8/30 IMPACT WRESTLING RESULTS: “Redefined” Themed Episode, Moose & Edwards vs. Aries & Kross, Cage vs. Fenix

MCMAHON’S IMPACT WRESTLING REPORT
August 30, 2018
Taped from Toronto, Ontario (Rebel Complex)
Aired on Pop TV

Announcers: Josh Mathews & Don Callis

Immediately following Impact on POP TV, head over to pwtorchlivecast.com and listen to Mike McMahon and Andrew Soucek break down this week’s Impact and talk anything and everything Impact Wrestling on the Thursday PWTorch Livecast. Call the show at 515-605-9345 or listen online at pwtorchlivecast.com 

— The show opened with a music video hyping the matches for tonight.

— A special “Impact Redefined” opened aired, with different music.

(1) BRIAN CAGE vs. FENIX (w/ Pentagon Jr.) — X Division Championship Match

Mathews pointed out that Cage has never been pinned or submitted (he did lose via DQ a few months ago). Fenix bridged under a clothesline after taking a tackle from Cage. Cage hit Fenix with a 619. Fenix rolled Cage to the outside and set up for a dive but Cage dove back in the ring and took Fenix’s head off with a lariat. Cage suplexed Fenix into the ring from the apron, off the second rope. Cage tossed Fenix over his head to the mat. Fenix hit a springboard spinning side kick to the jaw. Fenix hit a rolling cutter on the ramp and then a double-footed stomp off the ramp to Cage on the outside of the ring. Fenix hit a swanton bomb but he delayed going for the cover and Cage kicked out. Cage hit a superkick and then dropped Fenix from a torture rack onto the mat for a two count. Fenix countered Weapon X for a two count. Fenix hit a double stomp for a two count. Cage hit Fenix with a Death Valley Driver for a two count after Fenix’s foot fell on the rope, and the referee noticed it. Cage went for a superplex to the outside but Fenix blocked it and landed a kick. Fenix hit Cage with a stomp to the back, which sent him to the floor. Fenix went for a dive but Cage caught him in a suplex position and Cage dropped him on the outside.

[c]

(McMahon: How can you go to commercial right now?! For reasons like this, I hate that WWE, Impact, ANYONE, goes to commercial break in the middle of the match. This match is progressing at a rapid pace, with huge moves on both sides. The commercial at this spot doesn’t make me want to “stay tuned” in fear of missing the finish … it’s aggravating me because I know I’m probably missing something great. Now, for all we know, the television viewer misses absolutely nothing (Impact is a taped show, after all), but that’s not the point. The point is, there’s the perception that the viewer is missing a piece of the match. If the match is that important (and it’s supposed to be), why are you taking a commercial break in the middle of it? When’s the last time Bellator or UFC took a commercial in the middle of a round? Go watch a soccer game … they go 45 minutes of game time without commercial because there are no stoppages. This isn’t a criticism only for Impact, it’s across wrestling. It’s dumb. Be better. Your match is too important for viewers to miss big portions of it).

Back from the break, Cage is in the ring and he went for a cover and a two count. The crowd chanted “Fight Forever!” Cage pulled Fenix up to the top rope and hit a top-rope powerbomb for the win.

WINNER: Brian Cage retains via pinfall in 16:00 ****

(McMahon: Good luck to everyone trying to follow that. In all honesty, after watching this match unfold and the crowd reaction, I’m not sure it wouldn’t have been better off in the main event. Mathews and Callis were good here, with Mathews asking Callis technical questions about the match, such as whether or not Cage was trying to be strategic when going for the discus clothesline again, after Fenix blocked it earlier in the match. I was glad to see that they ended the match on the top-rope powerbomb, and he didn’t go for the discus clothesline again as a finish, because the top-rope powerbomb was insane!)

After the match, OVE attacked Pentagon Jr. and Fenix. Cage, who was up at the stage posing for the crowd, walked back to the ring and looked on for a moment before turning and walking back up the ramp. Cage got back to the top of the stage and turned around, dropping the X-Division Title and then hitting the ring. Cage took out the Crist brothers with a double clothesline and then hit Callihan with a discus clothesline. Cage hit Jake Crist with a Drill Claw. Callis said that Cage dismantled OVE by himself.

Fenix and Pentagon got to their feet and raised Cage’s hand.

— At ringside, Mathews and Callis reset the show. Behind the announce team, the crowd chanted, “We Want Jericho!” and the announcers acknowledged it, saying “I’ll call him right now.”

— A recap aired of the Edwards/Moose, Kross/Aries segment from last week.

[c]

— Mathews recapped, with highlights, the opening match of the night.

— Backstage, some guy named “Bobo” drove up to the parking attendant, who told him he wasn’t on the list and he couldn’t come in. Scarlett Bordeaux stepped out of the car, with a smoke effect, and told the man “open sesame,” to which the gate opened.

— A promo aired for the Jericho Cruise.

— The GWN Moment of the Week aired … it was the debut of Drew Galloway.

— Mathews recapped the video of Richie getting run over by the OGz.

— The OGz were in their hangout, and Hernandez was really shaken up about hitting the kid. King exploded and called Richie a casualty of war. King said Konnan went soft, and he was yelling at Hernandez and said he couldn’t go soft like Konnan. King got a phone call … he hung up and told Homicide and Hernandez not to make any moves until King gave them the green light.

[c]

(McMahon: At least Richie is alive. … So they didn’t kill a kid on TV, they just ran him over. It was an attempt to get someone over, by putting someone else under. Get it?)

— A promo aired on Allie vs. Tessa Blanchard vs Su Yung.

— Eli Drake came to the ring in street clothes. Drake brought to the ring the two guys who beat Trevor Lee and Caleb Konley last week. The crowd chanted, “They are Dummies!” … Drake said they might be able to join the Impact roster, but they needed to accomplish one more task. Drake took out both men with the Gravy Train.

[c]

— Moose and Eddie Edwards were interviewed backstage by Alicia Atout.

(2) SU YUNG (w/ undead bridesmaids) vs. ALLIE (w/ Kiera Hogan) vs. TESSA BLANCHARD — Knockouts Championship Match

Allie superkicked Su Yung from the apron and the bridesmaids caught her and put her back up … that was a neat spot. There was a triple submission, when Tessa locked an Indian Death Lock on Allie and Su snatched an armbar on Su. Allie made it to the rope to break all the submissions. Tessa press slammed Yung onto the bridesmaids. Allie hit a superkick and Yung grabs Tessa with the claw. Tessa battled out and rolled up Allie, grabbing tights, for the win.

WINNER: Tessa Blanchard becomes the new Knockouts Champion via pinfall

— Tessa Blanchard is interviewed backstage and said she exposed Allie. Tessa said she is now the measuring stick for the division.

— Gama Singh finds the Desi Hit Squad backstage and begins to beat them with a broom, saying they disgraced him and their nation.

— Aries and Kross are interviewed backstage by Alicia Atout.

— LAX was in their clubhouse and Ortiz said it wasn’t right what the OGz did to Richie. Konnan said that King doesn’t care about the rules (no kids, no families). Konnan’s cell phone rings and he tells LAX not to do anything until he says so. Ortiz and Santana don’t think everything is OK, but they were going to wait for Konnan to give them a go.

— It was time for the Smokeshow with Scarlett Bordeaux.

Grado, Katarina and Joe Hendry are the guests this week. Scarlett kisses Katarina and calls her gorgeous. Hendry said he wrote music to explain everything about their situation. Scarlett whispers something to Grado, who squeezes his water bottle and it explodes. He runs off and Katarina wants to know what just happened? Scarlett gave her advise about men, but Katarina said that she had some advice … don’t get between her and her men. Katarina stormed off and Scarlett said, “I already did.”

(McMahon: Seriously … is this a rib? Is Vince Russo back in the company?)

(3) PETEY WILLIAMS vs. RICH SWANN

Josh Mathews said that Rich Swann had signed a two-year deal with the company recently. The announcers again plugged the Jericho Cruise. Swann hit a running kick to Williams’ face and then a stomp for a two count. Williams swept Swann’s leg to the ground. Williams threw back elbows but Swann locked his legs and tried for a pin but only got two. Williams locked Swann in the Sharpshooter. Williams tried for a rollup but only got two … Swann hit a standing Shooting Star Press for the win.

WINNER: Rich Swann via pinfall.

Swann rolled to the outside and celebrated after the match. Mathews and Callis surmised that Williams going for the Canadian Destroyer may have hurt him tonight. Mathews wondered if Swann earned Williams’ respect.

— Mathews and Callis were at ringside trying to determine what was going on with LAX and the OGz.

— Backstage, Swann said that he’s close to earning an X-Division Championship match after beating Williams. Matt Sydal walked in and said he wanted to be the champion. Sydal said that Swann doesn’t understand what it means to be champion. Sydal offered to help Swann navigate the waters of being a champion. There was screaming and Moose was found knocked out, with the Killer Kross red card next to him.

(4) EDDIE EDWARDS vs. AUSTIN ARIES & KILLER KROSS

The main event will be (apparently) a handicap match with Moose knocked out backstage. Edwards tried to dive on Aries but Kross caught him with a knee. Callis called Aries and Kross two of the most dangerous men in the world. Edwards was isolated in the corner and Kross tagged in. Aries drove an elbow into Kross’ head off the top rope. Edwards pulled Aries tights to prevent him from tagging in Kross. Edwards knocked Kross off the apron and hit a Thunder Bomb on Aries for a two count. Kross flew over the top rope when Edwards ducked a clothesline. Edwards reversed a brainbuster and hit Aries with a dive to the outside. Kross suplexed Edwards on the outside. Edwards hits a Tiger Bomb on Aries and both men were down. Kross was looking for a tag. Moose appeared from backstage and he was bandaged up. Kross dropped down when Aries went for a tag. Moose got tagged in and he squared off with Aries, who was left alone by Kross. Moose grabbed Aries but turned around and speared Edwards. Kross and Aries began laughing and Moose ripped off his bandage. He wasn’t hurt at all. Moose mounted Edwards and began throwing punches. Moose smirked as Aries jawed at Edwards. Moose threw Edwards to the outside and Aries grabbed a chair, while Kross sat at ringside laughing. Moose and Kross picked up Edwards and Aries wrapped a chair around his head and neck. Aries grabbed a chair and gave it to Moose, and Moose smashed the chair that was wrapped around Eddie’s head.

WINNER: Apparent no-contest.

— Alisha Edwards came out to check on Eddie. Alisha screamed at Moose and slapped him. Callis screamed that she better be careful. Moose locked his fist after Alisha slapped him and Callis screamed “go to break!” but then Moose instead did his signature fist pump. Aries, Kross and Moose celebrated at ringside as the show went off the air.