I need to congratulate 3 Knockouts to start this review. Tenille Dashwood will make her debut in 2 weeks during Mexico tapings and become a Knockout. Tessa Blanchard became today Lucha Libre AAA Reina de Reinas Champion, a huge honour for such a young and talented wrestler. Finally, I want to congratulate Kiera Hogan twice. She signed a multi-year contract with Impact Wrestling last week, which shows how important she’s for the company. Also, Kiera decided to unveil her private life on social media. Who she loves will never change the wrestler she is. All I know is the Girl on Fire has a heart of gold…
Strange week than this one… At the same time, Impact is airing on Pursuit in the USA, Unbreakable is airing live from California on Impact Plus. Which means the #1 contender match for the Impact World Championship is determined at the same time than Impact. So what to do? Let’s do a mash-up! I can make you wait until next week but you’ll rush to social media to know who will face Cage.
On the menu of Impact this week, from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, John E. Bravo will face off Havok, Tessa Blanchard will square off with Madman Fulton, and Impact World Tag Team Champions The North put their titles on the line against The Rascalz. The California menu will be revealed in the review… 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=44jH3ozBkIo]
The Nygma’s Chart of the Week
UNBREAKABLE
- Ray Rosas & Peter Avalon defeated Chris Bey & Watts
- X-Division Title Match: Champion Jake Crist defeated Trey, Ace Austin, Danny Rivera and Adrian Quest
- Madison Rayne defeated Aoka Muhara
- Michael Elgin defeated Eddie Edwards
- Rhino cut a promo on Moose, saying he can have his no jackhammer needed because he has something the GORE. Scott Steiner cut a promo like only he can do…
- Scott Steiner, Petey Williams & Jordynne Grace vs. Gentleman Jervis, Ryan Taylor & Dicky Meyer
- Knockouts Title Match: Havok defeated Champion Taya via count-out
- Rhino defeated Moose
- Tag Team Titles Triple Threat Match: Champions Ethan Page & Josh Alexander vs. Reno Scum vs. Rich Swann & Willie Mack
- #1 Contender for the Impact World Championship Match: Sami Callihan defeated Tessa Blanchard. Post-match, Tommy Dreamer ran off Sami and Jake to save Tessa. He told her to get to her feet like a real fighter. Tommy thanked her and said watching performers like her makes him proud to be a wrestler.
IMPACT
- Aiden Prince defeated Wentz, Rohit Raju, Chuck Mambo, Cody Deaner and Petey Williams to become the new #1 contender for the X-Division Championship.
- Backstage, Jake Crist was still high from his X Division title win last week. Callihan wanted the belt, but Jake refused to let him see it and stressed it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to him. Sami moved on from that as there was bigger fish to fry in Tessa Blanchard. He’s sick of her, and now she had to deal with Madman Fulton.
- Tessa Blanchard entered the building and walks into Rich Swann. He believed in her, but Madman Fulton is a psychopath. And not only is Fulton a loose cannon, but he’s also over 7 foot tall with oVe behind him running interference. Swann offered to back her up, but Tessa wanted to handle this on her own.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJy-oDKdjWU]
- Jessicka Havok defeated John E. Bravo. Immediately after, Su Yung appeared on the screen speaking a language no one cannot understand.
- Backstage, Ethan Page told Josh Alexander to stop yelling as they’ve got nothing to worry about. They won at Slammiversary and are returning home with the gold. Tonight, they got The Rascalz, next week they get some form of LAX. Page stressed Josh has nothing to worry about, but he’s only angry because he wants to go down as the most dominant tag team ever.
- Ace Austin defeated Stone Rockwell, just to allow Eddie Edwards to come to attack him.
- Madison Rayne wanted to help Tessa, Blanchard was not interested.
- Alisha screamed at Eddie for destroying Ace, but Eddie told her he’s just looking out for her.
- Moose told Impact management he’s no longer responsible for his actions and started attacking Stone Rockwell. Fallah Bahh entered, Moose insulted and beat Fallah down because he’s that damn good, apparently.
- Fallah Bahh defeated Moose. In a post-match interview, Moose was in disbelief and called Fallah a fat piece of garbage.
- Madman Fulton defeated Tessa Blanchard by DQ due to Tommy Dreamer’s interference. Callihan wanted to add a steel chair to the mix, Tommy Dreamer ran to the ring with a kendo stick and attacked Fulton to force the DQ. Tommy and Tessa got kendo sticks each and took out Callihan and Fulton.
- Michael Elgin thought it was very fitting how Rhino targeted him. The fact is, he’s going to put the Man-Beast in the hospital. Everyone who’s been put in front of him since getting to Impact has been a coward. He hoped Rhino did not pack too many bags, as he won’t be staying around long.
- Madison Rayne and Kiera Hogan bickered for a sofa.
- Jimmy Jacobs was at Brian Cage’s house to get a word on his status. His wife Melissa Santos answered the door and told him he’s not available. Jacobs badgered her for answers, till she caved and told him she’ll give everyone all the details next week.
- Rhino said everyone needs a Gore.
- Impact World Tag Team Champions The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) defeated The Rascalz (Trey & Dez). The North said they are the best tag team in the world. They walked backstage and were ambushed by Ortiz with a trash can lid. They fought back and held him with some cable, but luckily Daga was there to save the day. Konnan did not look impressed with Ortiz.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL3KA7F71Zw]
The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week
UNBREAKABLE
– Sami Callihan vs Tessa Blanchard
They traded strike and brawled. Tessa hit a cutter, then charged down the ramp and hit a spear through the ropes. Tessa hit another cutter and dropkicked him to the floor. The suicide dive followed and then Sami cut off the hurricanrana and slammed Tessa repeatedly into the barricade. He started attacking the knee, which Tessa hurt in their tournament win to get here. Tessa struggled to make it back in the ring, but Sami posted the knee of Tessa a few times. He then slammed her legs off the ropes, continuing to focus on the knee. The STF followed by Sami, but Tessa fought off.
Sami continued to attack the knee, Tessa kicked him to the floor and then slowly fired back with chops and strikes. Sami cut her off with body shots, and followed with chops. Tessa fired back and hit a tornado DDT. Tessa fought to climb the ropes, but Sami caught the Magnum and hits a knee breaker and trapped her into the figure four. Tessa rolled the hold and Sami made the ropes. They traded strikes from their knees, and Tessa pulled herself up and laid in more. Sami spat in her face, but Tessa kept throwing and Sami dropped her with a big right. Tessa countered back and hit a Samoan drop.
She fired up, headed up top but the Magnum was cut off. Sami followed her up top, Tessa fought him off. Sami fought off the Sunset Bomb once but Tessa kept fighting. The crossface connected and Sami faded, the ref checked the arm but he powered up. The superkick and code breaker followed, The Magnum connected. Back up and Jake arrived and interfered while Tessa hit another Magnum but the ref was distracted. Sami hit Tessa with the X-division title. The Cactus Special followed for the win. This match was more technical than the Slammiversary one and again, a very good match.
IMPACT
– The North vs The Rascalz
Alexander and Trey started the match. Trey went for a body scissors. Page tagged himself into the match. Trey took him down and then tagged in Dez. With Page down, Dez went for a few kicks. Page got up and went to the corner. Dez threw a few shots while he had Page trapped in the corner. Dez then tagged Trey back into the match. Trey went for a counter and then tagged Dez again. Dez went for several forearm hits while Page was laying on the ropes. Both Alexander and Page worked together when Alexander grabbed Dez and landed him down on the apron. Page tagged in Alexander. Page threw Dez over his shoulder and Dez landed on his feet, tagging in Trey.
Alexander was now in the ring and countered Trey. With Trey down, Alexander went for some kicks to Trey’s lower leg to keep him down. Trey planted a neck breaker on Alexander to keep him out until Dez returned to the ring after being knocked off when getting tagged in by Trey. Trey came into the ring with a step-up kick. Page was holding on tight to not get Irish Whipped into the opposite corner. With The North on the outside of the ring, Dez went for a suicide dive and landed right on both men. Back from the break, Dez tagged in Trey. Page helped his partner out by slamming Trey outside of the ring onto the concrete floor. He rolled Trey back in.
Alexander went for the deep ankle lock on Trey, Trey rolled out of it, Alexander replied with a powerbomb. Alexander lifted Trey up and went for a takedown. Page comes into the ring to attack Dez. Now all four men were exchanging back and forth hits. Trey went for a superkick on Page. Alexander went for Trey again, Dez tried to help his partner. However, they did not expect that Alexander would lift both of them up and slammed them down on the mat. Alexander went for a moonsault on the Rascalz, but they moved out of the way in time. The Rascalz went for a double 619 on Alexander. Dez took out Page on the outside. Page connected with a cutter and then Alexander hit the wheelbarrow onto Trey. They hit the DOuble Styles Clash for the win.
The not-Nygma’s Moment(s) of the Week
So, Michael Elgin wants to send Rhino to the hospital? Wonderful, not-Nygma 40,000%…
At Unbreakable, Sami Callihan didn’t need a distraction to win and it’s bad…
The Nygma’s Award of the Week
– Sami Callihan
If the intergender revolution is now in Impact’s genes, it may have been a little bit too soon to make a woman go for the World Championship. I’m not saying that can’t happen. In fact, I wish it happens very soon. On the other side, Callihan has been waiting for this title opportunity for quite a while now. He’s become a very important part of Impact, this #1 contendership is probably the best reward the company could give him.
– The Steiner Family
Big Poppa, Thick Mama and Little Petey all together in a ring. Here you are 3 generations of wrestlers who made, have made or are making the history of TNA/Impact Wrestling. I love this image…
– Su Yung
No one understood what Su said this week. In the Nô theatre tradition, words are meaningless. Through costumes, dance, music, emotions, the body and the face are telling the story. Even if Su Yung spoke an unknown language, everybody understood her.
To be eNYGMAtic…
Sorry but this week, both Unbreakable and Impact didn’t make it. Some interesting moments but nothing ecstatic. In fact, one show short-circuited the other. Everyone knows Impact weekly shows are taped. But Unbreakable was live. It was very easy to hit a false note and it happened… Meanwhile, storylines are advancing a good way, some characters are evolving. The Road to Bound for Glory seems good, but 11 weeks are a long and hard road to ride…
On this “Nygma knows music theory” 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.