BREAKING NEWS: We’re delighted to announce that dummies will be named and shamed long into the future as @TheEliDrake has signed a contract extension with IMPACT Wrestling. pic.twitter.com/eZJGQ4Bmq0

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) June 25, 2018

The great news of the beginning of the week! The Namer of Dummies signed a contract extension with Impact Wrestling. As we can’t get enough of Eli Drake, THAT is a Fact of Life…

The Road to Slammiversary XVI, Chapter 2, Act 4. Another move on the very crowded chessboard this road has become. And this week, we have new pieces that come on it. Rich Swann is making his debut in the Impact Zone. The legendary Gama Singh and his team of brilliant talents, the Desi Hit Squad, too… But also the feud between Pentagon Junior and Sami Callihan is going to bring us to Los Angeles, while Eddie Edwards is coming to Philly to confront Tommy Dreamer. I almost forgot X-Division Champion Matt Sydal squaring off with Dezmond Xavier. No more words, let’s get ready for some action, your French Enygma Steph way, of course…

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

Queen Madison

Madison Rayne opened the show to remind us she was originally back to just provide commentary.  But she was now back in the ring. Rayne said she’s here to create moments and will continue to do so at Slammiversary against the Impact Knockouts Champion Su Yung. She reminded us of the fates of Rosemary and Allie in the past weeks and told about showing her daughter her Mum is not afraid of monsters. She was about to talk to Su Yung, Tessa Blanchard arrived and said Rayne should be competing for the title of Mother of the Year. Blanchard added she was the best in the Impact Zone, while Rayne was in 2011. Words were followed by the creepy laugh of Su Yung. The match was set for tonight. 

Rich Swann vs. Trevor Lee

Lee went for the test of strength but Swann kept switching hands until he got Lee to start dancing and ended up getting bounced to the floor. Back in the ring, Swann hit a big kick to Lee’s back. But Lee lifted up and dropped Swann down on the top rope. Lee hit his big kick and sent Swann hard into the corner. Lee continued with an uppercut, a back body drop, some knees and a stomp to Swann’s face. 

Swann rallied and shoved Lee back to the corner.  Swann connected with a Phoenix splash down to the floor. Back in the ring, Swann unloaded a big splash, jumped over Lee, but Lee replied with the running double stomp for 2. Swann countered a suplex attempt, laid in strikes but Lee cut him off. Until Swann connected with a hurricanrana and a reverse hurricanrana. The Phoenix Splash connected for the win. And the joy of the crowd.

Penta Unmasked

At a PCW Ultra event, Sami Callihan attacked Pentagon Jr., who was wrestling in a steel cage, with a baseball bat. He took out the referee and called in Dave and Jake Crist to help him attack Pentagon. Callihan looked to take off Pentagon’s mask and ended up taking off it. Pentagon quickly dropped to the mat to cover his face. In Lucha Libre tradition, losing his mask means losing his soul…

– Backstage, Katarina told Grado she had a match next week. He didn’t know she was a 2-time Knockouts Champion. “It was a different season,” the wrestler formerly known as Winter replied.

Desi Hit Squad (Rohit Raju and Gursinder Singh) vs. Z&E

The Stampede Wrestling Legend Gama Singh introduced his protégés. Everett & Raju started us off with some back and forth, Everett took control and hit a dropkick. DJZ tagged in, they work double team moves on Raju (interesting nut-stretcher). Raju replied with rights, tagged in Singh who accidentally hit Raju. Followed a strange mess that led to DJZ taking control. They caught a DJZ dive and tossed him into Everett.

The Hit Squad rallied, Singh grounded the action, but DJZ fought them both off and dumped them to the floor. Everett hit a springboard dive and wiped them out. Back in the ring, Everett hit a kick and springboard spin kick. Z&E worked over Singh, but Raju made the save. They cut off Everett with the knee strike sky-high combo. Raju got dumped and Z&E connected with more double team moves. Everett connected with the moonsault but Gama distracted the referee. That allowed Singh to get the win with a roll up. Did I tell you Gama Singh was a villain who was running a faction called Karachi Vice that was hated in Calgary? (He’s also Jinder Mahal’s uncle)

– Pentagon Jr. on screen to challenge Sami Callihan for a Mask vs. Hair match at Slammiversary. Later in the episode, oVe’s Creepy Cam revealed Sami Callihan accepted. Long promo on Moose and his journey from football to wrestling.

Eddie Unchained

At a House of Hardcore show in Philadelphia, Eddie Edwards busted Tommy Dreamer open with a kendo stick. Edwards jabbed Dreamer’s forehead with some parts of the kendo stick and rubbed his face with Dreamer’s blood. He then choked Dreamer with what remained of the stick before strolling backstage. Outside the building, Moose followed Edwards and asked him what all that was about. He tried to talk some sense into Edwards but Eddie just responded, “Leave me the f— alone!” and walked off.

– In LAX Lair, Konnan tried to make Ortiz and Santana believe in the fact Eddie Kingston fooled him and that was not a coincidence that King showed up when he disappeared. Ortiz and Santana needed time to think.

Impact X-Division Champion Matt Sydal vs. Dezmond Xavier

Xavier attacked when Sydal was opening his third eye and hit a dropkick. Xavier looks for a dive, but Sydal went under the ring to head back in. Sydal hid behind the referee and then hit some cheap shots. Xavier fired back with a clothesline and strikes. Sydal fired back with leg kicks and a dragon screw leg whip, attacking Xavier’s knee. Sydal grounded things, working a single leg Boston crab and some kicks to the knee. Sydal told Xavier “I can help you open your third eye. Let me help you, I believe in you!”, allowing Xavier to fire back, but Sydal attacked the knee again. Xavier started to fire up with strikes and followed with a dropkick. Sydal powdered to the floor and Xavier followed with a tope. Back in the ring, Xavier headed up top but Sydal pushed the ref into the ropes, Xavier fell and hit the Chemical Imbalance for the win.

After the match, Brian Cage headed out to the ring, but Kongo Kong and Jimmy Jacobs followed and stopped him. Kongo tossed Cage into the ring, but Cage kicked Kongo in the head. Sydal then smacked Cage with the title. Jacobs and Sydal bowed down to each other as Kongo headed up to the top rope and hit a splash on Cage.

Impact World Champion Austin Aries told Backstage Interviewer Alicia Atout (read about her here) he was not impressed with Moose’s journey because everybody did that, even himself. He insisted on the big difference between Moose and his, the fact Aries didn’t fail. Next week, we’ll hear more of Aries’ story.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Madison Rayne

Blanchard made Rayne suffer all match long. Tessa attacked and quickly got dumped on the floor. Back in the ring, Rayne tried but Tessa cut her off with a running forearm, strikes, clotheslines and a Saito suplex. It rained strikes and kicks before Tessa locked Rayne in an abdominal stretch. Tessa hits a suplex. Rayne rallied with an enzuigiri, a head scissors and a sliding clothesline.

Tessa trapped Tayne in the corner. Forearm strikes followed, Tessa then his a draping flatliner, escaped a German Suplex and hit the desperation spear for the double down. They fired up and traded strikes, Rayne hit the running boot but Tessa cut her off and hit more strikes and boots in the corner. Rayne managed to hit a crucifix driver to pick up the win again.

After the match, Blanchard tried to attack Rayne with a chair tired attacked her opponent and swings away at her. Blanchard heads to the outside, grabs a chair, looks to swing it and fere came Su Yung. Blanchard stopped and bailed. The Legion of Undead Brides surrounded the ring and then rushed in to attack her. When Yung decided it was time for her to take care of Rayne, Allie ran out to make the save. She ends up clearing the ring as Yung retreated.

Slammiversary is just 3 weeks away, some things are taking shape. A pretty disturbing but exciting way… This episode was an excuse to cement the feuds that will make the card of the PPV. That doesn’t mean the episode was bad. I wished come matches could last longer, show more of the potential of the talents. And because you agree with me, of course, I see you next week… And never forget to stay #eNYGMAtic… 

All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling. Photomontage by @frenchnygma exclusively for @steelchairmag.