It seems like Slammiversary XVII was so long ago… 3 weeks after the PPV, the fallout is finally happening. Out of a great PPV emerged some great moments, but it’s time to move forward. If Bound for Glory is 11 weeks away, it’s time to path the road for what will make of 2019 one of the most fabulous years of Impact Wrestling. So, what are we waiting for to start this new chapter of our Impact history book?
On the menu this week, from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Rich Swann puts his X-Division title on the line against Jake Crist. Jordynne Grace and Kiera Hogan will try to end their feud. Moose will be in action. Impact World Champion Brian Cage will square off with Michael Elgin in a Street Fight. 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=viAR3e3hc1A]

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week

• Jordynne Grace defeated Kiera Hogan. Madison Rayne was on commentary.
• Brian Cage said tonight he’s got what he wants, which is a Street Fight with Michael Elgin. Cage was decided to put Elgin in the hospital so bad he will never return. They go head-to-head in the main event.
• Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie argued over what happened at Slammiversary. The Champion was looking for some backup against Havok. Rosemary said their contract ran out, so there’s no more help from her and good luck against Havok. John E. Bravo said he will take care of it.
• Sami Callihan had something to get off his chest, demanding Tessa Blanchard’s presence. He was not going lie, when he heard he was wrestling Tessa at Slammiversary, he figured it would be a cakewalk. The only thing is, Tessa showed she has heart, spunk, and fire. He mentioned their win in the mix match tournament, to earn the chance to become #1 contender to the World title. Maybe he was wrong about Tessa? People want to talk crap online, but he should be looked at as a hero for giving the fans what they want.
  Other guys refused the chance to wrestle her, so they took the chance and lit the world on fire. People like to use the term “intergender wrestling”, but it’s not intergender wrestling… it’s just pro wrestling. And from one wrestler to another, he respects her. Callihan extended his hand, to show the respect she deserves. Tessa was reluctant at first but did reciprocate. Rather arrogantly, Sami told her he will “see you there toots”. Tessa didn’t like that and held on to his arm, and then punched him in the face. She nailed the Magnum as well.

• Backstage, oVe said they need to stick to the plan. Callihan got back to them and was pissed. He tried to be a good guy… he tried to treat Tessa like an equal. If she wants to play with the big boys, then let’s see how tough she is on a date with Madman Fulton. And after that? They can get back to the plan of taking over everything! Thumbs up, thumbs down.
• Moose destroyed Ray Steele and then verbally destroyed Impact management.
• John E. Bravo confronted Havok backstage. He said they can either do this the hard way or the fun way. He tried to kiss her but she choked him out. Bravo managed to escape, telling her it looks like it will be the hard way after all.
• Gail Kim appeared in The Rascalz’s Tree House. They were talking about the Jonas Brothers and she said she was going to see the Jonas Brothers with Wentz.

• Madison Rayne called Kiera Hogan a loser and they bickered.
• Ace Austin met with Alisha and did magic tricks, wanting a date with her. She refused and left. Some other chick appeared and Austin blew her off.
• Rob Van Dam defeated The Mack. They shook hands after the match.
• Ace Austin had a box for Alisha. A live bird would appear if she opened it… but she didn’t believe him. Austin pleaded with her to put her hand in the box, and he promised there is a bird inside. Stone Rockwell appeared, opened the box and grabbed Austin’s Jewels of the Crown (well, his privates).

• Konnan and Ortiz met backstage, and Ortiz had been drinking for days. LAX had a rematch against the North and Konnan said that Daga will replace Santana due to his injury. Ortiz said he’s a great athlete but he needed a killer. Ortiz said he got this. Daga asked politely if Ortiz would like to team up while Santana was sidelined. But Ortiz was having none of it and planned to take care of The North his own way.
• Michael Elgin told Melissa Santos he felt scared of what he was capable of doing tonight. He thought Cage is scared too. Brian liked to call himself The Machine, but it kept breaking down because of him.
• Jake Crist defeated Rich Swann to become the new X-Division Champion, with a little help from Dave and Madman. After the match, Jake Crist was so excited and brought the title backstage to Sami Callihan, saying he did it. Callihan told him no, oVe did it. Jake reminded Sami he couldn’t beat Swann for the title. In future, he wants to go by the nickname the “Golden Draw”, but Sami thought it was a stupid idea because the title is silver. Dave wanted to know why he was so upset with them, so Sami grabbed him and yelled in his face “Tessa! Blanchard!”
• Michael Elgin vs Brian Cage never happened. Elgin dragged Cage into the arena as he attacked him with chair shots. He rolled him into the ring and continued his attack. Elgin then said since it’s non-title, it proved that Cage is a coward. A real Machine would have put his title on the line, so he’ll just break the Machine again. Elgin set up for a Conchairto, destroyed Cage and then attacked security. He set up a chair and laid Cage on it. Melissa Santos arrived and begged for Cage’s life. The Masked man arrived but Elgin cut him off with a chair shot. Another arrived and unmasked as Rhino and he hit a vicious Gore on Elgin who bailed.

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

– Jordynne Grace vs Kiera Hogan
Madison Rayne arrived to join commentary. Grace attacked at the bell and Hogan cuts her off, but Grace caught the suicide dive and followed with an overhead toss. Hogan fired back with kicks and, this time, the suicide dive connected. Back in, Hogan followed with kicks and then choked out Grace in the corner. They traded strikes, Hogan took control and hit a knee strike. The running ass attack followed. Grace then countered the monkey flip into a sit-out powerbomb. The slam connected and then another.

Hogan fought off the first attempt of Grace driver, laid in strikes though the second Grace driver connected. Hogan fired back, followed with kicks and stunned Grace in the ropes and connected with a corner dropkick, and another, and another. Hogan slammed her to the buckles, hit kicks but Grace countered back with the Vader bomb. Hogan countered back, hit a superkick and Grace spilt to the floor. Grace snagged Hogan and hit an electric chair drop on the floor. Rayne rolled Hogan back in and Grace cradled her for the win.

– Rich Swann vs Jake Crist
They locked up and Jake grounded things. Swann fought to his feet, but Jake grounded him again. Swann fought back to his feet, countered out and followed with arm drags and he grounded things and they ended in a standoff. Jake got dumped and Swann followed with a tope. Back in, Dave attacked Swann, allowing Jake to hit the suicide tornado DDT on the floor. Post break, Jake laid the boots to Swann. He followed with strikes and the Russian leg sweep into a koji clutch variation.

Swann fought out with strikes, but Jake strangled the eyes and followed with a camel clutch. Swann escaped, fired back and hit a rolling clothesline. Swann connected with jabs, a flurry of strikes and kicks. They traded, Jake replied with the Death Valley Driver. Jake then slammed him to the buckles. They traded strikes, Swann replied with an enzuigiri and the Macho Man’s top rope elbow drop.

Swann went back up top, Jake cut him off and followed him up, hit the superplex into a neck breaker. The sunset flip followed. They traded kicks, Swann unloaded the hurricanrana and the Phoenix splash but Dave put Jake’s foot on the ropes. He chased Dave, hit the double cutter and headed up top but Fulton shoved him off into a cutter and Jake hits The Brian Kendrick’s Sliced Bread #2 for the win.

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

So, Michael Elgin wants to break Brian Cage’s neck? Wonderful, not-Nygma 30,000%…

RVD defeated The Mack… What?!

I’ve never been a fan of girlfriends/wives involved in storylines. Even if Melissa Santos is in the wrestling world, as a backstage interviewer or announcer, she’s not an accomplished wrestler. This week, she tried to protect her husband from an even more devastating injury than the back one he’s been dealing with since Rebellion. I didn’t like that…

The Nygma’s Award of the Week

– Sami Callihan
The first part of his speech was true and more than true. Intergender wrestling is wrestling. What he and Tessa did exceeded every expectation. And it’s just the beginning…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQf4-KKY5c]

– Ace Austin
As a woman, I prefer to find other jewels in my box. As for the Jewels of The Crown, I won’t say where I prefer to find them… We all know Eddie and Alisha Edwards are Mr & Mrs AIP. And Ace Austin seems like he wants to play with fire in showing his magic tricks to her. After all, not only he’s hardcore, she’s too…

– Rhino
Just for this magical manic face just before hitting the Gore…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ8l4wdI2PM]

– Moose
Moose has been on Impact for 2 years, is a former 2-time Grand Champion, has been a serious #1 contender multiple times BUT he has never been World Champion. His rant this week, whether it was scripted or not, was full of sense. I just let you listen to it and watch his eyes… Eyes never lie…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ypdPpXTwU]

To be eNYGMAtic…

The fallout episodes from a PPV are usually not the best ones, because they’re all about revenge and celebrations. Not this time because we moved forward. The action was there but there were way too many backstage moments, even if some were necessary. We have a new X-Division Champion and it seems like the silver belt could create some stir into the oVe family. Some storylines are slowly but surely building up, Rhino vs Elgin, Taya vs Havok, Ace vs The Edwards, while Tessa and Sami are ready to fight again and again. All of this looks pretty good and full of sense for the coming weeks…
On this “Nygma loves Gore & Gold” note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

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