@ShawnPuffyIt’s been a minute, but I’m back.
It’s been a minute, but I’m back.
Unfortunately, my good brother from another mother — a.ka. The Sean & Shawn Show — won’t be joining us for this preview of Impact! Wrestling’s Bound For Glory 2018 preview. But as they say in the business, “the show must go on”! This year BFG originates from the Melrose Ballroom in Astoria, New York. And let’s be honest… Impact! is having a resurgence as of late. Under the direction of Scott D’Amore and “the New Voice of Impact” Don Callis, this formerly sinking ship has been bailed out and turned around. Their partnerships with various indie feds has only helped bring them from the bowels of hell and become a show worth tuning into. Speaking of the bowels of hell…
Abyss will be in New York on the 13th to be inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame at McHale’s Bar & Grill. Yeah, I know. Not quite the venue of the WWE HOF but whatever. If there is anyone on the roster that deserves this honor, it’s definitely Abyss. This man is an Impact! original and never strayed to that other company up North. From James Mitchell, to Janice, to Immortal, to Decay, to Joseph Park, back to James Mitchell and everywhere in between, this man has personified Impact! Wrestling. While I’m not sure how I feel about the fed consistently inducting wrestlers who haven’t actually retired into their HOF, congratulations go out to Abyss nonetheless.
If Slammiversary is the WrestleMania of Impact, then BFG is definitely their Summer Slam. Seven great matches on the card. The Impact World Championship and the Knockouts Championship will both be on the line while the X-Division Champ and the Tag Team Champs will also be in action. I just hope we get to see the “Smokeshow” Scarlett Bordeaux…
Let’s break down the card.
Speaking of James Mitchell, Allie sought out the the Sinister Minister to help her get her friend, Rosemary, back, who hasn’t been seen on Impact television since May 3rd when Su Yung buried her in a casket. Mitchell agreed to help, for a price, and as a result, at Bound For Glory, Allie will be visiting the “Undead Realm” to try to bring back the Demon Assassin. Wikipedia has this listed as a scheduled match, so I’m assuming Allie will either return with Su Yung and fight her, have to fight her to get to the coffin to enter the Undead Realm or they’ll have a Hardy Compound-esque match within the Undead Realm.
PREDICTION: At the end of the day, Allie needs to come out of this one victorious and rescue Rosemary. What should be interesting is finding out what the price will be for Allie considering she made a deal with the devil, so to speak, in order to get her friend back.
Eddie Edwards has gone kind of crazy, to say the least, as of late. His feud with Sami Callahan took him over the deep end and he hasn’t been able to return since. He’s attacked Tommy Dreamer, “adopted” and named a kendo stick and all but pushed his wife, Alisha, away. His one friend was Moose. Until Eddie didn’t visit him in the hospital and Moose decided to join forces with Austin Aries and Killer Kross. Speaking of those two… where Moose is, I don’t expect them to be far behind. This should be a vicious match given the new side of Eddie Edwards that we’ve seen recently.
Personally, I don’t think it’s time for this one to come to an end so I don’t expect Edwards to be vindicated in New York this time. He has his kendo stick but without any other backup, I’m pretty sure the numbers game is going to be too much for the crazed Edwards to overcome. Expect Moose to walk away with the win and Edwards to possibly not “walk” away at all.
As of this posting we now know that Rich Swann will be teaming with Willie Mack at BFG to take on Matt Sydal and Ethan Page. For weeks Sydal tried to get Swann to join him and let Matt teach him how to see with his third eye, which apparently will help him win. Swann has been thoroughly creeped out by the little Muppet and turned him down over and over again. Enter Ethan Page. During a one on one match between Sydal and Swann on Impact television, “All Ego” came to the ring and attacked Swann allowing Sydal to get the pin and the win. They then challenged Swann to find a partner and meet them on Sunday.
PREDICTION: As much as I do not like the former WWE Cruiserweight champ and his coonish antics (I’m not a big fan of the smiling, dancing, shuckin’ and jivin’ black guy character, *ahem* Kofi Kingston *ahem*), I have to admit, this is a great partner for Swann if there ever was one. There should be a lot of high flying and tons of flippy stuff in this one to get you out of your seats. In the end I think it’s going to be Swann and Mack getting the win and, hopefully, forming a new team in the process to help spice up the tag team division moving forward.
So Eli Drake came out and laid down a challenge to any New Yorker. Now, who could they be setting up to accept this challenge? I think it’s safe to say it won’t be anyone on the current roster. I mean, The Namer of Dummies has been issuing this open challenge every week recently and has been mowing through everyone on the roster and even guys not on the roster (see La Parka). The internet is running rampant with predictions including the Brooklyn Brawler (ok maybe not him), “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams, Bully Ray, Trent Berreta, Tommy Dreamer, Dalton Castle, Big Cass, Punishment Martinez (he’s already signed to NXT), and even the long forgotten, Amazing Red. I don’t think it will be any of these guys. I expect the swerve of all swerves in this one. Take a seat and brace yourself.
PREDICTION: The person who will answer the “New Yorker” Open Challenge will be none other than Chris Jericho. Yup. You heard it here first. “But wait”, you say, “Jericho is Canadian, you stupid idiot. Obviously, you know nothing about wrestling.” Well, that I say … YOU JUST MADE THE LIST!!! … On the contrary, while Jericho may be a Canadian, his father was former NHL player, Ted Irvine and Y2J just so happened to be birthed in the city that doesn’t sleep way back in 1970 while his dad wore a New York Rangers uniform so that makes Jericho a New Yorker, technically. Not only will it be shocking and a great twist, but it will also be an amazing feud on the mic given the skill of these two. I also think Jericho wins at BFG to further the storyline and because fans expect to see Jericho show up to feud with Sami Callahan after he called him out for a match on the Jeri-Cruise. Get ready for the Jeri-swerve.
The Lucha Brothers & Brian Cage v. oVe
Sami Callihan and Pentagon Jr. had an instant classic this year at Slammiversary and might have been the match that signified the beginning of a new era in Impact wrestling. Since that violent, bloody encounter this feud has just been heating up. Brian Cage got thrown into the mix, probably because they don’t really have much for him in the form of a challenger for that X-Division Title right now, but I’ll allow it. I don’t know exactly what an oVe Rules match is, but I’d imagine and be willing to bet there aren’t any rules. This one is gonna get messy. Expect blood. Lots of it (This ain’t your PG Era BS). Expect weapons. Expect crazy spots. Expect another instant classic. I have to admit, I don’t get this weird gimmick where Jake Crist attempts (poorly) to mimic and mouth everything that Callihan says and does. It’s kind of distracting and annoying. Sometimes I even think Sami is questioning what he’s doing and just wants to lay him out for it. But whatever. These guys are just strange birds and it isn’t worth any of our times to try to figure them out. It’s not going to happen.
PREDICTION: “Zero Fearo” is kind of a corny little gimmick but again, I’ll deal with it because quite frankly, this is going to be the match of the night and will undoubtedly steal the show just like Sami and Penta did at Slammiversary. I think we’re going to see Callihan go after Cage and that X-Division Title very soon so a win for oVe is only fitting in this one. But who cares? Just sit back and enjoy the show.
Tessa Blanchard (C) v. Taya Valkerie
Have I told you before how much I love Tessa Blanchard? Not in a creepy stalker, steal her ring gear to sniff it kind of way; more like, this woman is the future of women’s wrestling and the crown jewel of the division kind of way. She had the pedigree like nobody else and the talent to back it up. Granddaughter of Joe Blanchard, Daughter of Four Horsemen member, Tully Blanchard and step-daughter of legend Magnum T.A. she was built for this spot. Since showing up on Impact she has been nothing but dominant and has made short work of everyone she has faced. She even took the strap off of Su Yung, who was just running through the Knockouts division like, I don’t know… zombies? Now she faces her next challenge, Lucha Royalty, Taya Valkerie. This is her first match in Impact since March 1st where Rosemary put her through a table in a Demon’s Dance Match. This should be a great women’s match-up as these two can both really go.
PREDICTION: For those of you that love Taya (I’d fight Johnny Mo for a date with her), don’t get to giddy because she’s not walking away with the title. Blanchard is on fire right now and the best thing they can do is keep riding this wave while she puts the Knockouts Division on the map. Tessa walks away from BFG still your Impact Knockouts Champion.
LAX & Konnan v. the OGz & King
What is a Concrete Jungle Death Match you ask? Well, you’re asking the wrong person, because I’ll be damned if I know. But it sounds pretty violent. It’s par for the course with this feud. Some people think Impact went too far with this when they had the OGz kayfabe run over 12-year old Ritchie with a car while he was holding LAX’s tag team title belts walking to their car to celebrate their victory. I think he died… At least that’s how it looked. I don’t know. It shocked me because I thought Rikishi had just shown up to do it for the Rock. Anyway, this goes to show you how wild this feud is right now. They had the heels kill a little boy on television with their car. Remember when I said this ain’t your PG Era earlier? See what I mean? This is ECW meets the Attitude Era meets WCW in the nWo Era.
PREDICTION: I expect this to be crazier than the oVe Rules Match. I’m thinking a back alley New York Style street fight, like when Piper and Golddust did the Hollywood Back-lot Brawl at WrestleMania XII. If you don’t think this one is going to get ugly, I don’t know what to say to you. I don’t know how much wrestling we’re going to see out of King and Konnan but I expect a show from LAX. It will be interesting to see how everyone else in this match keeps up with “them young boys” in this one. I mean, someone has to avenge Ritchie, right?
Austin Aries (C) v. Johnny Impact
Am I the only that isn’t feeling Johnny Impact? I mean, he’s just soooooo corny and still doing the hair blowing in the wind gimmick?? Really?? Really? REALLY??? That might have been cool when he was tagging with the Miz, but I’d even question that statement. Austin Aries, on the other hand, is truly the greatest man to ever live. Since walking away from that company up North and arriving in Impact after a lengthy independent run that saw him become “The Belt Collector” he’s settled into his spot as the top heel in the company quite well. And did anyone expect any less? This is the man that invented “Option C” and helped revolutionize that division and that belt. (Wonder if Brian Cage will still have that belt and utilize Option C… hmmmm) He’s great on the mic and extraordinary in the ring. He’s helped take Impact to new heights since his return and his alliance with Killer Kross and Moose has made him even more of a force to be reckoned with in Impact. However, at Johnny’s request, A Double has agreed to leave his “goons” in the back and do this one himself. Johnny Mo… I mean Johnny Nit.. I mean John Henni… I mean Johnny whatever his name is today (Impact) isn’t fitting of being the champion, but he failed last year at BFG against Eli Drake, so…
PREDICTION: It might be time to mix things up and put the title on someone else now that Aries has done what’s needed to put Impact back on the map. Add into the equation that Moose and Killer Kross won’t be at ringside and I smell a recipe for disaster for AA. Expect Johnny Impact to leave New York with the Impact World Championship in his hands, hair blowing in the wind and all.
Oh and don’t forget to enter promo code: BFG at Comda.com to get your free Bound For Glory hat too.
-Shawn Puff