SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
MCMAHON’S IMPACT WRESTLING REPORT
April 26, 2018
Taped from Orlando, Fla. (Universal Studios)
Aired on Pop TV
Announcers: Josh Mathews & Don Callis
Immediately following tonight’s Impact Wrestling, tune in to the PWTorch Livecast. Mike McMahon and Andrew Soucek will discuss tonight’s show with callers. Listen at www.pwtorchlivecast.com and call the show at 515-605-9345 or email impactlivecast@gmail.com
— The Impact Global signature aired.
— Impact began with a video package highlighting the Redemption PPV on Sunday.
— Austin Aries was in the bleachers addressing some members of the roster before the show, addressing some fans. Aries was wearing a huge sling. He said it was all good, he still had some authority because he had the Grand Championship. Aries said he wasn’t going to make excuses, and then made excuses. Moose called him on making excuses. Aries told Moose to “protect the start quarterback” and Moose left, telling Aries to “go screw himself.” The rest of the roster began to leave.
— The Impact opening aired.
— Josh Mathews welcomed us to the show as the Cult of Lee made their ring entrance.
(1) BRIAN CAGE vs. TREVOR LEE (w/ Caleb Konley)
Cage controlled early despite some antics from Caleb Konley. Lee bit Cage on the hand and then delivered a forearm. Lee hit the double stomp on Cage from the apron. Lee tried to deliver kicks but those just seemed to make Cage angry. Cage tossed Lee across the ring and threw a series of short clotheslines in the corner. Lee booted Cage in the face on a charge but Cage hit a powerslam. Cage missed a moonsault off the second rope and Lee kicked him. Lee went to the outside but Cage tripped him on the apron. Cage hit a clothesline on the floor and then pulled Lee back in the ring by his hair. Cage hit the Drill Claw for the win.
WINNER: Brian Cage in 5:00.
McMahon: Fun opener, despite Impact sacrificing Lee for the cause with Cage. That’s not an indictment on Cage, but it’s more my frustration with the fact that Impact hasn’t figured out a way to utilize Trevor Lee in a better spot. Cage continues to impress, and at least they gave Lee some offense in this match. He wasn’t as 50/50 with the offense as some of the Cage-Lashley matches were, but he still had some spots to look good against someone who is rising up the ranks quickly.
[c]
— Eddie Edwards showed up at the Impact Zone and said his wife was fine. Tommy Dreamer yelled at him to get back to the hospital. Edwards said OVE was at the Impact Zone, so he needed to be there to get redemption.
— Video clips of Edwards at Redemption were shown.
McMahon: Yes! Glad to see that Callis and Mathews are at an announce desk and not that crappy green screen set. I have no idea if this was shot in the Impact Zone or not — it was hard to tell if the desk was actually off the stage or not, I couldn’t really see it in the overhead arena shots — but filming the breaks at an announce table like that rather than a green screen looks SO much better.
— Eddie Edwards came to the ring to cut a promo. Edwards said that he put Callihan in the hospital on Sunday night, where he belonged. Edwards said that the Crist brothers aren’t in the hospital yet, and that’s where they need to be. Edwards said if OVE doesn’t have the balls to face him right now, since he left his wife at the hospital, if OVE doesn’t come out, Edwards would get in a car, drive to Dayton, Ohio, and he would put both of their wives in the ICU.
OVE charged to the ring and a brawl ensued with Edwards at ringside. The Crist brothers threw Edwards in the ring and began attacking him in the corner. Edwards began to fight back and then went under the ring for a kendo stick. A video aired on the screen inside the arena. Sami Callihan wheeled his wheelchair Alisha Edwards’ room with balloons. Callihan said he wanted to talk, and his face was still bruised, bloody and beaten. Callihan told Alisha he wanted to talk. The commentary must be live, because Callis slipped and said, “what does Callihan have to say to Alisha after last night?”
McMahon: This character transformation is really interesting with Edwards. My guess is that he’s turning heel — even if OVE are heels, you don’t threaten to put someone’s wife in the ICU if you aren’t a heel. I would have wondered, if you told me this was the plan before they started, if Edwards had the acting chops to pull this off. So far, he’s doing really well.
[c]
— A video package aired on Pentagon Jr. winning the Impact World Title over Austin Aries and Fenix.
— The GWN Moment of the Week aired. It was Scott Steiner putting Bubba Ray Dudley through a table.
[c]
— A video package aired on DJ Z’s injury he suffered last year, and his road back to Impact Wrestling.
McMahon: Wow, that was really well done. This reminded me a lot of a package that UFC would air on one of its fighters, telling their story. This type of package tells a real-life story and will also make people bigger fans of DJ Z. It will make more people care about DJ Z, and what he wants to accomplish and achieve. Well done.
— Braxton Sutter made his ring entrance and was going to cut a promo, but Moose cut him off.
(2) BRAXTON SUTTER vs. MOOSE
Moose threw Sutter into the corner and threw a series of chops. Moose dropkicked Sutter over the top rope. Back in the ring, Sutter chopped Moose. Moose splashed Sutter in the corner and then delivered a running back elbow. Moose hit a dropkick with Sutter in the corner. Moose hit a spear for the win.
WINNER: Moose in 3:00.
McMahon: Quick, clean and decisive win for Moose. That’s what this match needed to be, considering the position of both wrestlers on the card.
Moose took the mic and congratulated Pentagon on winning the Impact World Title. Moose told Pentagon that he might be the World Champion, but Moose is Mr. Impact Wrestling, and more importantly, he’s the guy who will take the title from him.
— McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Matt Sydal. During the interview, someone yelled for help and a person was discovered unconscious. They had a red piece of paper with a black cross, circled, on top of his chest.
[c]
— LAX was in their clubhouse. They were talking about how they couldn’t find Konnan. Santana said he had Homicide on the case, and Ortiz didn’t like that. Ortiz said that they needed to get the titles back tonight. Santana said that needed to find Konnan. Ortiz said they would find Konnan after they get the titles back tonight. Santana said King hasn’t called back.
IMPACT KNOCKOUTS TITLE MATCH
(3) TAYA VALKYRIE vs. ALLIE [c]
Allie hit a charge in the corner and then a legsweep for a two count. Taya tried for a Road to Valhalla, but Allie got out. Allie hit a superkick and a codebreaker for the win.
WINNER: Allie in 4:00.
Following the match, the lights went out and an army of undead brides rolled a coffin down the ramp. Allie was distracted by the coffin and Su Yung appeared from behind her int he ring, and she attacked Allie. The lights went out again and when they came back on, Rosemary was in the ring and she had stopped the attack on Allie. Rosemary and Su Yung had a stare down and then the lights went out again. When the lights came back up, Su Yung was gone and Rosemary was in the ring … confused.
[c]
— Backstage, KM tried to convince Fallah Bahh that he changed his ways, and next week, they have a tag team match together.
— Eddie Edwards arrived at the hospital and ran through the halls to Alisha’s room. He opened the door to find Alish asleep. Edwards screamed that he wanted to know where Callihan was? Edwards screamed at Alisha, “Why would you talk to him?!?!” Alisha asked why Eddie left her alone?
Edwards ran into the hall looking for Callihan. Edwards found Callihan’s room and attacked him on the bed. Edwards tried to smother Callihan with a pillow. A doctor screamed that the police were there, and Edwards left the scene.
[c]
— A video package aired on Johnny Impact vs. Kongo Kong.
IMPACT TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH
(4) ELI DRAKE & SCOTT STEINER [c] vs. LAX
Drake and Ortiz began the match. Steiner threw Santana into the steps outside the ring.
[c]
Back from the break, Drake was choking Santana in the corner with his boot. Steiner tagged in and hit a belly-t0-belly for a two count. Steiner hit Santana with an overhead belly-to-belly from the second rope for a two count. During the match, Mathews made the announcement that Edwards was arrested. Mathews directed people to ImpactWrestling.com for more. Ortiz hit a Death Valley Driver for a two count after Santana hit a topé on Steiner. Drake took out Ortiz for the pin.
WINNER: Eli Drake & Scott Steiner in 11:00.
McMahon: It feels like, slowly but surely, Impact is beginning to rebuild Eli Drake. He still has a World Title opportunity at some point down the road, holding that Feast or Fired briefcase, and he’s beginning to earn back some of his momentum that he lost from a poorly-booked title reign last fall.
After the match, Drake grabbed a mic and said that they aren’t a fluke. Drake said that the crowd doesn’t understand that he can win the World Title any time he wants to. Steiner looked concerned when Drake said he wanted to cash in for the World Title.
Austin Aries came out on the stage with a lot of title belts, including the Grand Championship.
[c]
— Back from the break, Aries said he wasn’t out there to start trouble. He had an injured arm from Redemption. Steiner allowed Aries to get into the ring. Aries addressed Drake’s suitcase with the World Title shot. Aries said that the man makes the belt, so the Grand Championship is the most important title in Impact because he holds it. Aries said that his World Title would be coming back, because he’d beat Pentagon.
Drake responded saying that Aries lost his belt at Redemption. Drake wished Aries all the luck.
Pentagon Jr. walked out on the stage. Pentagon entered the ring and raised his World Title. Drake tried to attack Pentagon, and then Steiner attacked Aries. Drake and Steiner had early control before Pentagon Jr. tossed both Drake and Steiner to the outside. Aries spun Pentagon around and grabbed his World Title. Pentagon went to take it back but Aries held onto the belt and wouldn’t let go. He finally did, and Aries raised his Grand Championship at the same time Pentagon raised the World Title.
McMahon: That was a strange, and slow final segment. It was clunky at times and the dialogue wasn’t particularly strong. It advances what feels like a future heel turn for Aries, but on the whole, this felt like a flat ending to otherwise pretty solid two-hour show.
This was a fantastic show from start to finish. It was far better, in my opinion, than anything WWE put on this week.
What a great show! This promotion has been treading water the last few weeks, but it seems to have turned a corner by putting the focus back on Eli Drake, bringing back one of the greatest of the all-time greats in Scott Steiner, and incorporating the stars of Lucha Underground, which in my opinion has been the best booked promotion of the last several years when it comes to making the viewer want to see a given match. There is one thing that can make Impact better. Attention Don Callis and Tommy Dreamer. Two words. Joey Styles. You know I’m right.
Edwards running to the hospital and getting arrested? Wow, how WWE is that crap. Instead of trying to be an alternative to WWE they do something right out of the WWE playbook. And if Impact has trouble knowing how to book Trevor lee maybe they should watch some of his matches in CWF Mid-Atlantic and take some notes. It’s pretty obvious, so obvious that Stevie Wonder can even see it, even if Impact Creative can’t (or won’t).