Last week, LAX broke the news about their new member. And it was no other than Unified GFW  World Heavyweight Champion Alberto El Patron (even if he was not fully aware of it)! Trevor Lee stole the X-Division title out of Sonjay Dutt’s hands. The 2017 Super X Cup was launched, which means Destination X is coming soon (let me share a little secret with you, it will take place on Thursday, August 17th…).

Tonight, Impact Grand Champion Moose will put his title on the line against NOAH Superstar Naomichi Marufuji, even if EC3 is eyeing on the belt, and Gail Kim has a major announcement to make.

This week on GFW Impact Wrestling is brought to you by Miss Doctor Frenchy Steph (to all my fellow Frenchies who are reading this, Happy National day to all of you).

The show begins with a footage of Joseph Park and Grado arriving at the arena in the “Parkmobile”. Joseph reveals that Grado is going to be deported unless he gets married to a U.S. citizen. He suggests to Grado that he marry a Knockout.

Latin American Xchange has a new member… 

Last week, LAX jumped on Alberto El Patron after his successful Unified World Title defence against Lashley. Konnan, Homicide, Ortiz, Santana and Diamanté are making their way to the ring to explain the situation. Konnan says that LAX is as serious as a period and that they stay hard like a blue pill (I wish I could avoid it but…) and introduces the newest member of the stable, Alberto El Patron.

Alberto asks Carlos, Konnan’s real name, what he’s doing to him. He talks about their background and friendship with each other throughout the years and mentions Rey Mysterio. Alberto is not happy with what LAX did for him last week, mostly because they did it without consulting him. Konnan goes through his history with Alberto and his family and how they have both been treated poorly by people in the industry because of being Mexican. Alberto says that he knows how he has been treated in the past but this is the past and GFW/Impact is a new company now and this is his home. He says Konnan becomes a bitter man and he will remain a loner, as he was in Mexico or in Japan. Konnan tells Alberto not to listen to the fans and asks him to join his Hispanic revolution. Konnan asks Alberto to say “Si” to his movement. Alberto gets in Konnan’s face and refuses Konnan’s offer to join him. LAX jumps Alberto but Lashley comes down and makes the save by single-handedly emptying the ring of LAX. He then picks up the world title and hands it to Alberto.

Video footage about DeAngelo Williams who stated on ESPN he is not interested in wrestling again at this time. Other video footage of the tribute done for The Pulse Nightclub tragedy in The Impact Zone with Orlando Mayor.

Jeremy Borash announces that Bruce Prichard has booked a main event tag team match for tonight with Alberto teaming with Lashley against LAX before two separate video profiles Andrew Everett and ACH.

SUPER X CUP TOURNAMENT – First Round Match – ACH vs. Andrew Everett

ACH showed off quickly his great acrobatic ability with a backflip followed by a dropkick. After a few counters and reversals, Everett ended up countering out of a roll up with a stiff kick to ACH’s head. Everett stayed in control with a springboard missile dropkick. Everett continues to go to the air and connects with a springboard moonsault outside the ring.

Back in the ring, ACH rallied and connected in a few seconds a bunch of quick moves. Everett tried to springboard onto ACH but got caught in mid-air and hit with a bridging suplex. ACH then charged at Everett in the corner but Everett answered with a Pele kick. Andrew hit the “Mount Everett” but earned a near fall. Andrew reached the top rope, missed a moonsault and landed on his feet. ACH kicked Everett in the head before hitting a wicked brainbuster for the victory.

Gail Kim’s major announcement…

Jeremy Borash introduced Gail Kim as a pioneer in Women’s wrestling. Gail made her way and said that her announcement was delayed last year due to her neck injury. She felt so grateful for being able to work in this industry and said that she didn’t regret a single moment of her career. Gail Kim announces that she will officially retire as a wrestler at the end of 2017. She thanked everyone, the wrestlers she has worked with, the fans that have helped her make her wrestling career happen. But Gail Kim also announced that tonight is not the end for her and that promised to go out on top before she retires.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KJSoyEDNVc]

As Gail made her way up the ramp, Chris Adonis walked down to taunts the Pop TV reality show stars the “Swole Mates”, seated at ringside. Adonis called “Andy and Freddie” (I would have said hormone-feed beefs) out. They knocked down the barricade and confronted Adonis in the ring. All three men started showing off their physiques and posed. Eli Drake came to back up Adonis but GFW officials broke up all four men’s confrontation.

International Mini’s Match – Octagoncito vs. Demus

Demus, aka AAA’s mini Damian 666 in Mexico’s AAA promotion, is squaring off with fellow AAA wrestler Octagoncito. Lucha Libre style match, of course, Octagoncito started the match with arm drags, twisting head scissors and a corkscrew plancha to the outside. Octagoncito then hit a springboard onto Demus for a near fall. Demus rallied and over powered Octagoncito with power slams and a spine buster for a near fall.

Octagoncito rallied with a top rope rana and then reached the top rope to fly with a moonsault on Demus. He crashed onto him at ringside. Octagoncito pinned Demus after a Rey Mysterio inspired hurricanrana turned into a roll up.

Backstage, Joseph Park is in catering with Grado and try to pick up one of the knockouts to eventually convince one of them to marry him. Grado approaches Ava Storie and asks her out on a date. Ava answers she has to wash her hair. Grado is then shown being turned down by several of the companies female wrestlers in the backstage area, even Sienna and Rosemary that scared him off. Grado then goes to Allie but Sutter shows up and Grado fled. After all the rejections, Park tries to encourage Grado not to quit. He gives Grado chocolates and champagne, to give to the next Knockout he asks out.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNlDwF4oy6k]

After the break, before The Impact Grand Championship match can begin. EC3 makes his way down to ringside and joins the broadcast team.

IMPACT GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH – Moose (c) vs. Naomichi Marufuji

Judges: Dutch Mantel, Scott D’Amore and Bruce Prichard

EC3 joined the broadcast team to comment the match but remained silent.

Round One: Moose over powered Marufuji and took him down with a bicycle kick. Moose continued to dominate the round and connected with consecutive running sentons. With time expiring in the round, Moose out slugged Marufuji. Moose won the round with a 29-28 score.

Round Two: Moose hit a big boot straight as the round started. Marufuji rallied, grounded Moose and chopped him in the corner. Moose battled back but Marufuji hit a drop kick to his knee. Marufuji continued with a big wind up, a stiff chop and a leaping reverse elbow. During the last minute of the round, Moose battled back and hit another big boot. Marufuji tried to reach the top rope but Moose drop kicked him off. Marufuji crashed onto the outside floor and crawled his way back into the ring as time expires in the round. Marufuji won the round with a score of 29-28. At this moment, Moose and Marufuji were tied with 57 points each.

Round Three: Moose again tried to hit a big boot but Marufuji avoided it. Moose battled back by hitting a flurry of moves and connected with a hesitation dropkick in the corner. Moose attempted the game changer but Marufuji escaped and grounded Moose with several martial arts kicks. EC3 then grabbed Moose’s title and got in the ring to strike Marufuji with it. Moose is disqualified. No official result was announced.

LAX are at their clubhouse. Konnan says Alberto has decided to go all corporate and not join them. He wants his crew to send a message to Alberto for turning them down. He wants El Patron to be carried out on a stretcher in their match later tonight. He also wants Lashley to suffer the same fate.

Trevor Lee is coming to the ring with the X-Division Title he stole from Sonjay Dutt. He addresses himself as The X Division Champion. Lee says that he is out here to prove that he is a fighting champion. He scoured the world looking for competition and he points tonight to William Weeks. Trevor Lee then lists off William’s imaginary accomplishments. Worried about potential thieves, Lee decides to wrestle the match with the belt on him.

Trevor Lee vs. William Weeks

Lee dominated Weeks, hit his signature leaping double foot stomp and got a quick victory. Sonjay Dutt attacked Lee immediately after his hand was raised. Dutt almost got his belt back but Lee got a hold of it and run up the ramp way.

Laurel Van Ness vs. Ava Storie

Laurel honestly seemed to be drunk as she stumbled around and got dizzy after Ava rolled her around in a cradle pin attempt. Van Ness missed a kerb stomp and got hit with a neckbreaker for a near fall. The women brawled up on the ramp way. But when the action got back in the ring, Laurel hit Ava with a hangman’s DDT and her signature kerb stomp for the win.

After the match, Grado came to the ring with Joseph Park to ask Laurel out on a date. He told The Disfigured Bride that she is the most beautiful creature that he has ever laid eyes on him, her hair and makeup were beautiful and complimented his egg shell white teeth (Grado is blind or definitely stupid…).

Grado then asked Laurel if she would like to get together and eat. Laurel smiled at the proposal but before she can answer, Kongo Kong’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Grado ran away before Laurel was able to give him any answer (to found what she answered, go here).

IMPACT MAIN EVENT – Unified GFW Champion Alberto El Patron & Bobby Lashley vs. Unified GFW Tag Team Champions L.A.X (Santana & Ortiz)

As always when LAX is concerned, it’s a 5 vs. 2 match and interferences will be on the menu. Lashley and Alberto shook hands before the action began. Ortiz roughed up by Lashley straight in the match but he answered by hitting a delayed vertical suplex. Ortiz tried to retreat but Alberto threw him back into the ring to allow Lashley to welcome him with a sidewalk slam. Alberto kept the momentum but Santana got tagged in and worked with Ortiz to double up on Alberto with a suplex and a moonsault.

Alberto rallied and hit a reverse suplex from the top rope on Santana. Lashley was tagged in and attacked both members of LAX. When Lashley set up to spear Santana, Diamante grabbed his leg from ringside while Konnan distracted the referee. Homicide got involved too and attacked Lashley on the outside. LAX isolated Lashley in their corner and took control of the match.

Lashley is double teamed by LAX but rallied with a double clothesline. He tagged in Alberto who took down both Santana and Ortiz with step-up side kicks. El Patron hit the back stabber for a near fall. A tagged-in Lashley connected with a spine buster to Ortiz. Lashley and Patron worked together to eliminate Ortiz from the ring. Lashley and Alberto then hit an assisted double foot stomp on Santana for the victory.

Lashley and Alberto show respect to one another after the match. Lashley ended up putting on one of LAX’s flag bandanas and headed up the rampway. Alberto saluted Lashley and said that even though they have been enemies, they made a hell of a tag team.

LAX jumped on to beat down Alberto and Lashley smiled on the ramp before leaving. Konnan grabbed the mic and said this was what Alberto got for turning his back on them. They then draped the Mexican flag over Alberto.

Last week was not the best episode we have had the chance to witness, but it was not better this week… The way Impact Wrestling is shot is absolutely bad and it doesn’t allow to appreciate wrestling the good way. But that’s not the main reason for the lack of interest for last week and this week’s episodes. The storylines are bringing us nowhere for the moment… except the X-Division Super Cup which offers the promise of a great Destination X event.

All pics and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling.