Csonka’s Impact Wrestling Review 4.26.18

Csonka’s Impact Wrestling Review 4.26.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Cage defeated Trevor Lee @ 5:02 via pin [**½]
– Moose defeated Braxton Sutter @ 3:32 via pin [**]
– Knockouts Title Match: Champion Allie defeated Taya Valkyrie @ 4:04 via pin [**]
– Tag Team Title Match: Champions Scott Steiner & Eli Drake defeated LAX @ 10:54 via pin [**½]

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– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– My latest XPLOSION review is at this link.

– Tonight’s show is the fallout from Sunday’s redemption PPV. My review of that show is here and my takeaway column is here.

https://youtu.be/ezXP_jvEED4

Austin Aries’ Town Hall Meeting: Aries has his town hall meeting, noting that he lost the title, but he won’t let the company go to hell like it was before he came back. He still has the grand championship and says he won’t make excuses even though he faced two guys. Moose says he makes a lot of excuses and tells Aries to screw himself. Everyone starts to leave. It was a short and amusing way to kick off the show, with Aries surely showing his heel side here.

– Callis & Mathews are on commentary.

Cage vs. Trevor Lee: Konley is at ringside. Lee attacks, but is immediately over powered by Cage. Cage works him over with strikes and kicks, and Lee uses the ref as a shield, and attacks. Konley gets involved, allowing Lee to attack and double stomp Cage on the apron. The PK follows. Back in and Lee hits a German for 2. Lee lays the boots to Cage, but Cage gets pissed and stars no selling Lee’s offense. Cage tosses him around, and lays him out with clotheslines. He continues to control, hitting a powerslam. Cage misses a moonsault, allowing Lee to battle back. Cage lays out Konley, and dead lift suplexes Lee back in. The drill claw finishes it. Cage defeated Trevor Lee @ 5:02 via pin [**½] This was a solid opener, with Cage overcoming the numbers game and continuing his dominance over the roster.

– Eddie Edwards arrives, and Dreamer tells him to be with his wife, but he says he has to be here since oVe is here.

– Eddie Edwards arrives in the arena. He says he put Sami in the hospital where he belongs. But he’s not done, because oVe isn’t in the hospital, yet. He calls them out, and if they don’t appear, he will drive to Ohio and put their wives in the hospital. They arrive and Edwards dives onto them and they brawl. He hits another dive and works them over. They cut him off, and work him over now. Edwards fights back, posting Dave and grabs a kendo stick. We get a video of Sami in the hospital, visiting Alisha. He even has flowers for her. He just wants to talk to her and Edwards runs out of the building.

Even bloodied, battered and confined to a wheelchair @TheSamiCallihan finds a way to be utterly creepy. #IMPACTonPop pic.twitter.com/X1QrLB5jdT

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 27, 2018

– We get a video from Redemption, focusing on the main event, and Pentagon’s title win.

– We get a flashback to the Steiners vs. The Dudleys from 2007.

This week's @gwnapp Moment of the Week features The Steiners vs. Team 3D from Bound For Glory 2007.

Relive every single Bound For Glory PPV by starting your FREE 30 DAY TRIAL at https://t.co/I9VP8ooje8 or the GWN App! #IMPACTonPop pic.twitter.com/3Hs1XrgCfR

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 27, 2018

– We get a video package on DJZ, who had been away from Impact for a year. He discusses rupturing his colon on Mexico, his long road to recovery, and returning at Redemption. He’s had some great outings with EVOLVE, so I am happy to have him back.

Moose vs. Braxton Sutter: Sutter announced today on Twitter that he has finished up with Impact Wrestling. Sutter talks some shit and Moose lights him up with chops. He then dropkicks him to the floor. Moose follows, and Sutter cuts him off, slamming him to the steps. Back in and Sutter lays in rights and then suplexes Moose to the buckles, covering for 2. Moose fires up, hits a head butt and then hits the corner dropkick. The spear follows and that’s that. Moose defeated Braxton Sutter @ 3:32 via pin [**] This was an ok extended squash for Moose as he sends Sutter packing.

– Moose congratulates Pentagon on his win, and then says he is Mr. Impact Wrestling and will take the tile from him.

– Matt Sydal in interviewed backstage, and says he’s opened his third eye and no one can take the X-Division title from him. We see someone laid out backstage with a marker left on their chest.

– LAX (Santana & Ortiz) are at the clubhouse, but haven’t been in contact with Konnan. They say that need to get the titles back tonight, and then find out what happened to Konnan. They mention that “King” hasn’t called back.

Knockouts Champion Allie vs. Taya Valkyrie: Taya attacks at the bell, working over Allie and tossing her around. It’s all Taya early on, Allie tries to fire back but Taya cuts her off and woks her over in the corner. Allie cuts her off, hitting a flatliner to the buckles, but misses the dropkick. Taya lays the boots to her, but Allie fires up with clotheslines and a Russian leg sweep for 2. Taya cuts her off, hitting a Saito suplex for 2. Allie fights of road to Valhalla, hits the superkick and code breaker for the win. Champion Allie defeated Taya Valkyrie @ 4:04 via pin [**] This was ok, they worked hard, but didn’t have much time to do anything of note. I liked the post match to continue Yung & Allie, and to also involve Rosemary; lots of possibilities there.

– A horde of undead brides with a coffin arrive post match. Lights out and Su Yung appears and attacks. The draping pedigree connects, and Allie is laid out. Lights out again, and Rosemary is here. DON’T FUCK WITH HER BUNNY! They stand off, lights out again, and Yung disappears.

– KM meets with Fallah Bahh backstage and apologizes for fat shaming Bahh, and wants to stand with him. Next week they have a tag match together. I don’t know about you, but I doubt KM’s sincerity here.

– Eddie Edwards arrives at the hospital to check on Alisha. Edwards is freaking out, and Alisha says he just wanted to talk and she questions why he left her alone. Edwards runs through the hospital and finds Sami’s room. He attacks him and beats the shit out of him. He tries to suffocate him with a pillow as people arrive to pull him off of Sami.

– We get a Slammiversary hype package.

– Next is a video package on the Johnny Impact vs. Kongo King feud.

– Steiner cuts a promo about winning the titles and says everyone should have believed him. He says he’s world famous, bitch. He claims Taco Bell had a sale on burritos and that is why Konnan missed the PPV.

Tag Team Champions Scott Steiner & Eli Drake vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz): Drake and Ortiz to begin. He’s all fired up, Santana in and they work double teams. Santana takes out Steiner, but Drake dumps him to the floor. Post break, and the champions work the heat on Santana. They work some double teams, and Steiner takes Santana up top. He follows him up and Steiner hits a suplex, almost killing Santana. Drake back in, more double teams follow and Drake covers for 2. Santana makes the comeback, hitting a running boot. Mathews tells us that Edwards has been arrested for his hospital assault. Ortiz gets the hot tag, runs wild as he and Santana work double teams. Ortiz hits a DVD in Drake for 2. LAX looks for the street sweeper, but Drake counters it in mid-air to pick up the win. Champions Scott Steiner & Eli Drake defeated LAX @ 10:54 via pin [**½] This was a solid match, with a cool finish as LAX continues their losing ways without Konnan.

– Post match, Drake says he told us so. These titles go nowhere. He has the greatest tag wrestler of all time at his side, and also has a world title shot anytime he wants it. But it may be about time to cash in his case for the world title shot. He can’t be stopped, and that means tag champs and the world title. Austin Aries now arrives and says he’s not here to start trouble, due to his injury. He knows Drake has a title shot coming, but he claims he has a world title in the Grand Championship, because the title makes the man. Aries reminds Drake that he’s owned him in the past, and he will win back his “other” world title. Drake calls him a dummy, and reminds that Aries lost at Redemption. Drake promises to win back the world title. Drake wishes him luck, and hopes he wins the title back, so that Drake can beat him. Impact World Champion Pentagon now arrives. He poses with the title and says he has zero fear. Drake attacks Aries as Steiner beats on Pentagon, until Pentagon fights them both off. He faces off with Aries, and Aries hands him the belt back, but then refuses to let go. They have a stand off to close the show.

– Set for next week…

* X-Division Champion Matt Sydal vs. Taiji Ishimori
* KM & Fallah Bahh in action
* Drago, Fantasma, & Aerostar vs. DJZ, Desmond Xavier, & Andrew Everett
* Taya Valkyrie vs. Kiera Hogan
* Rosemary vs. Su Yung

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

While there wasn’t a lot to write home about wrestling wise, tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling was a solid post PPV show, that reset the game pieces with some interesting angle developments and that will start the long build to Slammiversary. It was a nice first step in that regard, and they also set some stuff for next week, with a few good-looking matches.