New name for the company so new name for the weekly review… When I told you on Slammiversary XV results and review that Impact Wrestling was beginning a new chapter of its history, it was really true. GFW and Impact are one now. Titles had been unified and new belts are up to come. A new World Champion and Women’s Champion were crowned. Which stories Impact Wrestling is going to tell us right now? Let’s find out…
This week on Impact Wrestling is brought to you by Miss Doctor Frenchy Steph.
The show begins in LAX clubhouse. As they’re playing cards, Konnan tells his friends that tonight, they are going to have the best hand on Impact because they are going to present to the world the newest member of LAX before the night is over.
After a Slammiversary highlights video package from this past Sunday, the new Unified World Champion Alberto El Patron makes his way to the ring, accompanied by his father Dos Caras and his brother El Hijo de Dos Caras. Mexican flags are all around the ring, a bottle of champagne is on a table in the ring. Confetti falls as the three come to the ring.
Alberto tells the crowd that is a celebration and Mexicans don’t need a real reason to party because they like it. And El Patron has the reputation for throwing good parties. Mexicans are always celebrating with their families. Alberto introduces his brother El Hijo de Los Caras, that will soon join Impact Wrestling roster, and his father Dos Caras, a Legend, his best friend, his mentor and his inspiration, to the crowd.
Last week El Patron confesses he had one of the most difficult fights of his life. After 30 minutes, he defeated Lashley, thanks to the fans that supported him and gave him the strength to defeat him and become the Undisputed Champion. Because he’s a fighting champion, he launches an open challenge to anyone, from any company for his Unified Championship at any time.
Lashley comes to the ring and calls Alberto a huge egomaniac. Lashley says that when he was the champ, he came and fought week after week, he didn’t party, champagne or confetti. Lashley tells Alberto in Spanish to shut up. He claims Alberto’s victory was a fluke and then addresses Alberto’s father and brother. He threatens them to beat them up and says that a wall should be built around Alberto so that they can stay where they belong. Dos Caras slaps Lashley. Bobby laughs that Alberto’s dad hits harder than he does. Officials come out to break up Lashley and Alberto. Patron asks Lashley if he wants a fight tonight. Lashley accepts. So the world title rematch is made official for later in the evening.
Earlier in the day, Bruce Prichard met Mathews, Da Pope and Jeremy Borash to talk about their future. Mathews and Borash started bickering so Prichard cut them off. The ruling he made in India is still standing. If JB or Mathews get into any physical altercations, they will be fired. Prichard also threatened Da Pope to be fired if JB or Mathews get into a physical altercation. Prichard leaves the meeting with Tyrus by his side.
Backstage, Karen Jarrett asked Prichard why he missed Slammiversary, he told her Jeff knew and understood why.
X-DIVISION NON-TITLE MATCH – Sonjay Dutt (c) vs. Caleb Konley
Dutt and Konley went fast and both contested the first minutes of the match. Konley got the momentum when he swept out the legs of Dutt, hit leg strikes and locked Dutt on a body scissors submission hold. Konley kept the control, despite Dutt’s attempts to rally, with an inverted chin lock. Dutt broke free but Konley connected with a sunset flip, Dutt’s head hit the bottom turnbuckle. Sonjay was finally able to rally and hit a tornado DDT. Dutt reached the top rope and hit a massive cross body splash to pin Konley.
After the match, Trevor Lee came out to attack Sonjay Dutt and grab the X-Division title. He dubbed himself the new X-Division Champion and left the arena with the belt.
Backstage McKenzie Mitchell is interviewing Veterans of War, Eddie Edwards and Grado. They are going to represent the USA in an 8-Man Tag Team match. Grado is waving an American flag even if he’s not American. But Grado claims if he’s not, he loves the country and can represent it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cegycKxUG5E]
EIGHT MAN TAG TEAM MATCH- Grado, V.O.W (Mayweather & Wilcox) and Eddie Edwards vs. Eli Drake, Chris Adonis, Fallah Bahh & Mario Bokara
Wilcox opened the match by overpowering Drake with a Samoan drop. Adonis had to tag himself in to save Drake from the beating Mayweather was giving him. But he also suffered the wrath of V.O.W. Bokara was tagged in and suffered the same. Adonis was finally able to rally when Grado entered the ring.
A tagged-in Fallah Bahh and Bokara hit a tandem bodyslam on Grado and continued to work on Grado, until he escaped to tag in Edwards. Eddie got a short momentum as Baah quickly hit a cross body. All 8 men entered the ring and got involved in the action. Drake took out Grado, The VOW hit the Massive Ordinance Air Bomb on Drake, but Edwards hit a Boston Knee Party on Bokara for the win.
After the celebration, Lawyer Joseph Park came to the ring to present official papers to Grado. Grado seemed saddened by the news Park gave him, even if we don’t know which one is it. Park’s gestures let think Grado has to leave. A very unhappy Grado was consoled by Park.
Braxton Sutter w/Allie vs. Matt Sydal
A very aggressive Sutter attacked Sydal in the outset. Braxton had roughed Sydal up in the corner for long minutes but Matt rallied and targeted Sutter’s legs with kicks and a leg lariat. Sutter took control again and hit a side slam. But Sydal replied quickly with a roundhouse kick.
Sutter was knocked down so Sydal reached the top rope to go airborne and hit the shooting star press for the victory, to Allie’s dismay. She tried to console him after the match but got the brush-off by Sutter who asked her to follow him backstage.
Back with LAX at their clubhouse where Homicide asks Konnan about their new LAX member. Konnan wants to surprise everyone and compares LAX to “that blue pill because they always stay hard”.
Destination X is coming back!
Jeremy Borash is in the ring to announce the 2017 Super X Cup that will lead to Destination X event in a few weeks. He introduces the 8 participants of the single elimination tournament and the Round One of the Super X Cup. Sammy Guevara representing Cuba will compete against Lucha Libre AAA’s Drago from Mexico. ACH, from AAW promotion of Chicago, will compete against Impact Wrestling’s Andrew Everett. Pro Wrestling Noah’s Ishimori will face off against Impact’s Davey Richards. Impact’s Idris Abraham will face off against Impact’s Dezmond Xavier. And the Round One is starting right now…
SUPER X-CUP – First Round Match – Dezmond Xavier vs. Idris Abraham
Quickness, agility and high-flying manoeuvres are the perfect recipe for a great X-Division match. Xavier and Abraham offered a demonstration of it. Xavier was able to show his quickness and agility early in the match. But Abraham shortened the momentum with a dropkick in mid-air, a suicide dive and a suplex into the corner. Back from break, Abraham was still in control but Xavier rallied and went for a series of rapid combo moves. Both men then exchanged running strikes but Abraham nailed Xavier with a basement dropkick. Xavier hit a superkick, Abraham was sent headfirst into the corner turnbuckle. Xavier finally hit a twisting corkscrew splash onto Abraham for the win.
Backstage Gail Kim tells McKenzie Mitchell about her major announcement for next week. Kim says that she planned to make the announcement before she suffered a major neck injury and still has to iron out some things before making it official.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOx35L8u_es]
A video profile on Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji aired. Backstage Dezmond Xavier announces he named his finisher “The Final Flash” and says that more victories are to come for him in the tournament.
While being interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell about his match next week against Marufuji, Impact Grand Champion Moose is interrupted by EC3 who claims he deserves an Impact Grand Championship match more than Marufuji does. He labels Marufuji as an outsider. Moose tells Carter to get back in line and wait for his turn.
Unified Women’s Championship Match – Sienna (c) w/KM vs. Rebel
Sienna is announced as the Undisputed Unified Knockouts and Global Force Wrestling Women’s Champion. Rebel tried a few offensives but Sienna dominated. Rebel was able to rally a few minutes with splashes and a handspring elbow, she even tried to leap on KM who grabbed her like a feather in the wind. When Rebel was back in the ring, Sienna wrapped Rebel in her MMA-style modified guillotine choke. Rebel was forced to tap out.
IMPACT MAIN EVENT – UNIFIED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Alberto El Patron (c) vs. Bobby Lashley
Mathews announced that a brand new title will be presented in the coming weeks to replace the GFW and Impact title belts. Lashley and Alberto first battled on the outside and Lashley sent Alberto into the steel steps. Lashley kept dominating by grounding and pounding El Patron, before backflipping him to the outside. Alberto tried to rally but ended up running into the ring post shoulder first. Lashley connected with a flat liner. El Patron tried to rally again and finally gained some momentum. Alberto hit a back stabber and a 619, then set up for the “Si” kick but Lashley countered it by lifting El Patron. Lashley power bombed him for a near fall.
A frustrated Lashley allowed El Patron to regain momentum for a very short momentum as Lashley connected with a spine buster. Bobby set up for a spear but El Patron countered with a sharp elbow in the corner and a double foot stomp for a near fall. Alberto tried to set up for his cross arm breaker but Lashley countered again and connected with a swinging neck breaker. Lashley then charged at Alberto repeatedly in the corner and set him up in the tree of woe. Lashley took his time to set up for El Patron’s double foot stomp, allowing him to throw him off. El Patron tried to leap towards Lashley but he hit a spear in mid-air. Lashley put El Patron up on his shoulders, hit the Dominator and set up for the spear.
Here came LAX shows up to distracts him as Santana leapt off the ropes and Lashley catches him. Then the whole LAX jumped on Lashley and the bell is called for Disqualification.
As LAX was roughing up Lashley, Konnan grabbed the mic to call this a cracker company. Konnan announced that Alberto El Patron is the newest member of The Latin American Xchange. LAX lifted up a groggy Alberto, who fell on the mat before LAX lifted him up again, and raised his hand. LAX carried Alberto away.
All pics and screenshots courtesy of GFW Impact Wrestling