Csonka’s Impact Wrestling Review 7.05.18

Csonka’s Impact Wrestling 7.05.18 Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Rey Fenix defeated Rich Swann @ 13:30 via pin [***¾]
– Killer Kross defeated Fallah Bahh @ 2:22 via submission [NR]
– Allie and Madison Rayne defeated Su Yung & Undead Bridesmaid @ 6:07 via pin [**]
– Katarina defeated Rebel @ 3:00 via pin [*]
– Cage defeated Kongo Kong @ 5:02 via pin [***]

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Sorry for the lack of live coverage tonight, I suffered an eye injury and am wearing an eye patch. I wasn’t sure I could deliver quality live coverage, so just did the regular review.

Rey Fenix vs. Rich Swann: This is a mini-preview of the Slammiversary 4-way, and the kind of match to kick off a show with. They lock up and work into some back and forth. Fenix fights back and does a lucha flippity do arm drag. Swann now gets an arm drag, misses a standing moonsault and then work into a stand off. Fenix dropkicks Swann to the floor and follows. They work into counters and Swann hits a dive off the ropes and wipes out Fenix. Back in and Swann up top, he jumps over Fenix and then trips up Fenix. He sets Fenix up top but Fenix moonsaults into an arm drag and follows with a tope. Back in and Fenix connects with a cutter for 2. Fenix now hits a pair of lethal injections to take control. Post break, and they trade chops. Fenix lays in strikes and hits an enziguri. Swann cuts him of and hits a Michinoku driver for 2. Swann now hits a 450 splash for 2. Fenix now takes Swann up top and hits the super RANA and then a Fenix driver for 2. Fenix sets and runs into a head kick, Swann heads up top and Fenix cuts him off and hits a muscle buster for the win. Rey Fenix defeated Rich Swann @ 13:30 via pin [***¾] This was a very, very good match and a really strong way to kick off the show. It was a bit sloppy early on, but they had a hot crowd and delivered overall. Adding in the post match, and it was a great way to kick off the show.

– Post match, oVe attack and try to unmask Fenix. Pentagon makes the save, but low blows Fenix and hits the fear factor; he unmasks as Sami Callihan, and Swann makes the save. They cut him off and Sami looks to unmask Fenix, but the real Pentagon arrives and makes the save, hitting a tope to take out oVe, likely setting up a trios match for next week.

– KM meets with Fallah Bahh and apologizes for his actions. He wants to prove himself to Bahh tonight.

– Allie & Rayne cut a promo on their tag match tonight. They aren’t sure what to make of Yung and her undead bridesmaid. Allie says she danced with the devil and failed, and knows she needs the light. Yung brought another side of her to life.

Killer Kross vs. Fallah Bahh: KM is out with Bahh. They charge and collide right away. Kross immediately works him over with strikes, but Bahh hits a corner splash and he follows with chops. Kross no sells and hits a lariat. He dares Bahh to hit him, fires up and lays in rights. The Saito suplex follows. Kross locks on a choke and Bahh is done. Killer Kross defeated Fallah Bahh @ 2:22 via submission [NR] This was an overall solid debut for Kross, likely leading to a match with Petey after the post match angle, which makes sense.

– Kross continues the attack, KM in and he gets choked out. Petey arrives with a chair, but Kross no sells him and Petey hits him again and runs away.

– Jimmy Jacobs cuts a promo on Kong’s match with Cage tonight. He puts over Kong as a monster and says that Cage is a man and not a machine. A man can be hurt and a man can be defeated.

– We get a classic Slammiversary moment with Sting vs. RVD.

– We see the Desi Hit Squad celebrating until Gama Singh arrives to slap them around. He promises to take them to the top.

– We get a video hyping the arrival of Scarlett Bordeaux.

Allie and Madison Rayne vs. Su Yung & Undead Bridesmaid: The Undead Bridesmaid is KC Spinelli. They brawl at the bell with Rayne and Allie taking control. Allie works over the Undead Bridesmaid, hits a Russian leg sweep and covers for 2. Yung cuts her off and that allows the Undead Bridesmaid to attack. Double teams on Allie follow and the cover gets 2. Yung now tosses Allie around, and then grounds the action. Allie fights to her feet, lays in rights, but Allie hits a clothesline and looks for the tag. Rayne tags in and works over thee Undead Bridesmaid, hits the cutter and takes out another bridesmaid. Allie takes out the other bridesmaids and we get a ref bump as Rayne hits cross Rhodes. Tessa Blanchard arrives and attacks. She beats down Rayne, but Allie makes the save and dumps her. They brawl up the ramp. Back in and Rayne hits cross Rhodes and pins the Undead Bridesmaid. Allie and Madison Rayne defeated Su Yung & Undead Bridesmaid @ 6:07 via pin [**] The match was ok, but a bit overbooked. The good news is that Rayne kept her momentum and that they seemingly set up Allie vs. Tessa.

– At the LAX clubhouse, King is with Santana & Ortiz. They talk about Konnan’s anger with King. King says he should have dropped Konnan for disrespecting him. He says he wants to see Konnan’s magical proof and heads to the ring to see the proof.

– We get a Desi Hit Squad video package.

– We get an oVe video package setting up next week’s Pentagon, Fenix, & Swann vs. oVe trios match.

– Next is an Austin Aries video, talking about his path to wrestling, stressing that he didn’t fail at a first career like Moose. He did what he had to do to succeed, and didn’t get special favors like Moose. This was fun, showcasing Aries’ strength as an asshole and the complete opposite of Moose’s feel good story. “After Slammiversary, you better hope the XFL needs a shitty offensive lineman.” Asshole Aries is the best Aries.

– Konnan is backstage on the phone, saying that he will expose King tonight.

– Tommy Dreamer now responds to Eddie Edwards attacking him. Dreamer says he’s learned from his mistakes, and had guidance from idols like Funk and Rhodes. Eddie is throwing his career away, and won’t turn his back on Eddie. Dreamer doesn’t want to be right, he wants to give back. He isn’t fucking Eddie’s wife, but now he’s obsessed with Eddie. They will face off at Slammiversary in a House of Hardcore match.

Katarina vs. Rebel: Grado is out with Katarina. They work to the ground and trade pin attempts. Katarina takes control and hits a head scissors. Rebel cuts off Katarina and hits a flapjack and then a torture rack into a slam for 2. Rebel misses the back handspring elbow, and Katarina hits a tornado DDT for 2. Katarina then misses the high cross. Rebel hits the split into a leg drop for 2. Katarina counters a suplex into a back breaker for the win. Katarina defeated Rebel @ 3:00 via pin [*] This was extremely clunky and not good at all.

– Joe Hendry meets with Grado & Katarina. It’s a trap!

Cage vs. Kongo Kong: Jacobs is out with Kong. They brawl at the bell and Kong mows down Cage with a shoulder tackle. Cage fires back with a dropkick and RANA. Cage now wipes out Kong with a tope. Back in and Kong cuts off Cage and hits a belly to belly for 2. Kong hits a corner splash, and then hits a RANA to counter the powerbomb from the corner for 2. Cage catches the cross body and slams Kong to the mat. He follows with clotheslines and trips up Kong and hits a 619. The enziguri and German follows and Cage covers for 2. Kong now hits a head butt, and the chokeslam follows for 2. Kong heads up top, Cage follows and hits the superplex. Cage is fired the fuck up and hits the F5 for the win. Cage defeated Kongo Kong @ 5:02 via pin [***] That was a good and fun hoss style sprint, with Cage looking dominant ahead of his X-Division title shot at Slammiversary. This was also the best that Kong has looked in Impact.

LAX Business & Magical Proof: Konnan makes his way to the ring. He says he needs to talk with King, and he arrives with Santana, & Ortiz. Konnan says he’s not mad that King put a hit out on him, he’s mad that King was a bitch. When King was 8, Konnan out a bat in his hand and took him under his wing, bailed him out of jail and helped him become the King of NYC. King doesn’t know what Konnan is talking about and wants proof. Konnan says that King’s check in calls to him never happened. King says it’s his word against Konnan’s. Konnan calls King a walking talking, glory hole. Konnan calls him a bitch and says things never change. King then admits to the hit and says that Konnan’s time is up, because he’s the future. King is a grown ass man and Konnan needs to walk away before he gets old yeller’d. King says he made it all right and that he’s the future. Santana & Ortiz shoot King the middle finger, and then LAX OGs Homicide & Hernandez now arrive and beat down Konnan, Santana, & Ortiz. They also beat up security. King. Homicide, & Hernandez stand tall and lay the flags over their victims. King then says when you come at the king, you better not miss and THEY are LAX. 2018 is the year of the wrestling civil war, first Bullet Club, and now LAX explodes. I have really enjoyed the LAX angle so far, in many ways, it’s felt like a grind house style movie, presented in small parts. King has always seemed to be sketcky and like a prime suspect in Konnan’s disappearance, and that came to life tonight with a quality promo segment, and the surprising returns of Homicide & Hernandez, setting up what will presumably be a big tag match at Slammiversary to see which LAX will stand tall and move forward in the company. It all worked and was a great and correct way to close the show.

– Next week…

* Pentagon, Fenix, & Swann vs. oVe
* D’Angelo Williams appears

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling was another good show on the road to Slammiversary. It was book-ended by a great opening match/angle and closing angle. The in between stuff was mostly solid overall as they continued the build to the PPV. It wasn’t all spectacular, but they remain largely focused as they build to the big PPV, which is appreciated. If short on time, catch the beginning and the end.