Ok, if you read my Bound for Glory review, you know the PPV was good, but clearly not the best. Alberto El Patron made his “Ottawa Screwjob” by ruining the Global Heavyweight Championship match. For sure, Eli Drake and Johnny Impact will have a lot of questions to ask him tonight. Don’t expect also LAX to stay on a loss against oVe as Sami Callihan now joined the Ohio Versus Everything family. I told you this episode would be a do-or-die one because if the sky is a limit, the ground is another one…  So let’s get ready for some action, the “Doctor Frenchy” Steph way.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1FLKShro9I]

Jeremy Borash and Josh Mathews welcomed us from Ottawa, Canada and presented us the card of the night, followed by highlights of Bound for Glory.

Who’s next for Eli Drake?

Impact Global Heavyweight Champion Eli Drake and Chris Adonis made their way to the ring. Thanks to Alberto El Patron, Drake is still the Champion and “The Face of Impact Wrestling”, like Chris Adonis stated. Drake confirmed he did exactly what he said he would do at Bound for Glory, that everything was perfect, except for Alberto El Patron, his attack and the couple of stitches he gave to Drake. As everything was fine, Drake was ready to leave Canada. But Petey Williams was not decided to let them go that quickly.

Williams repeated Drake’s words of “there’s no one left to beat,” stating Drake hasn’t beat him yet. He’s never been Global Champion and wanted a match tonight. If Drake got the night off, Williams headed to the ring. Adonis tried to stop him but Williams got in the ring, attacked Drake, hit a side Russian leg sweep but Adonis made Drake escape from the Canadian Destroyer. The match will take place next week as the main event of Impact.

We saw Johnny Impact rushing from the parking lot and rushing inside in quest of Alberto El Patron. While JB and Josh Matthews were announcing the main event of next week, Jimmy Jacobs, “The Princess” (yes…), joined them at the announce table for the X-Division match. Matthews did a selfie with Jacobs, you didn’t meet a Princess every day!

Sonjay Dutt vs. Matt Sydal

After a nice handshake of respect, Sydal and Dutt started with mat wrestling. Dutt then hit a hurricanrana turned into an armbar. Sydal replied with a standing moonsault. Meanwhile, Jacobs headed off backstage as he wasn’t given enough attention… True Princes’s style… Sydal wisely started working on Dutt’s legs, with different submission moves. Dutt crawled to the ropes and broke the moves every time. Sydal then charged in but Dutt kicked away and dropped down on Sydal.

Sydal got caught up on the top rope, Dutt joined him up, Sydal punched him but Dutt hit a nice superplex off the second rope. Back from commercials, Dutt and Sydal were exchanging kicks until Sydal was able to kick Dutt down to the mat. Sydal trapped Dutt in another submission but Dutt caught the ropes again. Out of the ring, Sydal worked Dutt’s leg into the barricade. Enough to lower Dutt as, back in the ring, Sydal hit his signature Shooting Star Press for the win.

No time to celebrate as IMPACT Grand Champion EC3 came to the ring to congratulate Sydal. If Sydal can win some matches, Carter noticed he always lost his title matches because Sydal is missing the killer instinct. Something Carter was full of as he’s the Grandest Champion of all the company. So EC3 was a killer when Sydal was a nice guy. When Sydal tried to approach Carter, EC3 said no and left saying “Maybe in another life, you could have been reborn a winner.” 

Johnny Impact was still looking for Alberto El Patron around backstage.

Pro Wrestling NOAH GHC Heavyweight Championship Match: Eddie Edwards (c) vs. El Hijo del Fantasma

It was the first time the title has been defended outside of Japan. Both wrestlers bent in front of the title and shook hands. Long minutes of back and forth action, until Fantasma tried to go from one side of the ring to the other and Edwards caught him in an overhead release suplex. Edwards continued with chops but Fantasma was able to stop him and drop him. Fantasma then charged but Edwards kicked away and reached the top rope. Fantasma climbed too and sent the Champion to the mat with a hurricanrana. Fantasma went on top again but Edwards kicked and climbed to hit a superplex from the top rope.

Edwards continued with a Blue thunder bomb. On the apron, Edwards tried a tiger driver, missed. Fantasma went for a springboard but was kicked outside. Edwards connected with a suicide dive, slamming Fantasma into the barricade. Edwards brought Fantasma back to the ring, but Fantasma sent Edwards back outside and hit his signature suicide dive, the Arrow from the Depths of Hell. Edwards went again for a tiger driver, Fantasma countered. Edwards continued with a lariat and tiger driver. Until Fantasma gave up when Edwards hit a shining wizard and his Die Hard Flowsion (cross-legged front powerslam) to retain his title.

oVe and Sami Callihan vs. Phil Atlas, Ray Steele, and Marcus Burke 

Enhancement match again for oVe. The Crist Brothers and Callihan hit a Triple kick to Steele’s head, followed by a square and compass (what we call in WWE Sister Abigail) by Dave Crist. Phil Atlas ate a Triple boot by Callihan and oVe. All-seeing eye by oVe with Jake was up on Callihan’s shoulders, Atlas on Dave’s shoulder. Callihan threw Jake up in the air and he hit a cutter on Atlas for the win.

After the match, Konnan, Ortiz, and Santana came from the crowd. Homicide arrived from the other side and dropped Callihan. oVe got thrown out of the ring while Homicide tried to finish off Callihan, who was able to escape. The two stables taunted each other. The war is not over yet. Nice to see Homicide back in a ring…

Backstage, Global Forged winner, Hakim Zane, was telling how happy he was to be in Impact when Johnny Impact then blasted him out of the screen to tell Alberto he was coming from blood.

Allie vs. KC Spinelli

Highlights from a Border City Wrestling match. Allie went in for a handshake but was slapped instead. Allie got angry. After a load of big strikes, Allie charged and dropped Spinelli. But KC grabbed Allie, put her neck over the top rope, hit two hair tosses. Allie was thrown into the corner but countered a charge by Spinelli with a dropkick to her back.

Spinelli rallied with dropping elbows, Allie got even angrier. She unloaded clotheslines, elbows, sliding elbows into Spinelli on the ground. Spinelli connected with a suplex with a bridge and went for a moonsault from the top rope. Allie moved, hit the Allie Valley Driver for the win before giving the referee a hug. 

The big, big brawl

Alberto El Patron was outside the arena, knowing Johnny Impact was looking for him, but still headed inside. And Johnny was expecting him patiently. The two started to fight in the backstage area, using chairs and heavy machinery as weapons. Braxton Sutter came out of a trunk and started to fight with Johnny Impact. Then Caleb Konley showed up and started to fight with Alberto. Tables were involved, bottles too. Alberto hit Johnny with a trash can, Johnny continued to attack outside. He hit Alberto with another trash can but Alberto replied by throwing Impact into the fencing.  Alberto said the title was his, not Johnny’s. (Click on a pic to open the gallery)

Alberto then brought Johnny back in the building,  security showed up and got destroyed. They tried to hold Alberto back as Johnny flew from heights. Johnny tried to choke Alberto, continued to attack. Alberto climbed up a ladder up to a higher platform, kicked the ladder to be alone. But Johnny climbed up a soda machine and joined him above. Alberto was sent back to the floor, Johnny flew on something like 20 people from the security.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bMMy27zIvM]

Back from break, the action continued with Alberto hitting Johnny with a pipe, saying this is his company and he wants the title. The action came to the ring now, Johnny was sent into the steel steps. Security rushed again. Alberto grabbed the mic and asked why security was paid off. Alberto said it was Impact who screwed him and he just had to come to fight. Alberto wanted to jump in the ring but decided to stay outside, protected by security.

Johnny then grabbed the mic and asked El Patron why he’s called the Pride of Mexico as “he’s not even the pride of his own father.” Alberto fired up and charged, security tried to stop the brawl in the ring, unsuccessfully. Alberto then hit a cheap shot, 2 DDT. He asked the security to leave the ring and put Johnny in a cross arm breaker on the ropes. Referees rushed this time, were able to stop Alberto who fled on the ramp to watch with a smile on the face Impact in pain holding his arm in the ring. The same final pic that for Bound for Glory… but this time Alberto was in sports gear…

What a brawl between Impact and El Patron, 13 minutes non-stop! If revenge is a dish best served cold, Impact served it icy in the main event of a very interesting episode. I told you I wanted to stay positive, I will remain positive because many things are happening, can happen and will be happening on the Impact Zone in the forthcoming weeks. It started great and it will continue next week as American Top Team, Lashley and King Mo will return, Gail Kim will share her career and Title decisions. LAX with Homicide will compete against oVe and Sami Callihan. And The Canadian Destroyer Petey Williams will square off with Global Heavyweight Champion Eli Drake for the title. IMPACT is a show that is worth watching, I won’t budge on that point. If you agree with me, so I see you next Friday… 

All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling.

By Steph Franchomme

News, Reviews, Social Media Editor, Impact Wrestling Reviewer, Interviewer Well, call me The Boss... And French...