Impact Wrestling 2.1 Review: Here Comes A New Challenger!

All Impact Wrestling (FKA TNA/GFW 2017) Reviews and Discussions
Post Reply
User avatar
cero2k
Site Admin
Posts: 20950
Joined: Dec 16th, '10, 11:32

Impact Wrestling 2.1 Review: Here Comes A New Challenger!

Post by cero2k » Feb 1st, '18, 14:13

Impact Wrestling
February 1, 2018
Orlando, Fl

Impact Zone is looking different. We're back to 4 sided rings, less lights, new graphics, logo has removed the hexagon and it looks cleaner now. We intro the show with recap of some of the Genesis matches and footage of legs arriving into the Impact Zone. We have the return of 'Facts of Life' tonight too. I'm not gonna lie, i'll miss the 6 sides, but I do realize that this is safer and avoid a lot of awkward spots that tend to look bad when having to run with 6 corners.

Impact Grand Championship
Fallah Bahh vs "Reborn" Matt Sydal (C) - 6.5/10

Fuck yeah! Fallah Bahh! Before the match, Matt Sydal announced that the Grand Championship rules are gone, no more rounds, no more judges, he played it as no one gets to decide your destiny other than your work in the ring. You would imagine that should be announced by some office stooge, but I do like Sydal's argument to remove the rules.

Match had a lot of Bahh posing and playing the crowd since he is super over. It was mostly a slow strength vs a quick Sydal that had trouble moving Bahh, so Sydal had to rely almost only on high fly moves in order to really move Bahh, that and counters are the only things keeping him alive. Finish saw Bahh miss the Yokozuna Banzai Drop from the second rope and Sydal followed with the SSP for the win. Not an amazing match, but a fun opener.

Cult of Lee promo - We see Lee and Konley backstage talking about not having the title anymore, they're wearing Hawaiian shirts and cutting North Carolina promos.

KM vs Lashley - 5.5/10
KM is missing Lambert, which I really hope it doesn't mean it's the end of ATT on Impact, and just him selling the table spot from last week. A bit of a hoss fight, slightly ugly wrestling because, well, KM is not a crisp wrestler. Lashley won with a spear. Match was meh, I don't know where either of these men's direction will go, but without Lambert, KM is dead in the water and losing his first match is not a good sign.

Joseph Park/Jimmy Jacobs segment - Chandler apparently is still injured. Jimmy wants to bring out Abyss and fight Kongo Kong. Jimmy was awesome, "I'm a princess, I always get what I want".

Lashley Backstage Promo - He's pretty much at the beginning where he wants to do both wrestling and MMA. When taking off, he crossed paths with Eddie Edwards, who he blew off.

"Hot Mess" Laurel Van Ness vs Kiera Hogan - Reverse Squash?
Well color me surprised, Van Ness dominated most of the match, aside from a hope spot that Kiera had, this was all Van Ness, who at the end hit a curb stomp and while prepping the Unprettier, gets distracted by Allie that came out, and Hogan roller her up for the super upset win. Announced later in the show is that next week, Hogan will actually get a title shot coming from this pin.

ECIII & Patron Interview - Patron is as delusional as ever, this was a great clash of egos interview.

LAX Promo - Diamante is still not here. Konnan cut a great promo and shat on Callihan quite nicely. So out comes....once again, OVE. Callihan pretty much cuts a truce for now because while he hates them, he respects LAX, and if they don't stop now "we're all ending up dead". Callihan technically signs off for OVE for now it seems, saying they have bigger fish to fry.

OVE walks out and Konna follows them to specify that there are no bigger Fish to Fry THAN LAX. During that distraction, The Cult of Lee attack LAX from behind. When Homicide and Konnan run for the save, Lee and Konley ran off. Nice to see Lee and Konley get into another division.

Moose & Impact Interview - The complete opposite of the previous interview, these guys get along just perfectly. They say they're gonna kick Patron's and ECIII's ass tonight. Johnny even put ECIII and Patron over, Impact cut a promo in Spanish.

Adonis and Drake talk about tonight's celebration - Drake suggests there is a secret guest tonight. Drake plays out the finish of last week's match as Adonis saving Impact's life who was falling to his death from the top of the cage. Good stuff.

Brian Cage Vignette - Doomsday is coming!

Alberto El Patron & Ethan Carter III vs Moose & Johnny Impact - 7.5/10
Heels have their ego clash, but they can work well together when it comes to cutting the ring on Moose or Impact. Yes, they had two different babyface in peril runs with each guy. I don't dislike booking like this, but I wish they would avoid it unless you need to cover something beyond a 20 minute match spot, for a 15 minute spot, the babyface in peril into the tornado tag style is enough and more exciting for the fans. Finish saw Alberto hitting the tree of woe on Impact, but before he can pin him, Moose comes from behind, hits the Game Changer for the win. Patron took a pin, mark your calendars, this only happens once every Super Moon.

Chris Adonis Presents "The Fact of Eli Drake's Life" - Adonis introduces the segment, he puts over Drake for defeating, single-handedly, Patron and Impact. First facts was the biggest hint and segue if you know your Impact history...

FACT: You are the greatest champion that ever lived.

But it keeps building

FACT: You are the greatest dressed man that ever lived.
FACT: You are the greatest friend man that ever lived.

When he presents that last video, backstage videos got mixed to show Adonis getting made fun of. hmmm

FACT: You are the greatest...man, that ever lived....E-LI-DRAKE

and so...AUSTIN ARIES RETURNS! THE TRUE GREATEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED!

Aries says HE is the greatest man that ever lived (among other facts) and he is here to once again become the greatest Champion that ever lived, because if Eli wants to call himself the greatest, he has to beat him first. Drake talks trash and Adonis takes Austin out from behind. Drake calls out a ref to prove it and suddenly we find ourselves in a title match!

Impact World Heavyweight Championship
Eli Drake (C) w/Chris Adonis vs Austin Aries - No rating, good angle.

This was a one move match. Drake tried to pin Austin after being knocked down, but Austin kicks out and Drake can't get out of the match anymore. Austin takes out Adonis, hits the brainsbuster on Drake and pins him, catching Drake by surprise. Austin Aries is the new champion! Everything happened so fast and I'm not sure how to feel about Drake losing the title, he's a great character, so I hope he's not faded out.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
Not much really changed with this new management, it was still the same good wrestling show we've had for the last year or so. There are little details here and there that are surely changes and for the most part, they're positive changes. Wrestling-wise this wasn't an outstanding show, there was more setting up direction segments here than anything else.
Image

User avatar
Big Red Machine
Posts: 27378
Joined: Dec 16th, '10, 15:12

Re: Impact Wrestling 2.1 Review: Here Comes A New Challenger!

Post by Big Red Machine » Feb 1st, '18, 17:33

How did you see this if it hasn't aired yet? My TV has it as starting at 8pm.
Hold #712: ARM BAR!

Upcoming Reviews:
FIP in 2005
ROH Validation
PWG All-Star Weekend V: Night 2
DGUSA Open the Ultimate Gate 2013
ROH/CMLL Global Wars Espectacular: Day 3

User avatar
cero2k
Site Admin
Posts: 20950
Joined: Dec 16th, '10, 11:32

Re: Impact Wrestling 2.1 Review: Here Comes A New Challenger!

Post by cero2k » Feb 1st, '18, 19:21

Big Red Machine wrote: Feb 1st, '18, 17:33 How did you see this if it hasn't aired yet? My TV has it as starting at 8pm.
watchwrestling.uno has them early, i think they must air in canada or uk before the US. they had it at least since 12 my time that I started
Image

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Amazon [Bot] and 12 guests