Impact Wrestling held it’s biggest show of the year in the city that never sleeps, and in front of a packed Melrose Ballroom; we saw a show full of excitement, violence and controversy.
Johnny Impact won the Impact World Title from Austin Aries in a highly personal encounter, based off of a social media war from the last week that saw them end up on TMZ. Impact captured the gold by hitting Aries with a brainbuster and then Starship Pain. However, post match Aries got up following the move showing no signs of injury, shouted at Impact commentator Don Callis and then flipped off the crowd as he walked away. What this means for the future of Aries remains to be seen.
L.A.X finally settled their war with the OG‘z by defeating them in a Concrete Jungle Death Match. With the mats and turnbuckles removed and wooden boards left bare, the two teams risk life and limb, with Santana and Ortiz at a one man disadvantage when King took out Konnan earlier in the night. Or that is what we all assumed, as Konnan made the save when all looked lost to take out Homicide and Hernandez and deliver King to the Impact Tag Team Champions, who hit a sick Streetsweeper on the exposed boards for the win.
Speaking of wars, one that has no sign of ending is the one between oVe, The Lucha Brothers and Impact X Division Champion, Brian Cage. In an oVe rules six man tag team match, Sami Callihan, Dave Crist and Jake Crist beat Brian Cage, Pentagon Jr. and Fenix in a wild brawl which saw Cage lose his first match in Impact Wrestling when oVe hit The All-Seeing Eye and then brutalized ‘The Machine’ with superkicks. Cage was finally felled by a vicious Cactus Driver onto Cage to seal the win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX1g3B28gpo
In another grudge match, Eddie Edwards beat Moose by disqualification when Killer Kross choked Edwards out from behind the barricade. Tommy Dreamer then made the save and turned it into a tag team match, which Edwards got the win when he rolled up Moose for three. Post-match, Kross and Moose destroyed Edwards, powerbombing him on the apron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1cgoSn1Xuc
In a highly competitive match, Tessa Blanchard beat Taya Valykrie to retain his Impact Knockouts Championship. Blanchard finally put away ‘La Wera Loca’ with a diving codebreaker for the three count.
In something completely different, Allie made her way to the undead realm to retrieve her friend Keira Hogan. After taking care of several undead bridesmaids, he saw off Su Yung with a brutal shot to the neck. Keira and Allie tried to make their way back to the real world, but were set upon by more undead minions. However, Rosemary made her dramatic return to save her friends and sacrificed herself for the greater good.
Eli Drake had an interesting night himself, first by having his open challenge answered by James Ellsworth who received a loud ovation (be it negative or positive) from the New York City crowd. Drake saw off Ellsworth with a pair of Gravy Train‘s before demanding some ‘Hall of Fame competition’. This was answered by the newest member of the Impact Hall of Fame, Abyss who dropped Drake with a Black Hole Slam and chokeslammed him through a table.
Finally, Rich Swann and Willie Mack saw off Matt Sydal and Ethan Page in our opening contest, when Swann pinned Sydal following a handspring cutter and a phoenix splash.