Csonka’s Impact Wrestling Review 1.04.18

Csonka’s Impact Wrestling Review 1.04.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– X-Division Title Match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Champion Trevor Lee @ 12:30 via pin [***]
– Grand Championship Match: Champion EC3 defeated Fallah Bah and Matt Sydal via decision [***]
– Career vs. Career – No Holds Barred Match: Dan Lambert defeated James Storm @ 3:37 via pin [DUD]
– Chandler Park defeated John Bolen @ 2:40 via pin [NR]
– Impact Tag Team Title Match (If LAX Loses They Must Break Up): LAX defeated Champions OVE @ 14:42 via pin [***¼]

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– Dan Lambert tells ATT to take the night off, because he has James Storm handled.

X-Division Title Match: Champion Trevor Lee vs. Taiji Ishimori: Konley is out with Lee. They work some basic back and forth to begin, with neither man able to get an advantage. Lee cuts off Ishimori with a cheap shot, but Ishimori gets a head scissors and dropkick. Lee powders to the floor. Back in and Ishimori connects with a kick, Lee takes the ref and that allows Konley to pull Ishimori to the floor. Lee follows with the apron PK, and again takes the ref so that Konley can work over Ishimori on the floor. Back in and lee goes for near falls, but Ishimori keeps kicking out. Lee hit a short-armed clothesline, and celebrates. Ishimori picks up the pace, makes his comeback and is all fired up. The knee strike and slam follows, and then a double stomp gets 2. Konley distracts the ref, Ishimori takes him out, but the hits a back handspring right into a Spanish fly. Post break, Ishimori fights off a suplex, and hits the back handspring kick for 2. Ishimori up top, rolls through on the 450 and gets a roll up for 2. They work through counters and lee hits a sitout powerbomb for 2. Ishimori counters out of a suplex, lays in kicks and hits a standing sliced bread, covering for 2. The dodon and 450 connect and Ishimori wins the title! Taiji Ishimori defeated Champion Trevor Lee @ 12:30 via pin [***] This was an overall good match and a needed title change. Lee’s run was that of a placeholder, and Impact has never booked him properly or let him cut loose like he does outside of Impact.

– Desmond Xavier challenges Ishimori post match.

– LAX meets at their clubhouse and Konnan is pissed about Sami’s fireball attack. He fires up the troops for tonight’s match.

– James Storm is interviewed about tonight’s match. He’s been here since day one and gave everything to wrestling and this company, and will send Dan Lambert packing tonight.

Grand Championship Match: Champion EC3 vs. Fallah Bah vs. Matt Sydal: EC3 attacks Bahh right away, and Sydal breaks that up. Bahh then attacks, taking both down with clotheslines and slams. Bah then slams Sydal onto EC3 and the crowd is into him. Bahh misses a charge, but then hits the rolling splash to break up a pin. EC3 cuts off Bahh, lays in chops but bah fires back with some chops and takes him down. Sydal tossed to the floor as bah hits a leg drop on EC3. Bahh tosses EC3 around, and sets him up and but EC3 powders to the floor as round one ends. Bahh wins round one Round two begins, as EC3 and Sydal take Bahh to the floor and they battle back and forth. EC3 hits a clothesline, and press slams Sydal onto Bahh on the floor. EC3 in control now, posting Sydal and DDTing Bahh on the floor. Back in and EC3 grounds Sydal, but Sydal hits a desperation spin kick and covers for 2. EC3 cuts him off, hitting an XPLODER and corner splash. The round ends. EC3 wins round two. Final round now, and EC3 takes control at the bell. He looks for a suplex, but Bahh wipes them out and then sits down on EC3 for 2 as Sydal makes the save. Sydal fights off Bahh and hits meteora off the top for 2. Sydal lays in kicks to both, but walks into a TKO by EC3. Bahh hits EC3 with a Samoan drop. Bahh hits a corner splash on Sydal but EC3 shoves him off the ropes and to the floor. Sydal and EC3 battle, Sydal hits a knee strike, heads up top and fights off Bahh. The shooting star press connects but the bell sounds, saving EC3. EC3 wins round three and retains. Champion EC3 defeated Fallah Bah and Matt Sydal via decision [***] This was another good match, with EC3 escaping with the decision. They worked well together, and the dynamic of the three was really fun. Sydal was again close, but came up short again, and his feud with EC3 has been under the radar great. This was fun.

– We get a Johnny Impact video package.

– Moose arrived during the break, but was attacked and laid out by KM.

– Allie gets interviewed about becoming the #1 contender for the knockouts title. She never thought she’d get here, and Gail Kim told her that this was her time and she’s just getting started. LVN attacks and beats her down.

Career vs. Career – No Holds Barred Match: James Storm vs. Dan Lambert:They talk shit to begin, and then ATT hits the ring and jumps Storm. Lashley hits a spinebuster, and Lambert covers for 2. Storm hits superkicks and fires up, and goes after Lambert. KM arrives and KOs Storm with a beer bottle and Lambert covers, but Storm kicks out again. ATT surrounds Storm, and hit him with two more beer bottle shots, and Lambert picks up the pin. Dan Lambert defeated James Storm @ 3:37 via pin [DUD] It was one long gang beat down, and an extremely anticlimactic way for Storm to bow out. Sure he fought until the end against all odds, but I just wasn’t feeling it at all. This was the first thing on the show I didn’t like so far.

– We see Storm getting a standing ovation in the back and saying his goodbyes. He also calls his family and tells them he’s coming home.

– We get a Joseph Park/Abyss video package.

Chandler Park vs. John Bolen: Joseph is out with Chandler. Bolen attacks as they shake hands. Bolen follows with shoulder tackles, and picks up park before the ref could count three. Bolen follows with rights, and then delivers clubbing blows as he grounds Park. The slam follows. Park avoids an attack, hits a backdrop and Park celebrates. Bolen insults grandma Jenny, Joseph punches him and Chandler gets the fluke roll up for the win. Chandler Park defeated John Bolen @ 2:40 via pin [NR] That was certainly something. I wonder if this will lead to Chandler eventually turning into Abyss or an Abyss like figure down the line.

This is the most wholesome GIF in the history of the internet. #ImpactOnPop @JOSEPHPARK_esq @OfficialEGO pic.twitter.com/dylAuYKkw3

— Garrett Kidney (@garrettkidney) January 5, 2018

– Sydal complains that EC3 escaped with the title again, and says he’s scared. He will figure out a way to win the grand championship, and wants to abolish the rounds & judges.

World Title Match: Champion Eli Drake vs. Alberto el Patron: This was taped at a WrestlePro event in New Jersey. The reason that this wasn’t the main event is because it was clipped, and mostly crowd and floor brawling. Once they got past all of that, they worked into some cool exchanges and near falls. Drake then retained with a belt shot. The segment was about 6:30 long. I was disappointed because the company made it sound like we were getting a full match, not highlights. Champion Eli Drake defeated Alberto el Patron via pin

– Eli Drake works out with Adonis, and talks shit on Patron telling him he’s still the champion and has his number.

Impact Tag Team Title Match (If LAX Loses They Must Break Up): Champions OVE (Jake & Dave) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz): OVE attacks LAX during their entrance, leading to a big weapon filled brawl. Sami and Homicide battle to the back and OVE takes Santana to the ring and takes the heat, working him over 2 on 1. Ortiz is still down on the floor, taking a nap as Santana gets his ass kicked. To his credit, he keeps trying to fire up, but the umbers game keeps getting to him. Post break, Santana makes the big comeback, tossing Jake and hitting a cutter on Dave. OVE cuts of Santana again, hitting a spinning DDT for 2. OVE work quick tags, continuing to isolate Santana and picking up near falls. More double teams follow, but Santana hits a desperation DDT and Ortiz finally gets the tag. He runs wild, and hits a DVD on Jake into Dave and that gets a near fall. OVE cuts him off and they steal the doomsday blockbuster on Ortiz for 2. Santana back, Ortiz hits a DVD and Santana looks for a splash but Jake catches him in mid-air with a cutter. Great spot. Jake and Ortiz battle center ring, Ortiz fires up with chops Santana takes out Dave, it breaks down; LAX hits the street sweeper and we have new champions. LAX defeated Champions OVE @ 14:42 via pin [***¼] This was an overall good main event with some fun elements, the teams work well together, but I am still waiting for that great match between them. With LAX winning to stay around and win the titles, you know business between these two teams is far from over. But while they have a sound base here, the company desperately needs to start building up a tag division around these two teams ASAP.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

Impact Wrestling kicks off 2018 with a rock-solid show, that looked like it had potential to be more. The first two matches were good, gave us a title change and continued the EC3 vs. Sydal feud. Then things really dropped off for a while with the James Storm loss with no real fanfare, the Chandler park debut and the really lackluster Patron vs. Drake footage. Thankfully the main event was good, and the title changes to Ishimori & LAX were good moves. Not a bad show to start the year off with, but hopefully, they can pick things up with the next set of tapings…