If you want me to talk about the fate of Johnny Impact, Killer Kross or LAX on Impact, you won’t find anything here about. Rhino is back on Impact Wrestling, he was the mysterious man who saved Don Callis at Slammiversary XVII. That is true and confirmed.
Last week, we heard Impact Wrestling Creatives and Executives give us their thoughts on Slammiversary. That was nice, but it’s time to move forward and make the Road to Bound for Glory be a glorious one. Until October 20, so many things can happen…
On the menu this week, from the Don Kolov Arena in Mississauga, Ontario, a mash-up tournament where 4 teams will try to grab an opportunity to face each other and become the #1 contender for the Impact World Championship. Some enemies are meant to become friends this week… Also, Taya Valkyrie is putting the Knockouts title on the line against both Havok and Madison Rayne. 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=Zue8XVEXPpM]

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week

• Mash-Up Tournament First Round Match: Eddie Edwards & Moose defeated Cody Deaner & Rohit Raju. Post-match, The Desi Hit Squad and The Deaners had a word with each other and brawled. The Desi Hit Squad quickly bailed out.
• Backstage, Ace & Austin and Aidan Prince were talking about their upcoming tournament match when Austin cut Prince off, saying he really doesn’t want to team with him. Prince unexpectedly agreed and walked away. Meanwhile, Eddie and Moose were happy to remember that they hate each other.
• Mash-Up Tournament First-Round Match: Wentz & Jake Crist defeated Madman Fulton & Rich Swann
• Ace Austin tried to convince Madison Rayne to tag with him. She mocked and refused him. Stone Rockwell arrived and offered to be his partner.

• Mash-Up Tournament First Round Match: Michael Elgin & Willie Mack defeated Ace Austin & Stone Rockwell
• Sami Callihan and oVe were celebrating their victories tonight and their plan coming together. Sami teased the “Fingerpoke of Doom” (very WCW…) in tonight’s match. Dave wasn’t thrilled about this as Sami claimed he will move on to become champion.
• Jimmy Jacobs asked Taya Valkyrie if her next match will be for the title. She replied she has 30 days to play with so, of course, it’s not for the title. Jacobs asked here where Johnny was, and John E. Bravo joked they aren’t married yet. Taya was disgusted with the remark. Before the next match, Trey entered wearing oVe attire…

• Mash-Up Tournament First Round Match: Sami Callihan & Tessa Blanchard defeated Trey & Dave Crist. After the match, backstage, Sami and Tessa argued, even though they won, because they still hate each other.
• Havok defeated Madison Rayne & Champion Taya Valkyrie.
• Backstage, Michael Elgin said he & Willie Mack will win the main event, so they will go on to Unbreakable where he’ll certainly become #1 contender again. Big Mike was in high spirits before the next match, as he’s got the chance of sending six, perhaps seven people to the hospital.
• Mash-Up Tournament Finals: Sami Callihan & Tessa Blanchard defeated Jake Crist & Wentz and Moose & Eddie Edwards and Willie Mack & Michael Elgin. Michael Elgin eliminated Edwards & Moose with the Elgin Bomb, then Sami Callihan eliminated Mack & Elgin with the Cactus Special (after Elgin bailed on Mack). Sami Callihan vs Tessa Blanchard II will take place in two weeks, with the winner going on to face Brian Cage for the Impact World Heavyweight Championship.

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

Because of all the matches in the tournament, I will focus on the finals and tell you more about the other matches in Nygma Awards section. 

– Mash-Up Tournament Finals – Elimination Rules: Tessa Blanchard & Sami Callihan vs Jake Crist & Trey Miguel vs Moose & Eddie Edwards vs Willie Mack & Michael Elgin
Tessa and Eddie began, Sami tagged himself in and Tessa tagged herself back in. They kept tagging themselves in until Eddie attacked Sami with strikes and headbutts. Edwards hit kicks, Moose tagged in and worked over Sami and hit the DDT and some chops. Edwards tagged in and traded with Sami as they lit each other up. Edwards kicked him to the floor as Elgin tagged in and Edwards hit Sami with a suicide dive, Elgin followed and Moose joined in for some floor brawling. Jake and Wentz joined in as well. Tessa was also out there as Elgin rolled Edwards in and got dumped. Moose then powerbombed Edwards onto the pile on the floor.

Post break, Elgin hit a German suplex on Moose. Edwards was in and followed with strikes, Elgin cut him off and hit a superkick and an enzuigiri. Mack pounced Edwards and hit a tope onto the pile. Elgin bucklebombed and powerbombed Edwards for the elimination. Wentz was tagged back in and Elgin followed with clotheslines but then ran into a dropkick. Went hit the springboard tornillo, Mack slammed Jake and the standing moonsault ate Mack’s knees. Jake tagged in Sami and Sami beat down Mack. He grounded the action, but Mack fired up and hit the Samoan drop and the standing moonsault

Elgin took out Jake. Tessa was in but Sami shoved her away and Elgin levelled him. He then hit some lariats on Mack and powdered to the back. Sami hit the Cactus Driver and pinned Mack for the elimination. Sami and Tessa regrouped and brawled with Jake and Wentz. They hit superkicks. Wentz hit the cutter but Tessa unloaded the buzzsaw DDT and Jake replied with the Death Valley Driver. Sami and Jake argued and did the finger poke. They traded superkicks, Tessa tagged in and hit the Magnum for the win after Sami hit the Cactus Driver. 

– Taya Valkyrie w/ John E. Bravo vs Havok vs Madison Rayne
Jon E. Bravo was at ringside. Taya and Rayne attacked Havok, but Havok fought them off and slammed Rayne to the buckles. Taya attacked Havok, hit some running elbows, clotheslines, and then the double knees. Rayne hit enzuigiris on Taya and a neck breaker. Taya fired back, laid in kicks, and a clothesline until Havok broke it up.

She worked over Taya and tossed her across the ring. Bravo took the ref, Taya strangled the eyes and Rayne guillotined Havok and followed with a DDT. Taya hit a spear on Rayne, but Havok cut her off. They all traded strikes, Havok took control and slammed both women at the same time. She followed with running boots to Taya, but Bravo pulled Taya to the floor. Rayne hit the high cross as Taya powdered. Havok then hit a Tombstone on Rayne for the win.

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

I don’t exactly remember where I was Michael Elgin wise but, because he still wants to send people to the hospital, I have no reason to stop… So, Michael Elgin still wants to send 6 or 7 to the hospital? Wonderful, not-Nygma 20,000%…

Who is this man who missed Indiana Jones and just can’t get it? Stone Rockwell came absolutely out of nowhere… And maybe he should come back to…

The Nygma’s Award of the Week

– Jake Crist
Since he was given the opportunity to wrestle on his own, Jake Crist has never stopped to impress the fans. At Homecoming, he made history when he entered the Ultimate X match. Even if he didn’t win that night, people realized how good the man is. For me, he’s the winner of this tournament because he unveiled a new side of himself. Jake Crist is decided not to be in the shadow of Sami Callihan anymore. He can do it on his own and he can win on his own. His desire to go after a Championship is more than legit. He will have a belt around his waist very soon, my crystal ball is absolutely sure of that.

– Rhino
So the mysterious man who saved Don Callis at Slammiversary was Rhino. We all understood it was him, but Impact acknowledged it as they were taping the last 2 days. Rhino (no Y here as we’re not in another company…) is a Legend. For nearly 25 years, he has worked for every possible promotion in the world. He had been a TNA member from 2005 to 2010 and then from 2014 to 2015. If I add he was trained by Scott D’Amore, I think we have all the reasons why he’s back on Impact. Gore us the show, Rhino!

Fan footage of @Rhyno313’s return at last night’s television tapings in Windsor!

See how it all plays out THIS FRIDAY on #IMPACT! pic.twitter.com/LA7nwEpjzb

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 20, 2019

– Don Callis and Scott D’Amore
We can thank the fan who filmed this glorious moment you’ll never see on TV… When Impact Wrestling Executive Vice-Presidents decide to have fun, this leads to a match, well a kind of match… Just my way to say Impact is a unique family, so easy to love…

Great night in Mississauga! https://t.co/OsO3gctwBA

— Scott D'Amore (@ScottDAmore) July 15, 2019

To be eNYGMAtic…

This mash-up tournament may have been great, with nice action and fun teams of enemies, the fact is, where is the Fallout from Slammiversary? For me, this episode was not a fallout one. We know that whether Sami Callihan or Tessa Blanchard will face Brian Cage for the Impact World Championship very soon. They will face each other on August 2nd at Unbreakable iPPV, only on Impact Plus. And then?
As you can notice below the real fallout is taking place next week, so 3 weeks after Slammiversary. A little too late, and enough to lose a tremendous momentum from Slammiversary… Bound for Glory is 13 weeks away, which is very long… Many sets of tapings have been announced, and anything can happen in this business. I know and you know.  On this “Nygma can’t wait” note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

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