Papaya’s Perspective
Disclaimer: All the views and opinions expressed are I own and do not reflect those of Impact Asylum or any of its users and staff. This was a pretty fun episode, the best one in a while in fact. Nice flow to it and highlighted some good stories. The crowd was really into Rhino, though him vs Elgin almost lost them because it was pretty slow. It’s obvious he’s lost a step, and this never got out of first gear considering how long it went but the finish, brawl and crowd saved this "who's the toughest" angle. I really enjoyed the surprise attack backstage to continue the brawl. The North looked rugged, Reno Scum were impressive, and I like how the match was set up by an open challenge to a west coast team. Alexander and Page have a way of working like heels but keeping it entertaining because they hit so hard and believably. This was a fun stop gap for the tag team champions and I hope Scum are back for Vegas. I’m not sure Jordynne vs Madison and Kiera is still happening or what their fighting over or why Rosemary got involved but this was a decent verbal exchange. I like how Madison, being the crafty veteran, was able to goad Jordynne into creating tension with Rosemary that she really doesn’t need. This love triangle makes the Edwards look dumb, Alisha’s deliver is really bad and it’s odd how she’s allowed Ace suddenly to get so close to her without picking anything up. Ace is pretty good in this role and it impressive squash by Havok, the chokeslam to Eddie cool as was Su's appearance. So, the Twitter beef has led Ken Shamrock to Las Vegas to confront Moose. Very rude of Impact to interrupt Mr. IMPACT Wrestling on his day off in Los Angeles but of course Moose is unbothered, it’s just an opportunity for him to become The New Most Dangerous Man in The World. Those ladies don’t know how lucky they are. A good oVe promo informs us Sami is losing patience with Dave and Jake is going solo for his rematch with Swann. It wasn't the most "X Division" match considering it was for the championship, but it was fun none the less. One good thing about Jake wrestling more conservatively was a clear face to heel dynamic that the crowd recognized. After some fun action included a blocked suicide dive DDT and leap from the stage, Jake wins with dirty tactics. Side note, I’m glad he upgraded his look. Tenille Dashwood’s video package was cool and put over how high profile her signing is but not didn’t really show who she is in any unique way. I was intrigued by her mentioning Taya and wanting to get to the top right out the gate. So, per last week’s stipulation, The Desi (not Daisy) Hit Squad are working on The Deaners’ farm. This was just a short clip as it should be for an undercard feud. Not much to really take from this but a couple funny moments, Gama slapping Raju always makes me chuckle. Taya’s announcement, that’s been advertised since last week, is to highlight how close she is to breaking the record of longest reigning Knockout’s champion. She’s had the podium, stage and John E Bravo and Prince Presley by her side and promised to defend her belts against a fresh challenger. Though I might have to fact check the exact numbers, her reign is definitely up there and has been impressive thus far. I’d assume this is setting up a feud for Bound For Glory, possibly with Tenille. A good segment. Willie Mack vs Trey Miguel was a pretty fun match, some quick action and aerial manoeuvres. I guess this was a follow up of last weeks 6-man tag and is meant to use The Rascalz to build Swann and Mack up in the tag division. Good idea but I wish this stuff connected better. Tommy Dreamer vs Sami Callihan was what you’d expect from a Tommy Dreamer match in 2019; a hardcore stipulation, so outside brawling and wicked spots, all to cover his age. This wasn’t great especially for a main event, but it was just about decent and the finishing spot was sick. The post-match shenanigans were the bright spot. Sami doesn’t like Dreamer in his business and wants to destroy him, his adversary and Dreamer’s ally, Tessa comes out but so does Jake, who clocks her with his belt. It all makes sense; it builds heat between rivals and the number one contender stands tall. Overall, this was a good show even though not all the matches or angles were good. I especially liked the flow and placing of the matches and segments to make sure everything was well placed and timed and nearly every match on the card had prior context. It was a nice change from a few weeks of monotony since Slammiversary because there were angles between and right after the matches which gave them breathing room, yet nothing felt overbooked and mostly it all adds heat to furthering stories.
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