Impact’s biggest show of the year comes to Dallas, Texas with a stacked card – but who will come out on top?
Impact have been knocking it out of the park with their pay-per-views lately, and considering last year’s offering was a show of the year candidate, hopes are high for this year. With two huge female-led matches, a big lads wrestling main event and some top notch championship action, this should reach the level of 2018, but who will come out on top?
Impact Tag Team Championship Three-Way Match: The North (c) vs. L.A.X vs. The Rascalz
This match originally was L.A.X defending their titles against The Rascalz. L.A.X, led by Konnan, have run roughshod over the tag team division, being champions more often than they are challengers.
The Rascalz have quickly become one of the most beloved acts in the company and looked to put an end to their reign, getting their first taste of gold in Impact Wrestling thus far. Tensions were high, as Konnan had felt insulted by the trio’s antics, leading to a beatdown when Trey, Dez and Wents turned up uninvited to the L.A.X clubhouse.
However, a big Canadian spanner was thrown into the works as during Friday’s ‘Bash At The Brewery’, The North shocked L.A.X to win the Impact World Tag Team Titles. This has turned the match into a triple threat, and changed my pick to The North. Hopefully the Rascalz get their shot soon but this seems more a move of necessity, perhaps with a team moving on from the promotion (L.A.X’s contracts are coming up very soon).
Prediction: The North
First Blood Match: Eddie Edwards vs. Killer Kross
This all started over a kendo stick called Kenny. Kross developed a fascination with Eddie’s best friend and proceeded to destroy it with Edwards tied up in the ropes. This heartbreak was short lived however as ECW’s legend Sandman made the save for Edwards, presenting him with a new stick – Kenny 2.0.
This enraged Kross who upped the violence level by kidnapping and waterboarding the ECW icon. Eddie got his revenge, beating Kross to a bloody pulp and biting his rival in front of his horrified wife Alisha. Eddie and Kross faced off once again – this time inside a place of worship – with Eddie showing the line he won’t cross, refusing to fight him inside the church. These two will now face off in a First Blood match, where the first to wear the colour red will lose the contest.
For me, it only makes sense, in and out of kayfabe, for Edwards to win. With Kross practically telling anyone who will listen that he wants to leave Impact, this will be the perfect time for Eddie to get his redemption over the sadistic Kross and to write him out of proceedings.
Prediction: Eddie Edwards
Moose vs. Rob Van Dam
This generational clash came about when some ECW originals returned to Impact at the 2300 Arena. Moose took issue with this, and alongside The North unsuccessfully fought the ECW legends. However, on his own he set his sights on the former Impact World Champion, getting his brand of revenge by taking out RVD’s longtime friend Tommy Dreamer.
Now this is a match that many will gloss over, but do not sleep on this. It could very easily steal the show as Moose is scarily athletic and Van Dam is still doing bits he did in his mid-20s. I hope RVD makes Moose looks strong and gives him a big marquee win to push towards a World Title shot.
Prediction: Moose
Impact Knockouts Championship Four-Way Monster’s Ball Match: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Rosemary vs. Jessicka Havok vs. Su Yung
This is the match I’m looking forward to the most.
Taya ended up in the wrong part of the Undead Realm as she got herself and her title reign tangled up in the twisted balled of Rosemary, Su Yung and Havoc. Rosemary and Su have battled for over a year, with death and destruction left in their wake. When Havoc joined the fold, Taya was put on notice so she was forced to ask for help from her former rival Rosemary.
This match is going to be brutal. Four of the toughest women in wrestling today given free reign to bludgeon and destroy. I was lukewarm on Taya’s heel turn, but her transformation into a spoiled Hollywood brat who has got herself into a situation she cannot get herself out of has been fun to watch. I feel we get a heavy dose of poophousery as Taya somehow sneaks out holding on to her gold.
Prediction: Taya Valkyrie
Impact X-Division Championship Match: Rich Swann (c) vs. Johnny Impact
Giving Rich Swann the belt was a great choice, post Brian Cage’s reign of dominance. It’s kept it at an upper mid-card level with a epic feud with Sami Callihan and right now with Johnny Impact. Johnny making that step from the World Title scene to the X Division via winning an Ultimate X match at United We Stand has led to a really fun feud between these two guys, where Johnny just wants some form of gold back after losing the World Title and Swann wanting to maintain his reign as champ.
These two are going to steal the show if given the time, and with Swann having Johnny’s number (he’s beaten him twice on Impact) it just makes sense that the challenger squeaks out a win and Impact’s first couple both hold gold once again.
Prediction: Johnny Impact
Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard
This match has had the world talking. Sami Callihan has been with Impact for the last two years, with must-see feud after must-see feud after must-see feud. From Eddie Edwards to Pentagon Jr. to Rich Swann, he has been carrying Impact on his shoulders by being the most detestable heel since the days of Jeff Jarrett.
There’s only one other person that has been carrying as much weight. That person is Tessa Blanchard.
This war on the Knockouts started out with the departed Scarlett Bordeaux and now ‘The Diamond’ has stepped up to face Callihan and looked all the bit his equal along the way. She’s taken out his minions, been beaten down but still showed defiance and even left oVe laying with a baseball bat this past week. Blanchard is on Sami’s level, as much as Sami doesn’t want to admit it.
Tessa has to win this as a statement victory. Even though Sami doesn’t really win any of his feuds (the man is teflon, he never wins a feud but is always a threat) for me, she needs the momentum to win the Impact World Title at Bound For Glory.
Yeah, I said it.
Prediction: Tessa Blanchard
Impact World Championship Match: Brian Cage (c) vs. Michael Elgin
At Rebellion, Michael Elgin made his Impact debut and took out the newly crowned World Champion Brian Cage. However, what we didn’t know is that Cage had suffered a near career- threatening back injury so this epic confrontation had to be put on ice a little bit as he recovered.
However – and I don’t like to give credit to Elgin because if we’re honest, he’s a bit a douche IRL – Elgin kept this programme alive with his campaign of sending people to the hospital. This large Canadian version of Mike Awesome in 2000’s WCW took out Rich Swann and Willie Mack and went on a rampage, until Cage made his return. Elgin is still out of control though, powerbombing Cage four times (once through a table on the outside) and attacking Impact executive Don Callis.
However, in a very cool moment, Cage rose up, ripped his neck brace off and brawled with Elgin to close the show before last. These two are going to be a fantastic main event; not a match of the night or year but a hell of a spectacle. These two faced off in PWG in 2012 and killed it then and I imagine more of the same with Cage retaining, as it’s his first defence and needs to look strong.
Prediction: Brian Cage
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