After eating a savoury Thanksgiving menu and dancing the Turkey Trot, what a treat to learn the Ultimate X match was back at Homecoming! I told you the PPV was taking shape the incredible way, and it’s just a beginning… 2019 will begin the best possible way, Impact wise.
What is on the menu this week? Tons of action and talent. Eli Drake and Tommy Dreamer will square off, Jordynne Grace and Katarina in a rematch of Grace’s debut, The Lucha Brothers vs. Willie Mack and Rich Swann, Taya Valkyrie will unveil her Wera Loca side, The Rascalz will make their debut in the Impact Zone. So no more words, let’s get ready for some action, but your French Enygma Steph way, of course…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-NGq_z1-_Q]

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week 

• Pentagon Junior & Fenix defeated Willie Mack & Rich Swann. After the match, Impact World Tag Team Champions Santana and Ortiz came to say the match was “pure fuego”. LAX went through a list of the tag teams they’ve defeated but finished it off with saying that they want to give a shot to their family, The Lucha Brothers at Homecoming. The Lucha Brothers accepted. Thank you by advance, Penta and Fénix…
• A backstage segment is shown featuring Brian Cage explaining just how important his Impact World Heavyweight Title match is.
• Backstage, Konnan was with LAX and was not happy about them making the match with the Luchas. Konnan said he’s been there before, He delved into the history he had with all the luchadors and why matches like this could break families apart. Pentagon and Fenix want to be the best, and they will do anything they can to make it happen. He said “I gotta do what I gotta do” and then exited.
• Jordynne Grace defeated Katarina.

• Again, a referee demanded that Tessa Blanchard respected his authority. She told him that he made himself clear before he exited.
• Tommy Dreamer was interviewed about tonight’s main event with Eli Drake. He called Drake a skinny-jeaned millennial that represents everything he hates with the world. He mocked Drake for trying to be and failing to be the Rock. He went on to drag Drake about his time in Tough Enough, his poor performance as Impact Heavyweight Champion and he even called Drake a ‘dummy’. Tommy talked about how much he’s always sacrificed for the business and how Eli needed new insults other than fat shaming. He promises that he’ll come out on top tonight because he’s got the heart.
• Taya Valkyrie defeated Ray Lyn. Post-match, Tessa arrived and attacked Taya. Tessa laid out the referee and then choked him out. More officials arrived, Sonjay Dutt and Scott D’Amore also arrived to try and stop her. But when Gail Kim hit the ring, Tessa broke it up. Tessa sat on the ramp in shock and stared at Taya and Gail Kim in the ring.

• An interview segment was shown where Johnny Impact discussed how much the Impact World Heavyweight Championship means to him. Killer Kross interrupted the interview and continued trying to convince Johnny Impact that he needed Kross’s help to take Cage out. Johnny said the answer was still no and walked away.
• The Rascalz, Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz, with Trey Miguel, defeated Chris Bey & Mike Sydal.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE! @DezmondXavier and @zachary_wentz’ Hot Fire Flame is one of the most mind-blowing moves we've ever seen. #IMPACTonPop pic.twitter.com/70dVHhuxfE

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) November 30, 2018

• Backstage, Kiera Hogan begged Allie to overcome the darkness and come home. Meanwhile, Alisha Edwards decided to institutionalize a sedated Eddie Edwards. Moose promised to check on Alisha after ranting how he’s better than Eddie, how Eddie’s wife left him, how Eddie turned on their friendship, etc. From an asylum to the Asylum, there’s just a fine…
• Still backstage, Eli Drake promised to send Tommy right to the retirement home, while Matt Sydal and Ethan Page decided to enlight their path by facing off for a shot for the Ultimate X match next week.
• Tommy Dreamer defeated Eli Drake via count-out.
• Eli Drake defeated Tommy Dreamer in a no-DQ match.
• Backstage, Eli Drake found a letter addressed to him. As he read, he freaked out and left.

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

– The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz, with Trey Miguel) vs. Chris Bey & Mike Sydal
I already told you about these 3 guys and how good they are, now it’s time for them to show us why. Their opponents of the night were Chris Bey, a young indy talent, and Mike Sydal, The Yoga Master and brother of Matt. Quick match, but what a demonstration of talent!
Xavier and Sydal were in to begin, they worked some back and forth, Xavier got Sydal in a headlock until Sydal hit a dropkick. More dropkicks followed, from Sydal and Xavier. Wentz tagged in and hit a corkscrew high cross. Bey in hit a hurricanrana.

Xavier cut him off and The Rascalz ran wild with strikes, European uppercuts and kicks to the back of the head. Wentz followed with a bronco buster in the corner on Bay. Wentz and Xavier attacked Sydal with kicks to the legs, back, and head, before Zach hits a hard double stomp on Sydal’s back. The stereo suicide dive followed. After more knees and kicks, Xavier shoved Wentz in mid-moonsault onto Sydal for the win.

– Eli Drake vs. Tommy Dreamer
Finally, Eli Drake has come back to the main event. If you read what Tommy Dreamer put on his Twitter account, you will understand why this man is so special.
They locked up and Drake took Dreamer down. Dreamer took control and laid in chops, mounted strikes, and bit Drake. The cutter followed, but Drake powdered and gets counted out… Impact officials restarted the match as a no-DQ match. Post break, they were brawling on the ramp. Dreamer brought a flurry of hardcore toys and started attacking Drake. Dreamer hit him with a doughnut box and then ate some. Dreamer put the ring bell on his crotch and hammered it, a new version of the Nutcracker. Dreamer got a cane and pretty much shoved it on Drake’s ass.

Drake fought back and suplexed Dreamer in the ramp. Drake attacked with a traffic cone and followed with strikes back in the ring. Drake hit a cookie sheet assisted neck breaker (according to Dreamer, it hurt…). Dreamer fired up and hit a clothesline, a neck breaker, and some Dusty elbows. Dreamer grabbed a chair and a trashcan. He set up the chair, and Drake dropped toeholds him face-first into it. Drake had the chair and flew off the ropes with it, but Dreamer got a foot up to block. The DDT followed. Drake wedged a trashcan in the corner, but Dreamer hit another DDT. Drake hit the Nutcracker, slammed him into the can, and hit the Gravy Train. But Dreamer kicked off! Drake wrapped the chair around Dreamer’s neck and hit it with a rowing oar for the win.

– The Lucha Brothers vs. Willie Mack & Rich Swann
High-flyers are always offering a great opener for a show. With Penta, Fénix, Rich Swann and The Mack, you know what Lucha Libre style is about. It’s fun, high-flying and freaking good.
Fénix and Swann locked up, working into counters and a standoff. They picked up the pace, working into more counters and a standoff again. Pentagon and Mack tagged in. Pentagon took off his glove, superkick by Fénix and then Swann, all four were down. Pentagon laid in leg kicks on Mack, followed with forearms, but Mack hit a bicycle kick and ran into a superkick. He snapped off a hurricanrana, he and Swann worked some double team moves. Fenix flew in but was caught by Mack. The Luchas fought back with kicks, double cutters by Fénix, sling blades by Pentagon. They isolated Swann, and Pentagon hit the infamous bum cracker, a top rope double stomp to the ass of Swann.

They worked over Mack with double team moves. Swann then pulled Fénix to the floor, Pentagon worked leg kicks on Mack, but Mack hit the pounce. He followed with a tope on Pentagon. Swann hit a Phoenix splash onto the Lucha Brothers on the floor. Fénix recovered and wiped out Swann and Mack with a springboard tornillo. After commercials, Mack was working over Fénix. They traded strikes, Fénix fired up but Mack took him down. Mack hit a superman punch, but Fénix fired back with kicks and headed up top. Swann cut him off and Pentagon took him out. Sublime reverse hurricanrana by Fénix on The Mack. The double stomp/fear factor combo, aka flying bum cracker, on the apron killed Swann. The Lucha brothers then hit a series of double teams and finished off The Mack.

The not-Nygma’s Moment(s) of the Week (or the Nygma’s Broken Record Moment of the Week)

No The Desi Hit Squad this week, some Scarlett Bordeaux, but forget about her… Apart from that, nothing bad to say about anyone… The Nygma’s wicked tongue was made redundant this week…

The Nygma’s Award of the Week

– Konnan
All along his career, Konnan has helped dozens, if not hundreds, of wrestlers, whether in Mexico or in the USA. Pentagon and Fénix owe him a lot, like Santana and Ortiz right now. But at Homecoming, the legendary wrestler will have to face a casus belli, which “family” will he support? In many ways, the fate of the Impact World Tag Team Championship will be in his hands at Homecoming.

– Jordynne Grace
“Thick Mama Pump” is powerful, young and athletic. In a wrestling world that wants Evolution for his women, Jordynne Grace is exactly what a wrestler is supposed to be. A woman who is wrestling, who’s strong and sexy her own personal way.

– Gail Kim
The only female TNA Hall of Famer is back in the ring. Her in-ring career may be over, but everyone knows Kim is now a brilliant backstage producer for the shows. But why interfering into the Taya-Tessa story? The Nygma knows, but can’t share it with you now… But trust me, the reason is just nutcracking!

To be eNYGMAtic…

This episode was neither good, not bad, again. A strong build-up episode that is really shaping up Homecoming, introducing new wrestlers, bringing us some action, nutcracking and bum cracking like your Nygma loves it. What else can we ask for? Let’s not forget that the December 20th and 27th episodes will be some “Best of 2018” shows. So we only have 3 weekly episodes before the PPV, that I’m looking forward to reviewing for you. On this impatient note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

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