Impact Wrestling results: Sydal vs. Cage, Moose vs. Eli Drake
The show opened with the over-the-top entrance of Grado, accompanied by Katarina. Eddie Edwards quickly interrupted. He pulled Grado from the top rope and hit him with the Singapore cane.
Edwards called out Tommy Dreamer, calling him a fraud. Edwards was angry that Dreamer interrupted his fight in the woods with Sami Callihan last week.
Dreamer tried to use reason with Edwards. He told him to put the cane down. Edwards called the hardcore legend a fraud for wanting to stop violence when Dreamer made his reputation as a hardcore fighter. Dreamer said we know more about concussions now and head injuries now than in the 1990s.
Dreamer tried praise, telling Edwards that he had all the talent in the world to be Impact Champion. Edwards smacked Dreamer over the head with the cane. Dreamer, once recovered, walked angrily backstage and said he was quitting the promotion.
Taya Valkyrie defeated Rebel
Rebel put on a splits display throughout the match. As the heel, Valkyrie controlled the pace of much of the match. Rebel rallied to hit a Kinshasa that led two a two-count. She went for a moonsault and landed on her feet, but Valkyrie hit a spear, then a double chicken wing front face splash for the win.
An out-of-breath Valkyrie grabbed the mic and challenged Madison Rayne.
“Put your hands together and give Madison Rayne a round of applause because she is back in the Impact Zone,” she said, before telling the crowd to show up. Valkyrie called herself “Lucha royalty,” and said “This is my kingdom.”
Flashback Moment of the Week: AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe to win the X Division Championship (Unbreakable 2005)
This was a flashback match to when TNA was still the brand and they wrestled in a six-sided ring.
The crowd was totally hot for the match, which was a reminder of the talent that was once in TNA.
In one of the many highlights, Styles hit a Pele kick on Joe, put him in a torture rack backbreaker, and then dropped him on his back. Daniels saved the pin. Styles hit a Styles Clash on Daniels, but Joe broke up the pinfall. Eventually, Styles reversed a double-arm back suplex to drop Daniels on his back for the pinfall to win the X Division Championship.
Cult of Lee (Trevor Lee & Caleb Konley) defeated KM & Fallah Bahh
Bahh was over largely because of his physique, a short, round guy. Commentator Josh Mathews said KM and Bahh were being recruited by Hollywood for a film. During his entrance, Bahh picked up a sign that said “#fat kids rule the world.”
There were lots of double team spots with Bahh and KM working over either Konley or Lee. At one point both members of Cult of Lee were laid out inside the ring and the hefty Bahh rolled over them — twice.
Cult of Lee won after Bahh got his eyes raked, and then, unable to see, gave KM a Samoan drop, when KM was trying to help him. Konley pinned KM.
Bahh and KM argued after the match. KM pushed Bahh to the ground and then said he was “done” before walking away from the ring.
Moose defeated Eli Drake
The match took place from the old ECW Arena in Philadelphia. On the line was a title shot against Austin Aries at Slammiversary.
This was a long, methodical match. There was a good spot where Moose swung Drake by the legs, Cesaro style, into the guard rails on the outside of the ring.
Drake hit a cool superplex, but Moose kicked out.
Moose won after a spear for the pin on Drake, and will now challenge Aries at Slammiversary.
Tessa Blanchard defeated Kiera Hogan in a no DQ match
Hogan got the match started quickly with several elbows to Blanchard’s chest outside the ring. Hogan, wearing red and yellow, landed several stiff right hands.
This was a no disqualification match. Blanchard eventually turned the tide, hitting Hogan with two hard dropkicks into her back, as she was leaning up against the ropes.
The two exchanged several hardcore spots using a steel chair.
Blanchard won after throwing Hogan face first onto a steel chair for the pin.
El Hijo Del Fantasma defeated Jake Crist
Fantasma is the AAA Latin American Champion. Not much of a match. Fantasma won with a flying body scissors that he transitioned into a roll-up for the win.
After the match, brother Dave Crist and Sami Callihan triple teamed Fantasma, nearly removing his mask. The lights dimmed and out came Pentagon, chasing Callihan and the Crist brothers from the scene.
X-Division Champion Matt Sydal defeated Brian Cage by countout
Mathews noted that Brian Cage beat Bobby Lashley twice recently. Sydal, with his long hair, was looking a lot like Dolph Ziggler
The match consisted of Sydal trying to stick and move while Cage stalked him. Sydal used his quickness to hit a kick to the head and then a splash. Cage ,however, popped up, and then curled him several times like he was a barbell, before dumping him on his back. Cage then delivered 10 clotheslines to Sydal against the corner turnbuckle.
The match was then interrupted by Jimmy Jacobs and Kongo Kong, who stood on the ramp. Thanks to their presence, Sydal rallied
Cage hit a superplex from the bottom rope inside of the ring. Sydal tried a hurricanrana and Cage caught him and threw him into the turnbuckle.
Cage was exhausted during the match. It spilled to the outside and, when the referee wasn’t looking, Kong threw Cage into the steel steps, forcing Cage to lose by countout. It was Cage’s first loss.