The New Chapter is ending tonight. Crossroads is the last page to turn before unveiling the Next Chapter. Every title is on the line. Austin Aries is putting the Impact World Championship against Johnny Impact in a unique match, as these two men have never competed before. Yes, never. Will Allie finally be able to defeat Laurel Van Ness and become a 2-time Knockouts Champion? Lashley will be alone to face oVe as Eddie Edwards was injured last week at the hands of Sami Callihan. More than a World Tag Team Championship Match, LAX will defend their Hispanic heritage tonight against The Cult of Lee. And tonight, a man will hold 2 Impact titles at the same time as X-Division Champion Taiji Ishimori is competing against Grand Champion Matt Sydal in a Title vs. Title match.
This “special event” is taking place during IMPACT weekly broadcast time slot, the pre-show was aired on YouTube and is available just below. But it’s still your French Enygma Steph who watched the show for you.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwvkl2EDZco]
Impact World Tag Team Championship Match: LAX (c) vs. The Cult of Lee
This match was more about bandanas than belts. The Cult of Lee mocked all what LAX is about, the pride of being Hispanic. They stole their bandanas, disrespected their flag. We should not have expected Konnan, Santana and Ortiz to let things last as they attacked Lee and Konley at the bell. The brawl went to the floor where LAX maintained control. Lee and Konley tried to battle back but they were slammed into the steel steps. Santana rolled Konley into the ring and continued to work him over. A flurry of double team moves from Santana and Ortiz, before a second rope moonsault/leg drop on what remained of Konley.
Back from break, Konley had Santana grounded, with a little help from his friend Trevor Lee. Lee tagged in and attacked Santana. But Santana battled back with a running kick. Ortiz and Konley were tagged in, Ortiz crotched Konley on the ropes and hit a nasty DDT off the ropes. Lee came back but was stopped by other impressive double team moves by LAX. Ortiz hit a suicide dive, Santana followed with a tope. Back in the ring, The Cult of Lee worked his own double team moves on Santana, but Ortiz made the save, took out Lee, hit a cutter on Konley. LAX went for the Street Sweeper but Lee cut them off. Santana hit a senton on Konley while Konnan tripped up Lee. LAX connected with the Street Sweeper to remain the World Tag Team Champions.
The Nygma view: The heel gimmick made us forget how Santana and Ortiz are so good as a team. Tonight they were absolutely impressive and proved it in a very good match. Bandanas are finally back home…
Title vs. Title Match: Impact X-Division Champion Taiji Ishimori vs. Impact Grand Champion Matt Sydal
Matt Sydal said before he was decided to bring both titles as one because we’re all one. This may be the only logical explanation for this match. But if you’re a fan of high-flying action, you were sure to be spoiled with that match. The match started with a couple of clean ropes breaks. Ishimori hit a sliding kick, a sliding knee and a flying knee before locking Sydal in a submission hold. Sydal quickly got on his feet, connected with a Dragon Screw and a single-leg Boston crab. Sydal continued to focus on Ishimori’s leg with a Muta Lock. Ishimori escaped but Sydal grounded him again.
Sydal attacked the knee again, Ishimori escaped with a kick, but Sydal replied with a Russian leg sweep and leg kicks. Ishimori rallied and hit the back handspring kick, the Shotgun knees and a double stomp. Ishimori then hit a spinning rack slam but Sydal rallied with a head scissors and a Sliding German. Ishimori countered the standing moonsault with knees and followed with the golden triangle moonsault to the floor and a hurricanrana.
They traded a series of pin attempts until Sydal hits the Meteora/ double knee drop. They trade strikes and kicks until Sydal hit a head kick and a running knee strike. Sydal missed the Shooting Star Press. Ishimori hit the Dodon’s Throne/Double chicken wing double knee gutbuster and headed up top. Sydal crotched him, Ishimori countered the hurricanrana and his 450 ate Sydal’s knees. Sydal hit the Shooting Star Press to become a double champion.
The Nygma view: Very good match as expected. But I’m mild anyway. Ishimori didn’t deserve to lose the title so quickly as he had still a lot to show. At the same time, Sydal doesn’t need to be a double champion to prove how good he is. The yogi I am can’t help but think Sydal is using the Namasté philosophy to promote a heel side of himself and, sorry Matt, that’s not what Namasté is about…
Impact Knockouts Championship Match: Laurel Van Ness (c) vs. Allie
Allie and Laurel Van Ness is a story that needed to find an end. But this storyline allowed us to find out another side of Allie, a more nasty side. She was decided to win tonight for her mentor Gail Kim. Allie attacked Van Ness right on the ramp, Allie brought her at ringside and hit a few chops. In the ring, Allie was in control with a sliding elbow. She went for a knee to the face of LVN, but Laurel managed to cut off Allie, slamming her into the ring post. Laurel hit the draping DDT and some clubbing strikes to keep Allie grounded. She repeatedly slammed Allie’s head to the mat, among other nasty moves.
Allie finally slapped her and connected with a German Suplex. LVN then cut her off, slinging her into the second rope throat first. LVN reached the top rope for the double stomp but Allie hit the code breaker. Allie now fired up with strikes and dropkicks on Van Ness to the turnbuckles. She connected with a suplex to the corner and dumped LVN to the floor. Allie followed but got slammed to the apron. Van Ness set Allie in a chair, charged, but Allie slammed her into the chair. She went for a running elbow but LVN hit a nasty Unprettier on the floor. Allie broke the count-out at the very last second. Laurel attacked with some corner curb stomps but Allie didn’t relinquish. Laurel decided to grab the belt to end the match her way. Allie replied the best way with the Allie Walley Driver and a hell of a superkick to become the new Knockouts Champion.
The Nygma view: Great match, Knockouts can really fight like men. The babyface Allie can also be a fierce woman in the ring and LVN paid the price tonight as she made everything to light that fire in her opponent. A very cool moment after the match when Allie broke down in tears when Gail Kim went to congratulate and embrace her…
oVe (w/ Sami Callihan) vs. Lashley
Lashley will be on his own tonight thanks to Sami Callihan’s baseball bat who accidentally broke the eye and nose of Eddie Edwards (we saw a segment where Edwards said he was not done with Callihan as he was in the ambulance). Like Lashley stated, he is not called the “Walking Armageddon” for nothing. But a 3-on-1 match remains an ambush for me… The Crist brothers attacked Lashley before he got to the ring and worked on Lashley in the ring after. Lashley went for a suplex on Jake but Dave saved him for a moment. Lashley was anyway able to hit a double suplex on oVe. He then tossed Jake across the ring and looked for a spear, but Callihan grabbed his legs.
oVe was still in control, with the help of Callihan. But suddenly, out of nowhere, came Brian Cage. he tagged himself in, tossed Jake, kicked Dave. Cage picked up Dave, Jake tried to jump down on him and Cage didn’t move. Evilish powerbomb/power slam combo on both guys at the same time. Callihan came in with a bat, but Lashley speared him. Cage hits the Drill Claw for the victory. Lashley looked a little confused but held his hand out for a handshake. Cage just winked at him and headed to the back.
The Nygma view: Not sure Lashley and Cage will remain friends, a long time as this match was clearly made to build up a future feud between the two. The match itself was not bad, but not good too…
Impact World Championship Match: Austin Aries (c) vs. Johnny Impact
Johnny wants the belt, Aries wants to keep it. For his first “real title” defence, Aries is going to compete against a man he has never wrestled before (and a man he was looking forward to wrestling…). So everything was possible in this match… Johnny took control of a fast-paced opening stretch, tried to work Aries’ arm. But Aries escaped, connected with an arm drag, a dropkick and a stunner over the ropes. After the break, Johnny was in control with an elbow drop but Aries stopped him with a boot. Impact replied with a backwards slam and a corkscrew leg drop. In the corner, he continued with a backbreaker and a Russian leg sweep.
Aries missed a charge, allowing Johnny to hit an enzuigiri. He went for a springboard but Aries tripped him up. Aries then hit the double sledge to the floor. Back in the ring, Aries hit a marvel of a senton atomico and continued with elbows drop, a snapmare and an elbow to the back. Johnny countered the heads scissors attempt into a sliding German Suplex. The double springboard disaster kick connected but Aries rallied with chops. But Johnny replied with a leg lariat and a running Shooting Star Press. Aries countered a running kick and locked Johnny in the Last Chancery.
Johnny grabbed the ropes, fought off the brainbuster, and set Aries up top. Impact followed him up, Aries shoved him off, but Impact hit a spin kick. Johnny climbed up to connect with the Spanish fly. Impact headed up top for The CountDown to Impact but rolled through. They went to the apron and Aries hit a nasty apron Death Valley Driver. Johnny was in pain at ringside. Back in the ring, Aries hit a neck breaker in the ropes. Aries went for the John Woo/ drop kick into the corner, but Impact rallied with a kick and a running knee. he went for the Starship pain but missed. Aries sent him to the buckles, hit the John Woo and the Brainbuster for the win.
The Nygma View: THAT WAS AWESOME!! If Aries was clearly a little better than Johnny Impact, the performance they offered in this match is stunning. This is the kind of wrestling I love, crazy, high-flying, nasty… unreal in some ways.
After the match, Aries tried to recover and helped Johnny get back on his feet. The two shook hands and hugged in the ring. Until Alberto El Patron came out to the stage clapping and laughing and taunting Aries…
When I talked to Rosemary last week, she told she honestly believed if there was ever a time that you were going to give Impact a second chance, it’s now. Crossroads is proving her right. Week after week, I tell you to jump on the train because IMPACT had never been more interesting. This special event proved it, with a 5-Star main-event with two men fighting clean for a title, high-flying quick-paced craziness and ass-kicking Knockouts. IMPACT Wrestling, I have two words for you… THANK YOU!
The Next Chapter is starting next week with the return of Feast of Fired. One match, 4 briefcases, 3 title matches and one pink slip in them. Who will have a chance for the World Championship, the X-Division title and the Tag Team Championship? And who will be fired? Answers expected in 7 days. And if you agree with me, of course, I see you next week… And never forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…
*****
Crossroads Full Results:
* IMPACT World Tag Team Championship Match: LAX (Santana & Ortiz) (c) defeated The Cult of Lee (Trevor Lee & Caleb Konley)
* Title vs. Title Match: IMPACT Grand Champion Matt Sydal defeated X-Division Champion Taiji Ishimori to become X-Division & Grand Champion
* IMPACT Knockouts Championship Match: Allie defeated Laurel Van Ness (c)
* Lashley & Brian Cage defeated oVe (Dave & Jake Crist w/ Sami Callihan)
* IMPACT World Championship Match: Austin Aries (c) defeated Johnny Impact
All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling. Photomontage by @frenchnygma exclusively for @steelchairmag.