It’s not a change, it’s a revolution! United We Stand on Thursday was a great iPPV but, at the same time, we learnt that Madison Rayne, Low Ki and RVD are back, Gail Kim is coming out of retirement. There’s suddenly a clash between the “old” and “young” generations on Impact that could be a good, or a bad, thing, for the company. 2019 motto is moving forward, isn’t it?
We’re in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, this week and there’s a lot on the menu. Fallah Bahh will face off Rohit Raju, Eli Drake and Eddie Edwards will square off with LAX, Madison Rayne is back in the Impact Zone, a 6-Man X-Division match is set, and Sami Callihan will team up with Madman Fulton against Willie Mack and Rich Swann. 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=kK6lQjzSN8M]
The Nygma’s Chart of the Week
- Petey Williams defeated Ace Austin, Idris Abraham, Trey Miguel, Jake Crist and Aiden Prince in a 6-Man X-Division the Scramble.
- LAX was drinking together and talking about the Lucha Bros. Konnan told Ortiz and Santana that they are going to earn respect from Penta and Fénix at their Metal Mayhem Match. For tonight, he wanted them to focus on Eli Drake and Eddie Edwards.
- Backstage, Taya Valkyrie was telling Melissa Santos that she won’t be giving Jordynne Grace another opportunity at the Knockouts title because she doesn’t deserve it. Madison Rayne appeared, to which Valkyrie asked why she isn’t still in the Undead Realm. Rayne said that she wasn’t lost in the Undead Realm but somewhere much worse. Rayne told Taya that being a Champion is about defending your title. Jordynne Grace appeared and said that she deserved the next title shot because of how things ended last week. Valkyrie suggested that Rayne and Grace compete for the #1 Contender Spot at Rebellion.
- Madman Fulton & Sami Callihan w/ Dave Crist defeated Rich Swann & Willie Mack. After the match, Fulton and Callihan attacked Mack and Swann, but Tommy Dreamer came out to make the save and cleared the ring with a chair wielded in his hands.
- Impact World Champion Johnny Impact met up with Rolando, grabbed the mic, asked Menendez if he wants to get “Stossled” and told him to learn how to ask questions. Johnny said he’s enjoying being Champion, but did ask what the point of being smarter than everyone is if you can’t rub in someone’s face. Killer Kross showed up, Johnny said he did promise Kross a title shot. Kross said he’s not Johnny’s brother and warned him about insulting his intelligence. He said the only things Johnny cares about are his title, his wife, and his immediate interests. Kross knew he’s getting a title shot eventually and told Johnny there will be a toll to be paid.
- The Rascalz “70s Show” Pot Smoking Parody, Moose showed up and removed some sunglasses from Trey to reveal a black eye. He’ll bring some friends next week to see him beat up Wentz.
- Rosemary was wandering dealing with the loss of Allie. Kevin Sullivan said he thought his sweet daughter would understand and told her the whole thing is on her. Rosemary found the tombstone of Allie and says that she should have listened to her, felt they had everything in hand before Kiera Hogan showed up, blamed James Mitchell as well for playing Allie and bringing Su Yung into things. She reiterated it wasn’t Allie’s fault, but rather hers as she could have done more, but promised to do more in the future. Rosemary promised to get revenge on Hogan.
- Jordynne Grace defeated Madison Rayne to become the #1 Contender for the Knockouts Championship at Rebellion. After the match, Taya Valkyrie came down to the ring and attacked Grace from behind. Grace actually started to gain the advantage but Johnny Impact came out to distract her so that Taya could return to the attack. Valkyrie hit a curb stomp and set her up for the Countdown to Impact from Johnny. Brian Cage came down to the ring and saved Grace.
- Backstage, Ethan Page and Josh Alexander were going to become the Monster Mafia to try and show the world that they are the best team in all of pro wrestling.
- Rohit Raju w/Raj Singh and Gama Singh defeated Fallah Bahh. After the match, Scarlett Bordeaux came down to the ring and distracted the Desi Hit Squad, allowing Bahh to take them both out. Bordeaux hit a running hip attack on Raj to finish them off.
- Cody and Jake Deaner received new Impact contracts.
- Melissa Santos interviewed Tessa Blanchard a video package highlighting the career of Gail Kim, asking what it feels like to face a legend at Rebellion in the process. Blanchard went on to explain that Kim was a legend, but only in her era of bra and panties matches, not in this current era that Blanchard is a part of.
- Eddie Edwards & Eli Drake vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) w/ Konnan. After the match, Pentagon and Fénix hit LAX with superkicks. They ended up bringing out a table and hitting a powerbomb on Santana through it.
The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week
– 6-Man X-Division Scramble: Aiden Prince vs Idris Abraham vs Ace Austin vs Trey vs Petey Williams vs Jake Crist
The best way to open an Impact episode, a good old high-flying and fast-paced X-Division match… Apparently, only 2 men at a time are legal and leaving the ring constitutes a tag of sorts.
Everyone missed offence to start then found some. Austin ate superkicks from everyone excepted Petey Williams. Trey dove over the rope onto three opponents, then Austin kicked him in the face. Petey and Austin in the ring, Petey hit head scissors and a dropkick to Austin. Petey connected with a diving hurricanrana onto Crist. Prince hit a standing guillotine into a suplex/brainbuster. Abraham ran the ropes, avoided some attacks, then hit a heavy shoulder block. Trey took out Abraham but was caught by Jake Crist in the Death Valley Driver. Jake went for a Fisherman Buster but Abraham broke that up and hit Crist with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Austin hit a wrist clutch elevated neck breaker. Trey in kicked Austin and set him in the corner for the Cheeky Nandos and the 619 in the turnbuckles
. Austin avoided a double stomp, Petey in hit a side Russian leg sweep and called for the Canadian Destroyer. Trey countered but and Petey hits a powerbomb and rolled through an escaped Destroyer to lock up a Sharpshooter. Jake broke that up and Petey took him out with a Northern Lights Suplex. Petey tied up Jake Crist in the Tree of Woe position, the classic “O Canada” that I love to call the Nut Stomper was coming but Ace hit kicks to Petey and Crist. Ace Austin caught Prince and draped him over Crist on the top of the ropes. Abraham in now for a Tower of Doom spot. Jake basically German-suplexed the pile. 
Trey climbed the buckles and took out Crist with a double stomp, but he rolled into a Canadian Destroyer and Abraham and Austin have to break up the pin attempt. Austin cleared the ring, set for The Fold on Crist but got tied up and kicked, Prince hit a DDT on Crist. Austin attacked Prince but Prince took him out with chops and a chin kick, then dove onto Austin and Abraham on the outside. Crist kicked Petey who was hanging out on the top rope, then set for a superplex. Petey countered with a top rope Canadian Destroyer for the win. Magic.
– Number One Contender Match for the Knockouts Championship: Madison Rayne vs. Jordynne Grace
Due to the fact Jordynne Grace won the match last week, didn’t she deserve a rematch, and not the right to come back in the queue?
They locked up and Grace got an arm wringer sequence, Rayne reversed, Grace hit an arm drag then they traded leg sweeps. Another lock up and Grace drove Rayne into the corner, tossed her out of it into the other corner and tossed Rayne again. Grace tried to charge but ran into a boot, then went for a crossbody but just bounced off of Grace. Grace tried a suplex, Rayne countered with an inside cradle, another roll up, then a failed sunset flip. They traded a few more near falls before Rayne hits an enzuigiri.
Grace hit a pounce, drove Rayne into the corner and landed shoulders to the gut, a senton and knees to the back. Grace started to make Madison swing. Rayne tried to get strikes going but ran into a back elbow. Grace hit a backbreaker into a sidewalk slam, knees, a snap suplex and a side Russian leg sweep from Grace. She went for the Vader bomb but Rayne avoided it. Rayne hit some forearms and a dropkick to the knee and a running kick to the head. She went up top and hit a crossbody.
Grace was put into a sleeper hold but stood up and slammed backwards to break the hold. Rayne just grabbed it again as Grace didn’t move away. The ref checked the arm, Grace was still here and drove Rayne into the buckles. Grace slammed Rayne into the buckles, then hit the Torture Rack Bomb. Grace clubbed Rayne a few times, tried a running lariat but Rayne avoided it, hit a crucifix bomb but Grace kicked out. Rayne set for a Dragon Sleeper, Grace flipped her forward and hit a Grace driver for the win. Logic.
– LAX (Santana & Ortiz w/ Konnan) vs Team E&E (Eli Drake & Eddie Edwards w/Kenny)
E&E could become serious contenders for the Tag Team titles if they keep on the way they’re making it. If they defeat LAX this week, that will be meaningful, mostly after Rebellion.
They all faced off and started pushing, Konnan and Drake started jawing but Konnan blocked a punch and hit Drake. That prompted the referee to eject Konnan from ringside. LAX attacked in the ring and isolated Edwards in the ring. LAX connected with their classic tandem offence, Edwards took it to Santana with headbutts. Drake tagged himself and hit a neck breaker and stomps on Santana. Edwards in now landed stomps, Drake back in and more offence in the corner. Santana avoided a back suplex and tagged in Ortiz. More tandem offence from LAX, that culminated with a senton from Ortiz, a moonsault from Santana, then a diving headbutt from Ortiz.
Drake hit a snap power slam and a diving headbutt then tagged in Edwards. Edwards and Drake double teamed Ortiz for a bit. Headbutts from Edwards, he then tagged in Drake who hit some blows to Ortiz. Ortiz reversed a whip attempt but missed a splash in the corner and ate a neckbreaker from Drake. Edwards in now and they tried another double team sequence but Ortiz countered and dropkicked Edwards. Ortiz tagged Santana, who ran wild on Edwards. Edwards winded up down, Santana went up top but Drake cut him off behind the referee’s back, set him for a superplex but Santana fought free.
Edwards cut him off and they hit a kick into a superplex. Edwards hit a Tiger Bomb. Ortiz dumped Drake, Edwards fought both LAX members but winded up getting double teamed into the Street Sweeper but Drake broke up the pinfall. They got caught up playing to the crowd, and when they got back in the ring and set to mock the finisher of the Lucha Bros, Penta and Fénix showed up, Santana dove onto them. Drake cracked Ortiz with the kendo stick and Edwards hit the Boston Knee party for the win. Interesting.
The not-Nygma’s Moment(s) of the Week
Coming back and going straight for a #1 contender spot, Queen Bee is a pretty lucky woman… The Knockouts roster is stacked with amazing women that would have earned the spot she was given this week. Despite her past with the company, Madison Rayne is like any other member of the Knockouts roster, which means a wrestler. With all the respect due to the former 5-time Knockouts Champion, the Nygma is preaching nothing else but freedom, equality and brotherhood (the French Republic motto) in her weekly homilies.
The Nygma’s Award of the Week
– Scarlett Bordeaux
I said a Nygma Award every week until the end of June, so…
– Petey Williams
He’s now spending more time backstage than in the ring, so what a pleasure to see Petey Williams on Impact this week, wrestling in his hometown! There’s no other reason for me to give him a Nygma Award, just the fact he’s Petey Williams, an amazing wrestler and a highly-praised backstage producer…
– Madman Fulton
After what we saw last week, I had to read and watch “A Clockwork Orange” again. Because one of the lessons of the movie is the fact you can’t always get what you want. The Minister wants to make an example of Alex, the same way Sami Callihan is trying to make a beast of Madman Fulton. But, in the end, Alex is “cured” of his “treatment”. So out of a beast, may emerge another beast, be careful Sami…
– Rosemary
We all know Allie is not going to come back to Impact. But Rosemary has a revenge to take: Kiera Hogan, “Him” Kevin Sullivan, Father James Mitchell and Su Yung. I tend to think we’re not done yet with the supernatural side of Impact. A part of me is not very happy about it, the other is looking forward to what’s next…
To be eNYGMAtic…
What to say of this week’s episode… Not bad at all, good but not great… After a huge step like the one done last week, you can only make baby steps after… Some battles are just beginning, some wars are not over yet, some fights are just waiting to spring. We move forward in a kind of fog that, as always, could lead us to the best, or the worst…
But we’re three weeks away from Rebellion, and I don’t know what to say. Something is definitely there, and something is definitely missing. And I can’t make it out… We have all the components, but the recipe of a great Rebellion is not complete yet.
On this very “keep stepping” note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…
All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling. Photomontage by @frenchnygma exclusively for @vulturehoundmag and @steelchairmag.
