IMPACT! WRESTLING - October 25, 2108

IMPACT! WRESTLING - October 25th, 2018:  Johnny Impact's 1st Title Defense

This week's edition of IMPACT!  Gave us a World Title Match, some tag team action, and the return of the Undead Bride.  Plus, some set ups for next week's show.

The show opened up with Scarlett Bordeaux, as she strutted her way out to the ring, basically she's scouting talent.  We also get her in a bubble bath later in the show to promote the fans to send in their talent clips.  She ends up staying out for the first match of the night, but obviously seems disinterested in the match and more interested in her nails.  What kind of talent is she looking for?

TREVOR LEE v. SAMI CALLAHAN (w/Crist Brothers) - Trevor Lee, having lost last week, was still looking for another win, and he had some great offense early, even managing to hold off the interference from the Crist Brothers.  He has Callahan prepped to be finished off, but the numbers game gets to Lee, and Callahan scores the win with a piledriver.  As they celebrate in the ring and beat on Lee, Brian Cage comes out, and lays waste to the Crist Boys, as Callahan rolls back into the ring with a baseball bat.  Cage dares Callahan to take his best shot.  Callahan goes to swing, but Cage blocks it, nails Callahan with an F-5, and Callahan bails.  Match was alright, but the interference got in the way.  Cage's appearance is an indicator that last week's attack by Callahan didn't go unpunished, and we see Cage's next challanger for the X-Division Title.

King is pissed with how Konnan disrespected him last week, but he knows the Boss said the OGz can't touch LAX.  However, King says he may have found a way to get to LAX without touching them.


Gama Singh is training for his match with Rohit Raju, who still doesn't see the point of it.

LAX v. HEAVENLY BODIES - Had never heard of this incarnation of the Heavenly Bodies (and believe me...ONE of their bodies wasn't that heavenly...and also...NO Jim Cornette?!), but there was some back and forth between them and LAX early, before Santana & Ortiz started asserting control with some of their areial moves.  The Bodies, however, managed to gain the upper hand halfway through the match to do their damage.  Just as they got Ortiz on the top turnbuckle, he broke it, and LAX re-took control with a top rope Blockbuster for the win.

We later see Konnan and LAX celebrating, but run into Eric Page & Matt Sydal, who challenge LAX to the Tag Team Titles for next week.  LAX agrees, and walks off, mocking Page & Sydall with their "third eyes"

I should note that Eli Drake showed up prior to this match, and threatened Don Callis about the lawsuit he's bringing against IMPACT! for an "unsafe work environment".  He took over color commentary for the LAX match, and pretty much bitched the whole time about how he was wronged at Bound For Glory, and how he figured if you can't beat 'em, join 'em in the lawsuit department against IMPACT!.


Backstage, Tessa Blanchard is arguing with Taya Valkyrie about their match at Bound For Glory.  Tessa is upset that Taya thinks she has to cheat to win, and then tells Taya she'll face her again for the Knockouts title next week.  Taya agrees and walks off.

There's a promo from Moose & Kross about their match with Fallah Bahh & KM

There's a promo video of Fenix as he gets ready for his match with Johnny Impact.

Willie Mack & Rich Swann are backstage talking about Swann's match last week with Cage.  They're drinking, and seem drunk.  Mack says, he'd love to have his first match on IMPACT! TV be against Swann.  Swann agrees.  They walk off in need of a refill.  Not sure either knows what they got themselves into for next week.

GAMA SINGH v. ROHIT RAJU - This match really didn't last long.  Singh taunted Raju the whole match, poked him in the eye, pulled hair, sucker punched him, and basically was doing any dirty thing he can think of.  Raju looked like he had enough, and was about to deliver a beatdown until another man entered the ring and blindsided Raju.  The mystery man then helped Raju up, who was confused, and Singh made it all good again with a hug and raising of the hands.  Waste of tv time---what is the point of this situation?

Johnny Impact is interviewed prior to his title defense.

FALLAH BAHH/KM v. MOOSE/KILLER KROSS - KM and Fallah were up early with quick tags and offense.  At one point, KM did a flip over the top rope and landed feet first on the guardrail as he also landed on Kross & Moose.  Bahh tried to clothesline Kross, but to no effect.  A distraction by Moose allowed Kross to nail Bahh with his own clothesline.  Moose and Kross would hold the offense for a bit until Bahh managed to make a tag.  He fell out of the ring, and KM went to work on Kross.  Moose was then attacked outside by Eddie Edwards, who started choking him with a kendo stick.  Edwards dragged Moose off, and Kross managed to get the upper hand and scores the pinfall with a slamming chokehold.  He goes looking around for Moose, as we see Moose and Eddie battling on the roof of the arena.  At one point, it looked like Moose was going to toss Eddie off the roof, but Eddie got the kendo stick and started beating Moose again, but Moose escaped, and closed the roof door to keep Eddie out.  Eddie went nuts, and his wife Alisha shows up, screaming at him, as she unlocked the roof door to get Eddie.

There's a quick promo package, letting everyone know Jordynne Grace is coming.

KEIRA HOGAN v. SU YUNG - Allie comes to ringside to be with Keira, and Keira goes after Su early, as they trade blows.  Keira gets the early offense, but Su then takes command, and starts delivering the damage.  Laying Keria on the top of the corner, she lays into her with several rapid kicks, runs to the far corner, comes back, grabs Keira by the eyes, and turns it into a neckbreaker.  She then reaches for the bloody glove to deliver the mandible claw, but Keira fights back.  They work outside onto the ramp, where Su is about to deliver the Killswitch, but Allie pulls Keira off of Su, and saves her.  She then screams at Su to come at her, but as Su turns around, Allie is frozen in place---as if she's in mortal fear.  Su starts coming towards her, and Allie backs away...eventually running from her friend, and back into the locker room.  Keira tries to fight back, but Su grabs her through the ropes, and delivers a Pedigree before turning Keira's lights out with the Killswitch.  Su gets the pin.  What in the bloody hell is going on with Allie?  One week, killer psychopath, next week, frightened child.  Allie losing her soul has taken its toll.  Can Keira even trust her anymore?

IMPACT! WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:  FENIX v. JOHNNY IMPACT (C) - This was, by far, the match of the night...as it should've been.  Both men came to wrestle, and there was A LOT of high spots early, as both men battled each other.  Several close pinfalls, with some excellent chain wrestling, and, at one point, Johnny looked like he hurt his knee during after a dive off the top rope.  Fenix went for the pin, but Johnny kicked out.  Fenix then hit a hurricanrada off the top rope, but Johnny kicked out.  Back and forth the match goes, until Fenix gets Impact with an elbow, and Impact climbs the 2nd turnbuckle, Fenix kicks him, but Johnny pushes him off, delivers the Starship Pain for the win.  Afterwards, the two shake hands and hug in a show of respect.  Great match.  After Johnny leaves, Fenix is jumped by the OGz, who beat on him until Pentagon Jr. shows up with a chair to chase them.  Looks like King found his way to get to Konnan and LAX.

Killer Kross is backstage, saying his crazy.  And when people call him crazy, they assume he isn't intelligent.  But he'll show everyone that all roads lead to damnnation.  As the camera pans down, you see a helpless Johnny Impact, laid out.  Show ends.


NOTES:

There is still work to be done with this show.  Don't need a couple of the filler matches, and the Singh/Raju angle kind of sucks and seems pointless---there's no real direction for it, other than to fill time on the show.  They still need to learn how to work people into the show, but not have to rely on SEEING them every week.  It's good when you season the show, not try to deliver a buffet, where you feel stuffed and kind of sick afterwards.  Unless Scarlet Bordeaux is going to be a valet/manager---she serves no purpose on the show other than eye candy, and no one needs that.  They need to focus on the stories that will drive the show.  It appears that the LAX/OGz war WILL continue, but now drag Fenix and Pentagon into it.  There has to be an end point for this feud.  Problem is, as I said last week, that until they get some other tag teams to come up or start pushing the ones they have, LAX and the OGz will have NO ONE to battle but each other---and at some point, that story is going to get stale.  Even though you have Willie Mack & Rich Swann facing off next week, they'd still be a tag team you could invest in to make a run at LAX's titles.  

I like that they've put the foundation in place for Tessa and Taya.  How well this gets executed in quality matches and a good story will be anyone's guess.  Both are immensely talented (do we really need to say more about Tessa?  She's THE best woman on the roster, period!).  Again, though, this seems like a story that can end quickly if they don't know how to tell it with conviction.  But Tessa feeling she needs to prove herself after saying she DIDN'T...played right into Taya's hands.  

BTW---Congrats to Tessa Blanchard this week for having the longest women's wrestling match in history with her 75 minute battle with Mercedes Martinez.  Haven't gotten to see it yet, but I heard it's good.

Like the interesting wrinkle in Allie's story.  The mind games from the Undead Realm has really played a number on her.  The unpredictability of WHICH Allie we'll get from week to week is exciting, and the side story of whether or not Keira can trust her.  

Kross taking out Johnny Impact sets him up as apparently the next challenger for the Champ to face.  

Great to see Eddie Edwards back with a vengeance.  Him and Moose will be a decent story to tell, and a feud that will wind up as a midcard or early match at the next PPV.  

Eli Drake sounds like your typical whiny heel...and his "lawsuit" angle will net him nothing down the road.  Unless there's some kind of new challenge for him, his "me against the company" crap isn't going to go anywhere.

I know some people might be turned off by the hokey parts of Allie's story, but hey...remember how we all marveled and were in awe of all those Undertaker segments back in the day?  Don't bitch.  IMPACT! is taking a chance with this storyline, and people ARE invested---especially once you get Rosemary back full time.  

Overall...a strong "B".  The production value needs improvement (and yes, considering their budget, they have to shoot like an indie movie, but even then....), and having too many backstage segments hurts the show.  Need to keep moving it along with story AND with matches that will keep the audience engaged.  

That's it until next week!