As told over the last few weeks, the face of IMPACT Wrestling has literally changed. Since Destination X, new faces have taken control of the company, with a new World Champion, exciting new talents coming from AAA. All the expectations following Destination X have been fulfilled thanks to action, and good action. PPV/ Special Edition events are usually good, full of surprises and interesting. Is Victory Road going to follow the same footsteps? Answers below.
No pre-show as this “special event’ is taking place during IMPACT weekly broadcast time slot. But it’s still Miss “Doctor Frenchy” Steph who watched the show for you.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj_B72iufQQ]
X Division Championship Match: Trevor Lee (c) (w/ Caleb Konley) vs. Petey Williams
The current 3-time X-Division Champion vs. an X-Division pioneer and former 2-time X-Division Champion, very interesting match on paper. But the addition of Caleb Konley to the equation was enough to change drastically the plans. Trevor Lee with some taunting early on, but Williams is not impressed, hitting two hurricanranas. Because Lee and Konley prepared the match carefully, so everything was made to ensure Lee to keep the title.
Interferences apart, it was a good match. Both Lee and Williams brought their A-game in the ring. Williams was clearly not impressed and hit 3 hurricanranas straight in the match. But Konley wasn’t that far and distracted Williams so Lee was able to nail him with a big kick to the face from the apron. Williams resisted to all Lee’s attacks, but every time action went outside the ring, Konley was there to allow Lee to regain control. When Williams went for the Canadian Destroyer, Konley jumped up on the apron to stop him. A second attempt was the right one but Konley pulled the referee out of the ring when Williams went for the pin. Even if the referee ended up throwing Konley out of the ring, he just had the time to give the belt to Lee who punched Williams while the referee was taking care of Konley. But Williams was not done yet and went for another Canadian Destroyer but Lee countered and hit a double foot stomp for the win.
Not a bad match, Petey Williams was impressive and would have deserved the title, but Lee and Konley cleverly prepared the match to ensure the win.
Rosemary, Gail Kim, and Allie vs. Taya Valkyrie, Sienna, and Taryn Terrell
The classic good girls vs. bad girls scenario. Taryn Terrell cost Gail Kim her title match against Sienna at Destination X, the same way KM was involved in the unification match between Sienna and Rosemary. Since Taya Valkyrie made her debut on the Impact Zone and decided to explore the dark side of the Knockouts division. This 6-Knockouts match was made last week by Karen Jarrett.
No KM and no Braxton Sutter at ringside, which was a good thing. Rosemary attacked Taya straight in the match. Kim was tagged in and got the best of both Taryn Terrell and Taya. The good girls were in control. But here came Sienna who stopped the IMPACT Hall of Famer momentum. While the referee was trying to get Rosemary and Allie back to their corner, Terrell and Taya attacked Kim. Terrell tried to get the pin, missed. Taya tried to hit the Road to Valhalla, Kim countered. Allie was able to lock Terrell in a submission lock but Rosemary intercepted a tagged-in Sienna. Taya stopped Rosemary with a splash. When Allie was coming to finish the match with Terrell, she was rolled up by Sienna, who was the legal woman, who had her feet on the ropes.
If it was supposed to have the weakest link in this match, it would have been Allie. And it was, as she missed the chance to make her team win by attacking the wrong woman. Not a bad match too, the confrontation between these “two generations” of Knockouts was interesting to witness.
Backstage Eli Drake was ready to make Slam Town burn while Grado was paying the price of working a too hard schedule, thanks to Joseph Park.
The Cowboy and the Mexicans
James Storm came to the ring to say he was not happy with these AAA guys coming to IMPACT and trying to disrespect “The Old Cowboy” he is. Storm continued to taunt AAA but Texano Jr. appeared. Storm asked him to bring his Taco Bell ass in the ring. Texano ran in and Storm had the best of him.
El Hijo del Fantasma came to save his fellow AAA partner, Storm was outnumbered and was whipped by Texano and his rope. Fantasma grabbed the mic to tell Storm he respects IMPACT. For him, AAA is the best company in the world. Texano got Storm’s beer bottle in order to attack him but here came EC3 to help Storm out. Both cleared the ring, stared at each other and even shook hands.
Later in Jim Cornette’s office, Storm asked for a match and Storm and EC3 vs. Fantasma and Texano was booked for next week. If Storm was decided to send them back to AAA, Cornette asked him to win the match without ruining the partnership between AAA and IMPACT.
World Tag Team Championship Match: vs. LAX (c) vs. oVe
“The Crist brothers seemed to master their game. They obviously will bring something new to the Tag Team division and be serious contenders for the GFW Tag Team Championships. For sure LAX and the belts will come sooner than later…”, these words are coming from my Destination X review. I don’t pretend to have a crystal ball but yes, I was right. Six weeks after their debut, oVe made it. Even if LAX is a 5-member stable and interferences are always on the program, Ohio Versus Everything retained the lesson of last week’s Tijuana match and dethroned Santana and Ortiz.
oVe attacked LAX on the outside before the bell rang. While Dave and Santana were squaring off in the ring, Ortiz was tossing Jake into the steel steps to weaken the team. Santana then Ortiz were in control of Dave. When Ortiz sent Dave to the outside, the whole LAX attacked. Dave was in real danger after a swinging drop from LAX and a standing moonsault from Santana. When LAX started to taunt him, Dave rolled through them to tag in Jake. A very nice fight between Jake and Santana, Jake hit a neckbreaker and a powerslam into the corner. oVe hit its signature superplex/powerbomb combo but Ortiz broke it up. The Crist brothers countered both Santana and Ortiz attacks, Santana was thrown into the steel steps. Jake hit a spinning kick on Ortiz and Dave a DDT for the win.
Despite LAX’s constant interferences, this was the match of the night. Great action, great talents, great win. Backstage, Johnny Impact, Scott D’Amore, and Dezmond Xavier congratulated oVe on their victory. Nice moment.
Global Championship Match: Eli Drake (c) w/ Chris Adonis vs. Johnny Impact
With Chris Adonis at ringside, Eli Drake ensured himself more chances to keep the title. May he be that afraid of Johnny Impact?
Impact took control very quickly and Adonis had to rush to distract him in the very first minutes of the match. Of course, Drake took advantage of the situation, but Impact was not ready to say his last word. He hit a swinging neckbreaker and tried to go for a big move. But Adonis, again, appeared and tripped him up. Drake tried to head backstage to win by count-out but Johnny brought him back in the ring and suplexed him on the ramp. Drake rallied in the ring and hit some elbows, a slingshot from the second rope and a neckbreaker when countering a splash from Impact. Johnny rallied with some punches, a side Russian leg sweep, a leg drop and a Spanish Fly but Drake kicked out of a pin attempt. Drake hit the Blunt Force Trauma, went for a pin but Johnny kicked out too.
The fate of the match changed when Drake took out the referee when going for a clothesline on Impact. Johnny hit a big kick on Drake, asked for another referee but Adonis headed back to ringside to distract Johnny, belt in hands. Drake, of course, slammed Johnny with it, but Johnny was not done yet. An unhappy Drake punched the second referee out and, quite strangely, was not disqualified… Without any official in the ring, Drake and Adonis started the beat down on Johnny. Drake tried to hit Johnny with the title but missed him and hit Adonis. The first referee woke up but was tossed into Impact by Drake when Johnny was reaching the top rope. Low blow, Gravy Train and Drake did it.
After the match, Drake pushed the limit. He made Johnny sniff the title as Adonis was holding him because that’s the closest Johnny will have the chance to get the title. Adonis and Drake continued their attack, Garza Jr. came to save Impact and cleared the ring out of both Adonis and Drake. But here came LAX who attacked Garza and Impact. IMPACT officials tried to get the situation under control but Adonis came back and put his Adonis Lock on a referee. Adonis and Drake cleared the ring out of officials while Scott D’Amore and Jim Cornette rushed to the ringside to stop them. Drake held the title up over Johnny while taunting Cornette who was yelling at him at ringside.
The action was good and the match was not bad, but the chaos after was completely unnecessary. What were LAX and Garza Jr. doing in this mess? Was Drake so afraid to lose the match to let Adonis interfere that many times? Mostly, is Drake that afraid of Johnny Impact?
Compared to Destination X, Victory Road was of the same level. The recent choices and arrivals on IMPACT are paying in terms of quality of action weeks after weeks. This interesting turn and contrast between the newbies and the IMPACT originals could offer to the fans some interesting storylines and matches in the next few weeks that are going to bring us to Bound for Glory.
*****
Victory Road Full Results:
* X-Division Championship: Trevor Lee (c) defeated Petey Williams
* Taryn Terrell, Taya Valkyrie, and Knockouts Champion Sienna defeated Allie, Rosemary, and Gail Kim
* World Tag Team Championship: oVe defeated LAX to become the new Tag Team Champions
* Global World Championship: Eli Drake (c) defeated Johnny Impact
All screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling