‘Impact Wrestling’ Review (Dec 6th 2018)

Welcome to this week’s Impact Wrestling review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have Charlie Sheen on Two And A Half Men…With A Shot-Gun. Also, Impact might have some wrestling this week, so let’s see how it goes… to hell.

Match #1: Jake Crist w/ Sami Callihan & Dave Crist vs. Willie Mack – Ultimate X Qualifying Match

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

The winner of this match will compete in Ultimate X, January 6th at Homecoming to crown a new X-Division Champion. Jake jumps off the top but Mack catches him in mid-air and hits a Samoan Drop. Mack is hung up on the ropes and Jake hits him with a running dropkick. Mack launches Jake in the air and hits a huge forearm. Mack connects with a sick sunset flip powerbomb but Jake fights right back with a bridging German suplex! Dave Crist distracts the referee while Callihan attacks Mack on the top! Jake capitalizes with a super-cutter to pick up the win!

My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was an excellent wrestling match, but it was cut off at the legs in the finale and forced to go a bit too short for its own good. Both of these guys worked hard to make this thing a tightly worked fight and managed to, through sheer skill, make a real thriller that was one great moment after another. The problem with this whole match was that it was not presented, promoted and delivered by the league as anything other than an opener that gained entry into the Ultimate X match by winning. I’m glad they remembered to mention the stakes of the match, but not establishing that having Jake in a major singles match with of the fastest rising stars in wrestling with Mack is a minor miracle, considering where both men were in the sport just a few years ago, is a sad disservice to both fighters. It was never established why Crist beating Mack was an upset other than a tag guy beat a singles guy who’s been around for a few weeks, so why would it mean more than the same occurrence has in past years when a random guy beat some other guy who’s been around for a month or two? Make no mistake, this is a fine match that you’ll enjoy, but it could have been so much more than just good.

Match #2: Dark Allie w/ Su Yung vs. Heather Monroe

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

This is the first time we’re seeing Dark Allie in action after she sold her soul to James Mitchell. Allie hits a suplex into the corner turnbuckles. Heather hits an Enzuigiri for a two count. After Allie is unable to put Heather away, she slaps herself in the face! Allie connects with the Codebreaker to win.

My Take: 2 out of 5 – There wasn’t much to talk about here. Allie looked good here and kept her head above water, while Monroe needs work, but has potential.

Match #3: Desi Hit Squad (Rohit Raju & Raj Singh) w/ Gama Singh vs. Damien Hyde & Manny Lemons

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Raj hits Hyde with a big neckbreaker. Rohit connects with a running dropkick. Lemons charges at Raj but gets caught with a double-team flurry from the Hit Squad for the win.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was a meat and potatoes kind of thing, but there’s nothing wrong with meat and potatoes, especially when you put a bit of salt and pepper and some paprika with a bit of cinnamon… very nice. I hope this actually leads to this team getting to wrestle more tag team matches, instead of this bizarre in-house feud they’ve had over the past couple of months.

Match #4: Matt Sydal vs. Ethan Page – Ultimate X Qualifying Match

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Sydal and Page are very evenly matched in the early going as Page uses many of the moves that Sydal taught him! Page goes for a powerslam but Sydal counters into a modified leg drop for a two count. Sydal hits a running dropkick in the corner. Page catches Sydal in mid-air and connects with a backbreaker! Page hits a cutter on the apron! Page is perched on the top but Sydal takes him to the mat with a Hurricanrana. Page hits a Swanton Bomb, followed by a rollup to win!

My Take: 3 out of 5 – This wasn’t quite as good as the opener, but it got the job done and made Page look credible enough to go to Ultimate X. I don’t know how well Page will do with an aerial stipulation match like Ultimate X, but we’ll have a chance to find out in a month. Sydal was excellent here and is far too complete a wrestler now to not get more time in the sun.

Match #5: (Main Event) World Champion Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie vs. Moose & Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard – Mixed Tag Team Match

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Before the match begins, Moose asks Tessa for a kiss but she declines! Johnny hits a corkscrew off the top, taking out Moose on the outside. Taya sends Tessa back-first into the steel guardrail and Impact does the same to Moose. Moose turns it around with a dropkick to Impact, sending him from the apron to the floor. Tessa charges at Taya but she sidesteps and Tessa crashes into the steel ring post. Impact attempts Starship Pain but Moose avoids it. Moose gets the better of the follow-up exchange and hits a pop-up powerbomb! Impact hits a swinging neckbreaker on Moose but Tessa puts his hand on the middle rope to break the count! Tessa connects with the Ripcord Cutter on Taya for a near fall. Taya locks in a unique submission maneuver to submit the Knockouts champ!

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was about what you’d expect for a mixed tag match, but it was better than Mixed Match Challenge, because there was no $#@!&?} dancing! The wrestling was fine, but I would have liked to have seen some-thing with a little bit more substance from what they were booked to do. That sounded like $#!@, didn’t it? Well, this keyboard only has the letters and punctuations, so we have to work with what we have. Everybody looked good, but the match didn’t feel like much other than a demo reel for what these people have already done in better matches.

News Of The Night:

1. Allie is still being forced to feud with Kiera Hogan.
2. Scarlett Bordeaux may manage The Rascalz.
3. Rich Swann is being used as a source of comfort for Willie Mack, in this case when he lost to Jake Crist.
4. Katarina brought Ruby Raze to fight Jordynn Grace.
5. Eli Drake will fight Abyss in a Monster’s Ball match at Homecoming.
6. Raven gave Eddie Edwards a key to possibly escape from the asylum.
7. LAX and the Lucha Bros. are being teased to have an intense feud.
8. Killer Kross saved Taya Valkyrie from Tessa Blanchard’s attack, but was still aligned with Moose and Tessa.
9. Brian Cage saved Taya Valkyrie and Johnny Impact from the attack by the trio of Killer Kross, Moose and Tessa Blanchard.

Final Verdict: 3/5

There weren’t any bad vignettes and there were a few matches that made the card fly by, so that was a good night in my mind.