Csonka’s Impact Wrestling Review 5.03.18

Csonka’s Impact Wrestling Review 5.03.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– oVe defeated KM & Fallah Bahh @ 3:45 via pin [**]
– Kiera Hogan defeated Taya Valkyrie @ 2:45 via DQ [NR]
– DJZ, Desmond Xavier, & Andrew Everett defeated Drago, Fantasma, & Aerostar @ 16:30 via pin [****]
– X-Division Title Match: Champion Matt Sydal defeated Taiji Ishimori @ 11:55 via pin [***¼]
– Su Yung vs. Rosemary went to a no contest @ 1:10 [NR]

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– We open with a good highlight package from last week’s show.

Eli Drake Talks: Eli Drake arrives to kick off the show. He runs down all the dummies and says he’s here alone as Steiner has the night off, hanging with some freaks and working on his peaks. He reminds us that he holds a shot at the Impact World Title. He then runs down Aries and Pentagon, and says he’s the only guy that matters. When it comes title, he will take the world title. He’s calling his host, Pentagon has one week, because he’s cashing in. Pentagon arrives, and they talk some shit back and forth. This was a solid opening segment to set up next week’s title match. Drake is having to work extra hard these days to heel up his promos, and a face turn may be coming sooner rather than later.

NEXT WEEK – it is official. @TheEliDrake will cash in his Feast or Fired World title shot and face @PENTAELZEROM for the IMPACT World Championship!

Will Drake become a two time Champion or will Pentagon retain? #IMPACTonPop pic.twitter.com/ps8cD82226

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) May 4, 2018

– Kiera Hogan cuts a promo about tonight’s match with Taya. Tessa Blanchard interrupts and runs her down, proclaiming herself the total package, and better than Hogan. Hogan says Tessa is great at sitting and watching.

– Joe Park meets with Grado and says he has a new smoking hot girl. Aries arrives and makes fun of them. He assures them he will win back his other world title.

KM & Fallah Bahh vs. oVe (Jake & Dave): oVe attacks before the bell. KM cuts them off and starts tossing them around. oVe cuts him off and works him over in their corner. KM tries to fight off the double teams, but fails as they lay the boots to him. KM fights of the suplex and suplexes both and tags in Bahh. Bahh is fired up and runs wild, hitting corner splashes on both. The steamroller follows and KM does one of his own. More steamrollers follow. oVe cuts them off, running their opponents together. Jake rolls up Bahh for the win. oVe defeated KM & Fallah Bahh @ 3:45 via pin [**] This was ok, even amusing at times.

– KM and Bahh shake hands and remain reluctant friends for now.

– Moose is interviewed backstage. Moose says that he’s been a top player in the NFL, and has been one on wrestling. But he’s never won a world title, and in 2018, he becomes Impact World Champion. Jimmy Jacobs arrives and says he loves the bravado. Moose threatens to kick his ass, and Jacobs wants Moose vs. Kong next week, and Moose agrees.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Kiera Hogan: This is a rematch from Redemption. Taya attacks at the bell and overwhelms Hogan. She tosses her around, and misses a charge. Hogan fires up but runs into a clothesline. Hogan cuts her off, and hits a grounded superkick. A sloppy head scissors follows and Taya to the floor. Hogan stomps her to the steps, and Tessa arrives and distracts Hogan. They brawl at ringside, but Tessa posts her. Back in the ring and Tessa hits a hammerlock DDT, laying out Hogan. Kiera Hogan defeated Taya Valkyrie @ 2:45 via DQ [NR] Not much of a match as it was an angle to get over Tessa as a dominant heel. It was fine, but Taya felt like a complete afterthought and feels lost in the shuffle.

– We get a Cage video package, featuring him wrecking fools. We then go to footage of Cage competing in Australia in a four-way match. This was a good and fun way to highlight Cage winning outside of Impact.

Drago, Fantasma, & Aerostar vs. DJZ, Desmond Xavier, & Andrew Everett: This is a lucha rules tag match. Fantasma and Xavier start us off, working a fast paced opening stretch. They work into a stand off. Aerostar in and sends Xavier to the floor. DJZ flies in with a missile dropkick, the pace picks up and Drago cuts off DJZ, but DJZ quickly fires back. Aerostar flies in and hits a cutter. Everett in and Aerostar hits a ropewalk into a dropkick. They keep the pace fast, hitting random flippity doos and just having fun. Fantasma cuts him off, and lays in the boots, and then chops. The luchas work over Everett, Drago in and eats a dropkick. Aerostar in and hits a RANA. Xavier in and DJZ & Everett fly in with stereo missile dropkicks on Aerostar. It breaks down, Fantasma controls until Xavier cuts him off. We get a four-way submission now, Aerostar and Everett in and they brawl. They break up the submissions and the luchas work over Xavier with a three-way submission. DJZ & Everett makes the save, we get and Xavier dive, DJZ clears the ring and he follows with a step up dive. Fantasma hits a suicide dive. Aerostar hits the coffin drop to the floor. Post break, and everyone is in. The luchas get cut off, and DJZ, Everett and Xavier hit top rope attacks, and pick up near falls. The luchas get roll ups for 2. Drago hits a double DDT, and the luchas run wild, but DJZ makes the save. Drago hits an assisted tornillo, and Everett cuts off Fantasma. He follows with a crazy corkscrew dive. Xavier up top and Aerostar hits a SUPER RANA. The springboard splash follows for 2. Everett cuts him off and Aerostar cuts him off, DJZ hits the ZDT for the win. DJZ, Desmond Xavier, & Andrew Everett defeated Drago, Fantasma, & Aerostar @ 16:30 via pin [****] More of this please, now I don’t want every X-Division match to be exactly this, but this is the kind of wild, multi-man match that they have the talent to pull off more often. There is nothing wrong with a tremendously fun, spotfest of a match to highlight the great talents like this. They should really be opening shows with a hot match like this. This was really great, with tremendous near falls, dives, and everyone getting some time to shine.

– They all show love post match.

– Aries wishes Drake luck in his title shot next week, but promises he’s coming for the title, no matter who wins. Delusional Aries is great as he slowly fires up his heel turn.

– KM & Bahh have a meeting backstage, with KM promising to make Bahh cool. Someone was once again mysteriously laid out backstage.

This is the second week in a row somebody has been attacked with this symbol left behind. #IMPACTonPop pic.twitter.com/50N8Hn2w4e

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) May 4, 2018

– We see Eddie Edwards being released from jail last week. Tommy Dreamer arrives to pick him up.

X-Division Champion Matt Sydal vs. Taiji Ishimori: They open up with some fast paced back and forth. Sydal lays in leg kicks, but Ishimori cuts him off. He teases a dive and poses. Post break, and Ishimori attacks with knee strikes. Ishimori cuts him off and rolls him up for 2. He follows with leg kicks, and then grounds the action. Sydal works an inverted Muta lock, continuing to work the leg. The spin kick follows, and Sydal lays in more kicks. Sydal goes back to the leg, and works a half crab. Ishimori makes the ropes. Sydal keeps attacking with leg kicks, but Ishimori hits a back handspring kick. The corner knees connect and the double stomp gets 2. Ishimori counters the standing moonsault, hits a rolling DVD and covers for 2. Ishimori up top and has to roll through on the 450. Sydal hits a head kick, covering for 2. He looks for the shooting star press; Ishimori avoids and hits the dodon. Ishimori looks for a 450, Sydal cuts him off and hits the pump handle driver for the win. Champion Matt Sydal defeated Taiji Ishimori @ 11:55 via pin [***¼] This was a good and fun title match, with Sydal continuing his roll as champion. I also dig that he has a viable alternative finish, as it opens up his matches even more.

– Dreamer gives Edwards a dad talk, but Edwards blows him off.

– Allie wants to be with Rosemary tonight, but Rosemary refuses and tells her to stay away.

– At the LAX clubhouse, they have no money, no shipments, and no Konnan. They lost it all. Next week they plan to get back on track.

Su Yung vs. Rosemary: They brawl right away on the floor, with Rosemary slamming Yung to the steps. Yung fires back and hits panic switch on the floor. Su Yung vs. Rosemary went to a no contest @ 1:10 [NR] This was all about the angle here, and in that regard, it was very good. Rosemary knew the score and was willing to sacrifice herself for Allie, but didn’t want her there to see it. But Allie loves her best friend too much and had to try and save her, because she’s a good person. Unfortunately, her insistence on trying to help led to her being traumatized as her friend was placed into the coffin.

– Post match, the undead brides arrive with a coffin. Allie arrives and attacks Yung. She checks on Rosemary, they argue as Allie says she would never leave her. Rosemary tells her to leave and tries to save her. The brides attack Allie and hold her, making her watch Yung mist Rosemary, and then hit panic switch off the ramp and through a table. Allie tries to fight, but is held back as Yung picks up Rosemary and has the brides drag Rosemary to the ring and Yung puts Rosemary into the coffin.

– Set for next week…

* Impact World Champion Pentagon vs. Eli Drake
* Moose vs. Kongo Kong
* DJZ & Everett vs. LAX
* X-Division #1 Contender’s Match: Aerostar vs. Ishimori vs. Fantasma vs. Drago

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling was a very good show, with some very good angle advancement, a great lucha style tag, and a nice lineup set for next week. Thumbs up from me.