Just before starting, I want to give to Scarlett Bordeaux the 2 last Nygma Awards I was supposed to give her. We learnt that she was released from her contract this week. Even if I could have been tough with her, you knew it was for very good reasons, because I knew how good a wrestler she is. I wish her nothing but the best… but let’s move forward…
The last 2 episodes literally changed the game. Women were given a spotlight they earned, the shows were stacked of action. Impact Wrestling is currently reinventing itself and that’s so good to watch. In fact, no, there’s no reinvention in what we’re seeing, Impact Wrestling is just coming back to its roots, in being innovative and different. Two weeks before Slammiversary XVI, the Impact Zone is on fire and, please, guys, keep teasing it, don’t put it out…
On the menu this week, from The Melrose Ballroom in New York City, intergender action as Jake Crist will compete against Tessa Blanchard. MadMan Fulton will square off with Eddie Edwards. Johnny Impact, Michael Elgin and X-Division Champion Rich Swann will fight in a 3-Way match. Moose will face off Tommy Dreamer. And Taya Valkyrie will put her Knockouts title on the line against Su Yung, that will probably won’t be alone… 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=lswghI4gB-Y]

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week

• Tessa Blanchard defeated Jake Crist. Post-match, Tessa challenged Sami as he was yelling at Jake.
• MadMan Fulton defeated Eddie Edwards. Mid-match, Killer Kross appeared on the screen. With The Sandman as hostage in a cleaning cupboard, Kross told Eddie that his friend (who has a black hood over his head) was having a good time. He waterboarded Sandman, providing enough of a distraction for Madman Fulton to finish Edwards. When Eddie came around, he quickly ran backstage with Kenny 2.0. Alisha met with Eddie backstage and tried to calm him down because it’s a trap. Eddie went to try and rescue Sandman anyway.
• Moose defeated Tommy Dreamer. Post-match, Moose drove a steel chair into Dreamer’s throat. He set Tommy up for the Van Terminator. Moose went to the top, but Rob Van Dam’s music interrupted him. Moose bailed, smirking as RVD entered the ring and guarded Tommy with a steel chair.

• Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo ran into Rosemary backstage. They argued and Taya talked about her issues with Yung, while Rosemary asked what happened to Taya, who used to be a thunder goddess. Rosemary said she can help, but wants a title shot. Taya agreed if Rosemary helps her. Rosemary will have her people call Taya’s people.
• Johnny Impact said Michael Elgin made a mistake last week, biting the hand that feeds him. He will get payback tonight.
• Champion Taya Valkyrie defeated Su Yung via DQ when Havok got involved. Rosemary arrived and Mitchell told her to calm down. Mitchell said it’s a time for celebration, Slammiversary. He announced a Four-Way Monster’s Ball match for the Knockouts Championship. Taya was livid.

• Ace Austin cut a promo, saying he’s not been pinned on Impact. He claimed to be the future of the X-Division and the whole company. He dared someone to come out and stop him. TJP made his return to Impact and answered the challenge.
• TJP defeated Ace Austin.
• While Edwards was searching for Kross and Sandman, The Rascalz were happy to have a title shot, until Konnan arrived and told them if he likes them, they don’t have any respect for the business. Konnan promised a massacre at Slammiversary.

• Edwards was still searching for Kross and Sandman. Kross attacked him, They brawled backstage and Alisha arrived to stop it. She said this isn’t him, but Edwards said this is how God made him and bit off Kross’ face. Eddie punched, bit, and smeared the blood all over his face.
• The oVe Creepy Cam showed Sami asking Tessa Blanchard if she wants to be treated like an equal. He offered her a match at Slammiversary. He’s going to pound her into a bloody pulp. Thumbs up, thumbs down.
• X-Division Champion Rich Swann defeated Michael Elgin and Johnny Impact. Post-match, Elgin tried to attack, but Swann fought him off and laid out Impact. Bravo attacked Swann with the red X and Impact choked him out. Elgin was up and Cage returned. He laid out Bravo and press slammed Impact onto the ramp. He went face to face with Elgin, they brawled and Cage powerbombed Elgin to stand tall.

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

– Tessa Blanchard vs. Jake Crist
Tessa attacked with strikes and forearms, then hit a cutter. The suicide dive followed, and then a second, and then the third. Tessa went up top and then flew off into a superkick. Crist slammed her to the corner, slapped her around and celebrated. Tessa fired back with forearms, but Crist hit the side Russian leg sweep and transitioned into a koji clutch. Tessa fought and made the ropes.

Crist then hit a slam and grounded the action. Tessa fought to her feet, but Crist maintained control as he followed with strikes and a suplex. They traded, Tessa fired up and hit the tornado DDT. Crist strangled the eyes and laid in rights. Tessa hit a jawbreaker and then ran into a Death Valley Driver. Crist was frustrated, but Tessa countered back with kicks. She headed up top and the Magnum connected for the win.

– Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie vs. Su Yung
Father James Mitchell and Havok were at ringside. Taya slapped Yung and Yung fired back as they brawled to begin. Taya hit the knee strike but Yung fired back and Taya cut off the Panic Switch and followed with a German suplex. Taya missed a charge, Yung fired back but Taya German suplexed her into the buckles. Taya followed with strikes, a running bottom attack and hit the double knees.

Taya danced a bit, allowing Yung to fight back and send her to the buckles. She followed with kicks and a head scissors. Yung locked on the Iron Maiden, but Taya made the ropes. Yung hit the draping pedigree. Yung pulled out the bloody glove, Taya fought off the mandible claw and hit the curb stomp. Taya followed with the Divorce Court, grounded Yung and headed up top. Yung cut her off and Havok got involved for the DQ.

– Rich Swann vs. Michael Elgin vs. Johnny Impact
Fast and furious start, Elgin took control as Swann followed with a high cross to both. Elgin to the floor, Swann followed with a dive and Impact followed with a tornillo. He and Swann back in, Impact takes him up top, Elgin back in hit Germans to both at the same time. He followed with forever clotheslines, but Swann hit him with a hurricanrana.

Johnny hit a hurricanrana RANA off the ropes, sending him into Elgin. Swann climbed the ropes, Elgin cut him off and hit the Air Raid Crash (kind of Gravy Train?) as Impact hit the running knee strike on both and the Standing Shooting Star Press. Elgin saved Swann, attacked Impact, laid in strikes and hits the Catatonic. Elgin went for a powerbomb, they all brawled now and Swann hit the double Lethal Injection.

Swann took Impact up top, Elgin joined them, and Impact hit the Disaster kick, allowing Swann to hit a reverse hurricanrana, Impact missed a Starship Pain on Elgin, Elgin looked for a lariat, countered, but followed with an enzuigiri and a superkick. Johnny hit a Spanish fly as Swann hit the 450 on Impact for the win.

The Nygma’s Award of the Week

– Killer Kross
How sadistic this man is… Waterboarding The Sandman to ensure Eddie Edwards would reach a new level of craziness… But this time he may have gone a little too far…

– TJP
Manik is back. If some of you found out about TJP thanks to another wrestling company, the fact is, at 34, Perkins has been wrestling for 20 years. He’s sporadically appeared on Impact Wrestling since 2004. But in 2013, he became X-Division Champion. Even if he told some media he hasn’t signed with Impact Wrestling yet, I tend to think TJP has every right to call the company his home, if he wants to.

– Eddie Edwards
Forget about Crazy Eddie, Hannibal Eddie Lecter was born… 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4a2yXrAq4c]

– Tessa Blanchard / Sami Callihan
When Tessa Blanchard had wrestled many men in her career, Sami Callihan is not that used to wrestling women. He teamed up with women but I’m not sure he wrestled women very often. But there’s one thing you can’t get away from Sami Callihan, and the Crist Brothers, too. Whatever they can do to make this company better, they do it. And they do it with talent and greatness.

– Brian Cage
Finally, the Champion is back home. Ok, he cleaned the ring. Ok, he’s able to put 3 or 4 men down. But it was difficult, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed it. Next week, we’ll know if Cage is 100%. And even if he’s not, he will go defend at Slammiversary… Because we need to see him defend, at least once.

To be eNYGMAtic…

What to say about this episode… Once again, Impact Wrestling burnt everything down its way. I wasn’t able to find anything wrong about this episode, which, I think, has never happened in 2 years of reviews. No, “Not-Nygma Awards” this week…
The fact is the action was more than good, promos and cinematic moments were excellent. Women are again shrinking the face of defiance, with intergender wrestling, with a Monster’s Ball match (only the third involving women in TNA/Impact history) at Slammiversary. Eddie Edwards is going beyond hardcore limits. Michael Elgin is breaking rules. After all, why not? Rules, limits, they’re meant to be broken…Two weeks before Slammiversary XVII, things really couldn’t have been any better…
On this truly “Hippy, hippy shake” note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

Impact Slammiversary XVII Card (as of Sunday, June 23, 11 PM)

• Singles Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Moose
• Intergender Match: Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard
• Fatal Four-Way Monster’s Ball for the Impact Knockouts Championship: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Su Yung vs. Rosemary vs. Jessicka Havok
• X-Division Championship Match: Rich Swann (c) vs. Johnny Impact
• Impact World Tag Team Championship Match: LAX (c) vs. Rascalz
• Impact Word Championship Match: Brian Cage (c) vs. Michael Elgin

All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling and Basil Mahmud. Photomontage custom made by @frenchnygma exclusively for @steelchairmag @vulturehoundmag.