The Championships turmoil of last week left some traces. We have a new #1 contender for the GFW Global Championship and a new X-Division Champion, the feud between oVe and LAX has just begun, Lucha Libre AAA’s hardcore star Pagano is now on IMPACT. And at the same time, Low Ki left the company while Bobby Lashley decided to go back to MMA. Many changes that could lead to a very special edition of Victory Road next week. But before let’s see what happened this week…
This week on GFW Impact Wrestling is brought to you by Miss “Doctor Frenchy” Steph.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RpnBxIhx90]
We saw Johnny Impact enter the arena, looking for Eli Drake. He rushed to demand his title shot tonight. But Drake was currently in Mexico. Instead, here came KM who told Johnny he could wish all he wants, Drake wasn’t there and the crowd sucked. KM thought Impact was thinking he was a liar (this gimmick is stupid), Impact preferred to call him a “douche rocket”, something the crowd absolutely appreciated… KM had a good idea, how about Johnny putting his number one contendership on the line against “The only undefeated member of the Impact roster.” Because the crowd wanted it, Impact agreed.
Number One Contender Match: Johnny Impact vs. KM
Johnny went straight in the match with a superkick right off the bat and a standing corkscrew. KM kicked him off the ropes when Johnny went for a springboard. Impact rallied and reversed an arm drag and unloaded his signature mid and high kicks. He tried to reach the top rope but KM rolled him up. As KM put his feet on the ropes, the referee stopped the pin. Impact finally reached the top rope and hit the Thursday Night Delight for the win.
Ava Storie vs. Taya Valkyrie
Squash match for Valkyrie again. Clothesline, loads of kicks, leg drop and the Road to Valhalla, her signature double chicken wing facebuster, for the pin.
Taya then announced the lucha royalty has arrived and she came to IMPACT Wrestling for the Women’s/ Knockouts Championship. Something she wanted Karen Jarrett to listen. But Rosemary appeared smiling. Why should Taya have a title shot before her? She went straight into Taya’s face and told her if anyone deserved the shot, it was “us”. She then attacked Taya but Sienna rushed to the ring.
The Champion and Taya teamed up to work on Rosemary. But Allie rushed to save her, followed by Taryn Terrell who came to help the heels. Rosemary and Allie were in a bad situation until Gail Kim appeared and cleared the ring out of the heels. Gail Kim, Rosemary and Allie stood tall, taunting the bad girls standing on the ramp.
At a Club, oVe was having a good moment, thanks to Konnan, when LAX appeared. The two teams taunted each other. Ortiz and Santana then told Jake and Dave Crist they could have a title rematch and sent them out of the Club.
As Allie, Gail Kim, and Rosemary were talking about how they could destroy Sienna, Taryn, and Taya, Grado was talking about his first day as a member of Joseph Park’s company. And how difficult it was…
Pagano and El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Eddie Edwards and Ethan Carter III
Fantasma and Pagano made a great teamwork right in the match on EC3, while multiple tags and back and forth. But EC3 was not ready to let things go. He attacked Pagano with some chops. Fantasma was tagged in, he attacked Edwards so EC3 was unable to tag him in.
EC3 hit a TK3 on Pagano, tried to tag in Edwards who got out of Fantasma’s grab to ground Fantasma with multiple elbows on Fantasma. Pagano tried to stop Edwards by kicking him in the chest but EC3 sent him out of the ring. Edwards hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Fantasma for the win but the referee was distracted by EC3 and Pagano fighting outside. Texano Jr. ran to the ring to powerbomb Edwards and give Fantasma and Pagano the victory.
The 3 AAA Superstars continued to attack Edwards and EC3. Texano Jr. whipped Edwards and Carter with his rope. James Storm headed out to toss the bad guys out of the ring. He shook Edwards’ hand but faced off EC3 (a Slammiversary reminder…) before exiting the ring.
Backstage Johnny, still searching for Drake, ran into Texano Jr., Fantasma and Pagano. Texano Jr. told Johnny he doesn’t like to see him wrestling in Mexico and he doesn’t like him, personally. Johhny told him, if Drake was indeed in Mexico, he would put his number one contendership up against Texano Jr. later tonight.
Kongo Kong vs. Mahabali Shera
Shera tried to make Kong move, shake, fall. He tried again and again. But Kong made him suffer with a belly-to-belly suplex, a choke and kicks. Shera tried to bodyslam kong but how to? He then tried to bring him down with clotheslines and a splash. But a springboard finally worked. Shera lifted Kong upon his shoulders, but Kong reversed, hit a headbutt, a cannonball in the corner and a massive splash for the win.
In Mexico, Eli Drake was talking about Johnny Impact and claimed the dummy had no chance at beating him at Victory Road.
Number One Contender Match: Johnny Impact vs. Texano Jr.
Texano took control quickly with slaps in Johnny’s face. But Impact countered with a spear, a kick to the face and a standing senton. Texano went to the outside to rally, tried to charge Johnny but eat a turnbuckle. Impact went for his personal three amigos, spinning neckbreakers, and reached the top rope for the Thursday Night Delight but Texano caught him and kicked him away to the floor.
Texano outside slammed Johnny’s face into the steel steps before whipping him into the stairs. Back in the ring, Texano connected with a nice reverse figure four in the middle of the ring. Impact reversed the move and reached the rope to stop him. Texano tried to reach the top rope but Johnny kicked him out of it and hit a moonsault. After some back and forth punches and elbows, Texano got kicked to the floor.
Johnny went for another moonsault but got pulled off and hit the edge of the ring. Texano connected with a senton and a chop-clotheslines combo in the corner. Texano charged again, got tossed up on the top rope but kicked off. Johnny connected with a sliding German suplex and the Starship Pain for the win.
While Laurel Van Ness was trying to find a new guy in the crowd, Sienna, Taryn, and Taya were asking Karen Jarrett a match against Gail Kim, Allie and Rosemary. Karen found funny they want a match now and she was looking forward to seeing them get their ass kicked next week at Victory Road.
Eli Drake vs. Bronce (GFW World Championship Match)
We go to Mexico at a AAA event where Eli Drake defended his title. A powerful Drake took Bronce down with a powerbomb into the corner and then kept him on the floor. Bronce showed some good moves but was unable to stop the Gravy Train that allowed Drake to pick up the win.
Ok, we have a new great bunch of wrestlers but that doesn’t mean they have to be the only ones to steal the show. Too much Johnny Impact matches may kill the Johnny Impact momentum… even if the Texano match was way better than the KM one. I was asking myself if Eli Drake was able to win a match without Chris Adonis, I got my answer with this episode. Yes, he can. IMPACT is still on a good path, the action is here, talents too. But IMPACT is not supposed to become a branch of AAA, as the homegrown talents are also extremely valuable players. Just please, keep on this way…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqQzT4QLhnQ]
Victory Road is back next week for a One-Night-Only Special Episode. Is change going to be on the program? Here is the current card, as of Friday 3 PM.
* GFW World Championship: Eli Drake (c) vs. Johnny Impact
* X-Division Championship: Trevor Lee (c) vs. Petey Williams
* GFW World Tag Team Championship: LAX (c) vs. oVe
* Allie, Rosemary, and Gail Kim vs. Taryn Terrell, Taya Valkyrie, and Sienna
All pics and screenshots courtesy of GFW Impact Wrestling