LAX vs. OGz – The War Rages On In Impact

It was only a little over a month ago that I spoke on the trouble brewing in LAX. At the time, I was sure that Santana and Ortiz, tired of being led astray by Konnan, and also appreciative of the heights to which King had returned them, would ditch the old man and chase the new glory.

I know it’s not customary around these parts, but allow me to say that I was mistaken. To my surprise, LAX decided to roll with the man that brought them there, forcing King to come up with a new plan. And that plan, of course, was bringing back the original LAX – Homicide and Hernandez – who would now call themselves The OGz.

After humiliating LAX in their return, The OGz would set their sights on the Impact Wrestling Tag Team Championship, leading to a 5150 Street Fight for the belts at Slammiversary. It was a brutal affair, with Homicide and Hernandez reminding everyone of the particular brand of violence they bring to the table.

When the dust had settled, LAX would reaffirm their position as one of – if not the – top tag team in professional wrestling when a Santana Frog Splash led to the pinfall victory. Unfortunately for the champs, The OGz weren’t done. They’d launch a vicious sneak attack on Santana, Ortiz, and Konnan, before taking the belts, and tag them with their OGz label.

It was probably a little silly to think that this issue was going to be resolved after just one match. Hernandez and Homicide weren’t back to win the belts – they were back to take Konnan out, and show LAX that they made the wrong decision when they backed Konnan over King.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzypsFWcj9s

After laying low for a couple weeks following Slammiversary, The OGz would return to the Impact Zone this past Thursday. After watching his crew quickly dispose of their two overmatched rivals, King would grab the mic, feeling pretty confident about his place in the world.

However, LAX wasn’t going to let this moment pass without trying to get some retribution. It wasn’t a big surprise when Santana and Ortiz appeared. The two were on fire, rushing Hernandez and Homicide, and forcing King to flee.

Things would take a darker turn, however, when Ortiz would bust out an axe. That’s right, an axe.

Look, it’s no secret that, for the better part of two years, I’ve been extremely critical of Impact Wrestling’s management. In that time, they’ve allowed Matt Hardy to attack fans, to assault his brother Jeff in his own home, the abduction of Bram by Decay, Su Yung placing people in caskets, and much more, all without any type of punishment or action from the suits.

I’ve long accused them of being so hungry for any type of coverage, that they’ll allow anything, no matter how horrendous, as long as it gets a trending hashtag or a headline on some random site.

Thursday night, I realized that while it may have taken a little longer than I’d prefer, the new regime running Impact isn’t going to take things as lightly as their predecessors.

Almost immediately upon brandishing the axe, two of Impact’s security ran into the ring, looking to stop things before they got any worse. Yes, this is a normal action that should take place any time a weapon capable of ending a life is brought into a ring, but at this point, it’s something to celebrate from Impact.

What could have easily been brushed off as “two angry sides going a little too far in the heat of battle” was instead treated seriously, and the immediate danger was vanquished, with even Konnan trying to talk some sense into his charge. Even Don Callis, who usually enjoys a little chaos, seemed completely disgusted by the whole scene.

It was this upping of the violent stakes, if I’m being honest, that has piqued my interest in this LAX / OGz feud. Make no mistake, I was already following this closely, but this columnist didn’t really think that they could raise the brutality after that 5150 Street Fight. On Thursday night, Ortiz made it perfectly clear that there are plenty of places they have yet to go, and plenty of things they have yet to do.

Homicide doesn’t scare easily, but you could feel the trepidation when the axe was revealed. Hernandez and King were also seemingly shook. Maybe it was just a matter of being caught completely off-guard, or maybe there was the realization that they gravely underestimated how far Santana and Ortiz are willing to go to get their belts back, and to prove that they are the real LAX, whether the OGz like it or not.

LAX needed this edge, that much I can admit. I may not like the methods completely – an axe just seems a little overboard when you could just smash their heads in with a good, old fashioned chair – but I respect the hell out of the attitude behind it. The OGz have talked about LAX like they’re the Latino Rockers or something, just two pretty boys that can fly. Sure, they may not have the size of Hernandez, and they may not have the well-known sadistic streak of Homicide, but to treat them like they aren’t dangerous may have been a huge mistake.

That their loss in the 5150 Street Fight didn’t force The OGz to develop some respect for LAX simply shows their mindset. Even in a loss that can’t be disputed, they still think that they’re better than LAX, that LAX has nothing for them, and that they’re the baddest dudes in Impact Wrestling right now.

What started as a beef between the Old and New Leaders has spread to their charges, and King and Konnan can only sit back and watch as the four guys look to inflict all sorts of harm to one another. What was simply a business decision for Santana and Ortiz has turned into a fight to survive, as King’s hitmen look to make them pay for what they consider to be a very wrong choice. What was simply a paid gig to get some retribution for Hernandez and Homicide has turned into a long-term war, and there’s a good chance that absolutely none of the six men will be the same when it’s all said and done.

The question, of course, is where they go from here. In what type of match will Impact Wrestling allow them to fight each other? Will they take the easy way out, and sign an “Unsanctioned Match” that allows them to wash their hands clean if anything serious takes place? Do we look to a Full Metal Mayhem match with all the weapons available for use? How do you turn it up from a 5150 Street Fight?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_f7ETfWr4

Konnan thinks he has the plan. He feels like he’s one step ahead of everything King and The OGz are going to do. Does he have a match in mind to take down his old friends? More importantly, can Santana and Ortiz trust him? Is the “set up” that Konnan keeps talking about actually on LAX? How could anyone in their right mind believe a single word that he says? Konnan has always been about himself!

Of course, these are all questions that will be answered in time, but for now, we can only wonder. How far will this go? How many more times can we count on Impact Wrestling management to step in when things are looking to get out of line? Will this end in a locker room attack that ends a career?

We know that The OGz came in looking to prove a point. But along the way, they woke up the beasts that reside inside LAX. All six men are known for incredible feats of violence. With Bound For Glory lurking on the horizon, I have to assume that the date is set for the next encounter. It’s just a matter of what the rules are.

Santana and Ortiz know that this war will define their legacy. Thursday night proved that they are unwilling to let that legacy be controlled by The OGz. If they want to be remembered as a top team, LAX is going to have to take down the guys that beat them down and stole their belts. And while The OGz have already made their mark, they know that ending the run of LAX will add another huge footnote to their run.

Something’s going to give. With these six men, anything can happen, and they’ll take great joy in doing anything to take the other side out. It’s been a while since we saw a not-so-Civil War in Impact, and this one has not disappointed thus far.

I just hope that the other tag teams are paying attention. When this is over, whoever is left standing could be ripe for the picking. And that may be something that neither Konnan nor King has considered – that regardless of who wins, everyone will leave this feud broken, and possibly changed for the worst. If LAX sacrifices their entire future just to take out The OGz, was it ever really worth it?

Only they know the answer to that. Hasta la muerte… ¡y después!