Csonka’s Impact: United We Stand Preview

WELCOME back to column time with Larry! Today, I am going to discuss and preview the Impact: United We Stand PPV, the company’s first real effort to work a solo WrestleMania weekend event. The card looks really good and strong and feels like a quality addition to WrestleMania weekend. So today, I will break down and preview the show, which includes some special guests. Thanks for reading! It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful, and don’t be a dick.”

Tessa Blanchard vs. Joey Ryan: This was originally announced as Tessa vs. Eli Drake, but the angle was that Drake isn’t down with intergender bullshit and refused. With the company’s questionable booking of him, this was smart as he doesn’t need to eat any more loses. Plus, this will likely be a better match now as Tessa works intergender well due to her power, and for the fact that Joey Ryan has worked a bunch of intergender and knows how to make it work well. With Tessa out of the title picture for now, this is a fine use of her.WINNER: Tessa

Knockouts Title Match: Champion Taya vs. Rosemary vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Katie Forbes: This is one of those matches that could be a mess if the layout isn’t smart, it’s just the nature of the four-way match. We have three Impact regulars and Katie Forbes, who has worked in WOW, OVW, & BCW. But according to Cagematch, she’s an inexperienced performer, only logging in 45 documented matches so far in a four-year career. This worries me. Taya, Grace, & Rosemary will carry things and Forbes is likely here to take the loss as they build to Grace vs. Taya. WINNER: Taya

LAX vs. Low Ki & Ricky Martinez: This is a fine addition to the card as having an Impact PPV without LAX would have just been wrong. LAX are great, Ki can still go, and Martinez is fine and usually doesn’t take away from matches. I think that this has the potential to be a lot of fun as LAX rarely disappoints, and they should pick up the win here, likely pinning Martinez. WINNER: LAX

Impact vs. Lucha Underground: Cage, Moose, & Edwards vs. Drago, Daga, & Aerostar: While we aren’t getting a whole show of it, I like that we’re getting some Impact vs. LU in a nod to last year’s Mania weekend show. Drago, Daga, & Aerostar are all great guys to bring in and really thrive in the big tag formula matches like this. This was originally an 8-man tag, but Cuernowas pulled and they did an angle with Johnny Impact to take him out of the match. Team Impact is talented, but are a fucking mess as they all have some serious personal issues that I think will be the story here and hurt them. I think that the lucha lads will work as a united force while team Impact implode en route to losing the match; I’d expect Eli Drake to replace Impact. WINNER: Drago, Daga, & Aerostar

Ultimate X: Jake Crist vs. Dante Fox vs. Pat Buck vs. Kotto Brazil vs. Jack Evans vs. Johnny Impact: With the talent announced this one has show stealing potential. Crist works really hard and always takes he risks. Fox is awesome and also insane. Buck is a veteran that always works hard. Brazil is a young guy still making a name for himself and will look to impress here. Evans is also really talented and can do some amazing shit while Impact’s parkour skills may add a lot to this one. I’m really looking forward to this one, I think Crist wins and moves on to face Swann for the X-Division title to further play into the Swann/oVe angle. WINNER: Jake Crist

Monster’s Ball: Sami Callihan vs. Jimmy Havok: These two previously faced off at the Impact Wrestling vs. UK 2018 event, where Callihan won a great barbed wire baseball bat death match. They’ve also faced elsewhere, but I felt their Impact match was the best of the bunch. If you’ve seen their previous matches, you know that these men are two sick fucks and will deliver on the stipulation. If they can recreate the magic of the UK match, we should be in for a great one. I think Havoc takes this one to get some revenge. WINNER: Jimmy Havok

X-Division Title Match: Champion: Rich Swann vs. Flamita: This was originally Rich Swann vs. Yamato. Getting Yamato wass a big score for Impact, and pairing him with Swann, who previously worked Dragon Gate, was an extremely smart move. Unfortunately, the Dragon Gate guys were pulled from the weekend due to VISA issues, but Flamita is a more than acceptable replacement. Flamita also worked Dragon Gate, and has a history working with Swann. They have good chemistry and will get to show it on a bigger stage this weekend. The key here will be to create believable near falls for Flamita, as a title change is extremely unlikely. If they can do this and both guys bring it like I know they can, we may get another great one here. WINNER: Rich Swann

Tag Team Title Match: Champions The Lucha Bros vs. RVD & Sabu: And now we come to the main event of our show, Impact Tag Team Champions The Lucha Bros facing off with ECW legends, RVD & Sabu. We all know that the Lucha Bros are great and can work several styles, including a quality plunder style brawl, which I think this will break down into in order to cover up for RVD & Sabu’s age and shortcomings. I’m not getting my hopes up too high here, RVD hasn’t been impressive in a long time and I have no idea how Sabu is still working in 2019; I half expect him to turn to dust when he hits air Sabu next. My hope is that working an ECW style brawl will allow RVD and Sabu to deliver whatever they have left and that this is at least fun. They are here for nostalgia and have hopefully been a positive on ticket sales. The champions should retain here in what will likely be a bloody brawl. WINNER: The Lucha Bros

411 will have live coverage of the show tonight at 11PM ET

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 8. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka is joined by Steven Jefferson Douglas Cook. The guys will discuss the possibility of Smackdown going to three hours, thoughts on Scarlett’s Debut & Allie’s Death on Impact, and then break down WrestleMania 35. The show is approximately 85 minutes long

* Intro
* Smackdown to Three Hours?: 5:35
* Impact Thoughts on Scarlett’s Debut & Allie’s Death: 17:15
* WrestleMania 35 Preview: 26:40

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the
above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play