GFW Impact returned last night (Sept. 14) from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida with a show that had three advertised title matches. You can find all the results at the live blog here.
American Top A-Holes
The story about Bobby Lashley having to choose between MMA and pro wrestling continued this week. He and his obnoxious MMA team, American Top Team, told Jim Cornette he’s leaving wrestling and going back to MMA. Jim told Bobby that he’ll release him from his contract if he gets his team off the premises and agrees to meet Moose in the ring later that night.
As the Top Team was leaving, they ran into standby wrester and all around nice guy Richard Justice who was nothing but friendly to them. Top Team still beat him as they like they like to do.
At the close of the show, Lashley went to the ring, told the crowd he’s leaving, and told Moose to come out so he can leave wrestling dominating like he always does. Moose obliged and the men brawled all over the Impact Zone - through the crowd, on the entryway, down the ramp, and back into the ring.
By the time they ended up back in the ring, it was Moose who was in control of this fight. He had delivered a spear to Lashley on the outside and was poised to do it again in the ring. Then came in friggin’ American Top Team.
One of the team choked out Moose before they all attacked him. Security tried to stop them but were disposed of with absolute ease. The show ended with Lashley and Top Team posing over Moose as if they did something impressive (as heels like to do).
The jury has been out for me on this angle coming into tonight. It’s certainly a bit cheesy and the fact that any business would ever allow American Top Team back to their facilities after they assaulted a single official, let alone do it weekly, is dumb.
But there’s one thing that engages me in this angle and it continued to tonight:
I hate American Top Team.
I don’t hate them in the way that they’re bad performers and I want to change the channel. I hate them in the way I want to see someone kick all of their asses. Especially Dan Lambert. That guy is straight up loathsome. They’re cartoonish villainous at times, like the bad guy in an episode of Walker Texas Ranger, but it’s enough to work for me.
At the end of this episode, I wanted to see someone, anyone, come down and stand up to these guys and give them the beating the deserved. It didn’t happen but I can’t wait to see it.
Now Lashley isn’t even with the company (though Cornette could claim loophole since Top Team didn’t leave the premises) so Bobby did all of this knowing there’d be no repercussions. This takes Lashley, who’s already doing some of his best work, and making me hate him more. And it made me interested in a Moose/Lashley feud that prior to this had been built by a shaky Triplemania bit.
A strong villain is great for a story and even if some of it is silly on paper, the fact they’ve gotten me to despise them so much means they’re doing something right.
Inter-promotional issues
EC3 defended his Grand Championship against Triple A’s El Hijo de Fantasma. In the end, EC3 retained winning 2 rounds to 1 (and winning that final round by split decision).
The match itself was enjoyable enough. The Grand Championship doesn’t really have a place, but I enjoy the matches and the different psychology that goes into working them. But it was the post match angle that has real potential.
Triple A’s Hector Guerrero was one of the judges but he actually voted for EC3 in that final round (pretty much denying his own guy the title). El Hijo was unhappy and didn’t just have words with Hector but put his hands on him. The older man stood his ground.
Fantasma turned to the ring and started jawing with EC3. But then Triple A’s Pagano debuted, attacking EC3! Carter endured a beat down from both men from the rival promotion until Eddie Edwards made the save. Edwards and EC3 had a tense moment in the ring staring at the title but they did not come to blows.
I’ve lamented that they haven’t been using their array of visiting talent well prior, that they’ve really just been om special attraction matches and not part of a story. But this looks to rectify that. GFW was attacked and now some of the guys are going to have to band together to make sure they stand their ground on their own turf. Using two guys who have always been on-screen enemies such as Eddie and Ethan will make for added drama. This could be good.
Falls Count Anywhere
Sonjay Dutt and Trevor Lee had themselves a fun falls count anywhere match for the X Division title.
And Trevor Lee reclaimed the championship!
The guys combined the X Division style with the brutality that’s associated with a falls count anywhere match very well. The fight went through the crowd and then out to the back.
Caleb Konley was instructed by Lee not to interfere, but that didn’t apply to backstage. When the fight made it’s way outside, it was really a 2 on 1 match. Dutt did his best, but it wasn’t enough. He tried for what would have been a impressive tornado DDT using the wall like a ninja, but Lee landed him on a nearby guardrail right on the crotch.
Konley then hit the champ and Lee superkicked Dutt and then rolled him up with the tights and using a pole for leverage. That sequences ensured a new champion.
Fun stuff from the X Division
The title match that wasn’t
They played the video of the tag title match between oVe and LAX in Mexico. Except for the fact it was actually a fatal 4-way with two other teams and they really didn’t show the match. They showed edited clips from a match.
And that’s lame as hell.
I don’t watch wrestling for random clips of matches. I don’t watch wrestling because I want to see a trailer for a wrestling match that looks like it could be good. I watch wrestling for the storytelling that’s part of a full wrestling match.
This wasn’t that. The real disappointment is that they advertised it as one on one title match between the two top teams in GFW. Don’t sell me that and give me a clip show of a fatal 4-way.
All the Rest:
New #1 Contender
Johnny Impact defeated Low-Ki in a #1 contenders match. He’ll face Eli Drake in two weeks.
The match was good with some fun spots. Low-Ki delivers all his moves with a certain viciousness that makes him an exciting competitor. The rumor was Low-Ki left because he didn’t want to go back to the X Division and I kind of understand him. He’s definitely good enough for a place in the main title scene.
After the match, Eli Drake walked to the entrance as Chris Adonis attacked Johnny from behind. They laid a beating on the new number one contender.
Overall, this was standard stuff. Nothing spectacular, but starts the build for their match in a couple weeks.
Trouble in paradise
Garza Jr. defeated Braxton Sutter as they continue to build up BS as a jealous man. Garza is a good foil for that because he’s a cocky flirt and even blew a kiss at Allie before he ripped off his pants as he loves to do.
After Garza got the win in a short but overall enjoyable match, Braxton was angry at Allie because she was in the way of a Garza suicide dive earlier (though that actually benefitted Sutter.) At first she refused to leave with him but eventually they left together.
The jealous boyfriend story in pro-graps has never been my favorite. But we’ll see where it goes.
As for Garza, he’s one of my favorite guys of their talent share. He’s full of charisma and really talented in the ring. Since they tape months of shows in one sitting, they could put guys like Garza in bigger stories. Perhaps this is the start of one but it’s also possible he’s just here to accelerate jealous Braxton.
Joseph Park with the save
Joseph Park was able to find away to allow Grado to stay in the country by hiring him to his law firm’s new Sports Entertainment division. I thought Park wasn’t really a lawyer but just a man with a split personality. (Bad Influence even visited his “office” years back and found an abandoned office building.) But even more so, if he actually could do this, couldn’t he have done this before he and Grado went ahead and ruined some poor girl’s life?
Squash
Taya Valkyrie defeated Amber Nova in a squash. Rosemary didn’t show up after the match to wreck her. That made me sad. (But it’ll happen!)
Pros of the Show:
- American Top Team make great villains
- Fun X Division title match
- Triple A attacks
Cons of the Show:
- Advertised a title match that was really a bunch of clips
Overall, tonight was a fun show.
Grade: B+
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