Impact Wrestling results: Elgin vs. Edwards best-of-five series begins

Impact Wrestling returns from Fronton Mexico in Mexico City for tonight’s episode. Opening video focused on Tessa Blanchard’s title win, her call out of Callihan, and Ace Austin and Taya’s challenge from last week. 

El Hijo del Vikingo defeated Josh Alexander (w/ Ethan Page)

A total power vs. speed battle. Alexander started the match bullying Vikingo with that power advantage, cutting him off when Vikingo tried to get some speed. It wasn’t long until he caught him with a springboard dropkick, rana to the outside, but when Vikingo went for a tope con giro, Alexander moved and Vikingo landed on the floor. Alexander got a two count.

Back in the ring, Alexander started working over Vikingo with strikes and stomps. Vikingo made a comeback with an impressive Armbar, but Alexander simply powerbombed him off. delayed vertical suplex by Alexander for a two count. 

They got into a slap exchange that ended with Vikingo faking out Alexander and hitting a second springboard dropkick and twisting dive to the floor. Vikingo got whipped to the guardrail, but Vikingo jumped into the rail, into the balcony, and landed a moonsault on Josh. Vikingo took out Page with a twisting Asai moonsault. Vikingo tried to follow with a dive on Alexander, but got caught and powerbombed. 

Vikingo recovered and dropped Alexander in the corner, hit a running knee to the face, and hit a 450 for a two count. Vikingo went for a rana, but Alexander blocked and powerbombed him to the knee for a two count. 

Alexander went for a second rope move, but Vikingo reversed into a rana. Alexander went for a German, but Vikingo again blocked and reversed into a roll up for a two count. Several more roll ups until Alexander went for the double underhook driver, but Vikingo fully rotated into a dragonrana for the upset pin. 

Awesome start to the show. C’mon Impact, get Vikingo a visa already. This got money treatment by the Mexican crowd.

Gabi Loren tried to interview Taya Valkyrie about tonight’s three-way no. 1 contendership match, but Taya had no comments other than Jordynne having no business being in this match.

Moose cut a promo saying that he doesn’t make excuses, but this time, the only reason he lost to Taurus was because of Rhino. Moose said that once he’s done with Taurus, he’s coming for Rhino.

Callis and Matthews ran down tonight’s card. Relevant here is that there are video issues from some ‘hacker’, most likely Callihan.

The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) defeated El Pagano & Murder Clown

Pagano and Murder Clown are way over tonight, given that they’re Mexican and Pagano kept making references to La Parka.

Wentz and Murder start the match with the latter easily getting the better of Wentz with a press slam. Wentz hit a rana on Murder, kicked the knee out of Murder and connected with a small kick. 

Dezmond and Pagano tagged in. Dezmond ran circles around Pagano until Pagano got a reverse suplex and a running neckbreaker. Pagano chopped and hit Dezmond, who then came back with a striking combo himself before tagging Wentz. Murder Clown pulled both Rascalz to the floor and set them up for Pagano’s tope con giro. 

Back in the ring, Murder and Pagano worked over Dezmond with a sloppy monkey flip into a dropkick for a two count that Wentz broke up. Pagano and Murder hit a 5150 on Wentz, which couldn’t wasn’t called as a reference to LAX. Murder Clown followed with a 619 on Dezmond, but Wentz was there to block the follow-up. Rascalz hit a double superplex on Murder, followed by a swanton by Wentz and a tornillo by Dezmond for the win. 

This was really sloppy, Pagano is terrible and Murder can’t exactly hang with the speed of The Rascalz.

Michael Elgin cut a promo on Eddie Edwards, telling him that he is the rightful owner of the trophy. He said that he doesn’t need five matches since he already beat him over and over again. He said that he’ll take the trophy and claim the World Championship.

Moose defeated Taurus

Shoulder tackles and lucha arm drags to start the match, with Taurus hitting an early rana on Moose, who came back with chops and into the chop exchange. Taurus hit a plancha to send Moose to the outside then followed with a corkscrew tope. 

Down on the floor, Moose managed to whip Taurus to the ring post, but failed to chop him and hit the post instead, but then delivered the same, faking Taurus who went headfirst into the post.

Back in the ring, Moose now had the upper hand and worked over Taurus, at one point going for Taurus’ mask. Moose went from corner to corner striking Taurus until he started getting cocky and failed to land a running elbow to the corner. Taurus took out his knee and hit the second 619 of the night, followed with a diamongiri and a slingblade for a two count.

Moose went for the discus forearm, but Taurus blocked with a striking combo. Moose went for another, but Taurus hit a headbutt. 

Moose faked out Taurus, sending him to the ring post shoulder first, then hit No Jackhammer Needed for the win. Good match.

After the match, Rhino stalked Moose and hit the Gore. 

Eddie Edwards cut a promo, addressing Elgin’s promo about him talking and talking, but he’s the one that always walks out with the trophy. Eddie said that it could be a Best of a Thousand, but in the end it’s always the same, him keeping the trophy. 

Impact Plus Flashback Moment of the Week was James Storm vs Kurt Angle from Genesis 2012. 

Gabi Loren interviewed Joey Ryan about Rob Van Dam. Ryan said that he didn’t understand RVD’s reason to go after him and claimed that it’s all because RVD is jealous and worried that Katie wants to touch ‘it’.

Taya Valkyrie came down to join commentary for the following match.

Jordynne Grace defeated Madison Rayne and Kiera Hogan to become the number one contender for the Knockouts title

Rayne and Hogan teamed up against Grace, but Jordynne easily got the better of both, striking them down, dropping Hogan with a Draping DDT, a body scissors on Rayne on to Hogan for a two count. 

Jordynne went for the Muscle Buster on Rayne, but Hogan saved her, so in exchange, Jordynne double clotheslined both. Grace couldn’t get the pin due to the numbers game. 

Rayne and Hogan finally got the upper hand with a couple of double team moves, mostly kicks and strikes while one of them either held or distracted Grace. 

Jordynne made a comeback overpowering Rayne and Hogan with a double suplex. Jordynne slapped both down, gave a scoop slam to each and delivered an ugly Grace Driver on Hogan for a two count when Rayne broke it off.

Jordynne kicked down both women again and went to the top rope, where both women managed to toss her off. Hogan hit an assisted shiranui, but both women tried to pin Jordynne and the referee had to tell them off. The distraction was enough for Jordynne to recover and use Rayne’s arm to choke Hogan for a submission tease. If you use someone’s limb to submit another, who gets the win?

Rayne and Hogan hit a kick combo on Grace to send her down to the floor and finally get a breather, but they started bickering on who should go after Grace, but again, it was enough time for Grace to recover, take out Rayne, hit the Grace Driver on Hogan, and pick up the win and right to face Taya again.

Ace Austin cut a promo showing how he has defeated Trey Miguel twice already. He brought up defeating Tessa Blanchard twice too.

Johnny Swinger approached Willie Mack and told him that they need to work on their teamwork. Mack told him off and said that Swann is his only partner. 

In the locker room, TJP got a new attire for the now thinner Fallah Bahh. TJP is wrestling Vikingo next week!

Dr. Wagner Jr. & Daga (w/ Galeno del Mal) defeated Reno Scum (Luster The Legend & Adam Thornstowe)

Daga and Thronstowe start the match with a quick sequence of counters with Daga getting the upper hand until Luster gets tagged in. Wagner tagged in but was overtaken by Luster’s power advantage,  blocking a crossbody and turning it into a Scoop Slam, followed by a headbutt for a two count. Luster went for a second rope Diving headbutt, but Wagner moved and got Daga in. 

Daga got pulled to the floor by Thornstowe and rammed to the rail to successfully cut him off from his corner. Reno Scum worked over Daga with quick tags and double team moves until Daga made a comeback using his speed to dodge and strike both men.

Wagner got the hot tag and took out both Scum members, hitting dragon screws on each. Samoan drop on Thornstowe, followed by some kind of flatliner by Daga, who then hit a corkscrew to Luster outside. Wagner hit the Wagner Driver for a two count. 

Daga came in and took a huge spinebuster by Luster and a DVD by Thownstowe for a two count, broken up by Wagner. Luster got sent out to the floor by Wagner, followed by a rolling senton. Inside the ring, Daga pinned Thornstowe with the Daga driver.

After the match, Jake and Dave Crist returned and attacked Daga and Wagner Jr, while Reno Scum held off Galeno del Mal outside the ring. oVe hit a triple team move on Daga.

Somewhere in the Undead Realm, Susie was walking around until Rosemary came up to her. Rosemary wants to help her find what Susie is looking for, telling her that maybe the answer is not in the halls, but outside. Rosemary wants to turn Susie into her disciple, which Susie agrees to. Next week, Susie vs Rosemary in a friendly exhibition.

Michael Elgin defeated Eddie Edwards in Match 1 of the Best of Five series

Match started with some mat wrestling, some shoulder tackles, and chops, but Eddie quickly focused on taking out Elgin’s knee with a low dropkick and chasing a submission. In return, Elgin went after Eddie’s arm. 

Elgin went to the floor, followed by Eddie with a suicide dive. Elgin went for a German, but Eddie landed on his feet instead. Elgin blocked a rana and slinged Eddie to the guardrail. 

Back from commercial, Elgin is beating up Eddie with forearms and clotheslines, but Eddie lands a desperation Blue Thunder Bomb to get some space to recover. Eddie drops Elgin with a dragon screw, followed with a diamongiri and a backpack stunner for a two count. Elgin transitions into a single leg crab then into an STF, but Elgin overpowers out to his feet. 

Eddie landed a big forearm and went for a Tiger Driver, but Elgin countered with a vertebreaker. 

Elgin hit a couple of running clotheslines, but failed to suplex Eddie and instead went for a series of Germans and the sliding forearm to the back to the neck for the two count. 

A buckle bomb attempt by Elgin followed, but Eddie blocked. They exchanged strikes, clotheslines, and kicks, with Eddie getting the better of Elgin. Eddie hit a Tiger Bomb, but Elgin kicked out at 2.99.

Eddie went for a top rope Frankenstiner, but Elgin countered into a top rope DVD for a two count. He then transitioned into the crossface and a set of elbows to the neck, locked in the crossface once more and submitted Edwards when Eddie passed out. Really good match.

Final Thoughts — 

Good and fun show from Impact. The Mexico shows tend to be hit or miss depending on the matches, and this one had a good set. Not a lot of storyline developments in this show, however. Josh Alexander vs Hijo del Vikingo is worth going out of your way to watch.