Desi Hit Squad is ready to continue their winning streak but Shera has sent Raj Singh on a spiritual journey. Gama Singh isn’t happy and slaps Rohit Raju to blow off some steam.

The Rascalz make fun of Trey for teaming with a girl as he might have a bit of a thing for Tessa. Then things get all fuzzy and Murder Clown/Pagano join in their circle, much to the Rascalz’s dismay.

Eddie Edwards will gladly fight Michael Elgin again. Elgin comes in to start the argument and another match seems imminent.

Willie Mack vs. Rohit Raju

Gama Singh and Shera are here. They start fast with Mack snapping off a hurricanrana and hitting the swinging slam for a bonus. A dropkick to the floor makes it worse but Shera offers a distraction so Raju can sweep the leg. Raju hits a double stomp for two but misses a charge, allowing Mack to hit the running boot in the corner. The Samoan drop into the standing moonsault gets two, followed by Raju missing a jumping knee. Mack Stuns him for the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C-. Could have been worse and in theory this was going to be Mack/Swann vs. the Squad. Mack continues to be one of the most entertaining guys on the show and I could go for him getting a singles push. Raju is watchable at times and that was the case here, albeit in a not all that interesting match.

Post match the Squad beats Mack down, drawing out Swinger for the failed save attempt.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Beer Money beats the Motor City Machine Guns for the Tag Team Titles at Genesis 2011.

The North brags about how awesome they are when Vikingo interrupts, likely to set something up.

Starting next week: Eddie Edwards vs. Michael Elgin in the first match of a best of five series. No mention of the trophy being on the line.

Tessa Blanchard/Trey Miguel vs. Taya Valkyrie/Ace Austin

John E. Bravo is here with Taya and Ace. Taya and Tessa get things going with Tessa hitting a quick clothesline to put her on the floor. Ace comes in and gets taken down with a headlock before it’s off to Trey to pick up the pace. A dropkick puts Ace in the ropes and a running hurricanrana sends him outside, only for Taya to block the dive. Tessa kicks her to the floor for the stereo dives and we take a break.

Back with Taya pulling Tessa off the apron to block a tag attempt as Ace has Trey in trouble. Ace drops a leg for two and it’s Taya coming in for the same off a basement dropkick. Another knee gets another two and Trey gets tied in the Tree of Woe for some kicks to the ribs. A belly to back suplex gets two and Ace cuts the finger with the card.

That’s enough to Trey to fight up but Bravo makes sure the referee doesn’t see the tag. Trey backflips over Ace and hits a double stomp to the back and the hot tag brings in Tessa for a high crossbody. There’s a cutter to drop Taya again and a tornado DDT rocks Austin. A running springboard Downward Spiral gets two on Ace and Tessa dives onto Taya. Ace is right back up though and hits the Fold to finish Trey at 16:48.

Rating: C+. Nice match here with Tessa getting the hot tag like a champion should, but then you have Trey lose again. I’m not sure if he is going to be chasing Austin going forward, but how much sense would that make at the moment? The action was good here, but I’m not wild on the booking overall. Still though, best thing on the show.

Overall Rating: D. I really don’t care for these shows in Mexico as they feel like a cross between house shows and regular TV. All of these people show up with little to no introduction and a lot of the wrestling isn’t very good. They had some momentum coming out of Hard To Kill but the last two weeks have really slowed things down. This wasn’t very good and I don’t know how much better that is going to get during this trip.

Results

Taurus b. Moose and Rhino – Gore to Moose

Joey Ryan b. Maximo – Sweet Tooth Music

Havok b. Rosemary – Tombstone

Willie Mack b. Rohit Raju – Stunner

Taya Valkyrie/Ace Austin b. Trey Miguel/Tessa Blanchard – Fold to Miguel

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-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: October 22, 2019
Location: Odeum Expo Center, Villa Park, Illinois
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis
Hosts: Josh Matthews, Scott D’Amore

It’s the first show after Bound For Glory but in this case it isn’t your traditional fallout show. Instead we have a kind of preview/get to know you show for the move to AXS TV. It makes a lot lot of sense to do something like this this here as there is going to be a new audience who isn’t familiar with your product. Couple that with coming off your biggest show of the year and a recap is in order. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look back at some great moments in company history. I’m not sure I’d point out how many legitimately cool things you’ve done, only to wind up where you are.

Josh and Scott welcome us to the show and promise a bunch of Bound For Glory fallout. As it should be.

Melissa Santos is in Los Angeles to talk to Taya Valkyrie later.

New X-Division Champion Ace Austin is now in a movie and Don Callis is on set. The movie set looks rather basic and….oh dang this might go very badly.

We talk about some of the talent that has showed up lately, including Rob Van Dam, Jordynne Grace, Rhino, Madman Fulton, TJP, Willie Mack, Tenille Dashwood and Ken Shamrock. Above all of them though is Michael Elgin, who walked away from Japan for a full time job here, where the stars are. Actually I’m thinking there are some bigger stars in Japan.

Video on Elgin, who came in with a bang and attacked World Champion Brian Cage as part of his path of destruction. I mean, he lost the two World Title shots, but it was quite the path. That match with Rich Swann was very good though.

The announcers are impressed with Elgin.

Madison Rayne vs. Shotzi Blackheart

Shotzi is reportedly WWE bound and Madison brings out Kiera Hogan for commentary. Madison has LRL (Locker Room Leader) on the back of her trunks and makes sure that Shotzi sees it. They yell at each other to start until Shotzi dropkicks her down and hits the reverse Cannonball in the corner. That’s enough to send Madison outside where she sits on Kiera’s lap (Kiera: “This isn’t part of the plan Madison! You didn’t explain this part to me!”). We take a break and come back with Shotzi driving her into the corner and forearming away, only to get northern lights suplexed for two.

The chinlock holds Shotzi down for a bit as Callis talks about how Madison is similar to Bret Hart for wearing pink and being a 28 time Knockout Champion. Shotzi comes back with an enziguri that didn’t seem to connect and we keep looking at commentary talking. A reverse Sling Blade plants Madison and a 619 in the corner makes it even worse. As Kiera talks about Josh not understanding the concept of getting lit, Madison ducks another 619 and catapults Shotzi throat first into the middle rope. A Roll of the Dice finishes Shotzi at 8:38.

Rating: C-. The Locker Room Leader stuff is a good enough source of heel heat and that’s all it needs to be. Shotzi is someone who gets your attention in a hurry and it would make sense for WWE to want to bring her in. She’s a good option for this spot too as she has a bit of a reputation off of her time on the indies that the win means something for Madison without wasting a match on another established name.

We look at the history of the Knockouts, including a clip of Taya retaining the title in a four way Monster’s Ball match at Slammiversary.

Ace Austin is getting his makeup done for his movie and talks about how interesting the role is going to be. A woman in a robe comes up and is rather happy to be his costar. Yeah this is going to get awkward in a hurry. Callis talks about how awesome Austin is for being a champion at 23 years old. Austin is wanted on set and another woman comes up to hit on Don, thinking he’s Dino Velvet, the villain from 8mm.

Now it’s time to talk about the tag teams, with Scott being a Desi Hit Squad fan.

We look at the North getting rid of LAX a few weeks ago.

The North issues an open challenge for next week because no one can beat them.

We look at Rob Van Dam’s heel turn at Bound For Glory.

We look at Moose vs. Ken Shamrock.

Shamrock is disappointed in himself for losing but tomorrow is a new day.

Moose, while celebrating with some friends, says he told us so and Shamrock can now move into retirement. Next week, he’ll prove why he is a legend.

Taya Valkyrie brags about beating Tenille Dashwood at Bound For Glory. After we see a clip of the successful title defense, Taya talks about being ready to go back to Bound For Glory. We see John E. Bravo going to Canada to ask fans about how much better their lives are since Taya has been Knockouts Champion but no one seems to care. Taya is annoyed, as expected.

Next week: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Josh Alexander.

We see Sami Callihan’s pre-match promo from Bound For Glory, talking about how he didn’t want to hurt Melissa Santos but the fans drove him to it. Now he’ll prove that he’s the best.

World Champion Brian Cage is healthy and ready to move forward. After a clip of Cage retaining over Callihan at Bound For Glory, cue Sami to say he wants a rematch. That isn’t happening, so Sami shows a video of OVE stalking Cage’s house. Threats are made so Cage gives him the title match for next week.

Josh and Scott are disgusted.

The World Title match will be in a cage.

D’Lo Brown joins Scott and Josh to talk about how Cage needs to have his head on straight or Sami will win the title.

Video on Tessa Blanchard.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Sami Callihan b. Tessa Blanchard at Slammiversary.

We’re on the set of the movie and the director tries to explain the psychology of the scene.

Video on Eddie Edwards, including his descent into madness at the hands of Sami Callihan.

We look at Eddie winning the Call Your Shot gauntlet match at Bound For Glory. He’ll face Ace Austin for the X-Division Title next week.

Quick look at Ultimate X for the X-Division Title at Homecoming in January.

Scott and Josh on the X-Division, which brings us back to Ace Austin and Alisha Edwards.

We get the first take of Ace’s movie, where he’s a shirtless gardener who wants to mow a woman’s grass (his words). Clothes are removed and yeah this is how they’re debuting on the new network.

Johnny Swinger doesn’t do social media but he has a PO Box for his fan club. He dubs himself Johnny Impact, with Jimmy Jacobs saying we already have one of them. Swinger: “Sounds like a job guy.” Again: a 90s throwback character is fine, but why Johnny Swinger?

Aerostar/Taurus/Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Rascalz

The luchadors are played to the ring by a band and this is under Lucha Rules. The Rascalz get jumped to start and it’s Miguel getting triple teamed. Aerostar is launched into a dropkick in the corner and the surfboard goes on, with Wagner coming off the top with a double stomp.

We take a break and come back with the luchadors posing until Dez comes in for the save. Everything breaks down and Wentz hits the Bronco Buster on Aerostar. A running double stomp hits Wagner for two and it’s time for the parade of dives. Back in and Wagner takes his mask off, allowing Taurus to German suplex Dez into a springboard splash from Aerostar. Wentz is back up with a superkick in the corner and Miguel adds the Meteora. The shove moonsault finishes Aerostar at 10:13.

Rating: C+. This was exactly what it should have been with the Rascalz doing their thing and getting a win over some names who have been built up a little bit around here. It was a good choice to set things up for Bound For Glory and it was the kind of lucha match that you would have been looking for out of these six. It was fast paced and entertaining, so what more can you ask for?

Josh and Scott preview next week’s show one more time to wrap things up.

Overall Rating: B-. They were going straight out of the post Takeover playbook here and it worked just as well. The point of this one wasn’t to do anything huge but rather to deal with what happened on Sunday and get the fans into what Impact is all about. They did that rather well and thankfully didn’t focus on the past. I was worried that this would be focusing on Hulk Hogan and AJ Styles and Kurt Angle and other people who haven’t been here for years but other than a few clips and some mentions, they were barely factors at all. Good intro for the new fans and a nice way of handing the post Bound For Glory show.

Results

Madison Rayne b. Shotzi Blackheart – Rolling cutter

Rascalz b. Taurus/Dr. Wagner Jr./Aerostar – Shove moonsault to Aerostar

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-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: August 30, 2019
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re down in Mexico for the first time in a long time and that means things could go in a variety of ways. One of those ways will probably include a lot of Mexican talents who may or may not be familiar, which doesn’t tend to be the most successful idea. Then again you never know how this show is going to go anyway, but maybe we can get away from Tommy Dreamer for a week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

TJP vs. Golden Magic vs. Trey Miguel vs. Taurus

It’s a brawl to start as commentary makes it sound like this is a tag match. Magic wastes no time in sending Taurus outside for an Asai moonsault, leaving Trey to hide from TJP in the ropes. TJP’s anklescissors doesn’t work so he offers a handshake but stops to dab instead. Magic comes back in with superkicks and cutters to TJP and Miguel but Taurus comes back in for the save. Taurus starts throwing people into each other until TJP makes a save of his own. That means the wristdrag/anklescissors combination to Taurus and Magic as TJP gets to clean house.

Taurus suplexes TJP and Magic at the same time so Trey is back in with a Pele. A neckbreaker to TJP makes TJP DDT Taurus at the same time (acceptable since they aren’t partners) but Magic hits a kind of spinning Big Ending for two on Trey. Taurus is back up with a torture rack into a backbreaker on Magic but TJP hits him with a tornado DDT. Trey gives TJP a Cheeky Nandos kick into a 619, only to miss a Meteora. TJP hits the Detonation kick on Miguel and kneebars Taurus, only to have Magic hit a 450 to pin Miguel at 8:57.

Rating: C+. Just a bunch of spots for the most part and that’s exactly what it should have been. This was a good way to get the fans fired up and into the show, but I’m rather surprised at Miguel taking a clean pin. Magic was fine and Taurus is enough of a power guy to be impressive so it was a fine use of the first fifteen minutes of the show.

Post match TJP and Magic glare at each other.

Kiera Hogan yells at a masked luchadora when another woman comes up to yell in Spanish. Jordynne Grace comes in to defend the masked woman but Madison Rayne comes in and has a suggestion as the locker room leader. That’s still a thing we’re doing?

Michael Elgin threatens Rhino with pain tonight.

Rascalz vs. Willie Mack/Rich Swann

This could be good. Wentz and Mack trade armdrags to start and Willie adds a cartwheel to show off a bit. Xavier sends Swann outside with a headscissors but Rich is right back in for the four way staredown as we take an early break. Back with Wentz getting two on Rich but Xavier misses a running flip dive. Mack comes back in with the Samoan drop into the standing moonsault for two of his own.

A reverse Razor’s Edge with a middle rope flip neckbreaker from Swann gets two more but Swann is sent outside. That leaves Willie to get double teamed with rapid fire kicks but Swann is back in with Trouble in Paradise to Wentz. A running corner clothesline sets up a super hurricanrana to Xavier, with Willie adding the frog splash for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: C+. Another good one here with two teams who work well together. How Swann and Mack haven’t gotten more chances at the Tag Team Titles is beyond me but at least they’re on TV more often than not. I still don’t get how the Rascalz aren’t getting a rocket push, but there are so many other teams worth pushing. Like Tommy Dreamer and his person who could push wrestling forward of the week.

Ken Shamrock has been through a lot and knows Moose isn’t a tough guy. We hear his resume and he’ll be in Las Vegas to get in Moose’s face.

Moose isn’t going to let Shamrock use him to get attention on his new bare knuckle boxing promotion. He’s bigger and stronger than Shamrock so….here’s Fallah Bahh, who wants one more match.

Johnny Swinger: COMING SOON! As the ECW reunion goes from stupid to ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

Taya Valkyrie is ready to set the record for longest reigning Knockouts Champion. That one really sneaks up on you.

And now, down on the farm with the Deaners, as they continue to torture the Desi Hit Squad. Hay is rolled, horseshoes are hammered and Rohit Raju is having a great time.

Video on Havok vs. Su Yung, the latter of whom is rather disturbing.

Video on Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard.

Sami doesn’t know how Brian Cage is still World Champion (fair enough) and wants to know when he’s getting his title shot. Impact has one more week to announce the match or chaos ensues.

Knockouts Title: Taya Valkyrie vs. Big Mami

Taya is defending and this is her “big” opponent. I’m sure you can imagine what Mami looks like as she dances around in a sombrero. Taya dances back but her clothesline is ducked with a Matrix. As Callis accuses Josh of having a phone to Jacksonville and Stamford each, Taya hammers away in the corner. Mami pulls her down though and we get the required Stinkface. A middle rope moonsault (and a decent one) misses so Taya puts on something like an STF to retain at 3:36.

Rating: D-. Mami was a joke but moved well enough. This is a joke that has been done several times before, though Taya’s reign feels like it has gone on for the better part of ever these days. The division has a lot of talent so I’m not sure how much longer Taya can hold onto the title, which can make for some interesting possibilities.

Post match Taya says she’s the best so here’s the debuting Tenille Dashwood for a brawl. A Spotlight Kick knocks John E. Bravo down and Taya bails as Tenille holds the belt.

Kiera Hogan/Vanilla vs. Jordynne Grace/Chicka Tormenta

Madison Rayne is here with Kiera and Vanilla. Tormenta and Vanilla start things off with Chicka’s fisherman’s suplex getting an early two. Kiera comes in to stomp away but misses an enziguri. Madison grabs Jordynne’s ankle though and the brawl gives us a DQ at 2:00.

The brawl continues as Callis talks about meeting Bret Hart in the WWF dressing room and showing him respect, which is a comparison to Madison. As I try to get my head around that one, Rosemary comes out and let’s have a six woman tag.

Kiera Hogan/Vanilla/Madison Rayne vs. Jordynne Grace/Chicka Tormenta/Rosemary

Joined in progress with Rosemary blocking Madison’s sunset flip so Madison bails over for a tag to Kiera. Grace comes in to splash Kiera but a second misses, setting off a pinfall reversal sequence. Tormenta and Vanilla come in to trade shots to the face until Vanilla hits a running crossbody in the corner. A slingshot elbow gives Vanilla two but it’s a double clothesline to put both of them down. That’s enough for Madison and Kiera as they walk out, leaving Rosemary to hit a double underhook drop (kind of a reverse Bubba Bomb) for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: D-. Well that came and went with nothing happening. Kiera and Madison’s bullying deal isn’t working and it feels like they’re just doing random stuff from week to week. This whole thing was a mess and other than filling in about ten minutes, I’m not sure what it was supposed to accomplish, other than making Madison and Kiera look evil, which was established a long time ago.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Ken Shamrock retains the NWA World Title.

Alisha Edwards comes up to Ace Austin on the beach, where he tries to tell her how he feels. Alisha: “Ok.” Then some masked men run up and steals her purse, with Ace following after them and getting in a fight in the water. Ace comes out of the water like a Baywatch scene and returns her the bag. She gives him a quick hug of thanks and leaves for her match. I’ve never been to Mexico City, but from what I can find, the nearest beach to the city is about a four and a half hour drive away. Unless that was a really big lake, I’m not sure where that was supposed to be.

Post break, we see Reno Scum being behind the theft, with Ace thanking them.

The North comes in to see LAX at the Clubhouse, which should be theirs. Konnan: “I can have you shot, stabbed, kidnapped or just straight up disappeared.” Konnan wants a title shot against the real LAX with Santana going into a big rant. They agree to put up the Clubhouse in a careers vs. titles match.

Michael Elgin vs. Rhino

Falls Count Anywhere so they start brawling in the aisle. Rhino’s early clothesline hits the post as we hear about Callis managing Rhino back in ECW. Rhino drops him onto the apron for two but gets posted for his efforts. A slingshot splash gives Elgin two and an enziguri takes Rhino down again.

They slug it out on the floor and we take an early break. Back with Elgin hitting Rhino with a chair and sitting him in it for some chops. A running clothesline gives Elgin two and they fight into the crowd. The fight goes higher up into the stands for a slow slug/headbutt out. Another headbutt knocks Rhino back down a level and they’re on the stage in a hurry.

Elgin’s clothesline gets two and a discus elbow puts Rhino back at ringside for two more. Rhino suplexes him on the ramp for the same and it’s time for a table. That gets set up in the corner but Elgin hits him with a chair a few more times. Rhino gets in a crotching with the chair but the Gore hits the table. The Elgin Bomb is good enough to end Rhino at 18:14.

Rating: D. What a lifeless match. They did their fighting and brawling and then it just ended. Elgin winning wasn’t a surprise as Rhino is just the guy who was there to give him a bit of a test. I wasn’t wild on seeing another ECW main event (third week in a row where an ECW star main events) but that’s what this promotion is about right now and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it get worse.

Overall Rating: D-. The first two matches kept the show from being a complete disaster but the rest of this show was a near nightmare with the guest stars adding almost nothing. This whole show felt like they were told to go do a house show with a few locals and make the best out of it. The wrestling could have been worse but there was almost no energy and it felt like nothing happened. Awful show and one of the worst they’ve done in a good awhile.

Results

Golden Magic b. Trey Miguel, TJP and Taurus – 450 to Miguel

Rich Swann/Willie Mack b. Rascalz – Frog splash to Xavier

Taya Valkyrie b. Big Mami – STF

Jordynne Grace/Chicka Tormenta b. Kiera Hogan/Vanilla via DQ when Madison Rayne interfered

Jordynne Grace/Chicka Tormenta/Rosemary b. Kiera Hogan/Vanilla/Madison Rayne – Double underhook drop to Vanilla

Michael Elgin b. Rhino – Elgin Bomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-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: Major League Wrestling

Intimidation Games
Date: March 2, 2019
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 2,200
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jim Cornette

It’s time for another live special as MLW certainly doesn’t take its time getting to these things. This time around we have World Champion Tom Lawlor defending against former champion Low Ki in a cage, which should last a bit longer than last time’s short title match. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Bocchini has to talk over the ring announcer hyping things up.

Jim Cornette is now on commentary because I need another reason to like this place.

Laredo Kid/Taurus vs. Lucha Bros

Pentagon and Taurus start things off as Cornette is already praising everything he can find. Taurus dares to block CERO MIEDO so Fenix comes in to kick him in the head. Everything breaks down (I’m glad they didn’t waste time) with Kid springboarding in for a missile dropkick, followed by an Asai moonsault onto Pentagon. Taurus isn’t about to be outdone as he hits a corkscrew dive for good measure.

Fenix moonsaults onto both of them but Taurus headbutts the heck out of Pentagon to knock him silly. That leaves Fenix to get double teamed inside but you know the selling isn’t lasting that long, meaning Pentagon is right back in to make a save. Fenix is back in with the springboard kick to the face and a Superman forearm in the corner. The wheelbarrow splash gets two on Taurus and it’s off to the double submission but the Bros have to let them go because….I guess common sense.

Cornette gets to talk about some historic Chicago wrestling, which is far more his speed and the first time he doesn’t sound like he’s trying to keep up. Pentagon and Laredo Kid chop it out and we take a break. Back with Taurus striking away at Pentagon and somewhat connecting with a spinning top rope crossbody. Fenix is right back in with more kicks to Taurus’ head but has to slug it out with Kid in the corner.

Kid kicks Fenix down but gets caught on top with a kick from Pentagon. Taurus is right there with a powerbomb to send Pentagon onto Fenix, setting up a 450 onto the Lucha Bros pile. The Contra logo pops up as the Bros are right back up with more kicks. Rich: “It’s hard to tell which team is in control at the moment.” Cornette: “YOU THINK???” The spike Fear Factor to Kid with Fenix diving onto Taurus is enough for the pin at 10:58.

Rating: B. The lucha tag work was the usual entertaining stuff but the entertaining part was listening to Cornette having next to no clue what was going on here. It’s not his style and that’s not surprising given his background. It’s cool to see the Bros still around here as they add some star power and guarantee one good match after another. Lucha tags are almost always fun and that’s what we got here, in a smart way to start the live show.

Post match Fenix thanks everyone involved and says this is his life.

Video on Jimmy Havoc, who is back soon.

Cornette explains the Freebird Rule. This place is really good at making sure fans know what’s going on.

Battle Riot II Control Center. The show, featuring their forty man Royal Rumble style match, is on April 5 and so far Pentagon Jr., Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Pro Wrestling Noah’s Minoru Tanaka.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Richard Holliday want a shot at the Tag Team Titles. I mean, they haven’t teamed together before so they sound like viable contenders to me. Friedman calls out the Harts for being lame because the Friedmans are a much more important family.

Salina de la Renta says Low Ki isn’t talking and promises revenge tonight.

The fans want wrestling, likely because it’s been a long time since the first match ended. I’m assuming they’re playing it safe for the sake of timing after SuperFight’s match ran so short, which makes sense but isn’t the most practical move in the world.

MLW World Title: Tom Lawlor vs. Low Ki

Lawlor is defending and it’s pinfall/submission/escape. Low Ki jumps him before the bell and the door is locked with Lawlor in early trouble. As the Contra logo comes up again, the announcers talk about the 46lb weight difference which should give Low Ki the speed advantage. Makes enough sense. Lawlor comes back and starts in on the arm, including a Pentagon Jr. snap.

Since it’s not Lucha Underground, Low Ki is right back up and sends him into the cage. A high heeled shoe from Salina goes into Lawlor’s ribs and it’s time to start the kicks to the chest. Some rams into the cage get two and we hit the abdominal stretch. Lawlor comes back with a suplex but Low Ki knees him in the head on the way down for a counter that the announcers miss. Lawlor’s powerbomb is countered with another shot to the head and a jumping stomp to the chest gets two.

Low Ki misses a kick to the face so Lawlor plants him with a spinning belly to back faceplant. An ankle lock has Low Ki in trouble but he’s out fast enough. That lets him grab a roll of quarters (oh yeah Cornette works here) but Lawlor knocks it out of his hands. Lawlor goes for a climb but gets caught in a choke from behind. That’s enough for Low Ki to get above him and stand on top, with Lawlor shaking the cage to crotch him for a rather scary moment.

Both guys sit on top of the cage for the slugout with Lawlor getting his second leg over. Low Ki does the same and they start kicking at each other instead of dropping the four feet down to the floor to win. Low Ki’s arm is tied in the cage but Lawlor climbs horizontally away from him to throw more kicks. They ram each other into the cage as the fans aren’t exactly sure why this is still going. With nothing else to do and logic kicking in, stereo slams into the cage puts them both down with Lawlor hitting the ground first to retain at 15:01.

Rating: B. Illogical ending aside, this felt like a big time main event and the kind of match that these two should have been having. It felt like the kind of match that should be headlining a major show and Lawlor winning for the second time, even by a split second, is a good way to wrap up the show.

Post match Simon Gotch and two unnamed guys (one is Samoan) come in and beat Lawlor down. Rich thinks this is the work of Salina but she and Low Ki are both long gone. The Samoan goes to the top of the cage for the Superfly Splash. The fans are very impressed as Gotch pulls out a CONTRA flag to cover Lawlor to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Now this was more like it as MLW continues to do the big shows in the right way. The company knows how to do something like this and that’s a good sign. Cornette was a positive surprise (ok maybe more for me than anyone else) and he can offer a different style to the show. The ending worked well also and I’m wanting to see where things go from here, as Lawlor needs a new challenger. Very solid show here and they nailed the big stuff.

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 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