Tag: Austin aries

NWA Power results: Crockett Cup fallout, Briscoes vs. The OGK

Posted on by Josiah MacDonald

Joe Galli opened this week’s show, announcing that the Briscoes were going to take on the OGK on this post-Crockett Cup episode of NWA Power.

The Cardonas came out to the podium to be interviewed by Kyle Davis. The fans chanted “You tapped out!” at NWA World Champion Matt Cardona after the happenings from last Sunday’s main event against Nick Aldis.

He objected to Tim Storm and Mickie James getting involved in the match. Cardona also said that he was always ready, so he was still champion. Cardona claimed he didn’t tap out and was just trying to encourage the fans to chant for him. Cardona claimed the NWA belonged to him now and there was nothing Trevor Murdoch or Aldis could do about it.

– Jeff Jarrett was interviewed by Davis after the main event from the Crockett Cup. He talked about how refereeing a match is the hardest job in wrestling and that the low blow that led to the DQ was not Mickie James. But, it was what he thought at the time, and he was upset that he made a bad call. Jarrett said that he did the best he could, and Matt Cardona is champion. I liked this follow-up.

The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe) defeated The OGK (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)

This was a fantastic opening match. The Briscoes and OGK have done this so many times that they just know where the other team is going to be, and we got a great ROH-style tag match here.

The feud between the two reignited here with Matt Taven and Jay Briscoe starting the match. The action spilled to the outside and Taven hit a dropkick through the middle rope on Jay, but Mark followed up with one of his own on Taven. Mark and Jay quickly isolated Bennett in the corner, hitting a big corner boot and a clothesline.

Bennett hit a rolling elbow on Mark and tagged out to Taven, who hit a dropkick off the middle rope. The Briscoes manage to pull it to the outside again with Mark Briscoe hitting a tope con giro over the top rope with an assist from a chair. Bennett hit a big boot on Jay and OGK started to get a little momentum. Bennett hit a spinout brain buster for a two count. Mark tagged in and did some redneck kung-fu with a Pele kick.

Mark suplexed and booted both OGK members all around the ring. Mark hit an Iconoclasm on Bennett for a near fall. Jay went for the Jay Driller, but Bennett fought out and tagged in Taven, who ran wild. Taven hit a twist and shout on Jay before Bennett hit a death valley driver. Mark and Bennett exchanged some hard strikes in the middle of the ring until Jay got an Oklahoma roll on Taven and pinned him out of nowhere.

– Tag Team Champions La Rebelion was backstage with May Valentine and talked about how they were ready for all challengers, including the Briscoes.

Trevor Murdoch defeated a local talent

This was an outright squash with Murdoch destroying whoever this was in less than two minutes. I didn’t catch his name and they never displayed a graphic, Either way, Murdoch destroyed him and won with a piledriver quickly.

Afterward, he talked to Davis about how he had no more patience and was going to destroy everyone the NWA puts in front of him. The blood was going to be on the hands of the NWA if they kept feeding him hacks. Murdoch getting more violent is an interesting development for his character. I am still not sure if this is a heel turn, or just an edge being added, but I am intrigued.

– James and Aldis were interviewed by Davis after the main event of the Crockett Cup. James talked about how this was far from over and Aldis said that the NWA runs through his veins until his dying day, and he hated how things went down. He didn’t blame Jarrett and that he was still coming for the Cardona family. This makes me think that they are building to a mixed tag team match with James and Aldis against Cardona and Chelsea Green.

– Austin Idol was with TV Champion Tyrus at the podium. Davis asked about Idol’s big announcement which Idol took exception to as it was none of Davis’ business. Davis insisted and Idol got more flustered. Davis then indicated it was going to be a match or challenge of some sort for Tyrus, and he completely changed his tone. 

I really liked this, because it was a very subtle way of telling the audience he has something to say about Cyon’s parentage and he didn’t want to talk about it right now. Tyrus then announced that if anyone could bodyslam him, he’d let them challenge for the NWA Television Championship.

NWA Tag Team Champions The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle) defeated Paola Blaze & Jennacide (w/ Taryn Terrell) to retain the titles

This was a perfectly acceptable match that served the purpose of getting to the end of the break-up of Blaze and Jennacide. A stipulation was made before the match for them to break up if they couldn’t win the titles, and with that ending, that is done and now, Jennacide can feud with both Terrell and Blaze.

Belle and Blaze started, but it didn’t take long for Kay and Jennacide to start exchanging strikes in the middle of the ring. Jennacide hit a spinebuster on Kay for a two count. Blaze hit a meteora in the corner. She and Jennacide started to get the heat on Kay for the next few minutes including Jennacide trying to break Kay’s pinky finger.

Jennacide put Kay in the tree of woe and kicked her a few times before tagging out to Blaze. Kay escaped the grasp of Blaze and tagged out to Marti Belle, who hit some forearms but was soon shutdown by Jennacide. Blaze tagged in blind and Jennacide hit a TKO, but Jennacide didn’t realize it. When she did, Blaze came in and was rolled up by Belle for the pin. Jennacide left, not wanting anything to do with either of her teammates.

– New National Champion Jax Dane was with May Valentine and talked about his Crockett Cup match with Anthony Mayweather and how he was now the champion while Mayweather is in the past and should be buried underground.

– Thom Latimer and Women’s Champion Kamille were with Davis who said he heard a rumor backstage that Strictly Business was no longer in business. Latimer confirmed that it was over and said that the only person he needed was Kamille. Kamille said Chris Adonis was dead weight, that it was her and Latimer against everyone, and that they are taking over the NWA.

NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion Homicide defeated Austin Aries to retain the title

This was a great match between these two. Homicide is great as always, and Aries held up his end of the match as well. Both guys have worked so many matches with each other that it seemed effortless to have a good one here.

They exchanged some technical wrestling to open things up with each guy predicting each other’s moves. Aries went for the brain buster early on, but Homicide fought out, rolled him up for a two count, and then tossed Aries to the floor. Homicide put Aries on the top rope and went for a Koji cutter, but Aries shoved him off and hit a European uppercut off the middle rope.

Homicide missed a corner charge and hit what Aries has dubbed the side Ukrainian legsweep. The two bumped heads in the middle of the ring and collapsed. Aries hit the ropes and Homicide hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Homicide got his Koji cutter for a near fall and locked on an STF, but Aries got to the ropes.

Homicide went for the Cop Killa, but Aries floated out, hit a rolling elbow to the back of the head and then locked on the Last Chancery. Homicide barely made the ropes which really upset Aries. Aries hit a neckbreaker across the middle rope followed by a running dropkick and a brain buster on Homicide, but Homicide got his foot on the ropes.

Aries went for the 450, but Homicide cut him off and hit another Koji cutter from the top rope for the pinfall.

Final Thoughts:

What a great episode of NWA Power this week. We saw a new edge to Murdoch, Cardona continuing to be a great heel, and were given some subtle hints about Idol and Cyon. This is all I could ask for in an episode: solid wrestling, advancement of stories, and a clear direction following the recent pay-per-view.

Teddy Hart vs. Austin Aries added to MLW Saturday Night SuperFight

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Teddy Hart and Austin Aries are officially set to face off at MLW’s first pay-per-view.

MLW announced today that Hart will defend his Middleweight Championship against Aries at Saturday Night SuperFight. The PPV is taking place at Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, November 2.

The build to Aries challenging for the Middleweight title began when he returned to MLW in June.

At last month’s War Chamber television tapings, there was an angle where Aries attacked Hart while The Hart Foundation (Hart & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) were challenging for the MLW Tag Team titles in a two-out-of-three falls match. The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holliday) retained their titles when Hart got counted out in the third fall due to Aries’ attack.

Aries defeated The Hart Foundation’s Brian Pillman Jr. in the main event of last weekend’s MLW Fusion episode. Aries called out Hart after the match and they brawled to close the episode.

Saturday Night SuperFight will be available via traditional PPV and Fite TV. Here’s the updated card for the show:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu defending against LA Park in a no DQ match
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Teddy Hart defending against Austin Aries
  • Tom Lawlor vs. Timothy Thatcher
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone defending against Davey Boy Smith Jr.

MLW Fusion results: Austin Aries vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

Posted on by Iain Oliver

Main takeaways

  • Austin Aries defeated Brian Pillman Jr. and then called out Teddy Hart which led to a brawl, seemingly leading to a match at Saturday Night Superfight. 
  • LA Park and El Hijo de LA Park defeated Septimo Dragon and Magnus in a great tag team match. 
  • Dominic Garrini made short work of Ariel Dominguez in his debut. 

Full review

Los Parks (LA Park and El Hijo de LA Park) w/Salina de la Renta defeated Magnus and Septimo Dragon

We opened this week’s episode of Fusion with a Mexican Lucha Rules tag team match: no tags needed when a partner leaves the ring, no disqualification and non-stop action. Magnus and Dragon had a great outing and matched up to Los Parks well. But it was the Parks that took the victory after some outside interference from Salina de la Renta.

Quite out of character, the Parks offered their opponents a handshake at the start of the match, but they quickly resumed normal procedure when they blindsided them with a pair of chops. From there, the action was non-stop. They spilled to the outside. Around ringside and inside the ring, Los Parks used chairs and their belts on Magnus and Dragon. 

After controlling the early exchanges, LA was sent to the outside after a head scissors by Magnus, who followed up on both Parks with a slingshot corkscrew crossbody. Dragon then hit an Asai moonsault to the floor too. LA ended up crotched on the top rope and Hijo was hit with a Spanish Fly from Septimo Dragon. Magnus then followed with a Senton from the top, too. 

Hijo then hit Dragon with an assisted Spanish Fly from the top rope then LA speared Magnus but amazingly both Magnus and Dragon kicked out at two. Moments later, Los Parks hit duelling crossbodies into the crowd from opposite corners of the ring. LA is 53 years old and still pulling off these aerial moves…incredible! 

Back inside the ring, Dragon broke up a pin attempt with a double foot stomp, so Hijo came in and had a forearm exchange with him. Dragon got the better of it but Hijo caught him coming off the ropes with a dropkick to the face. Hijo followed up with a double knee facebreaker. 

Dragon hit Hijo with a GTS and then a soccer kick to the head, but Hijo popped up and hit a swift, smooth and quick Canadian/Mexican destroyer. The crowd gave a little “holy Sh*t” chant for the quickness of the move. 

LA and Magnus were back in next. LA missed a spear in the corner and collided head first with the ring post, but de la Renta pulled the ref out before he could count the three on LA. Hijo then hit a Back Stabber on Dragon for a near fall and took him out with a suicide dive moments later. 

Magnus and LA ended up in the corner. The referee tried to pull Magnus off after a barrage of right hands, but it ended up with both he and Magnus on the mat. LA climbed the ropes and leaped off, Magnus moved, and LA squashed the referee. De la Renta then got involved and kicked Magnus low and LA rolled him up for the win. 

As Los Parks were celebrating, a CONTRA propaganda video aired that had Jacob Fatu and Josef Samael tell LA Park that November 2nd will be the day of the dead of LA Park, and of course, “All hail CONTRA.”

— Rich Bocchini told us that Austin Aries had been fined $10,000 for his attack on Teddy Hart last week. But Hart had his own personal doctors clear him to attend tonight’s show.

— The MLW cameras caught up with the Von Erich brothers. They said if the Dynasty wanted to insult them and the state of Texas, they wanted to challenge them to a match next week in Mexico. 

— Bocchini then caught up with The Dynasty and asked them for a response. MJF and Richard Holliday told him that basically, their contracts wouldn’t allow them to compete in Mexico, so any match with the Von Erichs is off. 

— “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs Timothy Thatcher and Alexander Hammerstone defending his National Openweight title against Davey Boy Smith Jr. are officially booked for the MLW Saturday Night Superfight PPV on November 2nd. 

Dominic Garrini defeated Ariel Dominguez

This was a a strong start for Garrini in MLW. For those not familiar with him, he is a straight shooting, Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi wearing submission machine. MLW also gave him a Street Fighter style opening video and song. This was a short and sweet match. They chain wrestled for a minute or so but Garrini was always in control. He gave Dominguez a hip toss and a deadlift overhead throw. Dominguez hit him with a fireman’s carry takeover but Garrini swiftly rolled through, took him down and locked in an armbar for the win. 

After the match, Kaci Lennox interview Garrini where he called out Lawlor and Thatcher. 

— Cameras caught up Lawlor who told us that if Thatcher wants to call him out, then he will make sure that his missing tooth won’t be the only one missing after he is finished with him.

— We were shown pictures of Mance Warner after his match with Jimmy Havoc and told he suffered a collapsed lung. A video package then played for Havoc and his “slaughterhouse” on October 19th.  

— A Gino Medina hype video aired for his upcoming debut. It said the next generation of greatness is coming, and the world will be his “el intocable”. They call him “The Untouchable”. 

— Injustice (Kotto Brazil, Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed) had a promo calling out MLW officials for their handling of last week’s match. They complained that Brazil was pinned even though he wasn’t the legal man. Oliver said it didn’t matter what happened, because in the end, they were going to get their justice.  

Austin Aries defeated Brian Pillman Jr. 

This was a good main event here to continue the Aries vs. Teddy Hart feud. Pillman tried his best, but the experience of Aries rang out in the end. Aries tried and tried to hit the Brainbuster on the apron, the same move he injured Hart with last week. He eventually did, albeit inside the ring, but picked up the win nonetheless. Pillman started strong. He ate a slap from Aries but begged for another then turned it round on and rubbed a spit filled hand back in Aries’ face. 

Pillman chopped Aries in and out of the ring and hit an axe handle to the floor, but was soon cut off when Aries knocked him to the floor after an attempted springboard clothesline. 

Aries then torpedoed him with a suicide dive and a missile dropkick. He later tried to brainbuster Pillman on the apron but was blocked. 

Pillman fired back with a snap suplex but Aries kicked out by slapping Pillman’s ears. Pillman then went for his swinging neckbreaker finisher but Aries reversed it into a northern lights suplex for a two count and transitioned into the Last Chancery submission, but Pillman got to the ropes in time. 

Aries tried another brainbuster on the apron but Pillman blocked it once more. He hit a superkick and went for a suicide dive but Aries cut him off with a European uppercut. Aries fired up himself and hit a running dropkick in the corner, followed by his own brainbuster for the 1, 2, 3. 

After the match, Aries got on the mic and called out Teddy Hart, who obliged and made his way out against MLW doctor’s orders. They brawled to end the episode with Tony Schiavone begging officials to make the match official for MLW Saturday Night Superfight.

Austin Aries vs. Brian Pillman Jr. added to MLW tapings

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MLW has announced another match for next month’s War Chamber television tapings.

Austin Aries will face Brian Pillman Jr. at the event. It’s taking place at the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, Texas on Saturday, September 7.

Since returning to MLW in June, Aries has won matches against Adam Brooks and Ace Austin. MLW appears to be building to Aries challenging for Teddy Hart’s Middleweight Championship.

Pillman Jr. is part of The Hart Foundation with Teddy Hart & Davey Boy Smith Jr. At July’s Kings of Colosseum tapings, The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart & Pillman Jr.) lost the MLW Tag Team titles to The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holliday) in a ladder match.

Teddy Hart & Smith Jr. are challenging MJF & Holliday for the Tag Team titles in a two-out-of-three falls match at War Chamber. The show will be headlined by Tom Lawlor, Ross & Marshall Von Erich, and a partner facing Contra Unit (Jacob Fatu, Josef Samael, Simon Gotch & Ikuro Kwon) in a War Chamber match.

Kevin Von Erich will be in Lawler, Ross & Marshall’s corner for the match. The late Gary Hart will also be honored at the War Chamber tapings.

Austin Aries vs. Ace Austin set for MLW Never Say Never

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MLW has announced Austin Aries’ opponent for Never Say Never

Aries vs. Ace Austin is set for the tapings, which are taking place at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York on Thursday, July 25. This will be Aries’ second match for MLW since returning to the promotion.

After having had one match for MLW in February 2018, Aries returned at last month’s tapings in Waukesha, Wisconsin and defeated Adam Brooks. Aries then cut a post-match promo where he set his sights on the Middleweight title.

Teddy Hart is the current Middleweight Champion.

Ace Austin also wrestles for Impact Wrestling. Aries departed Impact after losing their World title at Bound for Glory 2018.

In a rematch from Kings of Colosseum, Jacob Fatu will defend his newly-won World Heavyweight Championship against Tom Lawlor at Never Say Never. Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher, LA Park vs. Jimmy Havoc, and Rey Horus vs. Bestia 666 are also set for the tapings.

MLW Fusion results: Lawlor vs. Samael, Austin Aries in action

Posted on by Iain Oliver

The Big Takeaways —

  • Austin Aries re-debuted and defeated Adam Brooks in a good match.
  • “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and the Von Erichs are still brawling and fighting with Contra Unit — all of which builds to next week’s MLW World title match between Lawlor and Jacob Fatu.

Full Recap —

– Josef Samael and Jacob Fatu opened this week’s Fusion with a video package from Contra Unit. Samael hyped up his match with Tom Lawlor tonight and said he would soften him up for Fatu next week.

– In the arena, Rich Bocchini and Jim Cornette interviewed Marshall & Ross Von Erich after their impressive debut last week. They said they have Lawlor’s back, he can trust them, and they gave him their word and their word is their bond.

Austin Aries defeated Adam Brooks (12:02)

This was a good match that was given a little more time than usual. Bocchini reminded us that Aries competed in the opening match of the debut episode of MLW Fusion, defeating ACH. He then said Aries has been traveling the world since then, collecting titles and generally annoying promoters.

Bocchini later said some find Aries difficult, but the live crowd seemed to love him, giving him a loud “Austin Aries” chant to welcome him back. Aries looked trimmed down since his 205 Live and Impact Wrestling stints in recent years.

Aries used his signature headstand escape from a Brooks headscissors and followed with a dropkick to the mouth. However, Brooks (who was making his MLW debut here) was in control for most of the early exchanges, hitting a springboard cutter for an early two count.

Brooks went for a package stunner (with Aries on his back), but Aries slapped his ears and hit a shinbuster, an overhead suplex, and some ground and pound to take back control. A running forearm in the corner was then followed by a middle rope uppercut to the back of the neck from Aries.

Aries’ middle rope work continued with a neckbreaker across it, sending Brooks to the outside. He got the crowd going and went for a dive, but Brooks cut him off with a right hand. Brooks followed with a slingshot DDT, but he was too worn out to make the cover.

Both were feeling the effects of the match as we entered the 10-minute mark. Brooks hit a dropkick in the corner, but Aries soon rolled through and locked in his Horns of Aries bridging choke submission. Brooks made it to the ropes in time.

After a quick exchange, Aries hit a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron, which Cornette was quick to remind us is the hardest part of the ring — because, of course, after being told this after every apron bump we all immediately forget this fact and have to be reminded of it each and every time something happens there.

Aries then missed a 450 splash off the top as Brooks got his knees up. Brooks then followed with an over-the-head neckbreaker on the knee for a close near fall. He quickly went up top, but this time he missed as Aries got his knees up on a senton bomb attempt. Aries followed up with a discus five-arm, a running dropkick in the corner, and his signature brainbuster for the win.

After the bell, Kaci Lennox interviewed Aries in the ring as the crowd was chanting his name. He grabbed the mic from her and told her not to interrupt them and showed her out by holding the ropes open.

Aries said it was good to be home. He said that just because he hasn’t been on social media doesn’t mean he hasn’t been busy. Since leaving his “former employer,” he has set his sights on the war in professional wrestling. Not sports entertainment or “cosplay pro wrestling” — he called out those who have the costumes but can’t display the magic. He calls himself the last true magician of wrestling and he makes them all believe.

Aries praised MLW for their use of weight limits and divisions and admitted that he has been Heavyweight Champion in places, but he’s never been a heavyweight in his life. He proclaimed he is a middleweight and said that was bad news for Teddy Hart. He said people might think Hart is an asshole — but not compared to this asshole.

– We then had a Dynasty recorded message for the Hart Foundation. There were more subtle hints of Alexander Hammerstone turning against the two rich boys (MJF and Richard Holliday) by giving them looks of disgust and anguish as they bragged about their wealth. They had Hart’s Tag Team title belt in front of them after stealing it last week, saying possession is nine tenths of the law.

– Another Samael promo on Lawlor aired. The Savio Vega hype video from last week was shown as well.

Jacob Fatu defeated Ariel Dominguez & Sam Black (1:23)

Fatu bieled Dominguez across the ring, hit a superkick and handspring moonsault to Black, and landed a huge push-up Samoan drop on Dominguez and a hip attack in the corner on Black.

Fatu then piled his dirty laundry — I mean opponents — in the middle of the ring and squashed them — literally and figuratively — with his triple jump moonsault. The commentators questioned if this would be the fate of Lawlor next week.

After the bell, Simon Gotch and Josef Samael of Contra Unit joined the ring and beat down the two helpless competitors. There was no sign of Lawlor or the Von Erichs.

– Lennox was backstage with Salina de la Renta and asked her if she went too far with the loser leaves town match with Mance Warner and Sami Callihan. De la Renta explained that the ratings went through the roof, so she obviously gave the fans what they wanted.

De la Renta then questioned why they were talking about a “goat f*cker” when they could be talking about her. She finished by saying it must be so hard to see a 22-year-old in control.

– Warner had a recorded message for de la Renta and Promociones Dorado. He warned them that he is going to take all of them out.

Josef Samael defeated MLW World Heavyweight Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor by DQ in a non-title match (7:52)

We were told the Von Erichs were in Lawlor’s locker room and had his back if Contra Unit tried anything. Bocchini also told us that LA Park was backstage and watching on too.

They quickly went to the outside for some brawling. Lawlor — one half of the Chop and Roll Express — chopped Samael against the ring post. Back inside, Samael threw Lawlor chest and throat first into the ropes and took him down for an armbar. We had cut-ins with de la Renta and Ricky Martinez watching on. The commentary team were speculating if LA Park will cash in his title shot tonight or not.

We saw that Contra Unit and the Von Erichs were brawling backstage and keeping each other from ringside. Back in the ring, Samael took his spike from his boot and ran with it at Lawlor, but the champion moved and the Contra Unit maniac stabbed the turnbuckle instead.

After connecting with a spinning heel kick, Lawlor got disqualified for shoving the referee to the mat after he tried to stop Lawlor from going after Samael with the spike.

– Fusion went off the air with Lawlor and Samael brawling at ringside, and the Von Erichs, Fatu, and Gotch fighting backstage.

Next Week —

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Tom Lawlor defends against Jacob Fatu
  • Myron Reed vs. Rey Horus
  • “The Jim Cornette Experience” with Salina de la Renta

Austin Aries vs. Adam Brooks set for MLW Fury Road

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After hyping that he would be coming to the promotion soon, MLW has confirmed Austin Aries for their June television tapings.

Aries will be facing Adam Brooks at MLW Fury Road in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 1. Brooks, who is from Australia and has wrestled all over the world, will be making his MLW debut in the match.

Aries has wrestled for MLW once before. He defeated ACH in February 2018.

MLW hyped that Aries and Brooks are both “jockeying for a Middleweight title shot.”

Fury Road will include both a live special and TV tapings. Teddy Hart’s Middleweight title defense against Jimmy Havoc will be airing on the live special, along with the finals of MLW’s National Openweight Championship tournament.

In the National title tournament finals, Alexander Hammerstone will face the winner of the Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Rich Swann match that’s airing on this week’s episode of MLW Fusion.

Tom Lawlor, Ross Von Erich & Marshall Von Erich vs. Contra Unit (Jacob Fatu, Josef Samael & Simon Gotch), Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner in a falls count anywhere match, and Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. MJF are also set for June 1.

MLW hypes arrival of Austin Aries

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Austin Aries is coming to MLW.

The news was announced via a graphic that aired during this week’s episode of MLW Fusion. It hyped that Aries would be coming to MLW soon, though further details on when he’ll be arriving weren’t revealed. Aries has wrestled for MLW once before, defeating ACH in February 2018.

Aries departed Impact Wrestling after losing their World Championship to Johnny Impact at Bound for Glory last October. Aries also wrestled matches for ROH in May and June of last year.

Aries was released by WWE in July 2017.

MLW announced earlier this week that Ross & Marshall Von Erich have signed with the promotion and will be debuting at their television tapings in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 1. Adam Brooks will also debut for MLW at the tapings. Brooks is from Australia and has wrestled all over the world, including for PWG in the United States.

Impact Wrestling Bound for Glory live results: Aries vs. Johnny Impact

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

What is traditionally Impact Wrestling’s biggest event of the year takes place tonight as the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York hosts Bound for Glory 2018.

We’re looking for your thoughts on this show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]

An Impact World Championship match will headline the pay-per-view, with Austin Aries defending his title against Johnny Impact. Aries has been aligned with Killer Kross and Moose (who turned heel during the build to the PPV), and Moose will face Eddie Edwards tonight.

The Knockouts Championship will be on the line as Tessa Blanchard defends against Taya Valkyrie, LAX will face the OGz in a Concrete Jungle Death Match, Pentagon Jr. & Fenix team with Brian Cage against Sami Callihan & oVe, and Rich Swann & Willie Mack take on Matt Sydal & Ethan Page.

Eli Drake issuing a New York open challenge and Allie going to Su Yung’s “Undead Realm” are also advertised for tonight. Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

By Dave Meltzer

RICH SWANN & WILLIE MACK VS. ETHAN PAGE & MATT SYDAL

This match was great.  Mack was phenomenal, Page was a great base for soem spots.  The finish saw Swann do a springboard cutter on Sydal and then pinned him after a middle rope Phoenix splash.  The crowd loved this.  The ring is really small and the guard rails are close to dives are problematic and they didn’t do any of them in this match.  They didn’t need them.  There was a ridiculous spot wehre Sydal did jump to the top rope huracanrana on Swann, who while taking the move off the top then did a huracanrana onto Page.  Everything was crisp and explosive. 

Mack wanted to cut  a promo.  The first two mic’s didn’t work.  Mack just told the fans to make some noise.  Mack said that whoever makes the most noise will get moved to the front row.  They haveily plugged their sponsor.comda.com

They are pushing all the Johnny Impact vs. Austin Aries stuff from TMZ and last night now.  TMZ was pushing like the angle was a shoot and discussed if Impact would go off the script.  I still hate that stuff in the middle of the show.

Fans are chanting Y2J.  

Konnan’s been hurt backstage.  He said King did it and you guys handle business.

ELI DRAKE’S OPEN CHALLENGE

He insulted the New York Giants and asked how’s that 1-5 record treting you.  James Ellsworth came out.  People were hoping for Chris Jericho, kind of a big dropoff.  Fans were chanting “delete” at him.  Drake said to the fans, “Wrong guy.”  Drake said he wasn’t from New York.  Ellsworth said he dated a girl from Staten Island once and lived in her basement.  Ellsworth kissed up to New York and peole were booing him and saying “F*** you Ellsworth.”  Drake made fun of the bad reaction.  Drake made the first chin joke.  Ellsworth said “I might not have a chin, but you don’t have any balls.”  Fans were chanting “balls” but he’s not around anymore.  And then the match started

ELI DRAKE VS. JAMES ELLSWORTH

Fans were totally behind Drake who won quickly with two Gravy trains.  Really the segment completely backfired, people hated it even though it was a set up for something next.

Drake said he didn’t come here to face garbage, he wanted to face a Hall of Famer.

Abyss, who was inducted into their Hall of Fame last night, came out and laid out Drake with a black hole slam.  Abyss pulled out a table.  Drake  made a bief comeback before Abyss choke slammed Drake through a table. 

TESSA BLANCHARD VS. TAYA VALKYRIE FOR THE KNOCKOUTS TITLE 

Good match, more physical than WWE women’s matches.  Taya used the road to Valhalla but the ref had been distracted by Blanchard pulling the apron dressing into the ring.  Blanchard used the hammerlock DDT but Taya kicked out.  They traded near falls ending when Blanchard flew off the top rope two-thirds of the way across the ring into a codebreaker, like the MX that Bushi uses.  Strong overall except a Taya choke slam that didn’t get high enough. 

EDDIE EDWARDS VS. MOOSE

Moose came out with three women. Match went seconds with Killer Kross choking out Edwards for the DQ.  Tommy Dreamer made the save so it turned into a tag match.

TOMMY DREAMER & EDDIE EDWARDS VS. MOOSE & KILLER KROSS

It was all a brawl.  Crowd was into it.  Jylen Ware of the New York Giants was at ringside shoved Moose at one point.  The cameras missed that and also missed Edwards giving Moose a belly-to-belly overhead on the floor.  Edwards pinned Moose with a schoolboy.

The heels beat them down after the match.  They gave Edwards a double-team hard power bomb into the ring frame.  This was more brutal than most power bombs on the apron.

SAMI CALLIHAN & DAVE & JAKE CRIST VS. PENTAGON JR. & FENIX & BRIAN CAGE IN AN OVE RULES MATCH 

Big surprise finish as Callihan pinned Cage after a piledriver.  All three gave Cage a ton of superkicks one after the other  This is the first time Cage has lost a fall in Impact.  Match was all action but a few of the spots wre off.  There were some ceazy spots including Fenix running down the ramp jumping over the top rope and hitting a cutter.  Callihan piledriver Pentagon on the apron.  The building doesn’t allow for spectacular dives so we didn’t get any of that.

Austin Aries interview.   He said when he came here the place was on life support and he built the reputation of the company and make the title mean something again.  Johnny Impact showed up, while I’m putitng in the work, you do a reality show, nurse injuries and get married.  Aries said he doesn’t trust Impact and he doesn’t trust management.  Said he was bringing Moose and Kross out and he wants Taya at ringside to see when he exposes Impact. 

ORTIZ & SANTANA VS. THE KING & HOMICIDE & HERNANDEZ IN A CONCRETE JUNGLE MATCH

This was very dangerous working a match on the bare boards which kept moving messing with people’s footing.  LAX won when Konnan came out for the finish and used a slapjack on everyone and then Santana & Ortiz used the street sweeper which is a combination Doomsday device and blockbuster on King for the pin.  There were a lot of bumps on he boads including LAX giving Hernandez a top rope superplex on bare boards. 

Jim Michtell allowed Allie to go into the undead world to save Keira Hogan from Su Yung.  It’s their own Buffy the Vampire slayer vignette.  Allie keeps destroying Su Yung with an ax.  But Allie saw he soul which means her soul stays in this dreaded place.  Then she found Keira Hogan in a coffin and Su Yung came back and had the ax but keeps missing Allie with ax shots.  Su Yung used a baseball bat on Allie several times.  This was different.  I’m not sure this is what people want out of their wrestling TV shows. .  I think Allie killed Su a third time and got Kiera out of the coffin.  Jim Mitchell showed up and told her he promised to get her in but never promised to get her out.  Rosemary showed up.  Evidently she lives there now and she told Allie and Hogan to go back to their realm.  Su Yung is alive again by the way and she showed up to stop them from returning to the real world.  Allie wanted Rosemary to come with them.  She had some supernatural fight with Su Yung and didn’t.  Allie and Hogan made it back to the real world.  But Allie is now possessed.  This was all kinds of embarrassing if anyone ever walked in the room if you were watching this.  This was Randy Orton-Bray Wyatt bad.

The next PPV will be in Nashville on Jnauary 6th at the Fairgrounds.  

AUSTIN ARIES VS. JOHNNY IMPACT FOR TITLE

They really had a hell of match ending with Impact winning the title with a brainbuster and Starship pain.  Aries got right up and walked out.  Right before the finish Aries gave Taya a tope.  Impact used Starship pain earlier but Aries got his foot on the ropes.  Aries hit the brainbuster but Impact mae the ropes.  They used a ton of big moves.  The only negative is that they opened up working it like a shoot, which was good, but it came right after that undead stuff so they put people in the mood where you couldn’t take anything serious and then tried to work a shoot the first few minutes.  They opened up and did a match.  Aries is a great worker and a ring general and Impact does cool athletic things.  They gave people the title change and went off the air without a celebration past Impact and Taya hugging.  Aries looked like he’d lost a lot of weight. 

Impact Wrestling results: Aries cuts epic promo on Johnny Impact

Posted on by Josh Molina

For the third straight week, Impact Wrestling took place from Mexico City, Mexico. Austin Aries cutting a worked-shoot promo on Johnny Impact was this week’s highlight.

Rich Swann kicked off the show, lacking the smiles and joviality that he usually shows in his ring entrance. He’s facing Matt Sydal, whose pointing to his third eye is so relentless that it is absolutely comical.

Matt Sydal defeated Rich Swann

Swann got off to the early advantage, hitting a dive off the top rope to the outside of the ring less than one minute into the match. The two brawled outside and Sydal crawled under the ring. Swann pulled up the apron to look for him and Sydal decked him.

Swann either sold the storyline of being angered by Sydal’s attempts to get him to open his third eye or he’s really unhappy for some reason. He looked grumpy all the way through the match.

Swann was on the top rope ready to do a dive onto Sydal when a guy in street clothes jumped on the apron and powerbombed Swann as the referee had his head down tending to Sydal. Announcers Don Callis and Josh Mathews said “who is this man” and “where’s security?”

After the match, Mathews then figured out that it was Ethan Page. Not a great start to this feud between Sydal and Swann, which they have been building up for weeks.

There was a video package with Ohio Versus Everyone.

In another video package, Moose called Sami Callihan on the phone. It was interrupted by Scarlett Bordeaux, who came to ringside to do commentary. Bordeaux touches her hair almost as much as Sydal touches his forehead looking for a third eye. Bordeaux flirted with Callis, who  purposely spilled his bottled water for effect.

Eli Drake came to the ring next wearing a shirt that said “that is not an insult” on the front and “that is a fact of life” on the back.

Drake took the microphone to continue his open challenge.

Drake called out all the “technicos” in the back. He told the crowd “silencio.”

“None of the luchas can lucha like lucha,” he said.

La Parka defeated Eli Drake via countout

Out came La Parka (the AAA version, not LA Park). He hammered on Eli Drake with chops, but Drake gained the upper hand after he hit a very awkward looking reverse neckbreaker. Drake grabbed a chair, but La Parka took it away from him. He tried to hit Drake with it, but Drake ran from the ring and back to the dressing room.

La Parka looked really limited in his skill set.

During the commentary, Mathews asked Bordeaux what she was looking for in a wrestler.

“I want someone who does whatever it takes to win,” Bordeaux said.

We got a confrontation between LAX and the OGz backstage.There’s still a ceasefire between the two “rival gangs” — so Konnan couldn’t do anything when King spit water in Konnan’s face and then walked away. This feud has long ran its course.

Backstage, Sydal and Page challenged Swann and a partner of his choice at Bound For Glory.

Murder Clown (w/ Katarina) defeated Joe Hendry (w/ Grado)

Grado is taking his joke character to the extreme, looking increasingly more out of shape with each appearance. Hendry showed a bizarre video that attempted to mock Murder Clown. It was Hendry in a clown mask squeezing his red nose and singing.

This was a bad match. Murder Clown is well over 300 pounds and wrestles like it.

He struggled to body slam Hendry at one point. Hendry, however, successfully hit a fallaway slam on the big guy. Murder Clown recovered and hit a splash off the top rope for the win. Grado tended to his friend, when Murder Clown brought a table to the ring. Callis screamed for Murder Clown to “please go after Grado.”

Grado tried to defend Hendry, but Katarina hit a low blow on her ex-boyfriend. Murder Clown put Hendry on the table and then jumped on him from the top rope for the finish. This was an attempt to get Murder Clown over as a star on one match.

Eddie Edwards found Moose, who was sitting next to Alisha Edwards. She had apparently been apprehended by Moose against her will. Moose started to explain what a bad friend Eddie was and Eddie tried to tell him that Austin Aries was only using him for protection, but didn’t really care about him.

Alisha then threw a glass of water in Moose’s face and fled, but not before Killer Kross ran into the room and tried to choke out Eddie. Alisha threw a kendo stick to her husband, who hit Kross and the two escaped.

Eddie then called Johnny Impact and told him to go after Aries. Impact spent the next few minutes running around backstage looking for Aries.

Impact then came to the ring and called out Aries, who responded, walking to the ring wearing an arm sling.

Aries said he injured his arm from trying to protect himself from Impact’s beatdown last week.

Impact said he didn’t care if he was injured because he didn’t want to beat him up tonight, but at Bound For Glory. Impact dared Aries to come to the ring at the event without Kross and Moose.

Aries guaranteed that Moose and Kross would not be at ringside. He said he didn’t need any help to beat Impact.

Aries then did a worked-shoot, asking Impact who he was and pointing out his many character changes as Johnny Nitro, Johnny Mundo, John Hennigan, or “Johnny Survivor.”

“Your whole career you have been trying to put eggs into 15 Easter baskets and you haven’t filled any of them yet,” Aries said.

Aries said Impact “looked” like he should be a pro wrestler, but that he was really a “pretend pro wrestler.”

Aries basically berated him for never living up to his full potential and being more of a show than an authentic wrestler. He told him that before he becomes “Johnny 205,” Aries would give him an opportunity to unlock his potential, and have him join his stable, just like Moose did.

Impact just stood there and took all the insults and then said “hell no.”

Aries hit Impact with his left arm and then took off the sling on his other arm. Impact countered with a crescent kick and Aries rolled out of the ring. Impact held the belt up high.

Backstage, a shirtless Brian Cage said he was coming to the ring later to destroy the “Ohio punks.”

There was another backstage segment with Gama Singh verbally abusing the Desi Hit Squad.

In the Flashback Moment of the Week, it was Sting vs. Hulk Hogan from Bound for Glory 2011.  Ric Flair was at ringside. Dixie Carter was at ringside cheering for Sting. Hogan tapped out to the Scorpion Deathlock, but Flair jumped into the ring. Eric Bischoff, Scott Steiner, and Bully Ray then came to ringside and started to beat up Sting.

Hogan was apparently so offended by the Sting beatdown that he turned on his friends and joined Sting to clean house in the ring. A bloodied Hogan and Sting then celebrated in the ring together.

We got another backstage segment with Scarlett Bordeaux, as wrestlers tried to impress her to win over her managerial services.

Next was an episode of the Smokeshow where Petey Williams tried to impress Bordeaux. Trevor Lee looked on in disgust.

It’s not really clear what they are trying to do with Bordeaux, but whatever it is, it’s not working.

There was a backstage segment with the Lucha Brothers challenging oVe later in the show.

Su Yung defeated Kiera Hogan (w/ Allie)

Yung got the win after a helicopter spin into a front slam. Hogan was distracted momentarily after the undead bridesmaids jumped on the apron when Hogan was on the top turnbuckle. After the match, Yung summoned the bridesmaids to bring out the casket, but Allie broke it up. Yung, however, put the mandible claw on Allie and then Hogan and slammed Hogan into the coffin. Yung stood on the coffin.

When they came back from commercial, Allie was freaking out in the back for allowing her friend to be put inside the casket.

They advertised a match for next week: Edwards, Impact & Fallah Bahh vs. Aries, Moose & Kross.

They hyped up the Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie Knockouts title match set for Bound For Glory.

Fenix, Pentagon Jr. & Brian Cage defeated Sami Callihan & Dave & Jake Crist by DQ

Cage is an incredible high-flyer for being such a huge, jacked-up guy.

This was a disappointing match. The referee disqualified Callihan after he pushed him. After the match, Fenix hit a rolling cutter on Callihan. Cage hit a Brutus Beefcake knee on Dave Crist and then suplexed him from inside of the ring to the outside onto the other members of oVe and Fenix and Pentagon.

Fenix then hit a corkscrew dive from the top of the ringside railing onto everybody.

The show ended with the wrestlers brawling outside of the ring.  

Impact Wrestling results: Austin Aries vs. El Texano Jr.

Posted on by Josh Molina

After the intro package recapping last week, Josh Mathews opened the show saying, “Tonight we make history for the first time ever as Impact Wrestling comes to you from Mexico City, Mexico!”

Lots of empty seats in the crowd, which never really got into the show. Dead silence filled many of the segments.

oVe (Sami Callihan, Dave Crist & Jake Crist) defeated Aerostar, Hijo del Vikingo & Laredo Kid

This was a typical Lucha Libre-style match with plenty of aerial moves and high spots. All three of the Mexican wrestlers did moonsaults off the top rope onto the outside of the ring on oVe. Hijo del Vikingo one-upped Bray Wyatt, walking on his hands for several steps in the ring. Vikingo hit a moonsault off the top rope. Laredo Kid followed with a 450 splash, although he wobbled a bit on the top rope before pulling it off.

The luchadores went for triple superkicks on oVe, who hit triple piledrivers for a near fall.

oVe won with a triple cover after Callihan hit an RKO on Vikingo, who was perched on Dave Crist’s shoulders.

Backstage, Matt Sydal tried to convince Rich Swann again to open his third eye and become tag team partners.

In another backstage segment, Tessa Blanchard kicked a Mexican female wrestler out of the dressing room area. Faby Apache then walked in and told Blanchard to be more respectful and Blanchard left the dressing room area.

Eli Drake came to the ring for an extended promo. He continued his weekly open challenge. Out came the Bruiser Brody-like Trevor Lee

Eli Drake defeated Trevor Lee

Drake has great charisma and Lee moves in the ring with a lot of athleticism.

Lee dominated most of the match until Drake pulled Lee’s long black hair and then bodyslammed him. Drake won with the Gravy Train.

There was another backstage segment with the OGz, with King talking about how violent he plans to be when he gets into the ring.

King defeated Kronoz

King won in seconds after a spinning backfist. The OGz triple-teamed Kronoz briefly to start the match.

We got a backstage segment with LAX. Santana and Ortiz tried to get Konnan to break the ceasefire with the OGz. This has to be among the worst feuds of the year.

Faby Apache defeated Alisha Edwards

Apache quickly applied an Indian deathlock. Later, she put Alisha in a surfboard.

Alisha got in some weak looking elbows. Apache did a good job of complaining to the referee every time Alisha kicked out of a pinfall attempt.

Alisha finally took Apache down with a hard clothesline and then a front-face slam, but she made a mistake by taking too long to go to the top rope. She jumped off the top and Apache caught her and rolled her over. She then hit a powerbomb for the win.

After the match, Apache took the microphone, and after having some difficulty finding the hard camera, spoke in Spanish to the crowd. Apache challenged Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard to a title match the following week.

There was a brief interview with El Texano Jr., who will face Impact Champion Austin Aries later in the show. Texano said he has two partners too, his fist and his bullrope, to counter Killer Kross and Moose.

There was another Bound For Glory promo.

Scarlett Bordeaux appeared backstage, this time with her hair pulled back.

Rich Swann danced to the ring.

Pentagon Jr. & Fenix defeated Matt Sydal & Rich Swann

Pentagon was extremely over with the crowd. This was really the only match the audience got into. 

This match featured probably the four best high-flyers in Impact. Sydal spent most of the match pointing to his mythical third eye.

Fenix hit an impressive rolling cutter on Sydal and Swann. He followed that up with a 720 plancha over the top rope onto both of them. Later, Swann hit his own reverse moonsault over the top rope onto both Lucha Brothers.

Pentagon hit a dangerous-looking piledriver on the apron on Sydal. Fenix then got the win over Swann with a suplex into a spinning powerbomb.

After the match, oVe ran to the ring. It looked like Pentagon and Fenix were going to get triple-teamed until Brian Cage showed up to even things up and send the Ohio contingent back to the dressing room.

Another backstage interview aired with Aries, Kross and Moose, who has a new outfit that resembles early 1980s Randy Savage.

There was another backstage segment with members of the Desi Hit Squad getting massages. Of course, Gama Singh interrupted and forced them to train and beat each other up instead.

There was a pre-taped video segment featuring Joe Hendry and Grado, who both recently split from their manager Katarina.

In the TNA Flashback Moment of the Week,  Petey Williams took on Chris Sabin and Matt Bentley. There’s a problem when the best and longest match on the show happened a decade ago, under the ownership of a different company.

They showed a package of Abyss, who will be inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame.

Impact World Champion Austin Aries defeated El Texano Jr. to retain his title

Aries walked down to the ring as slowly as he possibly could, with a lot of attitude and arrogance.

Despite his slow walking to the ring, Aries is very good when he wants to be. He has impressive agility and athleticism. The match began like most Aries matches, with him evading Texano’s moves and then showing off in the corner to celebrate his evasive skills.

Texano is a big, thick guy who can also perform aerial moves, but he gassed out quick.

Aries wastes a lot of time in between moves by playing to the crowd or talking smack to the referee. Texano got his best offense in when he scratched Aries’ back. Texano hit Aries with some weak-looking clotheslines. Texano spent a lot of time on the mat gasping for air.

At one point, Aries grabbed Texano’s bullrope. The referee grabbed it and took it away. Aries then tried to grab his belt — and the referee snatched that away. As the referee was throwing the belt out, Texano grabbed his bullrope and whipped Aries with it. He appeared to almost get the pinfall, but Aries put his foot on the ropes.

Aries then won the match with a suplex into a DDT.  

Johnny Impact appeared on the screen to say that he might not be medically cleared in time to challenge Aries for the championship at the October 14 Bound for Glory show. Impact then ran into the ring and clobbered Aries with a series of right hands. When Moose and Kross tried to intervene, Eddie Edwards ran to the ring to make the save.

Impact Wrestling results: Austin Aries vs. Fallah Bahh

Posted on by Josh Molina

The show opened with Austin Aries, Moose, and Killer Kross walking very slowly down the ramp for an interview segment. Moose had a new outfit this week, wearing all black and a gold chain.

The three sat on a gold sofa and chairs and Aries was going on about what a great Impact World Champion he is when KM and Fallah Bahh started to walk ringside

KM cut a good promo, suggesting that Aries was just using Moose and Killer Kross and that their friendship was not as tight as that of KM and Bahh’s. He said KM and Bahh were an example of what true friends really are and that true friends don’t stab each other in the back.

Aries acknowledged that the last couple of weeks have been “hectic” and then offered Bahh a title shot. Bahh accepted with a handshake to set up the main event.

Pentagon Jr. & Fenix defeated Trevor Lee & Caleb Konley

The luchadores are pretty spectacular with their synchronized high-flying moves. Lee and Konley wrestle like a traditional heel tag team, cutting off the ring and utilizing a clever double-team behind the referee’s back. Lee wrestles and looks a bit like Bruiser Brody.

After several near falls, Fenix got the victory after hitting a cradle piledriver where Pentagon Jr. jumped from the top rope onto Lee’s buttocks for the spike piledriver.

oVe then appeared on the screen and challenged Pentagon, Fenix & X Division Champion Brian Cage to a match at Bound for Glory.

Backstage, Bahh looked stressed out about his title shot against Aries and KM tried to build his confidence. KM found Eli Drake and asked him to motivate Bahh.

There was another long advertisement for Chris Jericho’s cruise.

The Global Wrestling Network Flashback Moment of the Week featured Kevin Von Erich introducing his two sons, Ross and Marshall for a tag team match against the Bromans. The Bromans got themselves disqualified just as they were about to lose, but Kevin Von Erich ran into the ring to do some of his signature spots, including his stomach claw.

There was a backstage interview segment with Allie and Kiera Hogan. Allie doesn’t talk like a professional wrestling character — she came across more as a sort of mean, annoyed everyday person. Allie badmouthed Tessa Blanchard, calling her “spoiled and entitled.”

Then we got another backstage interview with Blanchard, who comes across as a big star with big league charisma. She said next week, when Impact is in Mexico, the world will see why Blanchard is “undeniable.”

Alisha Edwards defeated Katarina

Fresh off her heel turn against Grado and Joe Hendry, Katarina got a long ring entrance and plenty of camera time. As the match was about to start, Grado walked to the ring with a microphone in his hand.

Grado, playing a pure joke character, was wearing a fanny pack. Hendry took the microphone and said he put together a custom video just for Katarina.

They dissed her in the video, with Hendry singing a song called “Access Denied.” With Katarina distracted, Alisha rolled her up for the three count. Although Grado and Hendry are supposed to be the good guys, scorned by Katarina, together they came across as creepy and as though they were bullying a woman.

There was another backstage segment with KM and Bahh, but this time Scarlett Bordeaux appeared out of nowhere and motivated Bahh.

We got an interview segment with Johnny Impact, who was “recovering at home” after he was triple-teamed a week ago by Aries, Moose, and Kross. In what looked like a FaceTime video, Impact said that Aries was insecure about his abilities and that he would make him pay at Bound for Glory.

LAX (Santana & Ortiz) defeated The Fraternity

Konnan was at ringside. The match was highlighted by Trent Gibson running from the ramp into the ring, but Ortiz intercepted him and gave him a chokeslam onto the ramp. LAX won with a Doomsday Device and pinfall over Gibson.

King then came to the ring with Hernandez and Homicide from the OGz, continuing the feud that seemingly will never end. They taunted Konnan’s crew, knowing that a ceasefire in the gang warfare was called a week ago.

King said he regretted that the little kid he struck in the car three weeks ago “is still breathing,” in an attempt to get Konnan to hit him and break the ceasefire. Ortiz and Santana held Konan back from presumably hitting King.

There was another backstage interview segment with Aries, Moose, and Kross. Aries said that after tonight, Bahh will be “gone” and then he will go on to Bound for Glory to defeat Johnny Impact.

Backstage, Bahh suddenly had the confidence in himself for the Aries match, motivated by Bordeaux. Rich Swann approached him and tried to fire him up. Swann turned around and ran into Matt Sydal, who is still trying to get Swann to open his third eye. Swann blew him off and walked away.

There was a Hall of Fame segment where they said next week they would announce its newest member.

X Division Champion Brian Cage defeated Kongo Kong

Cage moves really well for a big jacked-up guy with muscles.

He took Kong to one knee with some kicks, but struggled early with Kong’s power. Both of these guys seem like people WWE would be interested in. Even though he weighs more than 300 pounds, Kong hit a dive over the top rope from the outside ramp onto Cage for a near fall.

Cage powerslammed Kong and then hit a moonsault from the second rope. Kong hit a rolling bomb into the corner on Cage for a near fall. Cage went for a tornado punch, but Kong caught him and chokeslammed him. Cage reversed the momentum, however, and pinned Kong with an F-5, a move he struggled to apply, but it worked.

After the match, Cage grabbed the microphone, huffing and puffing, and said he accepted oVe’s challenge and that he was going to decimate everyone.

Impact World Champion Austin Aries defeated Fallah Bahh to retain his title

Bahh came to the ring with the other wrestlers trying to fire him up during his walk. Aries, who has to be the slowest walker in professional wrestling, came out accompanied by Moose and Kross.

The match began with Aries showing off his athleticism, avoiding the rotund Bahh’s one-dimensional attacks. Aries then locked up with Bahh and Bahh put him in a side headlock. Aries elbowed and slapped his way out of it, whipping Bahh into the ropes.

Bahh got tired chasing Aries back and forth in the ring before he collapsed to one knee to catch his breath and Aries laughed. Aries did jumping jacks and flips as Bahh tried to recover. Bahh then got mad and started chopping Aries and pounding on him in the corner.

Whenever Bahh got the upper hand, however, Aries used his athleticism to escape.

Aries went for a sunset flip and Bahh tried to sit on him, but Aries slipped out. At one point, Aries stepped on Bahh’s back and pulled his hair back, which looked painful.

Aries, in a show of his arrogance, attempted a suplex — but Bahh countered and suplexed Aries instead. Bahh hit a Samoan drop, but Aries kicked out. Bahh hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Aries for a near fall. Bahh then did his patented roll over Aries. In a show of athleticism, Aries spun out of it and applied a reverse neck crank, a move Aries calls the Last Chancery, but Bahh slithered to the ropes to break the hold.

Aries went for a dropkick into Bahh in the corner, but Bahh crescent kicked Aries in the face. Bahh went for a Yokozuna splash, but Aries popped up and powerbombed Bahh and then applied the Last Chancery for the win.

Aries continued to attack Bahh after the match. KM tried to help Bahh, but Moose and Kross laid KM out. Moose put a chair on KM’s head and Kross used another chair, slamming it into his face.

The show ended the way it began, with Aries, Moose, and Kross celebrating.

Impact Wrestling results: Moose explains his heel turn

Posted on by Josh Molina

On an Impact episode with lots of backstage interviews and video packages, Moose explained his heel turn, Katarina finally turned on Grado, and Johnny Impact challenged Austin Aries for Bound for Glory.

The show began with a recap of last week’s ReDefined episode.

Petey Williams defeated Rich Swann.

Matt Sydal joined Josh Mathews and Don Callis on commentary.

Swann dared Williams to do the splits. When Swann turned his back, Williams tried a schoolboy roll-up for the win.

Swann hit a springboard cutter and then looked at the hard camera with an over-acting look of puzzlement after the near fall. Later, Williams applied the Sharpshooter, but Swann escaped. Swann hit a standing moonsault. Swann hit a 450 splash off the apron to the ringside floor.

Sydal came to the ramp to distract Swann when he went for the Phoenix Splash. He missed, and Williams hit a rolling piledriver for the victory.  

They showed a clip of Austin Aries walking to the arena earlier in the day with Moose and Killer Cross. Aries might be the slowest walker in the business.

Backstage, Sydal ran into Swann and tried to convince him of the benefits of opening his third eye. Swann told him to “stay the hell away from me.”

The Desi Hit Squad defeated Joe Hendry & Grado (w /Katarina)

Gama Singh introduced the Desi Hit Squad.

As usual, Grado largely played the fool in the match. He wrestled in his shirt to start the match and tried to imitate Dusty Rhodes’ dancing and elbow moves. Hendry hit a fallaway slam on both Desi Hit Squad members at the same time. Later, Grado missed a rolling buckle bomb. The Desi Hit Squad then pinned Grado after a knee and powerbomb slam.

Katarina freaked out after the match. She said, “What is wrong with you? Week after week you lose. You are an embarrassment. I don’t love you.”

She turned to Joe Hendry. 

She told Grado she was in love with Hendry. She kissed Hendry, but — to the surprise of everyone — Hendry pushed her away.

He told her that she, not Grado, was the embarrassing one. Katarina, stunned, slapped him and ran up the ramp.

Grado looked befuddled in the middle of the ring while everything was going on. 

They showed another long advertisement for Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager cruise. 

The GWN Flashback Moment of the Week featured Bully Ray vs. Jeff Hardy in a cage at Lockdown.

Bully Ray powerbombed Hardy from nearly the top of the cage. Hulk Hogan, on crutches, and Brooke came down to the ring. D-Von Dudley climbed into the cage and handed Bully Ray a hammer. He used it to hit Hardy and win the TNA Championship.

Backstage, KM thanked Scarlett Bordeaux for bringing he and Fallah Bahh closer together.

Eli Drake came to the ring and called out anyone from the back to face a “former World Champion.”

Out came Stone Rockwell, who apparently has a show called “Adventures with Stone Rockwell” on Impact’s Twitch channel. He introduced himself as Impact Wrestling’s one and only action-adventure superstar.

Drake challenged Rockwell to a match. He attacked him from behind and pinned him with the Gravy Train in seconds. 

Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard defeated Su Yung to retain her title

Yung entered the ring without her Undead Brides.

Blanchard stalled at the beginning of the match. She’s really like an old school heel, showing shades of Ric Flair, and emerging as possibly the most charismatic female wrestler in the industry.

Blanchard tried to set up a chair outside the ring, but the referee broke it up. Mathews had a good line when he said “Tessa is a demon in the gym, but Su Yung is just a demon.”

Yung sat Blanchard on the chair and then hit a rolling flip off the apron onto Blanchard. She rolled her into the ring for the near fall. Later, Blanchard hit an RKO off the top rope onto Yung. Yung kicked out and Blanchard screamed loudly in frustration. Blanchard rallied and hit a short-arm Buzzsaw DDT to retain the title.

After the match, the Undead Brides came to the ring carrying a casket. Yung attacked Blanchard from behind. She dragged Blanchard to the casket on the ramp and put her in the casket. As she was about to close it, Allie and Kiera Hogan ran from the back to help Blanchard.

Blanchard pushed Allie away, said “I don’t need your help,” and walked away with her title belt.

In the never-ending storyline, Konnan and King were summoned to an undisclosed location. Three men sat at a table and told them the violence was getting unbearable after King accidentally hit a child while driving a car in an episode two weeks ago.

The mystery men called a ceasefire until Bound for Glory on October 14. They ordered a match between Homicide, Hernandez & King and Santana, Ortiz & Konnan. Konnan tried to shake King’s hand, but he walked away.

oVe (Sami Callihan, Jake Crist & Dave Crist) defeated Zachary Wentz, Ace Austin & Trey Miguel

This was a spotfest to highlight the independent wrestlers. Wentz, Miguel, and Austin hit sequential dives from the ring to the outside on oVe.

oVe rallied. They work well together as a six-man team. Callihan, from Dave Crist’s shoulders, hit an RKO on Austin, who was on the shoulders of Jake Crist, to get the three count. Callihan then hit a double-arm DDT on Austin after the match.  

“I said it before, I will say it again, the best trio walking the planet today,” Callihan screamed to the crowd after the match. Callihan said oVe was from Ohio and that “We are taking over everything.”

Aries walked slowly to the ring with Killer Kross and Moose. The crowd chanted “You sold out” at Moose.

Moose attempted to explain his heel turn from last week. He said when he was in the hospital after his match with Aries at Slammiversry only Kross and Aries cared about him. None of his other so-called friends bothered to visit him, he said.

Aries then took the microphone and went on about what a great athlete Moose is, when Johnny Impact came out.

Impact said he was disappointed with Kross and thought he would set his sights higher than just being someone’s bodyguard. Aries said “not just somebody’s bodyguard, the champ’s!”

Impact challenged Aries to a title match at Bound For Glory.

Aries called Impact to the ring and told Moose and Kross not to interfere. Impact instead challenged Aries to step out of the ring and fight him on the ramp, unless he wants to stay in the ring and prove that “the banana in your pants is just as small as everyone thinks it is.”

Aries was enraged and ran to the ramp. Impact got the best of him, so Moose and Kross joined in and dragged Impact to the ring and beat him down. Moose wrapped a steel chair around Impact’s head and Aries hit the chair with another chair to close the show.  

Impact Wrestling results: Austin Aries vs. Eddie Edwards

Posted on by Josh Molina

This week’s card was highlighted by two strong main event matches and an excellent Tessa Blanchard performance, but the show also dragged with several long interview segments that ate up a lot of time.

The episode opened with a long backstage fight between LAX and the OGz.

Taiji Ishimori & Petey Williams defeated The Desi Hit Squad

Manager Gama Singh introduced the Desi Hit Squad as “the pride and joy of all of India.” Ishimori walked to the ring giving the Bullet Club and nWo’s “Too Sweet” symbol.

This was a good match, highlighted by Ishimori and Williams’ aerial moves. After a hot tag, Ishimori hit a DDT and front-face slammed both members of the DHS (Rohit Raju and Gursinder Singh) in one explosive move. Ishimori also hit a tombstone-like piledriver, dropping Gursinder Singh’s head on his knees, instead of the canvas.

Ishimori got the pin over Raju after he hit a double-arm jumping DDT, handing the Hit Squad its first television loss.

We then got a series of video packages that chewed up about 15 minutes of time, featuring Pentagon Jr., Allie and Kiera Hogan, Eddie Edwards, Austin Aries, Grado, Katarina, and Joe Hendry.

In her interview, Allie demanded a match with Knockouts Champion Su Yung. She said that she was not interested in winning the title, but instead wanted to stop Yung from putting anyone else inside of a casket.

“Leave your belt at home — just bring your undead ass,” Allie said.

Tessa Blanchard defeated Alisha Edwards

Blanchard came across again as a big star. She brings incredible charisma, facials, and ring presence, along with dynamic in-ring wrestling skills. She gorilla press slammed Alisha, Ultimate Warrior-style and then stepped on her back.

“It’s like Tessa is LeBron James and she is playing against high school players,”  commentator Josh Mathews said. “She’s on a another level.”

Blanchard took some punishment in the match, highlighting her selling skills. Alisha hit a crucifix for a pin attempt. But after Blanchard kicked out, she got madder and kicked Alisha in the shin. Blanchard threw Alisha into the bottom rope and then dropkicked her in the back. Blanchard does a great job of staying intense throughout the match and has strong match psychology. She won with a tilt-a-whirl into a DDT.

After the match, she grabbed the microphone and said, “I just made an example of Alisha.”

She called out Allie.

“If you are going after Su Yung and that Knockouts Championship I am going after you,” Blanchard said.

They showed a backstage segment with Scarlett Bordeaux walking to the ring, while the starstruck goofy interviewer from a week ago carried her bags.

There was an extended advertisement encouraging people to buy tickets for Chris Jericho’s Rock and Wrestling Cruise.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Chris Sabin (Team USA) defeated Petey Williams (Team Canada) in a 2006 World X Cup match

Sabin won with his Cradle Shock slam after an exciting match between the two workers. But the feel of the moment was ruined by Kevin Nash, who attacked Sabin after, destroyed his trophy, and then gave him a Jacknife powerbomb. Nash snatched the microphone and said “I proved size matters.” The display was a reminder of how in 2006 TNA was pushing Nash over the younger stars.

We got more Bordeaux, who distracted KM and Fallah Bahh backstage as she walked by. Bordeaux walked into a room where a bunch of fawning men, presumably Impact executives, bent over backwards to accommodate her.

Bordeaux said the other girls were jealous of her and that she didn’t feel comfortable getting into the ring with them, so the men gave Bordeaux her own show called “The Smokeshow,” which is set to debut next week.

Pentagon Jr. defeated Matt Sydal

This was an off-the-charts match with both guys putting on a dazzling show. Pentagon ran under the ring at one point to throw off Sydal, but when he came out — Sydal dropkicked him on the ground in an innovative spot.

Both wrestlers exchanged a lot of superkicks. Pentagon displayed both traditional chain wrestling, submission, and high-flying moves.

“Pentagon may be one of the most dangerous wrestlers to come out of Mexico because he can work any style,” commentator Don Callis said.

Pentagon hit a Death Valley Driver. Sydal hit a standing hurricanrana. Sydal went for a Shooting Star Press, but Pentagon got his knees up. Pentagon then hit the fear factor package piledriver for the win. Mathews and Callis made a big deal about the loss being a big hit to Sydal’s career and they wondered where he goes now.

Backstage, Sami Callihan, who had his head shaved after a loss to Pentagon at Slammiversary, demanded that one of his oVe teammates, the Crist brothers shave their head to show solidarity. Jake Crist volunteered to have his head shaved, so Callihan rewarded him by ordering Dave Crist to have his head shaved instead.

Jake then shaved his brother’s head.

Inside the ring, Konnan, along with LAX’s Santana and Ortiz, showed up. King’s OGz, Hernandez and Homicide, agreed to a street fight on next week’s show. King challenged Konnan to a fight inside the “concrete jungle,” accusing him of going soft.

Konnan accepted. “There is only one group that runs the streets and it is LAX,” he said.

They advertised several matches for next week: Callihan vs Fenix, Allie vs. Su Yung, Johnny Impact vs. Jimmy Jacobs, and Joe Hendry vs. Eli Drake, along with the debut of The Smokeshow.

Impact World Champion Austin Aries defeated Eddie Edwards to retain his title

Aries performed like one of the top guys in the business, showing off some of Ric Flair’s ring psychology and Shawn Michael’s in-ring bumping skills.

Aries stalled a lot to build heat to open the match. After a commercial break, Mathews even said. “For the first time in professional wrestling history, during the commercial break absolutely nothing happened. Austin Aries wants nothing to do with Eddie Edwards.”

Edwards is playing a demented, but likable, good guy, who carries a kendo stick, and comes across as a combination of The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer.

Edwards eventually caught up with Aries and hit him with chops and a headbutt. He chased Aries into the ring, and Aries did a classic Flair impersonation, begging for his life, and as Edwards slowed up to show sympathy, he kneed him in the gut.

Aries threw him outside and hit a suicide dive through the second and third ropes. He brought him back inside the ring, tore off part of Edwards’ shirt, and then chopped him. Edwards has a tendency to oversell with his face, making his expressions of pain looked cartoon-like.

Edwards returned the chops and then hit a double-armed butterfly piledriver. Later, Aries attempted his Last Chancery submission finisher, but Edwards bit Aries’ finger to break the hold. Aries ran outside, grabbed his title belt. and brought it into the ring — but the referee took it away.

Aries put Edwards on his shoulders and swung him around, accidentally knocking down the referee. With the referee down, he grabbed the belt again and went to hit Edwards. Edwards countered with a DDT and covered him for a seven count, but the referee was still knocked out.

Edwards then grabbed his kendo stick and hit the referee. Aries hit a low blow, but Edwards then smashed Aries over the head with the kendo stick. Killer Kross came out and hit Edwards with the Doomsday Saito suplex, then Aries hit a brainbuster. The referee woke up and made the count for the pinfall, likely setting up a match between Edwards and Kross.

Aries and Kross posed in the ring together to close the show.

Impact Wrestling results: Austin Aries defends his title

Posted on by Josh Molina

Allie & Kiera Hogan defeated Knockouts Champion Su Yung & The Undead Maid of Honor

Yung and the bridesmaids made a scary, zombie-like entrance into the ring.

Hogan and Allie, full of energy, attacked the bridesmaids from the back on the entrance ramp. This was a showcase match for Allie. She hit a spinning dive off the second turnbuckle to the outside of the ring on several of the bridesmaids. Allie hit a codebreaker, which is probably the most overused move on the show, on Yung for the win. But after the match Tessa Blanchard ran in an attacked Allie from the outside while Hogan was subdued by the bridesmaids. 

Blanchard hit Allie with a hammerlock DDT and then mugged for the camera. Blanchard is the total package: She has strong ring skills and plays to the camera perfectly. 

Blanchard said in a backstage interview that she deserves the next title shot.

“She may be the best women’s wrestler I have ever seen,” commentator Don Callis said of Blanchard. 

The OGz defeated Nathan Stokes & Ray Steele

Even though the OGz are not Tag Team Champions, they came to the ring with the belts after they stole them from real champs LAX a week ago.

This was a quick squash match. Homicide won when he dropped Stokes on the back of his shoulders and hit an awkwardly-delivered reverse chicken wing slam. It was a wicked looking move. 

“He dropped that young man on his head, sickening,” Callis said. 

The OGz’s manager King grabbed the microphone and said his team took LAX’s title belts and made them their own (they spray-painted OGz on the belts).

Just then, Santana and Ortiz from LAX ran into the ring and attacked Hernandez and Homicide of the OGz. Security broke up the melee. Konnan followed them and encouraged LAX to return to the backstage area and leave the OGz alone. After the break, Konnan told LAX not to fall into the OGz’s “trap” and that the right time will come for LAX to strike.

They showed an ad for LAX vs. The Young Bucks on Chris Jericho’s upcoming Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager cruise. Callis said “the two best tag teams in the world do battle at sea.”

Flashback Moment of the Week: Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Petey Williams

This was an exciting, high-flying match from Sacrifice 2006, with Liger hitting his signature aerial moves. Liger won with a front face slam to the delight of the fans inside the Impact Zone

Desi Hit Squad (Gursinder Singh & Rohit Raju) defeated KM & Fallah Bahh

Bahh looks like he would have been the perfect heel for Hulk Hogan in the 1980s. The large, rotund wrestler smacked his head and screamed “Bahh” as the match started. Callis said “Gursinder Singh speaks four languages, Fallah Bahh apparently speaks none.”

Bahh is really over with the fans. He hit two big splashes in the corner on Singh and Raju and then hit a leg drop on Singh. KM showed his strength and tossed both members of the Hit Squad around. Bahh and KM hit their patented Tuna Roll on Singh and Raju. The 400-pound Bahh and KM took turns rolling over the two wrestlers. 

“This should be illegal,” Callis blurted. “They are gonna hurt someone badly.”

KM hit a full-nelson slam on Raju, but Bahh accidentally distracted the referee so he couldn’t make the count. That allowed Singh to hit a flying knee and a DDT to pin KM, to set up would looks like a potential KM turn on Bahh. 

They showed Anthony Carelli backstage trying to hype his protege, Dustin Cameron, who gets a title shot, for some unknown reason, against Austin Aries later in the show. After he went along with every gimmick WWE threw at him a decade ago, it’s surprising that the former Santino Marella doesn’t have a job somewhere with WWE today.

Backstage, Jimmy Jacobs interrupted a Johnny Impact interview and took off Impact’s sunglasses. Impact punched him in the face and challenged Jacob’s stablemate Kongo Kong. “I want the monster. I am not going to ask again,” Impact told Kong 

Impact World Champion Austin Aries defeated Dustin Cameron (w/ Anthony Carelli) to retain his title

“If you believe in feel-good stories and you believe in miracles, you are not going to want to miss this match,” commentator Josh Mathews screamed.

Aries walked to the ring slowly eating a banana, and fully dressed in black jeans and a black shirt. 

Aries did not take the match seriously, but he outwrestled Cameron in the short bout. Cameron hit a couple of judo throws, but Aries rallied quickly to hit a brainbuster. He could have pinned the kid, but instead pulled him up, prompting Carelli to throw in the towel to save his student. Aries threw the towel back at Carelli and then delivered the Last Chancery.

Carelli jumped into the ring. Aries took off his shirt. The crowd cheered for Carelli’s WWE finisher, the Cobra, but this is a different, far more serious Carelli than the Santino character he played in WWE. Carelli kicked him law and Aries stumbled out of the ring onto the ramp. When he turned around, Eddie Edwards hit him with a kendo stick. He tried to double-arm DDT the champ, but Aries escaped. 

They announced Aries vs. Edwards for the title next week.

A goofy looking interviewer named Bob Kapoor tried to interview Scarlett Bordeaux, but he was so mesmerized by her beauty that he couldn’t get any words out. Bordeaux asked the interviewer his name and he stuttered when trying to say “Bob,” so Bordeaux called him “Bobo.”

Bordeaux, in a long red dress, said it was tough living in a world of “threes” when she was “a 10.”

“This is how God made me and I will not be hot-shamed,” she said. Kapoor left and Bordeaux said “I guess men around here aren’t used to seeing women like me.”

“The Smokeshow is here to make wrestling sexy again,” she said. 

Eli Drake & Trevor Lee (w/ Caleb Konley) defeated Grado & Joe Hendry (w/ Katarina)

Lee and his regular tag team partner Konley attacked Grado and Hendry to start the match. 

Grado took most of the beating during the match. When Konley went after Katarina, Hendry stepped off the apron to protect her, leaving no one for Grado to tag in. Drake hit the Gravy Train for the pinfall victory on Grado. 

Once again, Hendry was paying a little too much attention to Katarina, leaving Grado jealous and wondering if his girlfriend and best friend were having an affair. Hendry denies any interest, but it’s clear that Grado is increasingly becoming the third wheel in the group.

Pentagon Jr. & Fenix defeated oVe (Dave & Jake Crist) w/ Sami Callihan

This was a showcase match for Pentagon and Fenix. Callihan was at ringside with his arm in a sling. oVe dominated early, with the Crist brothers even hitting two spectacular over-the-top rope dives to start the match. The crowd was very into Pentagon and Fenix, yelling “Lucha, Lucha.”

The story of the match was the Crist brothers trying to remove Pentagon and Fenix’s masks. When they couldn’t do that, they tied the masks together. Pentagon and Fenix tried to pull apart but couldn’t move. The Crist brothers then both hit superkicks on the restrained wrestlers. 

The luchadores finally broke free, and Pentagon Jr. and Fenix hit a spike DDT. Pentagon lifted Dave up with a double underhook to set up the move, then Fenix jumped off the top rope onto Crist’s back and Pentagon delivered the DDT for the win.