‘Impact Wrestling’ Review (Sept 20th 2018)
Welcome to this week’s Impact Wrestling review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have a card that was contested in Mexico, for the first time in Impact’s history, I believe. Ole! Also, we have an Impact review from Bernadette Giacomazzo of WrestlingInc that we will use to supplement information for ours. Please feel free to visit WrestlingInc if you’d like to find more news and reviews about professional wrestling leagues from all over the world.
Match #1: oVe defeated Aerostar, Hijo del Vikingo, and Laredo Kid – Trios Match
The following is courtesy of Bernadette Giacomazzo and WrestlingInc:
The six-man tag-team match was a great way to start off the night in Mexico, and Hijo del Vikingo — the son of Vikingo — showed a great deal of athleticism early on. His compatriots were just as impressive: not even some lethal kicks to the chest from Jake Crist could slow down the Laredo Kid, and Aerostar stood on the Laredo Kid’s shoulders to take out oVe from the top rope with a shooting star press. oVe, however, came out swinging, and even though their first Triple Tombstone proved to be too soon, their triple cover after the All Seeing Eye served to give them the win.
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was an excellent way to start of the card, especially in Mexico. These two teams worked at a fierce speed and went for the jugular, as far as excitement is concerned. Aerostar is having a good week on American television, with this match and his bout with Fenix on last night’s Lucha Underground making him a candidate for Wrestler of the Week. Make no mistake, however, that these six men all made a good impression with their skills here.
Match #2: Eli Drake defeated Trevor Lee
The following is courtesy of Bernadette Giacomazzo and WrestlingInc:
Eli Drake proves he’s the heel that everyone loves to hate in every language when he invites yet again another challenger, taunting that he’s only seen “basura” (trash) these past few weeks. In walked Trevor Lee, and Drake got the jump on him early. Trevor, however, got a superman punch in on Drake, and while the two were able to scuffle respectibly for some time, Eli Drake managed to finish Trevor Lee off with a gravy train. This was definitely a nice switch from previous weeks, where the matches would only last a few seconds at most, but the question of Drake chasing a title still remains.
My Take: 2 out of 5 – This match was the longest Drake has had in a while, but was not enough to make a difference for either Drake or Lee, who is also having a rough time in Impact. Why are both of these men having such a hard time getting better booking than this? Who did they both piss off to get ignored so often?
Match #3: King & the O.G.’z vs. Kronos – Tag Team Match
The following is courtesy of Bernadette Giacomazzo and WrestlingInc:
Even though the ceasefire continues, King made it clear — prior to this match — that he wanted to send a message to Konnan, and to try to break the ceasefire with LAX. This was a quick match that was settled quickly thanks to a cutter by Homicide. King’s intent was to send a message to Konnan via Kronos, but Konnan is still — as of now — unbothered.
My Take: 1.5 out of 5 – Does any-body pay a ticket to see a two minute match… out-side of seeing Goldberg squash Brock Lesnar, I mean? Why book such short matches? Are you going to be able to show people what a wrestler can really do in so brief a period of time? Is Impact just trying to be cheap and saving all of their good matches for just a few cards a year? Would you like to take a survey? Question 1: Are you allergic to shell-fish?
Match #4: Faby Apache defeated Alisha Edwards
The following is courtesy of Bernadette Giacomazzo and WrestlingInc:
Boston native Alisha Edwards faced off against Mexico’s own Faby Apache, the granddaughter of Gran Apache, who got a hometown welcome when she entered the ring. Faby also had the upper hand in the match, too, when she delivered an early snapmare and a leg-drop, but was only able to pin her for a two-count. Faby then delivered a surfboard, but Alisha briefly turned it with a hurricanrana around and pinned Faby for a two-count. Faby Apache, however, took home the victory with a hard-flying kick and a powerbomb, and subsequently pinned Alisha for a three-count.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This didn’t go long enough, which shouldn’t be a surprise. I liked the wrestling here and found it to be quite good. It’s interesting having Faby win, since she isn’t a regular, but she is going to be sticking around, at least for a week or so, I believe.
Match #5: The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon and Fenix) defeated Rich Swann and Matt Sydal – Tag Team Match
The following is courtesy of Bernadette Giacomazzo and WrestlingInc:
The Luchas came into the ring to chants of “cero miedo!” (“no fear!”) from the crowd. But Swann and Fenix showed great athleticism early on by trading backflips in the ring. But the Luchas proved they were a force to be reckoned with thanks to a super powerbomb and double-stomp combo that took Swann to the mat. And things got very bad, very quickly for Swann and Sydal, as Fenix nailed a double-cutter on the American duo. And while Swann certainly made a strong showing with Sydal with the double standing hurricanranas, ultimately, the Luchas took home the victory. The Luchas upcoming match at Bound for Glory is certainly going to be a scene-stealer.
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was a fine match that had lots of good moves that went all over the place. I hope that people don’t get the idea that I’m a spot junkie, because I always mention the moves. There’s more to wrestling than just moves, but when they are done well, I always mention it. Over-all, this was a good bout to help bring us to the finale of the card.
Match #6: Main Event – Austin Aries defeated Tejano Jr. – Impact Wrestling World Title Match
The following is courtesy of Bernadette Giacomazzo and WrestlingInc:
The main event is finally upon us, and Austin Aries continues to defend his championship title on the way to Bound for Glory. Tejano Jr. learned early on that it wasn’t wise to head-scissor Austin Aries, who has demonstrated incredible athleticism and an ability to get out of any take-down. Moose and Killer Kross have kept their eyes on this match, and they were helpless as Tejano Jr. gave a superkick to Aries’ chest — and followed it up with a whipping. Aries, meanwhile, retained his championship thanks to a well-timed brain-buster. Predictable, perhaps, but a good match nonetheless.
My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was an excellent match that gave Tejano another crack at the American audience with this title shot against Aries. I’m glad the title is being defended so often, as it makes the next title shot feel more important, not by necessity, but context. Having a fighting champion puts more stock into the idea that the title can change at any time, rather than only on Pay Per View. I thought these two guys were a good pairing and I would hope this leads to more work for Tejano in Impact and the global market in general.
News Of The Night:
- LAX will fight The OGz in a Concrete Jungle Death Match at Bound for Glory.
- Faby Apache wants a match with Tessa Blanchard.
- Scarlett Bordeaux has a major announcement, next week.
- Joe Hendry made another lousy music video.
- Abyss will be inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Final Verdict: 2.5 out of 5 – There was some fine wrestling here, but the booking made the best matches too short to make a difference in the long run. It’s true that Impact’s cards are structured better than before, every-thing just feels to tepid to compete with more ambitious leagues like Major League Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, to name but a few.
