ZeeWI: Bound For Glory Spectacular

Apologies for the absence last week, but a virus ran rampant in the halls of ZeeWI, forcing us to miss getting out the latest Grand Championship Rankings, and general Impact musings.

We now return to your usual coverage!

This week, as we get ready for Bound For Glory, the staff thought it best to forego the rankings completely, as there is no scheduled match for the championship, and things have been pretty much at a stand-still in the division.

Were there to be rankings, I’d imagine they’d go something like: EC3, Fantasma, Texano, Storm, Pagano, and Eddie Edwards, with Edwards possibly switched out for someone like Dezmond Xavier or Trevor Lee, for those who are as diehard about the division as yours truly!

Instead, we wanted to give a breakdown of some of the matches on the card. As we discussed Taya and Rosemary in our last issue, the ladies will be left out of our breakdown this week. Rest assured that the entire staff is greatly looking forward to the Red Wedding match between two of Impact’s very best, and that we still have a prediction for the match included!

Team Impact vs. Team AAA

What started off as two men vying for the Impact Grand Championship has turned into an all-out promotional war between six of the very best from Impact and Mexico’s AAA!

When El (Hijo de) Fantasma realized that he had lost a close, split decision to EC3 on the September 14th episode of Impact, he was immediately angry. He had apparently assumed that Hector Guerrero – working as a judge for the match – would automatically back Fantasma on the scorecards, regardless of what actually happened. Instead, Guerrero’s vote was the one that broke the tie, giving the win to EC3.

Fantasma would first get into Hector’s face, completely taken aback at the decision. From there, he would get back into the ring and, joined by a debuting Pagano, would assault EC3! Eddie Edwards would run out to make the save, and just like that, we had a war on our hands!

Since that initial night, Fantasma and Pagano were able to bring former AAA Mega Campeón (and Lucha Underground standout) El Texano into the mix, while EC3 and Edwards found a slightly hesitant partner in “The Cowboy,” James Storm. While there’s no issue between Edwards and Storm, it’s Storm and EC3 that have butted heads since the late spring, and there’s absolutely no love lost between the two. However, they’ve appeared to be able to get on the same page as of late, most recently teaming up in victory over Fantasma and Texano on the October 25th edition of Impact!

So, the question heading into this match is simple: Is there an actual foundation of trust in the ranks of Team Impact, or are the cracks still there, ready to topple the tower under the first signs of stress?

We know James Storm will more or less do anything for Impact Wrestling, even if that means teaming with and trusting someone he hasn’t been too keen on in recent months. He knows that defending the honor of Impact against this AAA contingent not only looks good to those in charge, but it also means that EC3 will owe him something, and that something would presumably a shot at the Grand Championship.

Eddie Edwards has also been a man of his word during his entire tenure in Impact, and it makes it hard to see him as someone not to trust. Sure, he’s had to split his time in recent weeks with his obligations to Pro Wrestling NOAH, but Edwards has also been the one hammering home the point that Storm and Carter need to work together for the time being, and put all that other crap behind them. The conspiracy theorist inside of this columnist would love to call out Edwards as the one who will cause Team Impact’s downfall, but it just doesn’t seem feasible.

Ethan Carter, on the other hand? The man who has almost only done what’s best only for himself? The man who, until only a few months ago, was more than happy to do anything he could to make the company suffer? The Grand Champion, who only has loyalty to his belt and himself? Is there a possibility he leaves his teammates – and two top contenders for his title – hanging while he heads to higher ground?

There absolutely is. Carter, quite simply, can’t – and should not be – trusted. If this was just a random matchup against three guys, I’d have Carter bailing on his partners as soon as possible. If there was no more at stake than some company pride, this would be an easy call.

But we know that it’s not. This is about three men who have, for weeks now, tried to take Carter’s belt, and tried to end his career with their attacks. This has gone far beyond a company battle. This has become a personal issue, and Carter is so focused on making Team AAA pay for their actions, that he’s willing to work with others, even if it’s the despised Storm and the gullible Edwards. Because at the end of the day, Carter knows a few things about his partners: they will fight. They will stick to their word. They will defend the honor of Impact Wrestling. Maybe that last one isn’t as important to EC3, but the first two mean he knows he can achieve his goal of shutting Team AAA down.

Team AAA isn’t just here to be used as a speed bump, however. All three men have achieved high levels of success in Mexico, and all three are looking to do the same in their new home.

In Pagano, Team AAA has the lunacy that it needs to contend with the alcohol-fueled fire that burns on Team Impact. In Pagano, Team AAA has its complete unknown – someone who simply exists to cause pain in others, and who takes extreme pleasure from the pain. He has arrived in Impact and has looked only to inflict punishment, and to do so with much glee. This is the man who bested Psycho Clown, shaving the AAA superstar’s hair. He may be the one of the three that doesn’t even care about a championship belt, which makes his zeal to get involved in combat even more terrifying.

While Pagano brings the sheer insanity and bloodlust, it’s Texano who packs the power and the anger. This is a man who is happy to whip his opponent, to outwrestle his opponent, or to simply powerbomb his opponent through the floor. Motivated by pride and the desire to prove he is the best luchador going today, there is no secret reason as to why Texano is in Impact, nor why he sided with his AAA brethren, even if they don’t always see eye to eye: prove that AAA is not only at Impact’s level, but beyond it. And what better way to do that, than by taking out three of the very best Impact has to offer? There was no way a competitor like Texano could pass this opportunity up, especially when there’s a slight chance he comes out of it with a shot at the Grand Championship.

And then there’s the man who started this all, the master hunter himself, El Hijo de Fantasma. He mixes agility with cunning, and the end result is a near perfect wrestler, capable of defeating anyone. He still feels he bested EC3 in their first matchup, and is hell-bent on getting that rematch. Should he and his teammates find themselves victorious on Sunday, there’s a very good chance that one of them will get that opportunity. If Fantasma truly is the leader of this group, he’ll have to insist on that opportunity going to himself.

There’s no doubt that Team AAA is the more unified team, and that they have far more to prove heading into Bound For Glory. Overall, the level of skill may be higher on Team Impact, but I have a really odd feeling that Impact Wrestling is in for a huge letdown when there’s company pride on the line.

Prediction: Team AAA walks out victorious; look for Team Impact to implode

X Division Championship: Six Way Match

Any time you can get six wrestlers at the level of Matt Sydal, Sonjay Dutt, Dezmond Xavier, Garza Jr, Petey Williams, and X Division Champion Trevor Lee together, you know you’re going to have quite the contest on your hands, and with the X Division Championship on the line, we can expect things to go to another level entirely!

In Dutt, Williams, and Lee, we have three men who have either held – or are currently holding – the X Division gold, knowing exactly what it takes to win it, and to keep it. This edge in experience over the other three should come in handy, at least as far as it comes to pacing in the match, with whom one locks up, and with whom one forms an alliance.

Dutt especially knows all too well how difficult winning the X Division championship, and with the way he lost the title to Lee, one has to wonder if Sonjay’s going to apply a smart plan to regain his belt, or if he’s going to unleash his entire arsenal in a wave of fury. After waiting nearly his whole career to win the belt in the first place, he’s going to have to temper those emotions if he wants to walk out of Bound For Glory as a two-time champion. It’s not impossible, but the odds are certainly not on his side.

The Champion, Trevor Lee, has recently taken to reminding everyone that Together, We’re Trevor, bringing Andrew Everett back into his group with Caleb Konley, and running over the division. Always with a plan, it’s going to be a tough task to unseat the champion. Unfortunately for him, the numbers aren’t on his side, and not even his two friends can make sure he can sneak out with another victory. It doesn’t look good if you’re a part of the Trevor Lee Fan Club.

Petey Williams is someone who came so close to winning that title recently, and looks to make good with another chance at it. With the Canadian Destroyer at his disposal, Williams is always a live underdog. However, one has to consider the long time he spent away from the ring, and how that’s going to factor into a match that looks to have very few periods of down time. If Williams can’t take a second to get his breath and recharge, he’s going to find himself in the dust very quickly. While I’ve always been a fan, I don’t see Petey pulling off the upset this Sunday.

Matt Sydal and Garza Jr are, in this columnist’s opinion, both in a similar spot, having recently plateaued after reaching some incredible highs within the company. Sydal’s victory over Bobby Lashley not too long ago has caused the Lashley tailspin, but has done very little to benefit Matt himself. He got a shot at E_Li_Drake’s championship and came up short, and soon after found himself back in the X Division. He’s certainly still looking to prove that he’s not only the best X Division wrestler in the company, but the best, period. A win Sunday helps him back on that road.

Garza Jr similarly found himself both in an issue with Braxton Sutter while he mistreated Allie, and then one step away from main eventing this very event in a match for the Global Championship! Unfortunately for Garza, he was bested by Johnny Impact, leaving him without a match for the show. Lucky for him, there was a spot open here, in a match that seems built to showcase him perfectly. Garza can fly with the best of them, and has done a good job of earning the fans’ attention and respect thus far. In a match as chaotic as this one is shaping out to be, Garza needs just one smart move, and three lucky seconds, to net his first championship in Impact wrestling!

From where this columnist sits, however, this match is all about one man, and that’s Dezmond Xavier. He’s been infuriatingly quiet since winning the Super X Cup, and looks to make a loud statement this Sunday.

Since arriving in Impact, all Xavier has done is look impeccable, and most of us seemed to think that the world was his after he captured the Super X Cup. Things don’t always go as planned, though, and the momentum has definitely slowed (if not stopped outright). Call it a hunch, but I’m leaning on Dezmond showing everyone exactly why he’s the Super X Cup champion, and when the dust settles on this chaos, I expect him to be victorious.

Prediction: Dezmond Xavier thrills en route to becoming NEW X Division Champion!

Global Championship: All On the Line

Don’t get lost in the sauce – there are plenty of great matches lined up for Bound For Glory, but only one that features our Global Champion, E_Li_Drake in action!

Taking on Johnny Impact, Drake looks to once again defeat the man who has won gold everywhere he’s gone. Johnny has been nearly unstoppable since joining the company, floundering only when put against E_Li_Drake.

There really couldn’t be a more obvious case of a company treating one man like treasure, while treating the other like trash, and it’s pretty clear that the champ is aware of this. While Drake has had to fight and claw for every single scrap thrown his way since joining Impact, Johnny has been allowed to waltz right in and get opportunity after opportunity.

When Drake would lose a match, it was back to the line for him, where he’d have to start all over again, and hope to catch some buzz. When Johnny loses, he is gifted either another shot immediately, or put into positions that make it much easier to return to where he was.

Case in point? This match.

This is now Johnny Impact’s third shot at the Global Championship. His debut was, of course, during the Gauntlet for the Gold match, where he made it to the final three with Drake and Eddie Edwards, before Drake finally eliminated Johnny (albeit via some not-so-sportsman-like means), and went on to beat Edwards to win the belt in the first place.

Johnny would get another chance soon after, taking on Drake during the Victory Road edition of Impact. There, he would once again lose to Drake (although, again, through some dirty means), after being hit low and taking a ride on the Gravy Train.

Knowing that Johnny is their best (only?) chance at unseating their undesired champion, Impact management then put Johnny in a “#1 Contender’s Match” with Garza Jr. No disrespect to Garza, but he had no business whatsoever being one step away from a Global Title match; this match was simply a smokescreen to the easy path management was providing their new shiny toy in Johnny Impact. And, wouldn’t you know it? Johnny beat Garza! What luck!

Johnny Impact may see himself as the crusader to end the Drake Circus, and that’s fine. He should see himself that way. He needs to see himself as the hungrier competitor, as the one that’s busting his ass, as the one that’s not a joke. Because he knows that he hasn’t earned anything yet. Make no mistake, this is still the same Johnny that manipulated Lucha Underground at every turn so that he and his Worldwide Underground could run rampant in The Temple. This isn’t some honorable man we’re dealing with. This is a very calculating individual.

This is still the man who wanted everyone to talk about his cool parkour skills, and likes to have a slow motion entrance every time he comes to the ring. He may have the audacity to call out Drake as someone who “cares about how he looks,” but we all know Johnny as the man who tries to come off as a movie star at all times.

The fact is, while Impact can talk about how hard he’s fighting, we’ve actually seen Drake fight. We’ve seen him fight to get to the top of Impact Wrestling, with the largest chip imaginable riding on his shoulder. Sure, the man is arrogant; his work paid off, and he’s on top of the world. He’s already beaten Johnny Impact. In his mind, he has absolutely nothing to fear. He’s prepared himself for the very best. He’s fought and beaten the very best. This is nothing new.

Prediction: Johnny Impact just doesn’t have what it takes to beat E_Li_Drake. And that’s not an insult…

Further Quick and Dirty BFG Thoughts

Impact Knockouts Championship: Sienna vs. Allie vs. Gail Kim: One can only hope that Gail Kim does not get the storybook ending that management clearly wants so badly for her. She’s earned all the respect in the world, but the ZeeWI staff looks for the new blood to send Gail into retirement unhappily.
Winner: Allie

Impact World Tag Team Championship (5150 Street Fight): oVe vs. LAX: It’s hard to think that oVe is dumb enough to head into a match where they know they’re outnumbered, without bringing any backup, right? Well, here’s to hoping, because we want new champs!
Winners: LAX

Six Sides of Steel Match: Moose/Stephan Bonnar vs. Lashley/King Mo: Yeesh. Well, at least Moose found that hunger. Too bad it wasn’t for a championship belt that he once held. Instead, he’s beating up trophies in an MMA gym. King Mo > Bonnar, though.
Winners: Moose/Bonnar

Monsters Ball Match: Abyss vs. Grado: I see lots and lots of suffering for Grado, unfortunately. I also see Abyss making a stupid mistake. Grado’s just that kind of a lucky guy.
Winner: Grado

Red Wedding Match: Rosemary vs. Taya Valkyrie: Taya is more than formidable, and she may very well end up putting down The Demon Assassin, but here at ZeeWI, we never stop supporting Rosemary. Have at it, ladies.
Winner: Rosemary