Which barriers to break? Strike hard. Sign wrestlers to multi-year contracts, make them come. Better, make them come back. Create some new shows to make your audience stay after the episode and so, keep trending. Show the world your partners are the best you could hope to have and make them shine with you. Look at the future because if the present is grey, the best is yet to come.
On the menu this week, from Nashville, Tennessee, Havok will face off Kimber Lee. Kylie Rae will square off with the Impact Wrestling newest signee, Tasha Steelz. Two first-round matches of the number one contender tournament are set, Hernandez vs Madman Fulton and Rohit Raju vs Trey. The North will defend the Tag Team Championships in Canada. Madison Rayne and Johnny Swinger will welcome Havok in a new episode of Locker Room Talk. So no more words, let’s get ready for some action, but your French Enygma Steph way, of course…

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week

Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne were on commentary this week.

• Hernandez defeated Madman Fulton (w/Dave & Jake Crist) to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
• Michael Elgin was unable to understand why Impact was having this Tournament. After being in this business for the last 16 years, he believed he’s proven himself, and his spot at becoming the next Impact World Champion.
• Madman Fulton was angry that he lost his match. Tensions were rising once more between oVe. Crazzy Steve made his way in and taunted oVe by calling them “sheep.” Jake challenged Crazzy Steve to a match with Fulton next week. Joseph P. Ryan came in after hearing the “C” word. Crazzy Steve said that everyone calls him crazy. Ryan found that word very offensive.

• Kylie Rae defeated Tasha Steelz.
• While Rohit Raju was saying has seen many people come and go in Impact and he has been waiting for this moment to be part of this Tournament for three years, Kylie Rae met Susie backstage and she congratulated her for her win.
• Kimber Lee KOed Havok when she hit her with brass knuckles. Nevaeh was in the arena.

• Kiera Hogan profile package, discussing her journey into wrestling and how she became “The Girl on Fire.”
• Madison Rayne and co-host Johnny Swinger welcomed Ken Shamrock for a new episode of “Locker Room Talk.” Shamrock said that the reason he came back to Impact was to have a chance at becoming the next Impact World Champion. As he went on, Michael Elgin interrupted the interview by hitting Shamrock twice with a steel chair.
• Sami Callihan believed that “Big Mike” has no chance against him next week.

• Trey defeated Rohit Raju to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
• Cody Deaner’s quarantine video. This week, he talked about the importance of taking care of your mental health during this “kwaranteen,” and the things you can do to keep yourself happy and active. For Cody, it’s exercising, drinking beer while meditating, and wrestling stuffed animals.
• The North defended their Impact Tag Team Championships from Canada. They defeated The Smoes.

• At the Bar, Rosemary introduced The Bunny to Valkyrie’s dog, Mr Mundo. Johnny E. Bravo was furious that Rosemary took Mr Mundo.
• Chris Bey found Johnny Swinger. Bey informed Swinger that Willie Mack has been dissing him lately. Swinger was mad after hearing this, so he left to go find Mack. Swinger found Mack and confronted him. Swinger wanted a shot at the X-Division Championship. Mack accepted his challenge.
• TNA World Champion Moose defeated Suicide. Moose took advantage of a referee bump.

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

– Kylie Rae vs Tasha Steelz
Kylie was very nice but Tasha wanted no part of this as they worked into counters and Kylie took control of the arm. Tasha countered back, Kylie took control with head scissors until Tasha escaped. Lockup and Kylie grounded things again. Tasha countered but Kylie escaped and frustrated Tasha. Kylie followed with tackles, arm drags and a dropkick. Tasha cut her off and mocked Kylie as she laid the boots to her. She followed with clotheslines.

Tasha grounded things, Kylie fought to her feet and slammed Tasha to the buckle and again. One more time to escape. She followed with kicks and then clotheslines. Kylie followed with strikes and the Kylie special. The STF followed, but Tasha fought and made the ropes. She fired back, followed with an enzuigiri and a high cross. Kylie countered back and the STF finished it.

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

Those title defences in Canada have a taste of humiliation for the North’s contenders… But it shows how Alexander and Page are powerful, at least in their country.

The Lollipop and Baby-Oil Nygmalicious Moment of The Week 

I said, cancelled! Crazzy Steve is crazy, that’s great. Deal with that, Joseph…

The Nygma’s Noticeable Facts of the Week

– Hernandez and Trey
The first two semifinalists of the tournament are known. After an interesting ride for the X-Division Championship, Trey is now on the road for the World Championship gold. It’s not a surprise when you see how talented he is. When it comes to Hernandez, we talk about a former eight-time World Tag Team Champion in TNA or Impact Wrestling, one of the founding fathers of LAX. If he’s best known for his team work on Impact, Hernandez is an excellent singles wrestler and he proved it against Madman Fulton this week.

– Crazzy Steve, Su Yung/Susie, Tasha Steelz
It’s almost a paradox in the current times but Impact Wrestling are not releasing wrestlers or producers, or even thinking about releasing some, they sign and re-sign talents. Like I told you in the intro of this review, the present times are what they are but you have to look at the future and imagine it will be made of crowded arenas, rings stacked of talents and action. It’s just about believing in yourself and thinking the future will be bright (very Life of Brian, I know…)

– Cody Deaner
The company did a great job with the #URTHEIMPACT videos. Everyone, depending on where he lives and his situation, deals with this lockdown/quarantine situation very differently. There’s no good or bad way to handle a time when everything seems to be on Stop mode. Like I’ve said, another life but watch more wrestling…
Same thing than last week but I will add this week that even if lockdown is over in my country, or other countries, protecting yourself means protecting others. It’s not over yet. So more than ever, take care and watch wrestling.

.@CodyDeaner is only going *slightly* insane in isolation. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/hvmYqfzufZ

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) May 13, 2020

– AfterShock
Every week after Impact, Jimmy Jacobs and Impact Wrestling’s Executive Vice-President Don Callis are welcoming you for a new show called AfterShock to “re-make the match” (only French soccer fans could understand this one… ) They welcomed the Demon Assassin ourself yesterday night and Taya Valkyrie for 20 minutes of fun and wrestling. I share it with you this time but don’t say now you don’t know, because I won’t put it there every week (baddies)… 

To be eNYGMAtic…

This episode was an overall solid show with some good ideas and changes happening. They just haven’t been as well-executed as I would have liked. They teased something that will happen but forgot to give credit to what was happening because pretty interesting things happened.
Trey vs Rohit Raju was a good match. Kylie Rae stole the show not only with her big smile but also with her in-ring work. Kimber Lee and Nevaeh are shadowing the karma of the Kaiju Queen. Michael Elgin targeted Ken Shamrock when he couldn’t reach Sami Callihan. On the epic road this episode was, some very good things happened but what’s next put it in the back.
When it comes to Moose and the TNA title, I still ask myself what the TNA title is going to bring him. The way he hijacked the opener of the episode was just something awesome. I fell in the trap and really thought it was true. Then, when you put all those things together, you realize how Impact Wrestling have never been better, daring, funny, action-stacked, and mostly, trending. Sami Callihan noticed on Twitter the show has been trending on social media for 4 weeks in a row. That’s just fantastic. Because I’m always honest with you, when I started this review 3 years minus 2 weeks ago, I thought that would never happen… 
More than ever, take care, stay home unless you really have to go out, wear masks, and watch wrestling. On this “Nygma Is Free – Day 2 – And It’s Not True Freedom” note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

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