Csonka’s Impact Xplosion Review 11.17.18

Csonka’s Impact Xplosion Review 11.17.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– LAX defeated Brent Banks & Tarik @ 5:30 via pin [**¾]
– From Turning Point 2012: James Storm defeated AJ Styles & Bobby Roode @ 17:00 via pin [***¾]
– From Impact Wrestling 11.15.18: Champion Cage defeated Sami Callihan @ 13:15 via pin [**¾]

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LAX vs. Brent Banks & Tarik: Tarik and Ortiz to begin. Ortiz quickly grounds the action, sand gets a cradle for 2. The neck breaker follows and that gets 2. Tarik cuts him off, tags in Banks, and Ortiz runs them together and follows with chops but he gets cut off with double teams. Banks and Tarik continue with double teams and cover for 2. Ortiz tries to fire up and make his comeback, and finally tags in Santana. Santana runs wild, hits an enziguri and running dropkick. The suicide dive follows. Back in and Santana gets dumped, Ortiz fights them off and Santana is back and they hit double teams for 2. I breaks down, they all trade strikes, with Tarik and banks putting in a great fight until Santana lights them up wit strikes. LAX takes over, they all continue to brawl, and the DVD follows on Banks and the frog splash finishes him. LAX defeated Brent Banks & Tarik @ 5:30 via pin [**¾] This was pretty good and fun. LAX is great, while Banks & Tarik got enough in to look competitive, but ultimately fell to the better team.

– We go around the ring with Rich Swann. Swann wants to record his own music and finds it as a fun escape. He listens to a wide variety of music, and finds that it mirrors his wrestling. He loves the classics and loves to try and improve on them and put his spin on things. He’s been wrestling for 12-years now, and worked the Pennsylvania scene for a while. His goal in wrestling is to become a world champion and wrestle on the big stages. Swann wants to prove that he can lead a company. He’s really enjoyed his time in Impact and the family environment.

AJ Styles vs. Bobby Roode vs. James Storm: AJ nails Roode and drops him, and Roode rolls to the floor. Storm and AJ now go at it, counters and reversals in the chain wrestling to begin. Storm counters a dropkick, Roode pulls him to the floor and they brawl. Big dive to the floor by AJ wipes out both guys. AJ and Roode back into the ring, clotheslines by AJ follow as well as a side back breaker. Snap mare and kicks to the back by AJ. A slam follows and then the high knee drop by AJ connects for 2. Storm back in with rights to AJ, and then AJ is sent to the floor. Storm works over Roode, Storm looks to AJ, who then stun guns him off the ropes. Corner splash by AJ onto Roode. A backdrop follows, and then misses a corner splash and AJ flies to the floor. Commentary is selling that AJ may be injured and that us looks off his game. Roode and Storm in and they start to brawl, trading rights and chops. Forearm off the ropes by Storm, neck breaker follows and Storm covers for 2. AJ flies in and nails Storm with a flying dropkick. AJ sends Roode to the floor, and works leg kicks on Storm. AJ works the leg of Storm, and then locks in the figure four leg lock. AJ breaks, sends Roode back to the floor and then hits the Flair style knee breaker on Storm. Indian death lock by AJ on Storm, with the full bridge into the chinlock. Storm escapes, AJ looks for the lock again, kicked off and into Roode, Storm rolls up AJ for 2. AJ now fights back, looks for the clash by Storm gets the Alabama slam for 2. Storm looks for the whirly bird, Roode breaks it up and DDTs Storm and covers him for 2. Roode lays the boots to AJ in the corner and then attacks Storm. Roode chokes out AJ, then shoots Storm off the ropes and hits the back elbow. Roode keeps attacking both AJ and Storm to keep them down, and then tosses AJ to the floor. Roode then slams AJ into the steps, and AJ is favoring the knee on the floor. Storm slams Roode to the corner, lung blower follows. Storm looks for the superkick, AJ up and flies in with the forearm and covers Storm for 2. Roode back to his feet, rakes the eyes of AJ, and then chokes out Storm. To the corner Roode takes AJ, who fights back with rights. Boot by AJ to Roode, and Roode counters the tornado DDT. Storm and Roode grab AJ, and then they double suplex him! Wait for it…nope, neck breaker by Storm before they can do the old celebration and Storm covers for 2. Roode to the second rope, rights by Storm stops that. AJ charges, Storm tosses him into a RANA on Roode! Asai DDT by AJ onto Storm and a cover gets a close 2! AJ charges Roode, who hits the elbow. Block buster by Roode onto Storm gets another close 2. PELE by AJ onto Roode! AJ then clotheslines himself and Storm to the floor. AJ is up, to the apron and MISSES the springboard 450! SPEAR by Roode on AJ, and he covers for 2. Roode into the crossface, AJ counters and runs into a sweet uranage for 2. Spinebuster by Roode, and he sets for the perfect plex, Storm in and gets the back cracker onto Roode. SUPERKICK to AJ, and Storm covers AJ and wins! James Storm defeated AJ Styles & Bobby Roode @ 17:00 via pin [***¾] Due to the stipulation, James Storm earns a title shot, while AJ Styles cannot challenge for the TNA World Title until Bound for Glory 2013. The match is very good, bordering on great with three guys who have worked together for years delivering just as you would hope.

X-Division Title Match: Champion Cage vs. Sami Callihan: Sami & Dave are out with Sami. They brawl at the bell with Cage controlling with ease. Sami fights back, and they trade RANAs, and Cage follows with a dropkick. Sami fights of the powerbomb, but Cage fires back with a flurry of kicks until Dave distracts him and Sami dumps Cage. The ref now sends oVe to the back. Sami to the floor, gets caught and Cage hits a suplex on the floor. Post nearly 5-minute commercial break, and Sami is in control after an apron piledriver. Cage battles back with strikes, and an enziguri but Sami attacks the knee, but Cage cuts him off with an Alabama slam. Sami counters a powerbomb with a hanging guillotine, and follows with a running DVD to the buckles and covers for 2. Cage counters the Cactus driver, but Sami gets an ankle lock. Cage escapes and hits a pump handle slam. The superplex follows, and hits F5 for 2. Sami now kicks Cage in the face repeatedly, and just lays in repeated kicks and the Cactus driver for 2. Sami back to the ankle lock, but Cage makes the ropes. Sami now hits code red, but Cage follows with a powerbomb and drill claw for the win. Champion Cage defeated Sami Callihan @ 13:15 via pin [**¾] Unfortunately, this came off as a completely disappointing main event, with a crowd that wasn’t invested at all. They went to all of the trouble of having Sami be the first man to beat Cage, and then gave it a quality build, and they blew it off in a match with no heat and no sense of urgency. At no point did Sami feel like he was close to winning, and the crowd knew it. Cage can be great and Sami has had several bangers for Impact in 2018, but that Sami wasn’t here tonight. It was far from bad, but it was the second week in a row with a disappointing main event.

– Cage announces he’s cashing in his X-Division title with option C to challenge for the world title at Homecoming.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.1

The final score: review Good

The 411

This week’s episode of Impact XPLOSION was a good and enjoyable show.