IMPACT HITS AND MISSES 10/11: Kingston and Konnan, Allie’s upcoming trip to the Undead Realm, Grado vs. Maximo, go-home Bound for Glory hype

IMPACT HITS

Konnan and Kingston: Excellent work here from Konnan and Eddie Kingston to close out the show. I know I’ve said similar things in the past, but if wrestling had an equivalent to the Oscars, both men would be nominated for Best Actor for their work in this feud. There’s no one in WWE who comes close to feeling as real and edgy as they do. Usually you would expect the World Championship hype to close out the go-home to the pay-per-view, but there was simply no way Johnny Impact and Austin Aries could top this. If Impact had aired more segments like this one, and less Grado-type campy comedy in 2018, maybe they wouldn’t have found themselves ousted from their time slot.

Willie Mack: Personally, I wish they would have just waited for the pay-per-view to reveal Rich Swann’s partner. It was one of the few hooks going into the show. Plus, the intro video for him was about as low-rent as you get. It looked like an editor took about 15 minutes, threw a purple background on the screen and typed “Willie Mack” in yellow letters. Still, Mack is more charismatic than everyone else in his tag match, and if booked right, could be a major player in the promotion.

Four-Way X Division Match: Very minor hit here. On the plus side, there was some good action, and Jack Evans made his return to the ring for the promotion after many years away (they should consider bringing him in on a weekly basis). However, the X Division title isn’t going to be defended at Bound for Glory, which made this a bit pointless. And as far as we know, Scarlett Bordeaux’s talent search isn’t going to end at the event either, meaning her involvement was also unnecessary. Unless a Petey Williams/Bordeaux pairing does much for you, there wasn’t much to get excited about here.

The Six-Man Tag: We’ve seen this type of set-up a million times over the years, but overall, it was an effective way to build towards Sunday. The heels have some heat going into the pay-per-view and the match itself was an entertaining one to watch. Poor Fallah Bahh, though, he’s one of the top faces in the promotion and doesn’t have a match on the biggest show of the year! No! No! No!

Impact Misses:

Grado vs. Maximo: Will two men kiss each other? That was the hook for this match. In 2018. Sure, if Vince McMahon tuned in, he probably would have fallen off the couch laughing. Most viewers probably hoped family members or friends didn’t walk into the room while they were watching and question their sanity. Scott D’Amore and Don Callis should be embarrassed for booking this. Grado should be embarrassed for agreeing to take part in it. Josh Mathews should be embarrassed for having to pretend it was funny. Now, this match would have been a mistake to air at any point in the year, but putting it on TV three days before Bound for Glory? Are they insane?! Even if some people did enjoy the comedy, just look at it from a continuity point of view. What in the hell did this have to do with Murder Clown destroying Grado and Joe Hendry last week? Where was Katarina? Why was all that TV time invested if they weren’t going to promote anything involving those four players at the pay-per-view? Callis and D’Amore are not the saviors this promotion needs. Right now it seems more likely that they will be remembered as the ones to put the final nail in the coffin in this long-troubled company. That’s something that Jeff Jarrett, Dixie Carter and Vince Russo couldn’t do. And when crap like this is booked, I don’t feel the least bit sorry for them losing their time slot. I feel bad for every man and woman on the roster for having to suffer from their inept booking and dated sense of humor.

Singh vs. Raju: You see, it was absolutely vital to air this match on the go-home for Bound for Glory because…well, because obviously….ah, I got nothing. Wouldn’t this time have been better served letting Sami Callihan or Pentagon Jr. promote their upcoming match at the show? 

Allie’s Upcoming Trip: Ahhh, the Undead Realm, the place where the careers of most Impact wrestlers current reside. After 16 years of ordering pay-per-views from this company, I’m really starting to question my life’s decisions. Where did I go so wrong? Now, if you’re going to do write and shoot something like this and, I don’t know, try and make it spooky, then go all in! But Impact can’t help winking at the camera and goofing off at every possible opportunity. “You know how much heat I’ll get from the office?” James Mitchell asked. This is because Callis and D’Amore like this type of humor, because it involves them, even though it has nothing to do with the storyline. This is called narcissism. They shouldn’t be breaking the fourth wall to let the viewers know this is all just in good fun. Because, again, fans are paying to watch this play out! If you want Allie to be a horror figure, then go for it. If you want to goof around, then put it online for free. A complete waste of the talented James Mitchell and a waste of the once fun Allie character.

Overall Show: Not long ago, I was higher on the potential of Impact than I had been since the Billy Corgan era. Now I’m about as pessimistic as I’ve ever been. After a string of strong shows a couple months ago, the company has limped into Bound for Glory with a head-scratching card and a mess of storylines that simply aren’t compelling. Thanks for trying Konnan and Kingston, it’s just too bad so few people are watching your work because of how bad everything else is. 3/10