IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 12, 2019
Location: St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

It’s the second week in Canada and we are getting ready for Hard To Kill in January. The build started over the last two weeks with Tessa Blanchard being named #1 contender to Sami Callihan’s Impact World Title. They’re setting themselves up for something historic if that is where they go and I would be interested in seeing them take that route. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at OVE’s celebration last week, capped off by the team losing an eight person tag when Rich Swann pinned Callihan.

Trey vs. Rohit Raju vs. Aiden Prince vs. Brent Banks vs. Willie Mack vs. Petey Williams

One fall to a finish for the #1 contendership to the X-Division Title with champion Ace Austin on commentary. Raju sends Prince and Mack to the floor, followed by the big suicide dive. Trey teases a springboard wristdrag but flip dives onto everyone outside instead. Back in and Petey hits a dropkick to Banks’ back, followed by a slingshot hurricanrana to Trey on the floor.

Mack comes back in and starts headlock takeovering Banks and Williams. A double clothesline takes them down and it’s another flip dive to take everyone out on the floor. Prince and Banks hit stereo crossbodies inside, setting up Banks’ big flip dive of his own. Raju cleans house and sends Trey outside, only to get caught by Petey’s slingshot Codebreaker. The Russian legsweep into a short Downward Spiral gives Petey two and the Sharpshooter goes on FOR CANADA.

Mack is back in for the save and a standing moonsault to Petey so here’s Prince to break that up. The brainbuster plants Banks and it’s Prince hitting a 450 onto Banks and Williams at the same time. Mack gives him a frog splash but Raju makes the save with a top rope double stomp. Petey hits the Canadian Destroyer but Trey runs in and steals the pin at 14:15.

Rating: C+. I’m rarely big on these matches as they’re just complete insanity until someone gets a pin. They’re certainly entertaining though and that is what matters most. The spots were fun and Trey is someone fresh, though they could have easily cut out Prince and/or Banks and Williams and done a tighter match. This division has been about bigger being better for a long time though so the additions aren’t surprising.

Post match Petey raises Trey’s hand and Trey kisses his mom. Ace seems impressed by the mom and I don’t see this going well.

Rich Swann is ready to win the World Title as soon as he gets a shot. He’ll become #1 contender in next week’s five way elimination match.

Michael Elgin says he’ll win the title shot next week.

Madison Rayne vs. Alexia Nicole

Kiera Hogan is here with Madison. Hold on as Madison has to point out the LRL trunks as Callis talks about her being trained in the Dungeon and winning the WWF Title from Ric Flair in Saskatoon. Nicole’s Backstabber out of the corner is blocked and Hogan gets in a cheap shot so the chinlock can go on. Back up and they forearm it out with Nicole hitting a Backstabber. An electric chair gives Nicole two but a Hogan distraction lets Madison get in a catapult into the ropes. CrossRayne finishes Nicole at 5:27.

Rating: D+. This was just above a squash and not a very interesting one. I can appreciate some things that they are doing but there are only so many ways you can present Madison Rayne as the stuck up heel. They’ve been doing it for so long now and it’s not like her work is all that great. She’s passable and that’s about it, which makes these matches not the most thrilling in the world.

Aiden Prince comes up to Johnny Swinger, who declares him his young boy. Petey Williams comes in and doesn’t think much of Swinger. Prince and Williams leave so here’s Ken Shamrock to tell Swinger to take a shower.

Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes are in the hot tub again with Katie gyrating in a swimsuit. He’ll be back in the ring next week.

Daga vs. Jake Crist

They trade kicks to the face to start until Daga snaps off a hurricanrana to the floor. The spinning dive off the middle rope takes Jake down again but it’s a dragon screw legwhip over the ropes back inside. Daga blocks a DDT on the floor and snaps off a belly to belly. Back from a break with Daga fighting out of a chinlock and winning a chop off.

Something like the Last Chancery has Daga in trouble so he elbows Jake in the face for the escape. Some clotheslines set up a backbreaker into a DDT for two but Jake is right back with a Death Valley Driver. Daga’s German suplex gives him two more but Jake suplexes him into the corner. A few kicks to the face have Daga in trouble so Jake puts him on top, only to get hurricanranaed right back down. The double underhook piledriver finishes Jake at 11:31.

Rating: B-. Daga has grown on me in recent weeks and that is the kind of thing that Impact needs to do. They have a few stars who are becoming bigger deals than they had been before and it is starting to give Impact an identity. That has been what has plagued them for most of their existence and if they finally get somewhere with it, they may be on to something.

We get a big, serious video about Joey Ryan vs. Ken Shamrock. Yeah it’s funny and stuff.

The North knows they’ll keep the Tag Team Titles tonight.

Sami Callihan/Madman Fulton vs. Tessa Blanchard/Rich Swann

Tessa charges to the ring and we’re ready to go in a hurry. Sami gets sent to the floor and Tessa tries to choke Fulton to little avail. Instead Swann hits a Phoenix splash to hit Callihan on the floor but Sami is right back in to take over on Tessa. Swann comes in instead for a bunch of clotheslines, only to have Fulton break up the handspring cutter. A hard slam gives Fulton two and Callihan drops an elbow for two.

There’s a splash to give Fulton two more and we hit the bearhug. Swann’s attempts to punch his way out earns himself a suplex and Sami comes in to show off some cockiness. The chinlock goes on for a bit but the Cactus Special attempt lets Swann crawl through the legs and make the tag to Tessa. Everything breaks down and a DDT plants Fulton but he’s back up for a powerslam/running neckbreaker combination. Swann makes a save and brings himself back in to kick Sami down. Sami tries to bring in the bat but gets it taken away, allowing Fulton to throw in the belt and knock Swann out for the pin at 10:57.

Rating: C. That’s a little confusing as you give Swann the pin last week and then have him take the fall here. I’m not sure how logical that is but Sami gets to build himself back up. Now of course we’ll ignore the fact that Sami needs to be built back up just two weeks after winning the title. Tessa is destined to be the big challenger so Swann taking the fall isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Post match Tessa gets beaten down but Brian Cage runs in for the save.

Post break Cage says he’s coming for the World Title.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Ultimate X from Homecoming.

Johnny Swinger brags about relieving himself in Ken Shamrock’s bag, but no one seems impressed.

Taya Valkyrie yells at John E. Bravo when Jordynne Grace comes in to challenge for the title. That won’t be happening so Grace says it can be any match next week. Bravo accepts on Taya’s behalf.

Moose shows that he is a great tennis player by beating a pro named Mikey. The threats of violence may have something to do with the loss. Next week, he’ll become #1 contender.

Jessika Havok vs. Crystal Moon

Havok wastes no time in throwing her around to start and snaps off a German suplex. Some running hip attacks in the corner keep Moon rocked but she avoids a charge into the post. Moon gets in a few shots but jumps into a chokeslam. The Tombstone finishes the destruction at 3:58.

Rating: D+. Havok is being treated like the monster that she should be and that’s a good sign. You need someone like her in the division so she can put someone over on their way to the title (Grace for example) and Impact is building her up well. The Tombstone is a great killer finisher and that’s what they’re going for here.

Post break Susie compliments Havok on her match but Havok walks away. She touches Susie’s shoulder on the way though and we get some Su Yung flashes.

Tag Team Titles: Eddie Edwards/Naomichi Marufuji vs. The North

North is defending. Eddie and Alexander lock up to start with Eddie taking him down in a headlock. Marufuji comes in but gets headlocked takeovered for his efforts but it’s off to Eddie to work on Page’s arm in a hurry. Some double chops put Page down until Alexander comes back in to send Marufuji into the corner. Everything breaks down though and Eddie hits a dive onto the champs as we take a break.

Back with Page getting chopped some more but he gets in a cheap shot so Alexander can knock Eddie to the floor. A catapult sends Eddie’s throat into the bottom rope and it’s a Rock Bottom backbreaker into a regular backbreaker from Page. Eddie finally gets in a suplex to take Alexander down and it’s Marufuji coming in to clean some house. A kick to Page’s head gets two but he’s back up to strike it out with Marufuji.

The assisted spinebuster doesn’t work so it’s Eddie hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Alexander. Everything breaks down again until Eddie clotheslines Page for a four way knockdown. Eddie tiger bombs Alexander for two more and the shock on the kickout is real. Page grabs Eddie’s leg so the Boston Knee Party can’t launch. Marufuji gets sent outside and it’s the double Neutralizer for two on Eddie. The assisted spinebuster gives Alexander the retaining pin at 16:43.

Rating: B. This worked, as the North continues to be one of the best things going in Impact, if not the absolute best in the whole company. I don’t remember they didn’t have a very good match, though the problem is they may start running out of opponents. Other than maybe Mack and Swann, who is supposed to challenge them? Maybe we can get a new team eventually, but for now it’s going to be the North for a long time to come.

Overall Rating: C+. The last few weeks really have felt different around here and that’s the best thing that could happen. Impact has a bad tendency to go into a funk every now and then so it’s very nice to see them getting into a groove like this. I liked the wrestling more often than not and there wasn’t anything overly stupid. Consistent shows like this could turn them into something, but that has been a problem for them for years. At least we’ve had this nice run though and that’s better than nothing.

Results

Trey b. Rohit Raju, Aiden Prince, Brent Banks, Willie Mack and Petey Williams – Rollup to Williams

Madison Rayne b. Alexia Nicole – CrossRayne

Daga b. Jake Crist – Double underhook piledriver

Sami Callihan/Madman Fulton b. Tessa Blanchard/Rich Swann – Belt shot to Swann

Jessika Havok b. Crystal Moon – Tombstone

The North b. Naomichi Marufuji/Eddie Edwards – Assisted spinebuster to Edwards

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

Bound For Glory 2019
Date: October 20, 2019
Location: Odeum Expo Center, Villa Park, Illinois
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

It’s the biggest night of the year and that could mean a lot of things this time around. The main event will see World Champion Brian Cage defending the title against Sami Callihan in a match that was made personal when Callihan attacked Cage’s wife Melissa Santos. In addition, we have Ken Shamrock returning to the ring to face Moose because….star power I guess? Let get to it.

A very small production snafu means we hear applause and cheering for the FBI copyright warning. That intellectual property fan base needs their own wrestling show.

The opening video is a standard set of clips of tonight’s matches. The song has the lyrics “we’re here for the glory” (or something close to it) over and over for a nice touch.

Call Your Shot Gauntlet

Back with Eddie getting stomped down in the corner and Cousin Jake coming in at #4. The pseudo tag match breaks out until Rohit Raju is in at #5. Raju gets to clean house for probably the first time ever….and Joey freaking Ryan is in at #6. I mean, the graphic says Cody Deaner but close enough. He offers Jake and Scum the chance to touch it so everyone beats him up, with Luster trying a low blow knee drop for the expected result. Joey chains them together to to flip everyone at once (just go with it), including a double elimination of Raju and Jake.

Havok is in at #7 and grabs Joey by the throat for a chokeslam. Everyone else gets beaten up for a bonus and it’s Rosemary in at #8. That means Joey needs some oil down his trunks so he can offer both women to touch it. A double clothesline puts him down and it’s Madman Fulton in at #9 to clean house again. Rosemary and Havok are both put out and Thornstowe follows them.

Ryan gives Fulton the lollipop and gets tossed with ease as Cody Deaner is in at #10, giving us Eddie, Luster, Fulton and Deaner. Fulton gets rid of Deaner in a hurry so here’s Cody Deaner at #11, though he stays outside to pose instead of facing Fulton in a smart move. Jordynne Grace is in at #12 and gets to clean house, including a German suplex to Fulton (albeit with the assist of an enziguri from Eddie). Swoggle, who is getting as required as Tommy Dreamer, is in at #13.

Swinger gets in as well and spanks Grace, earning himself a quick ejection. Kiera Hogan is in at #14 as they’re flying through these entrances. Swoggle tries to go behind Kiera and gets danced at, earning herself a quick elimination from Grace. Raj Singh is in at #15 as Luster is eliminated to keep the ring fairly empty. Tommy Dreamer is in at #16 and I begin to sigh. Biting and spitting ensue but Fulton takes him down with choking in the corner. Kylie Rae (hometown girl) debuts (more or less) at #17 and is very happy to be here, as is her custom.

Dreamer throws out Raj, poses, and gets dumped by Fulton. Fallah Bahh is in at #18 and catches a diving Fulton in a Samoan drop. Sabu is in at #19 and brings in a chair so he can slip on Air Sabu for old times’ sake. The chair bounces off of Eddie’s face and the tornado DDT makes it worse. Shera is in at #20 to clean house, giving us a final group of Eddie, Fulton, Grace, Rae, Bahh, Sabu and Shera for quite the motley crew.

Shera gets rid of Rae, Grace and Sabu in a hurry to clear out a lot of the ring and leave Eddie against the three monsters. They pair off with Shera getting rid of Bahh so it’s Shera and Fulton taking turns throwing Eddie around. Eddie gets up for a blindside clothesline to eliminate Fulton as the referee comes down to make it a regular match. Fulton chokeslams Eddie onto the apron for a parting gift, only to have Eddie hit the Boston Knee Party for the fast pin on Shera at 33:02.

Rating: D+. This was thirty minutes of “hi I’m here and now I’m out”, followed by a one on one segment that lasted about thirty seconds. It felt like an excuse to get everyone on the show and really would have been better served as a pre-show match than the first thing on the pay per view. It was one entrance after another with no story to be seen and that’s not a great way to start things off. Eddie winning makes sense and it went by quickly, but not the best choice in an opener.

We run down the card you’ve already paid to see.

Brian cage and Melissa Santos arrived earlier. Cage immediately demanded that the World Title match now be No DQ.

We recap the Knockouts Title match. Taya Valkyrie is the longest reigning Knockouts Champion of all time and Tenille Dashwood is the newest big challenger to come after the title. And that’s about it.

Knockouts Title: Taya Valkyrie vs. Tenille Dashwood

Dashwood is challenging and Taya has John E. Bravo, dressed as the Joker, with her. Taya jumps her to start and we get going in a hurry. A suplex gets Tenille out of trouble but Taya sends her hard into the corner to take over again. Taya misses a charge though and gets neckbreakered over the middle rope, meaning it’s time for a Bravo distraction so Taya can trip Dashwood up.

Back in and Dashwood’s Fujiwara armbar is broken up in a hurry as commentary talks about Taya’s first ever match being against Dashwood. The far too early slugout goes to Dashwood and she gets two off a high crossbody. Taya rolls her up into the corner though and hits the running knees to rock Dashwood again. A sitout powerbomb out of the corner gives Dashwood two more and they head to the apron for the sole purpose of doing a high impact move on the apron.

Taya hits a rather safe looking package piledriver to send Dashwood outside but she’s fine enough to slam Taya off the top. Taste of Tenille connects and sets up the Spotlight kick, only to have Bravo pull them to the ropes. The distraction lets Taya bring in a chain but Dashwood takes it away and throws it into the crowd. Another Spotlight kick misses though and the Road To Valhalla retains the title at 11:50.

Rating: C. That’s about what I expected as they were doing the kind of match that doesn’t exactly have a fire but is technically fine. Taya retaining the title is fine enough as there are several women gunning for the title and Dashwood just kind of showed up and got the big title shot. It’s smart to go with someone else for the title change, though at this point I’m waiting on Gail Kim to show up again.

Rhino and Rob Van Dam are ready to win the Tag Team Titles. A Gore or a Van Daminator is promised.

We recap the Tag Team Title match. Rich Swann/Willie Mack beat LAX in their last match and Rob Van Dam/Rhino aren’t happy that the North got rid of LAX so we’re hitting that triple threat title match.

Tag Team Titles: The North vs. Rich Swann/Willie Mack vs. Rob Van Dam/Rhino

The North is defending. Mack and Alexander start things off with a shoulder taking Mack down. That’s fine with him as he snaps off a hurricanrana so it’s Page and Swann coming in for their turn. A 619 to the ribs into a slingshot neckbreaker into something close to Rolling Thunder gets two on Page, so he flips Swann over by the hair. Rhino comes in instead and takes over on Page in the corner but an Alexander distraction lest the champs take over.

The spinebuster plants Page though and the too early to be a hot tag brings in Van Dam to kick away. The spine legged moonsault hits Page for two and there’s a monkey flip to Alexander. Swann tags himself in and kicks Alexander in the head but another cheap shot from the apron puts Swann in trouble for a change. A backdrop nearly turns Swann into a 450 and it’s back to Alexander for some forearms into the corner.

The assisted spinebuster is countered into a DDT though and Swann snaps off a reverse hurricanrana to Alexander. Now the hot tag can bring in Mack to clean house, including something close to a 3D with Swann playing Bubba for two on Page. Mack frog splashes him for the same and Rob isn’t pleased at the move stealing. A series of kicks to the face set up Alexander’s Regal Roll on Van Dam but Rhino clotheslines Alexander to the floor.

Rating: B-. Pretty bizarre heel turn aside, this was a rather fast paced tag match with the big spots and pretty much what it needed to be throughout. Swann and Mack are a good team and will likely get the titles someday. I’m cool with the North retaining though as they have turned into a treat to watch. Rhino vs. Van Dam doesn’t sound interesting, but it’s better than having two ECW feuds at once….I think.

Ace Austin, in a towel, comes in to see Alisha, who isn’t pleased. He still wants her to celebrate if he wins the title, but she wants him in more clothes.

We recap Naomichi Marufuji vs. Michael Elgin, which is little more than a challenge match because Elgin needed something to do and the show needed a guest star.

Michael Elgin vs. Naomichi Marufuji

Or Marufugi according to the name graphic. Come on with that stuff people. Neither can hit a chop to start so Marufuji misses some chops and kicks to get us to an early standoff. Elgin misses a charge in the corner and gets chopped a bit but he catches a charging Marufuji in a suplex. A missile dropkick sends Marufuji flying for two and the fans aren’t pleased with Elgin being in control. They chop it out with Marufuji knocking him to the floor and hits the big flip dive.

Back in and a running stomp to the head gives Marufuji two but he has to flip out of a German suplex attempt. Elgin sends him into the ropes and snaps off the German suplex this time, setting up a Falcon Arrow for two. They trade kicks to the head and it’s a double knockdown with Marufuji in the better shape of the two. A sunset bomb to the floor is blocked so Marufuji superkicks Elgin in the back of the head instead.

Sliced Bread on the floor gets a nine so it’s a top rope stomp to the back of the head for two (counting in wrestling is weird). There’s a dragon suplex to drop Marufuji and a discus lariat takes his head off. Splash Mountain gets two and the shock is strong. Another Sliced Bread drops Elgin again but Marufuji can’t get him up for a tiger bomb.

Instead it’s time to slug it out again with Marufuji picking up the intensity of the strikes to take over. That’s fine with Elgin, who blocks a kick and powerbombs him down for two. The buckle bomb into the Elgin Bomb gets two and Elgin is STUNNED in a great visual. The Burning Hammer finally puts Marufuji away at 18:04.

Rating: B. Yeah that’s what you should have been expecting here as they beat the fire out of each other for the better part of twenty minutes. Elgin is just such a powerhouse and I’ve liked Marufuji from the times I’ve seen him before. It isn’t the style of wrestling I like most of the time but for a one off, this was very entertaining.

We recap the X-Division Title match. Jake Crist is champion and is defending in a five way ladder match because it’s Bound For Glory.

X-Division Title: Daga vs. Jake Crist vs. Tessa Blanchard vs. Acey Romero vs. Ace Austin

Crist is defending in a ladder match and the debuting Acey weighs about 400lbs. Jake gets stared at to start until Ace and Daga superkick Romero into the corner. Tessa unloads on Crist and hits the suicide dive to the floor to take him out. She does it two more times, only to have Ace dive onto both of them. Romero dropkicks Daga, who corkscrew dives over Romero to take everyone down on the floor.

Tessa is back in with a springboard dropkick to knock Austin outside but Romero Samoan drops her off the ladder. Daga teeter totters the ladder into Romero’s face and then bridges it between the ring and the barricade. Let’s throw in a table for a bonus (and a spot on a Bingo card) but before it gets used, Romero hits a Tower of Doom onto almost everyone else.

A powerbomb sends Austin hard into the ladder and Romero teases to climb, but pulls out another one to climb two at once. Crist breaks that up with a super cutter, leaving us with Tessa and Daga for the double climb. Austin shoves both of them down but gets Death Valley Driven by Daga. That’s not it as Daga hits a running Canadian Destroyer to Crist on the bridged ladder.

Rating: B. This was a lot of fun as they didn’t waste time setting up spots and flew from one thing to another. The selling wasn’t around but when you just ignore it for most of the match, it kind of starts to work in a weird way. That being said, they have to give Tessa the win at some point because you can only tease it so many times before the fans stop caring. They cared here, but I’m not sure how much longer that can happen. Romero did well here, though you can hear Fallah Bahh crying from here.

We recap Moose vs. Ken Shamrock. Moose has started disrespecting so Shamrock (who still looks about 75) is fighting to prove that he’s still a man and to teach Moose some respect. In other words, it’s football vs. MMA.

Moose says he has fought some tough men before and has been trained by Frank Trigg. Frank brags about Moose’s awesomeness and isn’t worried about the match.

Moose vs. Ken Shamrock

Moose has Trigg with him and is rapped to the ring by someone that most fans probably haven’t heard of before. Ok so it’s his brother but that doesn’t make things much better. They stare each other down to start until Shamrock gets in a headscissors. The armbreaker is blocked with raw power but Moose bails to the ropes to get out of the ankle lock. Josh thinks Shamrock isn’t used to rope breaks because Josh isn’t that bright sometimes.

Shamrock is back up with a freaking suicide dive of all things and Moose’s chops just annoy him. A poke to the eye works a bit better but Shamrock backdrops him onto the ramp. Shamrock gets posted though and they’re both already holding their backs. Moose throws him back in but Shamrock is right back with a slingshot dive. Trigg’s distraction lets Moose kick the leg out, allowing Moose to cut off a turnbuckle pad.

Neither guy is going head first into the buckle so Shamrock goes with a belly to belly into the ankle lock. The referee gets bumped (well duh) and Moose gets in a low blow (bigger duh). Moose declares himself the World’s Most Dangerous Man and swings a chair but Shamrock reverses into the ankle lock again. Trigg comes in for the save so Shamrock punches him down and grabs ankle lock. This time Moose rolls him into the exposed buckle and hits the spear for the pin at 10:49.

Rating: C. Given what I was expecting, this was quite the nice surprise. It still wasn’t very good but Shamrock didn’t come close to embarrassing himself and that’s what mattered. Moose winning was the only option they had and they didn’t do anything stupid. Call this the surprise of the show and that’s a good thing.

They’re back on pay per view in January with Hard To Kill.

We recap Sami Callihan vs. Brian Cage for the World Title. Sami has attacked both Cage and Cage’s wife but it isn’t the Sami he wanted the world to see. It’s the one that the world made come out though and he’s going to cripple Cage to win the title. Sami has turned into an awesome guy that you want to see get crushed.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Sami Callihan vs. Brian Cage

Cage (in Wolverine gear) is defending and it’s No DQ. As you might expect, Cage isn’t wasting time and they go straight to it with Callihan spitting in his face for reasons of general insanity. Callihan flips him off and gets taken down for the pummeling. Cage has already busted him open with a bite to the head and it’s time to rake the cut with a Wolverine claw. A springboard clothesline sends Cage outside but he’s right back in for a dive to drop Callihan.

Cage isn’t done and hits a big running flip dive but Callihan blasts him with a chair to the back to take over. That’s shrugged off as well for a toss powerbomb into the post because Cage can do that. Callihan manages to set up two chairs at ringside but gets dropped onto a table. Cage puts part of the barricade onto the chairs, only to get Cactus Specialed through it for his efforts. Fans: “THAT WAS MURDER!”

Back in (for a change) and Sami even mocks the Terminator clap before kneeing/kicking Cage in the face. Cage pops right back up with the apron superplex and there’s a release German suplex. A pumphandle faceplant gets two on Callihan, who is right back up with a suplex for two more. The hanging piledriver gives Callihan the same, only to have Cage snap off an F5.

Rating: B+. I had a great time with this one as they didn’t bother going with a wrestling match, as they certainly didn’t need to. Cage should have been out for blood here and that’s exactly what he did, making the whole thing the violent carnage that it needed to be. They did what they should have done here and that means a lot in a match that was built around pure violence. Cage is a monster when he’s on and that was the case here, which means whoever takes the title is going to look like a giant killer.

Post match Melissa Santos comes out to celebrate with Cage to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Once we got past that opener (and the streaming issues, which were only an issue at the start) and a not that good Knockouts match, this turned into a heck of a show with a little bit of everything. I’m both surprised and not surprised though, as Impact tends to do much better on their pay per views, though the build for this show (outside of the main event) has not been good. They had a big show at the right time and if they can keep that up, AXS TV could bring a lot of positive things. Anyway, very solid show here and worth checking out, especially if you skip the opener.

Results

Eddie Edwards won a gauntlet match last eliminating Shera

Taya Valkyrie b. Tenille Dashwood – Road To Valhalla

The North b. Rich Swann/Willie Mack and Rob Van Dam/Rhino – Assisted spinebuster to Swann

Michael Elgin b. Naomichi Marufuji – Burning Hammer

Ace Austin b. Acey Romero, Tessa Blanchard, Jake Crist and Daga – Austin pulled down the title

Moose b. Ken Shamrock – Spear

Brian Cage b. Sami Callihan – Drill Claw

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

Oh yeah they do pay per views around here. Impact is in a promising place for a change as they move to AXS TV later this month and have one big show to get through first. There are some good looking matches on the card and that means the show should work. This company’s pay per views have a tendency to be pretty good and this is their biggest of the year so hopefully the trend holds. Let’s get to it.

Rascalz vs. Dr. Wagner Jr./Aero Star/Taurus

This is one of those matches that should follow a pretty logical path but you never can tell with this company. The idea here is simple: take an Impact trip and have them face three luchadors, but it might not be as obvious as it seems. The Rascalz lost a trios match last week on Impact, so would it be that crazy to see it happen again? Given the amount of international guest stars this show has, they certainly seem to be important around here.

I’ll take the luchadors to win here as I really do think Impact would rather use them as jobbers for the three international stars. What this does for Impact going forward isn’t clear, but I guess they don’t think their shows will work people from outside the company to make them watchable. That has been the case around here for far too long and it seems to be the case here, as the Rascalz lose.

Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match

So this is a match where the winner gets the title shot of their choosing. That’s a fine idea, but there is one problem here: it isn’t clear who all is in the match. We know a few names though and that should be enough to make some sense of the thing. The problem though is there is always the chance of some kind of a surprise twist, which won’t make a lot of sense but they’ll go with it anyway.

I’ll take Tessa Blanchard to win here as it still seems that Impact wants her to be World Champion. She clearly still has issues with OVE and that means putting her against Sami Callihan and the newly won World Title. It’s the kind of thing that they seem to want to go for and while it wouldn’t be the biggest stretch, it might be too much too soon. I can see the thinking there though and I’ll go with that over some wild card winner, which is equally possible.

Ken Shamrock vs. Moose

So yeah, this is something that is taking place too, because we need that seventeen year old nostalgia for someone who was in the company for….what a few months or so? I’m not sure how bad this is going to be but there is a chance of VERY bad, which is about what you have to expect at this point from Shamrock. He has wrestled a handful of matches this year so he won’t be entirely rusty, but this still has the potential to be a terrible result.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ll go with Moose winning, because Shamrock should only be here for the sake of putting him over. I’m not sure how much value there is in that or why it needs to take place on the biggest show of the year, but it could be passable if they keep it to about five minutes. This doesn’t come off as a good idea, but as long as they avoid disaster, fine enough.

Tag Team Titles: The North(c) vs. Rich Swann/Willie Mack vs. Rob Van Dam/Rhino

Much like Moose vs. Shamrock, this is a case where they’ll be fine if they don’t do something stupid. I really wasn’t feeling the idea of Van Dam and Rhino getting a title shot but as long as they don’t walk out as champions, it really doesn’t hurt anything. The North have turned into a treat and one of the better tag teams going today, which I never would have bet when they first showed up.

You could go in two different directions here but the more I think about it, the more I think the North retains. Swann and Mack winning would make for a better moment, but I don’t think that’s where they are going. The match should be entertaining and you can have the ECW guys get in their stuff in the right spots. Put this together well and you could have a heck of a supporting match on your hands.

X-Division Title: Jake Crist(c) vs. Daga vs. Tessa Blanchard vs. Rohit Raju vs. Sabu vs. Ace Austin

This is a ladder match and WHAT THE HECK DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS ONE??? Of all the people in the world, we need Raju and Sabu in this thing? Was there any need to have those two in here instead of just going with the other four and having a fun match as a result? Sabu will likely get in his big dive and the people can chant ECW and hopefully he doesn’t die. Now with the nostalgia out of the way, we can move on to something else.

I think I’ll go with Austin here, as he is someone they seem intent on pushing. Give him the title so they can continue the Edwards vs. Austin feud for the title, if nothing else so we can get more Austin creepiness. It’s either going to be him or Crist, as I don’t want to see Blanchard win the title like this. If they want to make her a big deal, a future pinfall makes a lot more sense than having her win a ladder match, which can come off as luck more than skill.

Knockouts Title: Taya Valkyrie(c) vs. Tenille Dashwood

I’m really not sure what to expect with this one as Valkyrie has held the title for a long time but I can’t picture Dashwood being the one to take it from her. Dashwood is the kind of star who should be the big breakout deal but ever since her debut outside of WWE, the spark just hasn’t been there and I’m not sure they’ll make her champion here.

So yeah I’ll go with Valkyrie retaining, but I don’t think she’s going to keep the title that much longer. There are a lot of Knockouts stories going on in Impact at the moment and they don’t all have to do with the title. Havok seems to be next in line and I don’t think Valkyrie gets by her. Dashwood can be awesome, but she seems to be living off of her reputation at the moment and that isn’t great.

Michael Elgin vs. Naomichi Marufuji

It’s another guest star here as Marufuji is a big deal in Pro Wrestling Noah and since Elgin has a long career in Japan, this is what we’re getting. The match is likely to be very good, though it brings up the most common problem with this kind of match: why should I care about Marufuchi? Other than “he’s from Japan”, there isn’t much to go on with him here and it shows badly.

There is no reason to go against Elgin here as Marufuji is only here to put him over. The match is likely to be hard hitting and entertaining, but I just can’t imagine anything other than an Elgin Bomb for the pin. Elgin came into Impact red hot and has cooled down a bit, but he should be fine enough to get the win here. If nothing else, he’s the one sticking around and why have him lose otherwise?

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

Now this one is actually intriguing as the story of Callihan attacking Cage’s new wife is something that has some legs to it. Cage is a physical freak and should be able to destroy Callihan, but with the OVE lackeys and Cage being so furious, maybe they can pull off some kind of a surprise here. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Cage actually defend the belt after he won it six months ago.

That being said, I think I’ll go with Callihan winning here. They’re setting up the Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude formula from Summerslam 1990 as Callihan has defeated Cage before, but this time around I think Callihan takes the title. Cage has barely done anything with it due to injuries and scheduling issues, so giving it to Callihan, who has been built up for a long time, makes a lot of sense.

Overall Thoughts

There really are a lot of guest stars on this show and I’m not seeing that as a good sign for the future. It’s like they don’t believe in their own talent enough and that isn’t exactly encouraging. What matters here though is getting a good show out there so we can move into the AXS TV era on a high note, and there is a good reason to believe that they could pull it off. Things will have to go right in a very specific way, but there is a path here and that’s as good as anything else. I’m curious about this one and that hasn’t been the case with Impact for a long time.

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: September 27, 2019
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel And Gaming Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

It’s time for a wedding! We’re in Las Vegas and that means we need to do something big, which may or may not work out very well. I mean, it’s a wrestling wedding so I wouldn’t expect it to go well but you never know. It’s a big night for Brian Cage and Melissa Santos so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Brian and Melissa’s relationship, which is just so well documented around here. I mean, it’s known outside of Impact but it’s not something that has been focused on around here.

We have a special correspondent and GAIL KIM is the first guest. She’s excited to be here, believe it or not.

Here’s the North, in LAX gear and to LAX music. Ethan Page talks about how the fans were expecting something else. They came out here looking like idiots and fans cheered for them anyway. Josh Alexander talks about how this is a serious place and sacred ground but the fans are making him sick.

They are the Tag Team Champions and they’ll make you forget who LAX was. You CANNOT have LAX back so stop talking online about how much you miss them. Konnan doesn’t have the power to overturn the North so here’s Konnan to interrupt. He rants about how stupid they are but has some new people to come after the titles. Cue Rhino and Rob Van Dam so let’s ring the bell.

Rob Van Dam/Rhino vs. The North

Non-title I believe. The champs get sent outside and we take an early break. Back with Van Dam monkey flipping Alexander and hitting Rolling Thunder for two. It’s off to Rhino to punch Page in the corner and run him over with a shoulder. Van Dam comes back in and gets taken into the champs’ corner with Alexander hitting a suplex for two of his own. Some right hands and a kick to the face get Rob out of trouble and Rhino comes back in for the running shoulders in the corner. Everything breaks down and Rhino runs Alexander over, setting up the Five Star for the pin at 6:42.

Rating: D+. There’s your Bound For Glory title match and as long as the titles don’t change hands (which they shouldn’t), everything is fine coming out of this. The ECW guys are going to be around no matter what and hopefully we still get what should be Willie Mack and Rich Swann’s spot at the pay per view. A triple threat makes sense here, at least after this match.

Impact moves to AXS TV on October 1….for some specials, with the real show beginning on October 29 but close enough.

Gama Singh yells at the Desi Hit Squad and praises Mahabali Shera as the savior of the team.

Mahabali Shera vs. Cousin Jake

Jake swings away to start but gets knocked down and chokes a lot. Shera misses a charge in the corner so Jake throws a running shoulder into the corner, only to have Shera come right back with a World’s Strongest Slam for the pin at 2:34.

Post match the beatdown continues as this feud must continue.

TJP and Fallah Bahh argue about their wedding attires. Eddie seems drunk.

Madison Rayne vs. Tenille Dashwood

They fight over a wristlock as the announcers argue over how many times Rayne has been Knockouts Champion. Rayne takes her down and brags a lot, earning herself a basement dropkick. They slug it out on the floor with Dashwood kicking her in the face, only to miss a charge into the corner back inside.

Rayne tells a fan to “shut up old lady” and grabs the chinlock to keep things slow. Back up and a cutter gives Rayne two but another missed charge lets Dashwood hit the Taste of Tenille. The Spotlight Kick misses so it’s a neckbreaker for Rayne instead, setting up the Spotlight Kick to give Dashwood the pin at 8:12.

Rating: D+. Nothing to see here with Dashwood winning a match that she was almost guaranteed to win. Rayne is fine as a midcard heel and the Locker Room Leader deal is growing on me a little bit. They need someone to go after the title though and Dashwood would seem to be the best option.

Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes arrive at the wedding and are greeted by Rich Swann and Willie Mack. A discussion over the Tag Team Title shot at Bound For Glory ensues.

Dashwood gets the Knockouts Title shot at Bound For Glory. As she should…..I think.

Here’s Ken Shamrock (looking rather aged) for his big return. He has some great memories of being in this ring and he thanks the fans for their support. Shamrock was talking to Brian Cage when Moose interrupted and bragged about all of his skills, but Ken isn’t impressed. Now Moose isn’t here, meaning his whereabouts are like his resume: NOTHING. We get the call out but Moose comes up on screen from Shamrock’s gym. Some yelling ensues and Moose beats up a guy in a cage. This is totally different than when he did the same thing at the American Top Team gym when he was feuding with Bobby Lashley.

Taya Valkyrie asks Rosemary for help against Dashwood but doesn’t like Taya’s whining attitude. Until the old Taya is back, Rosemary will be no help. Taya even offers her a dress, which is thrown onto the floor.

Bound For Glory rundown.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Eric Young marries ODB.

OVE is not allowed into the reception.

Tommy Dreamer gives Brian Cage a pep talk about the wedding when Cage’s brother Ryan comes in. Dreamer finds his rather normal appearance amusing.

Rayne coaches the bridal party on how to walk down the aisle. Taya comes in and says she needs help with Dashwood.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Dave Crist

Jake Crist and Madman Fulton are here too and the winner goes on to an X-Division Title ladder match at Bound For Glory. Tessa hammers away to start so Dave kicks at the leg to no avail. A trip to the floor lets Fulton choke Tessa a bit, which is good for a quick ejection. Back in and Dave chokes in the corner and hits her in the back of the head, allowing Jake to get in his own choking. Tessa rolls him up for two but gets caught in something like a Go To Sleep for the same. A missed double stomp out of the corner misses as well and Tessa grabs the buzzsaw DDT for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C-. The interference got annoying but it’s nice to see Tessa get the pin off a move instead of a fluke rollup. There is little to no reason to not put the X-Division Title on her at Bound For Glory now that her World Title chances are done. It might not be the coolest moment in the world but it’s a big deal and another step forward now that she has nothing left to do in the Knockouts diviison.

Post match Fulton is back in for a chokeslam.

Rayne tells Alisha Edwards to keep a better eye on her husband so Ace Austin can escort her at the wedding.

It’s time for the wedding with the Rascalz coughing a lot and the Deaners hitting on Jessika Havok. Rohit Raju is crying and Gama Singh has to glare at him to break it up. Taya glares at Rosemary for not wearing the dress she brought her but gets told to keep walking. In something that absolutely shouldn’t surprise me, Dreamer walks Melissa down the aisle.

Ryan is officiating the ceremony but hang on as Taya needs to brag about everything she has done. Ethan Page has objections….to how the company is run and wants royalty money. Eddie Edwards staggers in and vomits on Ryan before trying to beat up Austin. Dreamer asks if anyone can run the wedding. Cue James Mitchell to say you asked for a minister. He goes through their vows, gives Melissa his card just in case, and pronounces them man and wife. The reception is in the ring. Dreamer: “Right after this commercial break.”

Overall Rating: C-. The big angle at the end helped a lot and felt like a big deal, which is really the first time that has happened in a long time. That’s been the biggest problem for Impact for a long while now: nothing they do feels like it matters and it needs to change in their busy season. Maybe the move to AXS can help, but there are some things holding them back, with some of their roster being near the top of the list. Not a bad show, but it needs more of the latter than the first half.

Results

Rhino/Rob Van Dam b. The North – Five Star Frog Splash to Alexander

Mahabali Shera b. Cousin Jake – World’s Strongest Slam

Tenille Dashwood b. Madison Rayne – Spotlight Kick

Tessa Blanchard b. Dave Crist – Hammerlock DDT

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: September 6, 2019
Location: Fronton Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re still down in Mexico and hopefully things are better this week. Last time around, the show wasn’t worth watching with a bunch of matches featuring guest stars from Mexico and little in the way of major storyline developments. Hopefully things get better this time around as we’re getting closer to the build to Bound For Glory. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Havok vs. Su Yung

Yung goes straight to the jabs to start (that’s more aggressive than I would have expected) but Havok sends her into the corner to start the pummeling. Some head first rams into the buckle knock Yung silly but the big leg misses. A running knee to the face gives Yung two, which just annoys Havok again. That means a chokebomb into a Boston crab with Yung having to bail to the ropes.

An anklescissors sends Havok face first into the middle buckle and the Mandible Claw goes on. Havok powers out but gets low bridged to the floor so Yung can flip dive off the apron. Since Havok is a monster, she’s right back up to drop Yung face first into the apron. With nothing else working, Su mists her for the DQ at 6:03.

Rating: C+. I don’t remember seeing Yung this aggressive in a long time and the match worked well as a result. It felt like Yung was in a fight and Havok was trying to destroy her. Their feud seems to be one based on who is more of a monster/evil, so the matches being more violent makes sense. You can all but guarantee some kind of gimmick match at Bound For Glory.

The North’s game plan for tonight: be the best tag team in the world and get rid of LAX.

Sami Callihan and OVE can’t wait to find out what happens to the World Title because it’s coming to Sami soon. Oh and Mad Man Fulton is going to finish Rob Van Dam and Sami has a nice jacket.

Moose vs. Fallah Bahh

Rubber match. Bahh is ticked off and splashes him in the corner at the bell to start fast. Moose misses a big chop and gets punched in the face, followed by a toss across the ring. Another shot to the face drops Moose but he goes to the eyes to cut him off. Just because he can, Moose runs up the corner for a spinning crossbody to drop Bahh. That lasts all of a second as Bahh pops up and turns Moose inside out with a clothesline. The Banzai Drop gets two and it’s No Jackhammer Needed to finish Bahh at 4:06.

Rating: C. You would think that a monster like Bahh losing weight would hurt him but he’s actually improved in the ring. Maybe it’s the weight loss adding speed but his matches have gotten better, possibly because he doesn’t have to rely on his size for everything anymore. If nothing else, the weight loss has turned into a bit of a story for him. Call that a nice little surprise, which is always appreciated.

Post match Moose puts Bahh in an ankle lock (he needs work) and screams about Ken Shamrock.

Tessa Blanchard yells at Tommy Dreamer, who she needs to help her get rid of OVE. Tommy tells her to calm down but she wants to know if he’s in or out. Tommy Dreamer is always in. Everywhere.

Alisha Edwards tells Eddie Edwards that she would never cheat on him but an unidentified female wrestler comes up to hit on him. Ace Austin comes up to check on Alisha but she leaves.

TJP vs. Golden Magic

Fallout from last week where Magic won a four way also involving TJP. They fight over wrist control to start until TJP gets in his headscissor takeovers. Magic snaps the throat across the top rope and hits the springboard flip dive to the floor as we take a break. Back with Magic being put in the Tree of Woe for a running dropkick, followed by the slingshot hilo for two. A front chancery doesn’t get TJP anywhere as Magic is right back up with something close to a Disaster Kick, only to have TJP roll some suplexes. A Swanton misses though and Magic hits a cool springboard twisting cutter to put TJP outside again.

That means a slingshot splash to the floor, which you won’t see very often. Back in and Magic is fine enough to hit the same Big Ending spun into a DDT that he used last week for two here. TJP’s brainbuster gets the same but Magic is right back with a springboard hurricanrana out of the corner. A dropkick to the leg takes Magic down but Magic follows him up top for a moonsault World’s Strongest Slam. The 450 misses though and TJP kneebars him for the tap at 10:09.

Rating: B-. This was your battle of the high fliers doing a bunch of big spots to each other, but TJP is the kind of guy who can pull throw in enough other stuff to add a different dimension to the match. I liked this one a good bit and could go for more TJP, who just looks like he gets it so much more than a lot of people.

Austin is about to pay off the mystery woman from earlier but Alisha shows up and he changes his tune in a hurry, saying he won’t pay for her services.

Flashback Moment of the Week: AJ Styles beats Sting at Bound For Glory 2009.

Taya Valkyrie is annoyed that things aren’t all about her and now Tenille Dashwood is coming to take her spotlight.

Johnny Swinger vignette, bragging about the size of his arms. This is really happening.

Dashwood is glad to be here when Madison Rayne and Kiera Hogan show up and tell her to go to the back of the line. She’s willing to fight anyone in the line right now so Madison makes Dashwood vs. Hogan for next week.

Mad Man Fulton vs. Rob Van Dam

Sami Callihan fires Fulton up before the bell so Van Dam starts slowly kicking at the leg. Fulton gets a hand around the throat so more kicks are required to save Van Dam. A dropkick to the knee and a spinwheel kick put Fulton on the floor so it’s the flip dive from the apron to put him down again. Fulton is fine enough to send him into the apron though and the beatdown is on. The swinging Rock Bottom is countered into a rollup to give Van Dam two and he kicks Fulton in the face again. Rolling Thunder connects but Dave Crist breaks up the Five Star for the DQ at 6:26.

Rating: D+. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere as a long stretch at the beginning was spent circling each other. Fulton can be a good monster so having Van Dam put him in this kind of trouble doesn’t exactly make him seem like a threat. At least it’s a star like Van Dam instead of someone much lower on the food chain, but Fulton shouldn’t be selling this much.

Post match Van Dam fights them both off and hits the Five Star on Dave.

Melissa Santos promiss answers on the future of the World Title tonight.

The Rascalz get in a fight in the clubhouse when Rich Swann and Willie Mack come in. Highness ensues and they’ll watch the LAX vs. North match together.

The Deaners are impressed with what the Desi Hit Squad have done on the farm. Now it’s time to go into the lake, with Raju being sent into the water.

Jordynne Grace goes to see Rosemary, who needs to stay out of her way. Rosemary says the Shadow told her to save Grace so get over it.

Konnan gives LAX a final pep talk.

Tag Team Titles: The North vs. LAX

LAX is challenging and this is titles vs. careers. Alexander drives Santana into the corner to start so Santana takes him down by the arm. Ortiz comes in for his falling splash and we take an early break. Back with everything breaking down and Ortiz chopping away at Page on the floor while Alexander works on Santana’s knee. Things settle back down with Santana getting beaten down in the corner but rolling over for the hot tag to Ortiz just a few seconds later.

A superkick/sitout powerbomb combination gets two on Alexander but an assisted implant DDT drops Ortiz right back. The double Neuralizer only gets two so the champs try their own Street Sweeper. That’s broken up as everything breaks down again but this time time the real Street Sweeper is blocked. The assisted spinebuster gets rid of LAX for good at 9:13.

Rating: B-. The lack of time hurt here as this felt like the kind of match that needed to be twenty minutes instead of less than half of that. LAX going to AEW is a good move for them as there is nothing left for them here, but at the same time they deserve a big sendoff here. The North had to beat them for their big definitive moment so it all makes sense, but it’s sad to see LAX go after they’ve been so good for the last year plus.

LAX and Konnan get a quick pose and that’s it for them.

Here are Brian Cage and Melissa Santos to address the World Title situation. Cage talks about how he spent fourteen years trying to become World Champion but he never expected how things went. He should be back in about six weeks to defend the title against Sami Callihan at Bound For Glory. The one positive to being injured has been that he has been able to spend more time with Melissa, which brings him to his most important thing. That would be a proposal, with Melissa saying yes to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. MUCH better show this week and one of the better ones they’ve done in a few weeks. The wrestling was mostly good up and down the card with only the Van Dam vs. Fulton match not being good to rather good. The only problem here was the timing of the Tag Team Title match, especially when the big closing angle was Cage announcing the Bound For Glory main event and proposing. That’s something that can be done later while LAX gets more time. Anyway, good show here and hopefully they can continue that roll.

Results

Havok b. Su Yung via DQ when Yung misted her

Moose b. Fallah Bahh – No Jackhammer Needed

TJP b. Golden Magic – Kneebar

Rob Van Dam b. Mad Man Fulton via DQ when Dave Crist interfered

The North b. LAX – Assisted spinebuster to Santana

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 9, 2019
Location: St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

We’re still in Canada and in that weird period as the fallout from Slammiversary is over but it’s still way too early to set up Bound For Glory. Last week saw the continuation of Tessa Blanchard vs. OVE and the rise of Rhyno, who is back and feuding with Michael Elgin. I’m not sure what to expect this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

X-Division Title: Aiden Prince vs. Jake Crist

Prince is challenging and the fans are rather behind him. Crist gets sent outside early on but manages a kick to the face to cut off the dive. They fight on the apron with Crist hitting a Death Valley Driver to knock Prince silly. Back in and it’s off to a reverse Rings of Saturn to keep Prince in trouble, followed by a shot to the head for two. Jake chokes in the corner for a bit and plants him with a suplex for no cover. A spinning kick to the head gets two but Prince is right back with a middle rope tornado DDT.

The 450 hits knees to give Crist two more but Prince is right back up with a reverse hurricanrana for his own two. Crist heads outside and gets taken down by a dive, only to have Prince get superkicked out of the air when he tries another. Back in and Prince gets crotched on top but manages a suplex to get a breather. The 450 connects this time for another near fall and Prince goes up top, where he dives straight into a cutter to retain the title at 10:57.

Rating: B-. The action was good here and Prince made the most out of what is likely a one off shot. He felt much more like a local hero than a serious challenger but they still had a rather entertaining match with some good near falls. It’s also smart to have Crist get a win on his own to establish himself, because having OVE out there every time isn’t working.

Konnan gives Daga a pep talk before he teams with Ortiz tonight to challenge for the Tag Team Titles. Ortiz comes in and whatever he is drinking is blurred out. Daga seems to think that Ortiz isn’t serious enough. Blurred things go towards their mouths.

Taya Valkyrie isn’t happy with the idea of having to defend her title again.

Eddie Edwards vs. Ace Austin

Austin recently hit on Eddie’s wife, sending him over the edge but she didn’t seem to like Eddie standing up for her. Eddie knocks him outside to start and hits a slingshot dive as the beating is on in a hurry. Back up and Austin does his handstand on the apron into his kick to the chest to put Eddie down for a change. Since Eddie is a bit off though, he drops Austin back and face first onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Eddie hitting a suicide dive, only to have Austin get in a baton shot for two. Ace even busts out the playing card to cut Eddie’s finger. That earns himself a powerbomb so Austin begs off, asking what Alisha would think of this. That earns him the Boston Knee Party and a big beatdown draws the DQ at 9:54.

Rating: C. This was much more about Eddie being violent and insane than the match itself, which is a good way of doing things, though we’ve seen it happen a few times now. You can only have Eddie go nuts so many times before it stops working and I’m worried that we’re reaching that point.

Post match Alisha runs out to yell at Eddie and look down at Austin.

We look at Tessa Blanchard coming up short against Sami Callihan at last week’s Unbreakable, though Jake hitting her with the X-Division Title had something to do with that.

Fallah Bahh was having lunch earlier today when Moose came up to yell at him and call him fat. The fight was on but Moose threw something in his eyes and shoved food in his face.

Madison Rayne vs. Alexia Nicole

Kiera Hogan is on commentary. Madison takes her into the corner to start and looks rather confident. Nicole picks up the pace a bit and dropkicks her into the corner as Kiera doesn’t seem happy with Madison. A crash on the floor puts Nicole down but she drives Madison into the corner to break up a Koji Clutch. Madison has had it with this and hits CrossRayne for the pin at 4:14.

Rating: D+. Nicole tried a bit, though there is only so much you can get out of a match that is just a step above a squash. Madison vs. Kiera doesn’t have the most potential in the world and isn’t exactly interesting, though it’s still nice to see the company trying a few different stories that aren’t exclusively about the title.

Post match Kiera gets in to yell at Madison, though they do keep beating up Alexia in the process. Jordynne Grace runs in for the save.

The Rascalz are sad about not winning the Tag Team Titles. Wentz is very happy with seeing….someone in the hall. That someone sits down and it’s Rob Van Dam, who is WAY overdue for a cameo in one of these things. The Rascalz start beating each other up with Van Dam’s moves as he looks rather confused.

Knockouts Title: Havok vs. Taya Valkyrie

Rating: D+. There wasn’t time for much here as the interference cut things off in a hurry. This story is getting a bit confusing as things keep moving all over the place. It would seem to be leading to either Havok or Grace taking the title from Taya, but that has seemed to be the case for a long time now. The story is still going though and it isn’t boring, so continuing it isn’t a problem just yet.

We get a sitdown interview with Melissa Santos for an update on Brian Cage. Santos recently made their relationship public after a long time of trying to keep their personal and professional lives separate. That was getting to be too much though and things had to change. She can’t give much of an update on his medical condition, though he has been getting better, slowly.

The Desi Hit Squad shows up at a bar to insult the Deaners and a fight ensues. The Deaners get the better of it until Gama Singh’s distraction lets the Hit Squad get in beer bottle shots to the head.

Later, the Deaners are ticked off because the Hit Squad wouldn’t survive at their compound. Next week, they can fight in the ring. Why not at the compound?

Stone Rockwell vs. Nate Madsen

Rockwell takes him down and poses a bit, followed by a swinging Rock Bottom backbreaker. And never mind as here’s Rhyno to Gore Madsen for the DQ at 1:43.

Post match Rockwell tries to bribe his way out of a Gore to no avail. Rhyno wants Elgin out here right now so here he is, but he’s not happy with Rhyno trying something stupid. Elgin has put everyone in the hospital so this isn’t happening now. Rhyno isn’t cool with that so the fight is on in the aisle.

Austin brags about being the first person to get to Eddie Edwards. Now, he’s going to get his wife.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Abyss vs. Mick Foley in a Monster’s Ball match at Bound For Glory 2009.

The Desi Hit Squad agrees to face the Deaners, but if they win, the Deaners are their servants.

Sami Callihan is ready to become World Champion as they take over the entire company. First up though: destroying Tommy Dreamer. WELL OF COURSE THAT’S WHAT MATTERS MOST! Therefore, next week it’s Sami/Dave Crist vs. Dreamer/Tessa.

Tag Team Titles: Daga/Ortiz vs. The North

The North is defending and Konnan is out with Daga/Ortiz. Ortiz hammers on Page in the corner to start but Page punches him in the face as Callis says Daga and Ortiz could be the next Strike Force to LAX’s Can-Am Connection. Daga comes in but gets taken down by a cheap shot, allowing Alexander to come in for a slugout. A headscissors sends Alexander outside and that means a big flip dive from Daga.

Back in and Daga’s suplex gets two on Alexander but an assisted suplex from the champs puts Daga down for a change. The alternating stomps keep Daga in trouble and it’s a northern lights suplex into some right hands. Daga manages a German suplex for the hot tag to Ortiz so everything can break down.

A springboard tornado DDT into a splash gets two on Alexander. The top rope double stomp to the back sets up a Death Valley Driver for two more but Page is right back up to jump Daga. Alexander’s moonsault gets two but Daga is back up with a low superkick for two more as everything breaks down. Daga gets sent outside and it’s the alley oop spinebuster to retain at 10:36.

Rating: B-. It’s still good but not as good as some of the other North matches we’ve been seeing as of late. They’ve turned from what seemed to be just another midcard team to quite a good act. This was likely to be the big final showdown with LAX but Daga was fine enough for a one off replacement. Nice main event here.

Post match the champs leave so Konnan/Daga/Ortiz can shake hands to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a bit of a downgrade over the last few weeks but what we got here was good enough. They’re getting into a nice groove and that’s something that can make for a rather effective way to set up some stuff in the future. Some of the stories aren’t the most interesting but they’re being given time and some things are being allowed to develop. Keep it at this pace and we should be just fine for the near future.

Results

Jake Crist b. Aiden Prince – Cutter

Ace Austin b. Eddie Edwards via DQ when Edwards attacked Austin

Madison Rayne b. Alexia Nicole – CrossRayne

Nate Madsen b. Stone Rockwell via DQ when Rhyno interfered

The North b. Daga/Ortiz – Alley oop spinebuster to Ortiz

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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 2, 2019
Location: St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

This is kind of a weird night for Impact as they’re airing a live special called Unbreakable at the same time as this show. They’ve hyped up matches for both shows, meaning you might have needed to take notes coming into it. One of the bigger matches for this one will see Tessa Blanchard vs. Mad Man Fulton, which could be good. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Aiden Prince vs. Rohit Raju vs. Zachary Wentz vs. Chuck Mambo vs. Cody Deaner vs. Petey Williams

The winner gets an X-Division Title shot at some point in the future. Deaner goes after Raju to start and their fight heads out to the floor as Mambo and Prince trade flips inside. Wentz comes back in and gets to stare Williams down with the former getting caught in a headscissors. The Canadian Destroyer is broken up so Williams gets in a Sharpshooter with Raju coming in to add a Crossface on Wentz at the same time.

Raju spears Williams down for two with Deaner coming in for the save. Hold on though as Deaner needs to put on his hat. Williams grabs his flag for a posedown and it’s a double suicide dive to take out Prince and Raju. Wentz dives onto them as well and Prince nails an Asai moonsault. Back in and Mambo’s springboard is broken up so Deaner punches Raju some more.

Petey comes in for the Russian legsweep but Wentz breaks up a Destroyer with a jumping knee to the face. Raju makes another save but gets beaten up by Deaner again (it’s not some epic feud people). Deaner’s DDT plants Raju with Mambo springboarding in with an elbow for the next save. Prince comes back in with a brainbuster and 450 to finish Mambo for the pin and the title shot at 9:15.

Rating: C+. This was your usual wild X-Division match and that works well enough, especially for an opener. They do need to bring in some fresh talent, but it doesn’t mean as much when a lot of these names can be interchanged. The X-Division is certainly in a better place than they were in a few months ago though and I’ll take whatever improvement I can get.

Jake Crist is excited about having a new challenger but Sami Callihan tells him to hand over the title. That isn’t happening so Sami talks about Tessa Blanchard instead. Tonight, she can deal with Mad Man Fulton.

Rich Swann warns Tessa about Fulton and the rest of OVE. Tessa appreciates the offer of help but says she has to do this alone.

Havok vs. John E. Bravo

Taya Valkyrie is out with Bravo. John drops to a knee and kisses Havok’s hand, so she knees him in the face. Bravo gets tossed across the ring and no sells a poke to the eye. The chokeslam finishes Bravo at 1:43.

Su Yung pops up on screen and seems to ramble some gibberish, which disturbs Havok.

Josh Alexander is worried about tonight’s Tag Team Title defense while Ethan Page is wondering who they’ll defend against after they beat the Rascalz tonight. Alexander wants some more seriousness.

Stone Rockwell vs. Ace Austin

Austin jumps him before the bell but Rockwell hits a strong clothesline and pulls a springboarding Austin out of the air. A spinning backbreaker plants Austin again but an elbow misses. The Fold finishes Rockwell at 2:15.

Post match Eddie Edwards of all people jumps Austin from behind and beats the heck out of him. Remember that Austin hit on Eddie’s wife.

Madison Rayne, dubbing herself the locker room leader, comes in to see Tessa and wishes her luck tonight. Tessa doesn’t want to hear it and leaves. Madison: “She’s done.”

Video on the Knockouts Division, which has been pretty strong in recent months.

Alisha Edwards yells at Eddie for attacking Ace. She says she doesn’t have time for him being crazy and leaves.

During the break, Moose laid out Stone Rockwell and now back in the arena, Moose says he is a star and no longer responsible for his actions. Cue Fallah Bahh and we have a match.

Moose vs. Fallah Bahh

Moose is in street clothes and gets crushed in the corner. The Banzai Drop finishes Moose at 47 seconds. They’re not wasting time tonight.

Post break Moose wants to know who booked that match.

Mad Man Fulton vs. Tessa Blanchard

Sami is here with Fulton. Tessa forearms away to start and the size difference is crazy. Magnum is broken up with ease and it’s a chokeslam to plant Tessa instead. With Tessa mostly dead, Fulton pauses for some OVE chants and Sami rants about how Tessa earned this. Callis: “Shut up idiot.”

Tessa slaps Fulton in the face and the bearhug goes on with a lot of shaking. In what might not be the smartest move, Tessa pulls out one of his deadlocks to escape. Some running forearms don’t do much though and Fulton big boots her down. Sami throws in a chair and slaps Fulton, but here’s Tommy Dreamer (BECAUSE OF COURSE IT’S TOMMY DREAMER!) to hit Fulton with the kendo stick for the DQ at 5:01.

Rating: D+. I actually groaned when Dreamer ran out because we’re going to get the same speech about how much he loves wrestling and doesn’t have much time left as he gets to attach himself to another story. It’s been done to death already and I really, really don’t need to see it again. But he was in ECW and Callis likes pushing his friends from the company that has been out of business for over eighteen years so this is what we’re getting. The match itself was much more of an angle advancement than anything else, which is fine, though I’m not sure where Tessa goes after getting done with OVE.

Post match Fulton goes after Dreamer but Tessa gets the stick and runs OVE off.

We look at Rhyno returning last week and attacking Michael Elgin. I’m not sure how valuable he is to the company but Impact loves bringing people back in whenever they can.

Elgin gets what Rhyno did but Rhyno is still going to pay.

An unnamed woman comes into the Knockouts locker room and doesn’t introduce herself. Madison introduces herself as the locker room leader but Kiera Hogan comes in and everyone gets catty with each other. The new girl leaves.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Generation Me (Young Bucks) vs. Motor City Machine Guns at Bound For Glory 2010.

Jimmy Jacobs goes up to Brian Cage’s house for an update but Melissa Santos opens the door and asks for privacy. She’ll answer his questions next week.

Impact is back in Mexico City later this month.

Rhyno doesn’t care about legal actions because he had a bunch of money thrown to him to sit in catering for years. Everyone is getting the Gore.

Tag Team Titles: The North vs. Rascalz

Trey Miguel and Dezmond Xavier are defending with no Wentz here this time. North drops Miguel with an early forearm and a quick takedown has Miguel rethinking things a bit. Page comes in and gets caught with a springboard headscissors as Miguel is having a lot more success this time around. Dezmond comes in and starts kicking away at Page, followed by rights and lefts in the corner.

Back to back to back slingshot splashes keep Page down for two but Alexander saves Page from an O’Connor roll. A World’s Strongest Slam onto the apron has Dezmond in trouble for the first time and a spinning suplex gives Alexander two. Alexander puts him in a rack for something from Page but Page is too busy yelling at Miguel. Dezmond uses the distraction to slip out and it’s back to Trey to pick up the pace. That doesn’t last long though as the champs run him over again and take over.

With Dezmond knocked off the apron, Trey gets free and dives over for the tag….but just crashes into the corner. As expected, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later and everything breaks down again. Dezmond hits a huge dive over the top to take down both champs and we take a break.

Back with Page kicking Dezmond in the head but getting stomped in the back for two from Miguel. Page powerslams Dezmond on the floor, leaving Alexander to start in on Miguel’s ankle. A backbreaker gets two and Alexander is starting to get frustrated. The ankle lock is broken up so Alexander goes with a powerbomb backbreaker for two more in a nasty landing. The torture rack flipped into the spinebuster gets two as everything breaks down again.

The double slugout is on with the Rascalz getting the better of it until Alexander lifts Trey up for a powerslam. Dezmond tries a springboard moonsault onto them….and Alexander catches him too. A double powerslam gets two more but Alexander misses his own moonsault. Trey’s top rope Meteora sets up Dezmond’s Final Flash for two and Trey’s rollup gets the same. Dezmond gets sent outside and it’s a cutter into a wheelbarrow suplex, followed by the double Neuralizer to retain the titles at 22:40.

Rating: A-. This was a heck of a match with both teams looking awesome. I’ve liked the Rascalz since they debuted but I’ve been waiting for something to make the North feel important. That’s what we got here as the match was very hard hitting and back and forth the whole time, with a nice bit of doubt as to who was winning. The Rascalz will eventually get the titles and that’s going to be a heck of a moment, but at least we had a great match on the way there.

Post match the North goes to the back, where Ortiz jumps them. The champs fight back but Daga runs in and makes the save, with Konnan helping to chase the North off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Rather good show here as they covered a bunch of stuff and had a very strong main event to close things out. When Impact is on its game and keeps away from the storyline stuff, they can put out some good television and that’s what we got here. What matters most for them is consistency, which has always been a problem for this company. I’ll take a very good show while I can though and that’s what we got here.

Results

Aiden Prince b. Chuck Mambo, Rohit Raju, Zachary Wentz, Cody Deaner and Petey Williams – 450 to Mambo

Havok b. John E. Bravo – Chokeslam

Ace Austin b. Stone Rockwell – The Fold

Fallah Bahh b. Moose – Banzai Drop

Mad Man Fulton b. Tessa Blanchard via DQ when Tommy Dreamer interfered

The North b. Rascalz – Double Neutralizer to Miguel

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

I don’t remember the last time I was actually looking forward to an Impact pay per view this much. They’ve done a rather nice job of setting this show up and Slammiversary tends to be their best pay per view of the year. The card is rather strong up and down and there are a few matches that could steal the show given the chance. Hopefully they can live up to the hype so let’s get to it.

Moose vs. Rob Van Dam

I’ve made my near disdain for bringing in Van Dam’s fellow ECW names rather well known at this point so I’ll leave them out in hopes that Impact does the same. This match could be a nice moment for Moose, who has always been flirting with the top of the card but never broken through to the next level. Beating Van Dam wouldn’t get him over the finish line permanently, but it would be a solid win for him.

I’ll take Moose to win as Van Dam should only be there to put people over at this point. Van Dam’s best days are behind him but he’s still a popular name and someone who can give someone like Moose a nice rub. It’s also rather nice that Impact seems to be beyond the point where I have to worry about them putting the old guy over, which was a plague upon them for so long. Moose wins here, as he should.

Knockouts Title: Taya Valkyrie(c) vs. Rosemary vs. Su Yung vs. Havok

This is under Monster’s Ball rules, which certainly fits given the insanity that this feud has been so far. There are all kinds of stories going on, but the major story stems from Rosemary looking to avenge Allie’s death, which is mainly due to Yung and James Mitchell. What matters here though is that the match is WIDE open and could go almost any given way.

I’ll go with Yung to win here, though it really could go multiple ways. She seems likely to sneak in and steal a pin, though I have very little confidence in it. That’s the sign of a well told story, as any of the four could win and it would make sense in any direction. This feud is going to continue and I’m ok with that, which isn’t something I would have believed just a few weeks ago. Not bad at all here and the match should be fun.

Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard

I’m not sure what to make of this one. Blanchard has shown that she is more or less completely dominant over the Knockouts division so it’s understandable that she is facing men. At the same time, Callihan is as scummy of a heel as you can get….but his random sexism feels out of place and not like the kind of villain that he is likely to be. It’s not ridiculous, but it doesn’t feel quite right.

I really see no reason for Callihan to win here, as Blanchard is the kind of person who could be a top star in the company. With her look, talent and pedigree, she already has all the tools and there is no real reason to have her lose her first big non-Knockouts match. I’m not sure where things are going to go with Blanchard, but if they play their cards right, she could be a big deal.

Eddie Edwards vs. Killer Kross

This is a First Blood match and a match that I haven’t been that interested in seeing. It’s fairly clear that Kross is taking Eli Drake’s spot in the feud and that’s as good of a move as they could have had. At least we’re likely to get a more violent match out of these two than Drake vs. Edwards would have been, which makes the First Blood stipulation make that much more sense.

I’ll go with Edwards winning here as it makes far more sense. Edwards has been built up for a little while now and needs a big win like this. With Kross already having contract issues with the company, I can’t imagine seeing the company giving him a win in such a major spot. Edwards wins, likely with the aide of Kenny II. Just let them go nuts and things will be as good as they could possibly be.

Tag Team Titles: The North(c) vs. LAX vs. Rascalz

The titles actually changed hands at one of the online shows and we’re now in a three way for the titles. That makes me wonder if something is up with LAX, who might be leaving for more AEW style pastures. There is nothing left for them to do in Impact so moving on might be the best call. That leaves you with two options to leave for the titles and one has something going for them.

I’m thinking the North retains here because they’re Canadian and Don Callis really likes wrestlers from that country. I’ve been a Rascalz fan since they debuted and would love to see them get the titles here, but something tells me that we need the North (what a great name) keep them for a little while longer. They’re not the worst idea in the world, but they’re far from the most interesting team around.

X-Division Title: Rich Swann(c) vs. Johnny Impact

This is the match I want to see more than any other and it could be an instant classic. Swann has gone from just another X-Division Champion to looking like a borderline main event talent in the span of a few weeks. Impact is a main event talent though and I’m not sure if Swann is ready to make the leap all the way up to the top level in the company just yet.

That’s why I’m going with Impact winning the title here, which is more than an acceptable choice to take. Swann can either come back and win the title again or move up to the World Title scene. After the last few weeks, he’s shown he’s capable of having up there so the move is the right call. Swann is talented and has potential, but Impact has already shown what he can do and is a fine choice to take the title from Swann in a great match.

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

Now this could be all kinds of fun. This is going to be two monsters hitting each other really hard until one of them can’t get up. Cage has been out of action for months now with his back injury but he looked great in his brawl with Elgin a few weeks back. I’m not entirely sure which way this is going to go but it’s going to be a heck of a match until we get to the ending.

With Cage winning the title at the last pay per view and not wrestling since, I’ll take him winning. That brings up the issue of who he is supposed to face next, but I can’t imagine them taking the title off of him in just his first defense. Elgin is a special kind of monster, but he’s going to be taking a loss to the new champ here, as he should be.

Overall Thoughts

I’m really liking the sound of this show and given Impact’s track record with its pay per views, it might actually be a reasonable level of excitement for a change. Almost nothing on the card looks bad and we could be in for a heck of a show. The company has gotten a lot better in its buildup and with the right kind of performance on the show, it could be one of the best pay per views they’ve had in a long time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 28, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Don Callis

It’s the next to last show before Slammiversary and that means things are getting interesting around here. They’ve done a rather nice job of making Rich Swann look like a star and hopefully that continues this week. At the same time they have to build up Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard some more, which could be anywhere from a train wreck to a big success. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The North vs. Deaners

Well it’s better than the Desi Hit Squad….I think. Alexander and Jake start things off with Alexander’s headlocks and shoulders not working well. Jake’s works a bit better and it’s off to Cody, who gets two off Jake’s clothesline. Everything breaks down for a bit and Page gets knocked into a gutbuster for two. Jake comes back in and gets stomped down in the North corner for all of a few seconds before it’s back to Cody. A full nelson backbreaker gets two on Cody and Page stops to yell at a fan.

Alexander’s suplex keeps Cody in trouble and Page grabs a chinlock. Cody fights up and neckbreakers his way to freedom so Jake can come back in and clean house. A splash in the corner brings Cody back in rather soon but what looked to be a Magic Killer is broken up. Jake and Alexander slug it out with Jake no selling a German suplex. Some double teaming puts Jake on the floor and it’s Cody getting thrown off the top. The double Neuralizer gives Page the pin at 10:02.

Rating: D+. I’m still not getting the appeal of either of these teams and neither of them are helping the shows for the most part. The North are the better options and thankfully they haven’t been focusing on being from Canada for the most part. The Deaners….my goodness how long did they put into this idea? Maybe eighteen seconds?

Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary have a meeting in the back about the Monster’s Ball but Rosemary would rather talk about her upcoming title shot. They have a tag match tonight but Taya is worried about their outfits not matching. Rosemary says it’ll be fine. Rosemary: “Trust us.” Taya: “Us?”

Brian Cage is not cleared to compete.

We look at Moose attacking Tommy Dreamer at a House of Hardcore event. Forgive me for not feeling the emotional impact of Tommy Dreamer getting beaten up.

Slammiversary/the rest of the night rundown.

Su Yung/Havok vs. Rosemary/Taya Valkyrie

Taya and Rosemary argue over who is going to start until Havok takes Taya into the corner for some choking. Havok switches it up a bit with choking in another corner before handing it off to Yung. Since Yung is kind of all over the place, her best offense is to let Havok kick Taya in the head. The bloody glove comes out but it’s already back to Havok, who Taya climbs over and makes the tag off to Rosemary. A quickly broken Last Chancery causes everything to break down and it’s Havok vs. Rosemary on the floor. Rosemary kicks a chair into Havok’s face and it’s a double countout at 5:02.

Rating: D+. At least the characters are more interesting here. I’m also glad they didn’t have a pin for a change as you want to keep everyone strong heading into Monster’s Ball. I don’t know why that’s so complicated as countouts and disqualifications can be your friend in a situation like this. A little short, but at least the ending was right.

Post match the brawl continues with Rosemary busting out the tacks. Havok saves Su from going into them but Su hits Havok by mistake. James Mitchell has to come in and keep the peace.

Ace Austin isn’t happy with losing to TJP last week but it wasn’t fair because he didn’t know TJP worked here. TJP comes in, makes fun of his time in WWE, and a rematch is set for next week.

The Deaners drink the loss away when the Desi Hit Squad comes in to mock them. More beer is consumed.

Slammiversary rundown.

Flashback Moment Of The Week: X-Division Title ladder match at Slammiversary 2014.

Eddie Edwards goes to church to confess about his love of violence. The priest turns into Killer Kross, who talks about Eddie trying to find himself. Eddie will wait for Slammiversary while Kross stays and threatens the priest.

John E. Bravo talks to the other referees and says Johnny Bravo completes him. Rich Swann comes in to go after Bravo but Impact and Willie Mack come in. A tag match is made for later.

Sami Callihan vs. Fallah Bahh

Madman Fulton and Scarlett Bordeaux are the seconds here. Bahh glares Sami down for daring to chop him but a Fulton distraction works a bit better. That’s good for an ejection so we’re down to one on two. Sami gets in a clothesline and grabs a chinlock, which works so well that they do it again. Bahh gets back up and hits a running splash, followed by the running hip attack. It’s too early for the Banzai drop so Sami bites the arm. A few kicks to the face set up a hanging Cactus Special for the pin on Bahh at 6:43.

Rating: D. This was back to the old style for Bahh and that isn’t the best thing in the world. He’s not the most interesting guy in the world at his best and this was worse than the previous few times he’s been out there. I’m not sure how bad it’s going to be with Scarlett gone, but it’s not like she did anything here.

Post match Sami says that’s how you get over as only a man can do. Sami wants to say something to Tessa but wants to do it to her face so get out here. Tessa comes out and jumps over the ropes, despite Sami holding the ropes open for her. Sami says Tessa wants to be treated as an equal so he bicycle kicks her. She pops back up and hammers away until the Crists run out, allowing Sami to get in a baseball bat shot to the ribs. Tessa spits in his face so it’s a Cactus Special to leave her laying.

Rascalz vs. Laredo Kid/LAX

Konnan is out with LAX/Kid. It’s a staredown to start but Kid springboard dives onto the Rascalz and we start fast. The ring is cleared out until it’s Kid springboard crossbodying Miguel and then moonsaulting off the top onto everyone else. Back from a break with Miguel getting caught in a reverse powerbomb for a series of splashes for two. Miguel flips out of a belly to back suplex from Santana and makes the tag to Wentz for a breather.

Everything breaks down and Santana sends Miguel into Xavier for a spear. A Batista Bomb plants Wentz so Xavier grabs a running Spanish Fly. Miguel’s enziguri to Kid gives us the big knockdown for a much needed breather. Everyone gets up for the big slugout with the Rascalz getting punched down and stacked up. Kid’s 450 onto all three gets two but the Rascalz are back up to send Kid outside. Santana follows him out and it’s a series of kicks to take Ortiz down. The top rope Meteora gives Miguel the pin at 10:15.

Rating: B. This was pure action from start to finish and that’s all you could ask for out of such a match. The Rascalz have been rolling as of late and Laredo Kid has been a great surprise whenever he shows up. Rascalz vs. LAX is likely going to steal the show at Slammiversary, but then someone is bound to steal LAX because they’re too good to keep around.

Madison Rayne thinks Jordynne Grace deserves a rematch but Kiera Hogan comes in to say this isn’t a sisterhood. She’s a selfish b**** just like all of them, but Kiera is the only one to admit it. Rayne isn’t going to let her bring the ugliness out of the locker room so they’ll fight at some point.

The Rascalz argue over which of the three of them will fight at Slammiversary. They’ll figure it out in a Rascals Extravaganza next week.

Slammiversary card. Again.

Brian Cage arrives and comes in even though he isn’t cleared.

Here’s Cage in the ring for a chat. Cage calls out Michael Elgin, who sent him to the hospital and put him on the shelf. Now Cage is back though and he’s ready for Slammiversary. Cue the doctor, who gets beaten up before he can say anything. Elgin comes in and hits a buckle bomb, followed by an Elgin Bomb.

Elgin holds up the title as Cage pulls himself up, only to get Elgin Bombed right back down. It’s table time and Elgin powerbombs him through it again, which is enough to draw Callis up from commentary. He yells at Elgin and gets dropped, setting up a teased Elgin Bomb but cage is back up. The brawl is on to finish the show. Good segment, though attacking Callis might not have the impact that they were hoping for.

Overall Rating: C-. The main event was the best thing about the show but it wasn’t quite enough to save the whole thing. What worked well here was the direction towards Slammiversary as you can see the build on every match. That’s a good sign as a lot of cards these days barely get any build beyond the bare minimum. It’s well done here though and while the weekly wrestling is up and down, the build has been solid and that’s the more important thing.

Results

The North b. Deaners – Double Neutralizer to Cody

Rosemary/Taya Valkyrie vs. Havok/Su Yung went to a double countout

Sami Callihan b. Fallah Bahh – Hanging Cactus Special

Rascalz b. LAX/Laredo Kid – Top rope Meteora to Ortiz

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 14, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re out of Philadelphia and hopefully that means we’re on the way towards more of a focus on the good stuff rather than the bad. Part of the company’s issues have been going hot and cold with a mixture of stuff that works for the future and an emphasis on nostalgia. The good has been very strong though and if we get more of that, we’re in for a fun show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The North vs. Rob Van Dam/Sabu

Sabu and Van Dam have Super Genie with them. The announcers go into Van Dam’s ECW stories, because he’s done NOTHING since then. Certainly not been Impact World Champion or anything. Thankfully those stories stop so they can mention that this is a #1 contenders match with the winners getting a Tag Team Title shot at Slammiversary.

Sabu takes Alexander down by the leg to start and it’s off to Van Dam for a suplex. Alexander takes him into the corner and brings in Page, who gets kicked in the face for his efforts. The armdrag into the armbar lets us take a look at Van Dam, who looks very old. There’s the Rolling Thunder/facebuster combination for two on Page and it’s more kicks to Page’s face. A kick to Sabu’s face lets the North start in with some backbreakers and it’s Van Dam in trouble for a change.

The Canadians get him down in the corner for some stomping until Page charges into a kick to the face. That’s enough for the tag to Sabu so Genie throws in a chair, which is pelted at the North a few times. The camel clutch/dropkick to the face combination keeps Alexander down and it’s time for a table. Sabu and Van Dam go up but here’s Moose to shove Van Dam off the top. The Arabian facebuster drives Alexander through the table for no count so Sabu hits a tornado DDT to send Page into the broken table. A Moose distraction lets the North hit a double Neutralizer to finish Sabu at 10:38.

Rating: D+. Well at least the right team won, and it only took interference and the disregard for various usage of weapons. The North isn’t an interesting team and at least they got in a win over a “legendary” team. Oh and Van Dam, the one of the ECW guys with any value, didn’t take the fall so he can put Moose over at Slammiversary as he should.

Post match here’s Tommy Dreamer to send Moose inside but Moose bails from the threat of a Van Terminator.

Post break Moose yells at the North, who call Moose out for bailing on them. Their partnership seems to be done so Moose promises to take out the ECW era. My head hurts again.

Announcers’ preview.

Havok vs. Masha Slamovich

Masha forearms away to start and gets knocked down with a single shot to the chest. Havok bends her over the knee but misses a charge in the corner. A dropkick and right hands don’t get Masha anywhere and it’s a sitout slam to plant Masha. The chokeslam and Tombstone finish Marsha at 3:39.

Rating: D. Total and complete squash here, which is exactly what it should have been. Havok is a good monster and can make a suitable opponent for Rosemary at some point. It’s also nice of them to bring up Havok’s history around here without mentioning her getting beaten up by Awesome Kong and ruining her mystique. That’s how you bring a monster back and it’s working here.

Post match James Mitchell tells Rosemary to work on her anger management. He’s tried to be diplomatic with her over Su Yung but now he’s had to go a little more serious, which is why Havok is here. Havok is his Godzilla stomping on Tokyo and now she’s coming for the Knockouts Title. She’ll use Rosemary’s broken carcass as a launchpad. That’s quite the image.

Raj Singh vs. Cody Deaner

Yes this feud needs to continue. Raj knocks him into the corner to start so Cody comes back out with a running clothesline. Cody sends him outside for a suicide dive but gets caught with a hanging cutter on the way back in. Raj’s running dropkick to the back gets two and he slaps away a lot. That wakes Deaner up and the snap jabs put Raj down. A hard DDT plants Raj but Gama Singh gets on the apron for a distraction. Cousin Jake cuts off an interfering Rohit Raju….and Gama has a heart attack. That allows Raj to hit an arm trap faceplant for the pin at 5:08.

Rating: D. I really don’t see the need for three interferences and a fake heart attack for half of the Desi Hit Squad vs. half of the country cousins. This felt completely minor league and like something you would see on a company trying to put on its first show. They’re not exactly cranking out good tag teams at the moment and this didn’t help things.

Michael Elgin is ready to beat up Willie Mack tonight. Johnny Impact comes in and says he’s been talking to the hospital. They haven’t seen Mack, even though Elgin promised to send him there. Elgin says stay out of the main event.

Rosemary thinks Mitchell has a thing for monsters. The Hive has sent her on a mission to get the Knockouts Title back so Havok is just an obstacle in the way.

Partial Slammiversary rundown.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Samoa Joe vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Slammiversary XII.

Sami Callihan comes into the women’s locker room (good thing there was a camera waiting in there) and gets in an argument with Tessa Blanchard. A match against Jake Crist is set for next week.

Jordynne Grace vs. Madison Rayne

Kiera Hogan is out for commentary. They fight over arm control to start and we cut over to Kiera, who is in fact talking. Rayne gets a quick rollup for two and Grace grinds away on a headlock. Grace ducks a charge in the corner and sends Madison to the apron, where she seems to slip off and fall out to the floor. Madison is fine enough and gets suplexed for two back inside. A standing Koji Clutch doesn’t get Rayne very far as Madison takes her down and pulls on the arm instead.

They trade pinfall attempts for two each until Madison hits a basement dropkick for a breather. Madison takes her to the floor for a cutter and they’re both down with Madison holding her back. Back in and Madison’s crucifix bomb gets two, followed by Grace’s spinning Muscle Buster for the same. Grace goes up but a Kiera distraction lets Madison pull her down for CrossRayne and the pin at 10:28.

Rating: C. Match of the night so far, though Kiera isn’t exactly interesting here. Grace feels like a monster and while losing to Rayne isn’t the biggest problem in the world, it’s not the way I would have gone. The good thing here is we currently have three stories going on in the Knockouts division, which is way, way better than just having the champion vs. her challenger of the week. I’m rather impressed by that and while it’s not working as well, they’re trying something similar with the tag division. I can appreciate the effort if nothing else.

Video on Killer Kross breaking Kenny and Eddie Edwards being given a new kendo stick by Sandman.

Killer Kross vs. Sandman

Sandman seems to be taking Eddie’s place and staggers around before hitting some left hands. A kendo stick to the ribs has little effect and the Krossjacket choke ends Sandman at 1:36. As annoying as I find it to have the ECW guys around, I can’t get annoyed at Sandman getting choked out in a minute and a half.

Post match Kross won’t let go so Eddie comes in for the save.

LAX doesn’t think much of the Rascalz but Konnan wants them to take things more seriously. The Rascalz come in and want a rematch but LAX doesn’t like them barging in. The fight is on with LAX getting the better of it (and stomping on a downed camera) and agreeing to the rematch. Someone who looks like Laredo Kid comes in and takes something from the Rascalz.

It’s time for the Smoke Show with Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo as guests. Fallah Bahh and Scarlett Bordeaux share a drink but Taya isn’t interested. She also doesn’t like Scarlett talking about Johnny Impact. Scarlett brings up Taya having to defend the title next week and says she knows who the opponent will be. Taya says spit it out, which Scarlett must know how to do. It’s Su Yung so Taya freaks out and leaves.

Here’s the rest of the Slammiversary rundown.

Willie Mack vs. Michael Elgin

Rich Swann is in Mack’s corner. They slug it out to start and trade shoulders with Mack actually getting the better of it off a jumping version. A jumping enziguri sets up an exploder suplex to send Elgin to the apron. Mack joins him for a slugout with Elgin getting the better of it and hitting a superkick to the floor.

Back from a break with Mack hitting a spinwheel kick and dropping a leg for two. A sitout spinebuster gets the same but the Stunner is broken up. Elgin’s superkick drops Mack and a top rope superplex gets two. Mack avoids a charge into the corner and gets caught with a slingshot Fameasser to send him outside. Instead of going back in, Elgin drops Swann onto the apron. Back in and a buckle bomb sets up the Elgin Bomb for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: C+. This was another good match between any combination of these three and Impact, which makes for some nice main events. Elgin is a great monster and someone can slay him, though I’m not sure if it’s going to be Cage at Slammiversary. That makes for an interesting match and I’m curious to see how it goes.

Post match Elgin goes after him again but Swann makes the save. Johnny Impact runs in to take Swann down but Elgin suplexes Impact. He even puts on the sunglasses to really rub it in. Another powerbomb into the post leaves Impact laying to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen such an up and down show as this one. The tag division (outside of the title picture) is a mess, the Knockouts division is rather interesting, the main event is good stuff and the ECW guys are just there. If they can get this stuff together and do more of the right stuff instead of the wrong, they’ll have a hit on their hands. And if they can get Pursuit to not screw things up, it can be even better.

Results

The North b. Rob Van Dam/Sabu – Double Neutralizer to Sabu

Jessika Havok b. Masha Slamovich – Tombstone

Raj Singh b. Cody Deaner – Arm trap faceplant

Madison Rayne b. Jordynne Grace – Cross Rayne

Killer Kross b. Sandman – Krossjacket choke

Michael Elgin b. Willie Mack – Elgin Bomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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