ZeeWI: Breaking Down Bound for Glory, Part 1

Folks, we are under two weeks away from the biggest night of the year for Impact Wrestling, as Bound for Glory will be coming to us, LIVE on pay-per-view, from the legendary Melrose Ballroom in ethereal Astoria, New York! All the stars have aligned, and the promotion will look to deliver another incredible show to hopefully cap off what has been an incredible comeback year of 2018!

After the last meeting of the ZeeWI staff, we decided that this year, we’d give Bound for Glory TWO WHOLE WEEKS of preview coverage, much to the chagrin of Boss Csonka, no doubt. Hey, he can still review things! It’s okay to have more than one of something!

This week, we will take a look three of the announced matches; next week, we’ll finish off the rest of the card! Pretty simple, yeah?

It’s absolutely been an action-packed year in Impact, and so much has changed since the year started. That couldn’t be more clear with the first matchup we’ll take a look at, where two men who were once good friends will look to take the other out. That’s right, it’s Eddie Edwards taking on Moose!

It was at Redefined that Moose shocked the world when he turned on Eddie Edwards. What was supposed to be a tag match featuring the two against Austin Aries and Killer Kross, was instead a handicap match as Moose was apparently attacked by Kross backstage, leaving Edwards alone.

The beating that Edwards received after Moose returned and attacked was absolutely brutal, with Moose putting the exclamation point on it all by slamming a steel chair at Edwards while he was wrapped up in another against the ringpost.

The scuttlebutt here is that Moose betrayed his best friend. Don’t believe the scuttlebutt.

Those of us who can retain memories longer than a month old might recall that, earlier this year, Moose was absolutely there for Eddie. After Sami Callihan smashed his face in with a baseball bat, Eddie slowly began a descent into madness, hell-bent on getting his revenge. And who was there to help Eddie out? *pumps fist* Moose.

Week in and week out, Moose was there to make sure that his friend wasn’t putting himself into extreme danger. Even though Edwards had clearly lost his mind, Moose tried repeatedly to get him to focus on the task at hand, to realize that he had people looking to assist. Tommy Dreamer would even join up in trying to ease Eddie’s rattled mind. Eddie, though, wasn’t having it. He attacked Dreamer, and he’d repeatedly tell Moose to back off, mind his own business, and to leave Edwards alone.

You know, like all best friends treat each other.

Moose was apparently supposed to forget all of that when Eddie once again needed help, because in his crazy state, he decided to pick a fight with Aries and Kross, even though he’d chased away everyone who loved and believed in him. Moose was supposed to forgive and forget all the times he was there for his friend, only to be told to fuck off repeatedly. Moose was supposed to ignore the blatant mistreatment, because Mr. AIP needed some help?

This columnist has said a lot about Moose in these pages, specifically questioning his killer instinct and supreme desire to truly rule as the best in the world. While his move to Aries’ camp seems like that of someone happy to be a second banana, I see it differently. I see it as the first time Moose made a statement. It’s the first time Moose put someone on notice. It’s the first time Moose let the world know that he wasn’t going to be treated like garbage.

So Don Callis and Josh Mathews can try to spin this into a story of Moose betraying Eddie, but those of us who have followed all along know better. Eddie made this mess months ago, and he didn’t do anything to try and clean it up.

The formula for this is easy enough – Eddie needs to use his speed to stick and move. He needs to keep an eye out for Aries and Kross, but to always remember that Moose is not to be ignored. If he can convince his wife Alisha to use her intelligence to manufacture some distractions along the way, then this match is absolutely his to win. As the former World Champion, he knows how to deliver in big matches, and isn’t afraid of the moment.

Moose, on the other hand, has it easy. He’s not rattled, and he knows he’s got backup. A win over Edwards puts him in a good place, even if a World Title shot isn’t on the immediate horizon (for now). It’s time for either Edwards to get back on track, or Moose to score a huge victory. Against my better judgment, I think Moose has finally put it together, and will get his revenge.

Winner: Moose! Moose! Moose!

Next up is a six-man tag match being contested under oVe Rules as Sami Callihan teams up with the Crist Brothers (oVe to their friends) to take on X Division Champion Brian Cage, Fenix, and Pentagon, Jr!

After defeating Fenix in a highly-competitive match for the X Division Title, Cage would watch from the ramp as oVe attacked not only Fenix, but Pentagon as well (who had served as the cornerman for Fenix). Most times, Cage probably lets that go without incident. However, during their run to the ring, Callihan and oVe made contact with Cage, trying to push him out of their way. A man might ignore something like that, but a machine? Not a chance.

The addition of Brian Cage to this feud signaled a huge shift in momentum. For months, the Lucha Brothers had tried to stave off Sami and oVe, and while they were holding their own, it was becoming clear that constant 3-on-2 situations were beginning to wear them down. That their foes were unrelenting, and unwilling to move on until the luchadores were completely eradicated only increased the difficulty of the situation.

Sami Callihan has already lost his hair in his mission to defeat Pentagon, and that wasn’t enough to get him to back off. In oVe, he has two men willing to lay their lives on the line in any mission he creates. The former Tag Team Champions are clearly skilled and capable, but they’ve appeared hopelessly outmatched in any face-to-face confrontation with The Lucha Brothers. That they never seem to be bothered by these facts is what makes them so very, very dangerous.

In a match with no rules, expect oVe to use every weapon they can possibly imagine. Pentagon is pure evil and shouldn’t be out of his element, but Fenix normally likes to play by the rules, and may find himself overwhelmed, at least early. Cage, on the other hand, is usually comfortable in any environment, and the more violent, the merrier. This leads to a huge expectation of carnage, with bodies being thrown through the air, through tables, and through anything else.

I don’t expect a betrayal in this match – that is to say, I don’t think Cage is slowly conning The Lucha Brothers as part of a long game. I believe he truly wants to help them, and that he truly wants to hurt Sami Callihan and the Crist brothers. With this match hopefully being on even ground, I can only think that the Ohio contingent is in big, big trouble. That is, of course, unless they have a huge surprise up their sleeve. Someone new to the war, or an incredible weapon, may be their only chance of survival. If there’s no escape plan, then I think Cage, Fenix, and Pentagon will put a beating on them that finally forces Sami to give up and find a new target.

Winners: Brian Cage, Fenix, and Pentagon, Jr

The final match that we’ll cover this week will be contested for the Knockouts Championship, and was made official just last week! This match promises to be a head-on collision between two of the very best in Impact, as Tessa Blanchard takes on Taya Valkyrie!

This one is very straight-forward, and very simple: something’s got to give. These are two alphas who don’t have any patience for anyone else trying to take their spot. One of these talented grapplers is going to come up short.

When Taya first debuted in Impact last year, she let it be known that she wasn’t playing games, taking out Rosemary. Some issues outside of the company would prevent her from really building on that moment, however. In that time, we’ve instead seen Tessa Blanchard come from out of nowhere to bum-rush the company, winning the Knockouts Championship in October.

Just last week, Tessa earned a very impressive win when she defeated AAA’s Reina de Reinas, Faby Apache in a gusty, back-and-forth contest. She’s clearly adjusted to life on the Impact roster, and we shouldn’t be expecting any more surprises like when she lost to Madison Rayne. Her momentum is, if you’ll excuse me, quite #undeniable at the current moment.

It was right after that aforementioned victory over Faby that Taya would make her presence felt. Appearing on the big screen, La Güera Loca would point out her own accomplishments, including the championships she’s held in AAA. Taya made it clear that she was gunning for Tessa, and that she was coming to finally get a hold of that Knockouts Championship.

This may come as a surprise, but this columnist just doesn’t see Taya getting it done. Certainly not now. Taya’s had too much time off, and not enough time getting reacclimated. Some time to study Tessa might be a good idea, too. But Taya’s much like her main squeeze, Johnny Impact, in that she’s always sure that she’s going to be okay. Call it confidence, call it arrogance; either way, we know she’s got it in spades. She has no doubt that Tessa Blanchard is just another stepping stone in a career-path that is littered with them.

I see Taya starting strong, but making a mistake later on in the match, which grants Tessa an opening. Whether clean or underhanded, Tessa will take advantage when the moment presents itself, and Taya will be left wondering how it all went so wrong so quickly. She’ll have time to regroup and try again, but, in this columnist’s opinion, Bound for Glory is not going to be Taya’s night.

Winner: And STILL Knockouts Champion, Tessa Blanchard!

That will do it for this week. Please remember to come back next week, when we’ll finish our predictions with a wild and crazy Part Two!!!