WEEKLY OVERVIEW – IMPACT WRESTLING (thru 11/9): Impact viewership rebounding a bit in new timeslot, Josh Matthews downplays timeslot change, schedule, big event updates, social media, interview highlights, commentary on Homecoming

The following is the latest in a new series of weekly in-depth articles exclusive to PWTorch which will help put in perspective major wrestling promotions with a weekly overview, looking at news and roster developments, results, future line-ups, social media activity, key interviews, plus a timely commentary at the end. We will be featuring similar features on other promotions each week and each will be updated weekly.

•Top Stories of the Week

• Thursday’s Impact Wrestling episode, drew 129,000 viewers which is up 23 percent from last week’s 105,000 viewers. (Source: ProWrestling.net)
• Next Thursday, Johnny Impact will go one-on-one with former X Division champion, Matt Sydal, reports Impact Wrestling’s website.
• Impact officials are looking for a potential new TV partner, reports PWInsider.com.
• Impact announced a partnership with House of Glory, for WrestleMania weekend. Culture Clash 2019 will take place on April 4, 2019.
• Battle of Brooklyn was announced by Impact Wrestling this week and will take place on Jan. 25, 2019.
• Lucha Underground ring announcer Melissa Santos announced that she will be working with Impact Wrestling in the future.

•Live Event Results

• No new shows since the New York tapings.

•Upcoming Major Show Line-up: Homecoming in Nashville

Impact Homecoming
January 6, 2019
Nashville, Tenn. at the Fairgrounds

• No matches announced.

•Upcoming Events

• 11/11/2018 – Impact Vegas, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
• 11/12/2018 – Impact Vegas, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
• 11/13/2018 – Impact Vegas, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
• 11/30/2018 – Gold Rush, Newark Pavilion, Newark, Calif.
• 12/1/2018 – One Night Only: Back to Cali, Salinas Pal Youth Center, Salinas, Calif.
• 1/6/2019 – Homecoming, The Asylum, Nashville, Tenn.
• 1/7/2019 – Impact Live, The Asylum, Nashville, Tenn.
• 1/25/2019 – Battle of Brooklyn, St. Pats CYO Sports, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• 1/26/2019 – One Night Only: New Beginnings, Holy Family Academy, Hazleton, Pa.
• 3/22/2019 – IMPACT Tapings, St. Clair College, Windsor, Ont.
• 3/23/2019 – IMPACT Tapings, St. Clair College, Windsor, Ont.
• 4/4/2019 – Culture Clash 2019, 9112 144th Place, Queens, N.Y.

•Latest TV Highlights: (11/8 Impact Wrestling)

Impact Wrestling’s “Final Hour” from Nov. 8, 2018, from The Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. Aired on Pop TV at 10 p.m. EST.

Announcers: Josh Matthews and Don Callis.

• (1) Lucha Bros defeated OGz (w/King)
• Backstage, Konnan congratulated the Lucha Bros on their win and invited them to the LAX party.
• (2) Jordynne Grace defeated Katarina
• -Brian Cage arrived at the Rockstar pro arena in Dayton, Ohio.
• (3) Brian Cage (c) defeated Sami Callihan via disqualification; Cage retained the X Division Championship.
• After the match, multiple Ohio wrestlers attacked Cage. Callihan piledrived Cage, then posed with the title, while the crowd chanted oVe.
• Mckenzie Mitchell interviewed Moose and Killer Kross.
• (4) Moose defeated Eddie Edwards
• A video packaged aired where Allie left with Su Yung and James Mitchell.
• In the ring, Eli Drake cut a promo and Joseph Park was with him. Park said he filed a class action lawsuit against Impact Wrestling LLC. Drake attacked Park from behind, then he repeatedly hit Park with a steel chair.
• Backstage, Mckenzie Mitchell interviewed Johnny Impact. He warned Killer Kross that he has his own calling card, Starship Pain.
• (5) Johnny Impact (c) defeated Killer Kross – Impact World Championship match.

•Latest PWTorch Podcast covering Impact Wrestling

PWTorch.com’s Mike McMahon and Andrew Soucek discuss Impact Wrestling! They take listener emails on the GWN App, Desi Hit Squad, Killer Kross, and Willie Mack. They also talk about Tessa Blanchard retaining her Knockouts Title, LAX defending the tag titles, as well as Pentagon vs. Homicide and more! They open the show discussing Impact’s 98,000 viewership last week, and if this could be the beginning of the end for them on Pop TV.

-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “PWTorch” or “Pro Wrestling Torch” on your podcast app of choice

•Impact in the Media

-Johnny Impact was interviewed on this week’s WINCLY podcast. He mentioned the Impact roster are supposed to say very little regarding Austin Aries.

-Rich Swann joined David LaGreca and Mark Henry on Busted Open this Friday. He discussed his time in Japan, working different styles, and bouncing back after his WWE release.

•Closing Commentary

Starting Sunday Impact Wrestling will hold three consecutive nights of TV Tapings in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will be the last set of TV Tapings for Impact in 2018. By the end of Tuesday’s taping we will have an idea on what the Homecoming card will look like.

Impact announced Brian Cage will defend his X Division championship against Sami Callihan, next week. Also on next week’s show, Johnny Impact will face Matt Sydal in a non-title match. Tessa Blanchard, LAX, and Eli Drake are all scheduled to appear on the first Impact from Las Vegas.

January’s pay-per-view, Homecoming, will take place on January 6, 2019, from The Asylum. This marks the first TNA/Impact PPV held in January, since Genesis back in 2013. Which was co-main evented by Sting defeating D.O.C. (Luke Gallows) in six minutes. For reference, Bullet Club didn’t exist the last time Impact promoted a PPV in January.

This is a big deal for Impact, promoting a show in January is a step in the right direction. With the success of Redemption this past April, and the announcement of Homecoming, it seems Impact will run Quarterly PPVs in 2019.

If Impact can land on a bigger network in 2019 and promote quarterly PPVs, they could possibly overtake ROH as the second largest promotion in the United States. There are multiple “what if” scenarios that need to occur before this could be a reality, but it doesn’t hurt to think about.

NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.

OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S IMPACT OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – IMPACT WRESTLING (thru 11/3): Impact viewership tops 100,000, Josh Matthews downplays timeslot change, schedule, big event updates, social media, interview highlights, commentary

Landon Pipkin has been a pro wrestling MMA fan for over a decade. e is from Raleigh, North Carolina. Find him on Twitter @pipkinbrand. Email: pipkinlandon@gmail.com