Impact Wrestling results: X Division title on the line

This was the first episode from Impact’s tapings in Las Vegas, Nevada. The in-ring action on the show was strong, with several stories kicking off towards January’s Homecoming pay-per-view.

The cold open recapped Brian Cage going to Rockstar Pro to find Sami Callihan and getting taken out by Callihan’s crew. It also touched on Moose defeating Eddie Edwards last week and covered Johnny Impact defending the World Championship against Killer Kross. 

Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard defeated Ray Lyn in a non-title match

Lyn is a Pittsburgh-area indie wrestler. Blanchard started the match by pushing in Lyn with a lock-up, but Lynn showed some speed and managed to get some offense in. Blanchard quickly cut her off, dropping her with a military press and a cutter.

Blanchard continued working Lyn’s back with a kick. Lyn made a comeback and hit a top rope hurricanrana, but Blanchard was able to regain control of the match. The finish saw Blanchard hit a turnbuckle bomb and the Buzzsaw DDT for the win. This was good for the time it got. Lyn didn’t get to do much, but what she did, it looked great.

After the match, Blanchard cut a promo on Taya Valkyrie. She said that Valkyrie just keeps coming up with excuses because she can’t win the title. Blanchard said she is a better Knockouts Champion than Valkyrie could ever be and that Valkyrie won’t be more than Johnny Impact’s wife.

Valkyrie came out to confront Blanchard, but she ran away. 

Valkyrie got the mic. She defended being Johnny Impact’s wife, saying she is also the Guera Loca and La Perra del Mal. Valkyrie said she spoke with Impact Wrestling’s management and they have signed a title match between Blanchard and Valkyrie for Homecoming.

Fallah Bahh and KM talked about needing to win something tonight. KM told Bahh that they got a match with LAX tonight, and if they win, they get a title match and will be one step closer to being with Scarlett Bordeaux.

The Rascalz did a That 70’s Show/stoner-style segment and were talking about what their name should be. Dezmond Xavier got a text that they have a match in two weeks. There was a laugh track here for some reason. This came out looking good, but let’s see how a stoner gimmick gets over.

Impact Tag Team Champions LAX (w/ Konnan) defeated Fallah Bahh & KM in a non-title match

This was all back and forth, with Bahh and KM getting a lot of good offense — but coming short at the end. Bahh and Santana started the match. Santana used his speed to try and headlock Bahh, but Bahh busted out some quickness himself and, thanks to his size, completely blocked Santana’s attempt at a shoulder block.

They traded arm drags, and Bahh actually got the upper hand on this lucha exchange. Santana dodged a Banzai Drop and went for a moonsault, but Bahh rolled out of it. Don Callis put him over as moving like a junior heavyweight. Santana offered to shake Bahh’s hand, then snuck an enzuigiri to finally gain control.

Ortiz came in and they double teamed Bahh a bit, but Bahh turned it around on both of them and got KM in for the Steam Rollers. Bahh and KM started working on Ortiz with quick tags, but Ortiz managed to get out and drop them with a DDT/dropkick combo before tagging in Santana.

LAX started working over KM, but once again they traded control when KM dropped them with a double suplex. Bahh came in and took it to both of them with butt thrusts to the corners. KM and Bahh hit an assisted Samoan drop for a near fall and prepped for a second rope Banzai Drop, but once again, Santana got out of it and took out Bahh.

Ortiz came in and LAX hit a moonsault/leg drop combo on KM for the win. This had a lot of fast-paced action.

Heather Monroe, from The Killer Baes, was interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell. Monroe is debuting tonight vs. Su Yung. Monroe introduced herself and sounded confident. Kiera Hogan interrupted her and warned her that Yung is not like anyone else on the roster. She told Monroe to be careful out there.

Bordeaux was arriving to the arena. Some guy wanted a picture with her, but some other random guy defended her. Bordeaux claimed she recognized this person and took him with her.

Konnan and company headed to the back and were making fun of Santana for getting out-wrestled by Bahh. They talked about the OGz and about not seeing them for a while. Konnan said that Pentagon Jr. and Fenix took them out for good. Santana and Ortiz told Konnan that they want to give Pentagon and Fenix a title shot at Homecoming. Konnan told them not right now and walked out.

The GWN Flashback Moment of the Week was Sami Callihan’s debut during LAX vs. oVe at Bound for Glory 2017.

Matt Sydal and Ethan Page were seemingly outside the building. Sydal said that everything is again on their side as he gets a match with Johnny Impact tonight and he’ll show that his third eye makes him better.

It was announced that Homecoming PPV tickets are going on sale on Monday.

The Desi Hit Squad were all relaxing at a hotel and talking about food. Gama Singh talked about Indian food, then Rohit Raju brought up Thanksgiving food. Gama Singh talked him down about there being nothing to be thankful about. Next week, they’re going to ruin Thanksgiving. 

Eli Drake came down to the ring. He cut his promo about being the “Last of a Dying Breed” and said that he has dropped the lawsuit since it was all a plan to lure in Joseph Park and Abyss. He ran down wrestling by saying that it’s full of skinny kids and fat slobs, but all the fans want is Eli Drake.

Drake blamed Abyss for all the new guys thinking that taking crazy bumps is what it takes to be a superstar in wrestling today. He claimed that he will get rid of all the stunts and garbage and bring back wrestling. Tommy Dreamer came out and interrupted Drake as he was finishing up. 

Drake ran down Dreamer, calling Dreamer the prime example of what he is trying to get rid of. Dreamer went with the skinny jeans millennial diss on Dreamer. Dreamer put over hardcore wrestling and put over Konnan for introducing Eddie Guerrero to ECW and thus all the lucha revolution started.

Dreamer brought up Sabu, Mick Foley, and finally put over Abyss for being hardcore. Dreamer said that the most hardcore are actually the fans who pay to come to the shows. 

Drake came back by saying that Dreamer is just jealous that he could never touch what Drake can do with the mic and in the ring, to which Dreamer got heated and said he would rather fight. They teased wrestling, but Drake walked out. What’s with wrestlers going after millennials this week?

Josh Mathews mentioned that next week, we’re getting another Turkey suit match between Team Eli Drake and Team Fallah Bahh.

Alisha Edwards confronted Moose. She told Moose that Eddie Edwards is on his way and that for the best of everyone, Moose should leave. Moose, looking like a million dollars, told Alisha that if Eddie comes in, he’ll simply call 911 and get rid of him, so she doesn’t have to worry.

The referees were talking backstage saying that they can’t allow what happened with Tessa Blanchard to happen again and they agreed that this may be an unsafe working environment. Bordeaux walked by, hypnotized them, and tried to show off.

Bordeaux told them that what she likes the most is power and authority, and a man that can impose that authority. This is the perfect type of small comment that would be great to become something in the ring. She still had that random guy from outside, but he was shirtless and all drawn on.

Impact World Champion Johnny Impact defeated Matt Sydal (w/ Ethan Page) in a non-title match

The match started with both men measuring each other and chain wrestling for control. They did the usual junior heavyweight opening that ended with Sydal kicking Impact out of the ring and finally taking control of the match. Inside the ring, Sydal worked over Impact’s left leg via submissions and kicks. Sydal hyper extended Impact’s knee and hit a quick dropkick for a two count. 

Impact started to make a comeback by dropping Sydal with a backbreaker. Impact’s offense was mostly strikes and kicks, earning a two count after a knee to the face. Impact hit a sliding German suplex and set up Starship Pain, but he got distracted with Page, so Sydal rolled him up for two.

Impact blocked Sydal and once again went for Starship Pain, but Page pulled Sydal out of the ring, so Impact jumped over the turnbuckle and took out Page. 

Sydal used the distraction to take control of Impact. He dropped Impact with a kick and was preparing for the Shooting Star Press. Impact blocked him and went for a Spanish Fly, Sydal blocked it and countered with a Meteora, but he couldn’t capitalize. Sydal went for the Here We Go Driver, but Impact countered and finally managed to hit Starship Pain to pick up the win. Great match, if only they could get more time. 

Killer Kross then came down to the ring. Kross was over with the crowd tonight, this being his hometown, saying this is the voice of Sin City. He told Impact that tonight he won’t rip his head off. Instead, he accepts his defeat from last week’s match. The fans chanted for another match.

Kross realizes that perhaps he may not be the catalyst of change, and maybe Johnny Impact is. Kross said if he can’t make things change, he can make sure Impact can. 

Kross put over Impact as a role model. He told Impact that everyone is out there chasing Impact, except him. And when Impact needs help, Impact can call him. Kross offered a handshake, but Impact instead turned it down and told Kross that he doesn’t trust Kross and wants nothing to do with him.

In any other city, this would had made Impact a big babyface. But being in Kross’ hometown, it made Impact look like a jerk. It gives Kross a good reason to keep chasing Impact though. 

Katarina walked in on Jordynne Grace training. She tried to recruit Grace as a team and was talking nice until she casually said that on a different night, she could have won their match. Grace responded by telling Katarina that they may as well fight again in two weeks and find out.

As Alisha threatened, Eddie Edwards indeed got to the arena and went after Moose, but Eddie got taken by bunch of psychiatric nurses. Eddie is off to a mental hospital.

Su Yung defeated Heather Monroe

Even after getting an interview, Monroe didn’t get her entrance. Yung started the match with control. She set Monroe up in a Tree of Woe and hit a neckbreaker from it for a near fall. Yung immediately went for the glove. Monroe got a small hope spot with a series of strikes and kicks, but Yung dodged one of her kicks, slapped Monroe, and hit the Panic Switch. Yung locked the Mandible Claw on for the submission win. 

Yung kept the claw locked in after, but Kiera Hogan came out for the save. Suddenly, we got the “Psycho Bunny” Allie out. She was wearing all black and half of her face was painted like Rosemary. She has a new song too. Hogan was distracted by Allie, and Yung attacked her from behind with the Panic Switch.

Yung and Allie walked to the back together arm-and-arm, confirming that Su Yung owns Allie’s soul.

X Division Champion Brian Cage defeated Sami Callihan (w/ oVe) to retain his title

Callihan tried to jump Cage, but Cage dropped him with a clothesline first. Cage started tossing Callihan around the ring. Callihan hit a hurricanrana, so Cage showed off with a rana and a dropkick. Cage went for a powerbomb, but Callihan blocked it — only to be taken out again with a series of kicks. 

Cage went for a running lariat, but Dave Crist held his leg from the apron, causing the referee to impose his authority and kick both Crists out to the back. Cage was still on the floor and Callihan went for a senton from the apron, but Cage caught him in mid-air and dropped him with a suplex to the floor. 

Back from commercial, we saw that Callihan dropped Cage with a piledriver on the apron, rammed Cage’s knee into the steps, and with a submission hold, tweaked Cage’s knee. A limping Cage got a near fall with a powerbomb on Callihan. He went for another, but Cage countered into a guillotine lock.

Callihan hit a running DVD into the turnbuckle that looked terrible for Cage’s neck. Callihan went for a piledriver, Cage countered into a German, and Callihan countered into an ankle lock that Cage easily escaped. Cage hit a deadlift suplex from the apron and the F5 for a near fall as Callihan got his foot on the rope.

Callihan started hitting Cage like in their Bound For Glory match, then followed up with a piledriver for a near fall. He transitioned into the ankle lock again, dropping to the mat, but Cage actually dragged him to the rope for the break. Callihan got to the second rope, going for the Canadian Destroyer, but Cage blocked it — only to take a Code Red for a near fall.

Cage no sold and got up. He dropped Callihan with a powerbomb and the Drill Claw for the win. It seemed like we missed a lot during the commercial and the finish felt rushed, but from what we got, this seemed like a good match.

After the match, Cage took the mic and said that at Homecoming, he is cashing in Option C and wants a shot at Johnny Impact’s World Championship. I didn’t know that was still a thing or that it could be used outside of Destination X, but we got ourselves a main event for Homecoming. I do believe that the X Division Championship is now officially vacated and Cage and Callihan’s feud is done for now.