‘Impact Wrestling’ Review (May 23rd 2019)

Welcome to this week’s Impact Wrestling review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have an Impact Wrestling review in the wake of almost a month’s worth of good television. Let’s hope this is another good show, because with the week the WWE has put wrestling fans through, it nearly feel like a matter of life and death…maybe.

Match #1: Sami Callihan beat Fallah Bahh

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Fallah takes control in the early going, forcing Callihan to retreat to the outside. Callihan targets Fallah’s exposed feet! They exchange strikes in the middle of the ring. Fallah gets the upperhand with a big belly-to-belly suplex. Fallah hits a Samoan Drop when Jake and Dave Crist come to ringside! Scarlett fights back and hits a rolling senton off the apron! Fallah slams Callihan to the mat and almost scores the upset victory! Scarlett holds open the middle rope, allowing Fallah to fly and take out oVe with a dive! Callihan regains the advantage and connects with the Cactus Spike Special Piledriver. Callihan puts his feet on the ropes for extra leverage and picks up the win!

My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – This was Bahh’s best wrestling in Impact so far. Sami was every bit as good as usual, so that part of the match was a thrill a well. Both fighters put their back into it and made the most of what felt like a random, yet welcome, match. Actually, Sami might just be the guy to help get Bahh over the wall, in terms of his fledging popularity. Sami could be a great articulator of what makes Bahh unique and potentially exciting, instead of a tag team with KM, which doesn’t seem to be destined for anything beyond a comedy act. Before I get away from my point, let me just say that this was an excellent opening match that bodes well for Fallah Bahh and showed that Sami is even more capable than he has recently shown.

Match #2: Taya Valkyrie beat Madison Rayne – Knockout’s Title Match

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Taya immediately goes on the retreat but Madison chases her down and connects with a spear. Madison hits a crossbody for a two count in the early going. Madison connects with a ripcord cutter, causing Taya to retreat once again. Taya suckers Madison on the outside, allowing to gain control of the matchup. Taya wears down Madison by locking in the Half Boston Crab. Madison attempts the reverse DDT but Taya grabs the referees leg to get out of it. Taya connects with Road to Valhalla to retain the Knockouts Championship.

My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – I feel bad giving a title match of any kind a less than stellar review, but this one just didn’t reach the bar either one of these wrestlers have set for themselves. It was enough to function as a match that felt important, but not as one that will stand the test of time. The action was fine, but not the visceral feat that either athlete is capable of, nor was it allowed to be as enthralling as it could have been. However, this was a match that did tantalize enough to make the next Knockout’s Title Match still an occasion worth waiting for.

Match #3: Latin American X-Change beat The North – Impact World Tag Team Titles Match

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

LAX get their flurry of double team offence going in the early stages of the match. Santana attempts a dive through the ropes but Page catches and slams him in mid-air! The North are in control until Ortiz connects with a powerslam on Page to build momentum. Alexander walks into a big kick from Santana for the two count. Alexander hits a top rope knee drop on Santana for a near fall of his own. The North hit Ortiz with a modified double team neutralizer but Santana breaks up the pin! Santana hits the Rolling Cutter, followed by more of their signature double team offence to win!

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was an excellent bout that brought another fantastic tag team match to national television. I really enjoyed seeing a fresh pairing go over so well. LAX continues to be wrestling’s best asset hidden in plain sight and with performances like this one, they might just get their chance to go beyond being diamonds in the rough. The North is no team to ignore, how-ever, especially with a performance like the one they gave here. The back and forth was as smooth as any-thing else in wrestling right now, with all the frenetic action you can handle. Overall, this was a fine title match that gave both the champions and their challengers precisely the match that they both needed and deserved.

Match #4: Glenn Gilbertti versus Ashley Vox

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Glenn continues to disrespect women’s wrestling and doesn’t give his opponent any credit. Ashley starts to fight back but Gilbertti regains control with dirty tactics. Tessa Blanchard has seen enough when she hits the ring and comes to the aid of Ashley, sending Gilbertti retreating to the back!

My Opinion: 1.5 out of 5 – This wasn’t much if a match, especially without an actual winner.

Match #5: Dez beat Rohit Raju, Ace Austin and Petey Williams – Fatal Four Way Match

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

Dez hits Rohit with a cutter, followed by a dive into Ace on the outside. Ace connects with a Space Flying Tiger Drop, taking out Dez and Petey on the floor. Petey hits Ace with the Canadian Destroyer. He attempts another on Dez but Rohit breaks it up with a double foot stomp off the top rope! Dez hits Rohit with a modified handspring Pele kick to win!

My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – This was the usual stunt show that the X-Division specializes in. The moves looked lovely and the effort was obviously on display, but it felt like an excuse just to get people on television. At this point, it might be better to focus on Ace Austin and Petey Williams as two of the top X-Division wrestlers, rather than using 50/50 booking to give Dez a forgettable victory.

Match #6: (Main Event) Rob Van Dam beat Tommy Dreamer

The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:

This is a huge matchup between two hardcore superstars at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia! The brawl spills to the outside and Dreamer sprays water in Rob’s face. RVD hits a running dropkick with a steel chair into the corner! Dreamer ties up RVD in the Tree of Woe. Dreamer then places a steel chair in front of RVD’s head and hits a running dropkick! RVD attempts Rolling Thunder on a steel chair but Dreamer avoids it! Dreamer hits a sick Piledriver for a very close near fall! RVD hits a huge Five Star Frog Splash to pick up the win!

My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – This turned out quite well, considering that both men are not at their peak (RVD is still close to it, though). The trust these two must have with each other appears to be the thing that carried it into being a solid, tense match. It might be a bit of a hard sell in 2019 to have both RVD and Dreamer in a main event, but if this is both wrestlers’ argument in their favor, then they might be able to actually convince a few people that they are still deserving of that vaunted position on the card.

News Of The Night:

1. Rosemary wants to be the next contender to the Knockout’s Title.
2. James Mitchell wants Rosemary to give Su Yung’s soul back.
3. Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer had their last match together, ever.
4. Rob Van Dam, Sabu and Tommy Dreamer are in a feud with Moose and The North.
5. Eddie Edwards fights Killer Kross in a Street Fight, next week.
6. Tessa Blanchard fights Glenn Gilbertti, next week.
7. Michael Elgin and Johnny Impact fight Rich Swann and Willie Mack, next week.

Final Verdict: 3/5

This was a full and solid show that may not be the best thing of the week, but it was as sound a set of booking decisions as any out there in recent history.