Tonight at Impact Wrestling’s Bound for Glory, Impact World Champion Austin Aries looks to maintain his grip on the title, but challenger Johnny Impact stands in his way. The two settle all the personal trash talk with the title on the line! Plus, Konnan and the Impact World Tag Team Champions LAX go to the Concrete Jungle to settle the gang war with King and The OGz. All that and more at Impact Wrestling’s 2018 edition of Bound for Glory!
Video package with Impact World Tag Team Champions LAX in New York previews the show.
We are LIVE from the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, N.Y. Josh Mathews and Don Callis have the call for tonight.
Rich Swann & Willie Mack vs. Matt Sydal and Ethan Page
Swann and Sydal start. Swann with an enzuigiri on Sydal to start and a dropkick on Page. Swann brings in Mack and Mack with a side headlock. Flying arm drag from Mack and he does a headstand in the corner to counter Sydal with a shoulder tackle. Swann in with Page and Swann with a hurricanrana, but Page turns Swann inside out with a back bodydrop. Page and Sydal and work Swann in their corner. Swann kicks out of the corner on Page, but he gets hit with a back elbow and a straitjacket throw off the top for a nearfall. Sydal tries to run Swann into the boot of Page, but Swann reverses. Swann moves outside and Sydal rolls under the ring. Swann peaks under the ring and gets hit with an unidentified weapon. Mack takes out Sydal and Page with a cannonball off the apron, but Sydal works a submission inside. Swann elbows and punches out of the corner, but runs into a sidewalk slam from Sydal for a nearfall. Page elbow drop gets another, but Swann flips out of suplexes and ducks a clothesline to bring in Mack. Mack in with clotheslines and he works both in the corner. Snap exploder suplex on Page. Page comes back with a superkick, but Mack with a Samoan drop and standing moonsault for a nearfall. Swann in and a 3D gets a nearfall as Page is put up top. Mack knocked off the top by Page and he gets Swann up for a release slam off the top. Swanton gets a nearfall on Swann.
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Swann put up top and Page and Sydal there. Mack pulls Page down for a spinning hook kick. Sydal with a knee on Mack and he goes back up top. Sydal Frankensteiners Swann, but Swann flips onto Page for a hurricanrana. All four men put down. Both teams exchange strikes, but Sydal accidentally take out by a Page kick. Stunner from Mack and Mack taken out with a hyperdriver by Sydal. Swann and Sydal exchange and Swann lands the springboard cutter, followed by the Phoenix Splash.
Winners by pinfall: Rich Swann & Willie Mack
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
Hot opening tag that really got the crowd going with some high-flying spots and Willie Mack getting a good Impact debut.
Willie Mack gets the microphone after the match and he asks for the crowd to make some noise and picks a fan to sit front row.
Video package of Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie on TMZ Live and Aries and Impact getting into a brawl at Abyss’s Impact Hall of Fame induction.
The announcers throw us backstage and Konnan has been attacked. LAX comes in and asks who it was and Konnan said it was King. He tells them to handle business tonight as they call for help and get him to a couch.
Eli Drake makes his way to the ring and says “let me talk to you!” Drake says the “Gravy Train” is rolling into New York City and he says here he stands looking to take on New York’s best, but he doesn’t see anybody. Drake sees some New York Giants in the crowd and says it knows it can’t be them because who remembers when they were good. Drake asks how the 1-5 record is treating them and he says it doesn’t matter who it is, because it will be Gravy Train to the end.
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James Ellsworth comes out and tells Drake to let him talk to him. Ellsworth says he hears Drake out here badmouthing New York City and when someone badmouths NYC, a New Yorker fights. Drake asks if he is even from New York and Ellsworth says not exactly, but he was dating someone from Staten Island. Ellsworth said he lived in her basement until she kicked him out. Ellsworth gets booed and the crowd chants “F*** you Ellsworth.” Drake says it is obvious he is a fan favorite and Drake says there is only a 1% chance he could give him some Sweet Chin Music because it looks like someone knocked it off. Ellsworth says he may have no chin, but Drake has no balls. Ellsworth says he wants to show Drake that any man with two hands, but he stops short and sucker punches Drake.
Eli Drake vs. James Ellsworth
Ellsworth drops Drake, but Drake with a flapjack and he works him in the corners. Ellsworth kicks away and lands a flying flatliner. Ellsworth looks for No Chin Music, but Drake turns it into a powerbomb. Drake picks Ellsworth up and Ellsworth lands No Chin Music for a nearfall. Ellsworth looks to get Drake up, but Drake with a Gravy Train. The crowd asks for it one more time and Drake gets another.
Winner by pinfall: Eli Drake
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Fine enough squash and segment with the New York crowd reacting as New York as ever for James Ellsworth.
Drake with the microphone after the match and he says asked for the best, not some garbage. Drake says he wants top guys and Hall of Fame material.
Abyss makes his way out. Drake attacks him as he hits the ring, but Abyss lands clotheslines and the Black Hole Slam. Abyss brings a table out and Drake hits a low blow. Drake lays him on the table, but jumps down into a chokeslam through the table.
Decent segment to get Abyss out there, though a bit disappointing with fans wanting Chris Jericho.
Impact Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard asked by McKenzie Mitchell earlier today if she will walk out with the title tonight. Blanchard says Taya calls herself “Lucha Royalty,” but she is true wrestling loyalty. Blanchard says Taya will find out diamonds are forever, and so is Tessa Blanchard holding the Knockouts title. She tells Mitchell to beat it.
Video package for the Knockouts title match.
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Impact Knockouts Championship: Tessa Blanchard (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie
Blanchard with a wristlock and Taya with a takedown. Headscissors from Taya off the counters exchange and Taya with a knee to the head. Blanchard with a flying forearm in the corner, but Taya with a head kick in the corner. Taya with a spear that sends Blanchard to the outside. Taya hung on the second rope and hit with a neckbreaker on the apron. Taya kicks out of the corner inside, but gets hit with a Codebreaker off the second rope that gives Blanchard a nearfall. Blanchard with a dropkick against the second rope, but Taya fights off the Buzzsaw DDT for a release German suplex. Blanchard misses in the corner and Taya with a clothesline and hip attack in the corner. Double knees land and Blanchard set up top. Superplex lands and Taya switches to the guillotine as she holds on. Blanchard fights up to run Taya into the corner and lands a suplex to put both down. They exchange forearms from their knees and to their feet. Blanchard with a series of them and they exchange counters until Taya lands a TKO for a nearfall. Road to Valhalla blocked by Blanchard for a Diamond Cutter nearfall. Blanchard goes up top and comes down onto a chokeslam. Moonsault from Taya gets a nearfall and Taya grabs the Fujiwara armbar. Blanchard reaches with her foot for the bottom rope, but Taya transitions to a surfboard stomp. STF in and Blanchard able to get the bottom rope. Blanchard pulls the apron skirt and Taya lands the Road to Valhalla, but the referee is late after moving the skirt out of the ring.
Blanchard stomps the foot to get out of Road to Valhalla and sends Taya into the ring post on her shoulder. Buzzsaw DDT lands for Blanchard, but Taya kicks out. Blanchard up top and Taya lands forearms. Powerbomb attempt turned into a hurricanrana into the second turnbuckle by Blanchard. Blanchard up top and she lands a flying Codebreaker.
Winner by pinfall and STILL Impact Knockouts Champion: Tessa Blanchard
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
One of the best Knockouts matches in recent memory and they always tend to deliver on these pay-per-views when they get enough time.
McKenzie Mitchell interviews Moose and he says he will show Eddie Edwards why he is the legend known as Moose. Video package for Moose vs. Eddie Edwards.
Moose vs. Eddie Edwards
Moose attacks as soon as Edwards drops his kendo stick. Edwards with chops, but Moose with a shoulder tackle. Moose with a forearm and Edwards with a Boston Knee Party. Edwards brings out Kenny the Kendo Stick, but Killer Kross chokes out Edwards from barricade.
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Winner by disqualification: Eddie Edwards
No Rating
Kross takes Edwards inside and Moose with a pump kick. Tommy Dreamer makes his way out and clears the ring with his kendo stick. Dreamer says Moose and Kross don’t know where they are because they are at Bound for Glory in Queens, New York. Dreamer says they won’t stand for any countout crap and tells them to ring the bell.
Moose & Killer Kross vs. Eddie Edwards & Tommy Dreamer
Edwards takes out Kross and Moose with a dive and Dreamer spits water in the face of Moose. Dreamer in the ring with Moose and they exchange strikes. Moose with a running uppercut and a shoulder tackle, but a senton misses. Dreamer with a running crossbody, but Kross gets inside and stomps him out. Edwards in with strikes and Kross with a head-and-arm suplex. Back elbows from Dreamer and Edwards. Drop toehold on Moose by Edwards and Dreamer with an elbow drop. Dreamer takes the protective padding off ringside and Kross runs Dreamer into the ring post. Edwards knocked off the top rope and to the floor by a Moose dropkick. Kross with a snapmare with his tie inside. Moose gets pushed by one of the New York Giants outside and Edwards with a German suplex on the floor. Edwards with chops on Kross inside and he takes him up top for a Frankensteiner. Edwards with a chop for a nearfall broken by Moose. Moose with a discus clothesline on Dreamer and he is left with Edwards. They exchange forearms and chops and Edwards challenges Moose for more chops. They exchange and Edwards gets the last one in. Moose with a pump kick and Edwards with two superkicks. Edwards with a Blue Thunder Bomb off a Moose headbutt. Kross and Dreamer left and Kross gets the Cross Jacket, but Dreamer low blows out and lands the Bionic Elbow combo. Kross with a Saito Suplex on Dreamer after he gets the kendo stick and Moose with a pop-up powerbomb on Edwards. Moose with the kendo stick and Edwards ducks him for a schoolboy.
Winners by pinfall: Eddie Edwards & Tommy Dreamer
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
This started out a bit slow and sloppy, with too much going on and a blurry camera lens after the water spot, but Edwards and Moose got the crowd into it back inside.
Post-match, Kross gets the Cross Jacket and sends him into a Moose spear. Edwards hit with an apron powerbomb outside.
Video promo from oVe and video package for oVe vs. Brian Cage, Pentagon Jr., and Fenix.
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oVe Rules: oVe vs. Fenix, Pentagon Jr., & “The Machine” Brian Cage
Superkicks and kicks exchanged to start to leave Callihan and Pentagon in the ring. Chops exchanged and Pentagon pulls the jacket off Callihan to chop him. Callihan spits in his face and lands a pump kick, but Pentagon with two Sling Blades. Dave Crist in with a lungblower off the second rope. Cage with a head kick and release German suplex on Dave. Jake Crist in and he sends Cage into the ring post on his shoulder. Fenix and Jake and Fenix with a back handspring into a headbutt and a springboard headbutt. Callihan in with a superkick on Fenix and he catches a springboard for a half-and-half suplex. Fenix fights back from the apron, but Callihan with a springboard clothesline to send him fto the floor. Apron kicks from Callihan and Cage powerbombs him on the apron. Jake gets caught in suplex position, but falls out to send Cage into the ring post. Dave hit with superkicks by the Lucha Bros. Cage inside with Jake and he lands a fallaway slam on Jake to take out the field outside. Deadlift superplex from Cage to Callihan inside and he takes Jake up top, but Callihan with a powerbomb. Fenix with a monkey flip on Pentagon into oVe in the corner and Jake makes the save on the nearfall. Jake with a Death Valley Driver on Fenix and he sets Pentagon up top. Penta falls out to land a double stomp. Cage with a powerbomb on Dave and Callihan saves Dave with a pump kick. Fenix with a flying cutter on Callihan from the apron for a nearfall.
Jake with a superkick and spinning hook kick, but Penta in with the Pentagon Driver for a nearfall. Callihan turns Fenix inside out with a clothesline and Cage does the same to Callihan. Cage with a buckle bomb and a spike Fear Factor from Penta and Fenix gets a nearfall as the Crists make the save. Cage gets both up for a fallaway slam and Samoan drop combo. Cage goes up top and Callihan with a superkick to the taped knee. Callihan with swinging neckbreaker off the ropes for a nearfall that Lucha Bros save. Dave hit with a chop and a spinning back kick by Fenix. Jake gets a Diamond Cutter coming off the shoulders of Penta on Fenix. Callihan knocks Fenix to the ramp outside. Callihan with a piledriver on the apron on Penta. Cage comes in against oVe and takes out all three. Jake with four kicks and the All-Seeing Eye lands for a one-count as Cage kicks out. Triple kick and Cage pumps up, but oVe batter him with kicks to set up the pulling piledriver.
Winners by pinfall: oVe
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
This was non-stop from the opening bell and featured some intense spots, with a scary moment from Jake Crist hitting a cutter on Fenix off the shoulders of Pentagon.
McKenzie Mitchell with Impact World Champion Austin Aries and she asks what to expect from him in the main event. Aries says he has busted his a** day in and day out to remake the title. Aries calls Johnny Impact a liar and says it is personal now. Aries says after last night, he doesn’t trust Impact or management and things have changed. Aries won’t leave his men in the back and he says this isn’t a reality show or a “s***** B-movie.”
King takes a swig for Konnan “slipping” and he says tonight, they hand out lessons about pain, suffering, and hurt. Video package previews The OGz vs. LAX.
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Concrete Jungle Deathmatch: The OGz vs. LAX
LAX with trashcan lids and they take The OGz outside. Santana sets up a dive, but King with a right hand. They fight for slams and suplexes on the exposed boards. King with a uranage on the boards for a nearfall. Santana spits at him and Ortiz runs in with the trashcan lid. Hernandez drops him with a headbutt and Hernandez already busted open. Homicide works Ortiz with both lids and The OGz control the ring, setting up tables in the corners. King tries a dive outside and lands face-first on the guardrail. The OGz keep LAX outside and Hernandez hits a Border Toss on Homicide on top of LAX outside. Homicide with Ortiz inside and Ortiz lands a Northern Lights Suplex on the boards. Hernandez in and Ortiz with chops, but he runs into a shoulder tackle that sends him through a table. Santana with a head kick to send Hernandez out for a flip dive. King in the ring and Santana with kicks to the head. King pokes the eyes and sends him into the turnbuckles. Santana with a belly-to-belly suplex in the corner and on the boards. Homicide sent into the steel post on his shoulder, but Hernandez fights them off from up top until they get numbers. Superplex on Hernandez onto the boards. King and Ortiz left and King says he is done.
Konnan comes out with the flapjack. Homicide hit with a low blow and the blackjack. Hernandez taken out with the flapjack and King hit with it. Ortiz sends King through the table and Street Sweeper lands for LAX.
Winners by pinfall: LAX
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Good match salvaged from a dangerous situation, as the exposed boards kept slipping throughout the match. Still, it went out without a hitch mostly, though not as good as their previous match at Slammiversary.
Allie finds the casket backstage and takes a hatchet with her. She climbs in and comes out in a haze as Father James Mitchell welcomes her. Mitchell says he is a man of his word and tells her that Su Yung is holding Kiera Hogan upstairs in the chapel. Mitchell reminds Allie that if she sees her soul, she can look, but she can’t touch and Allie ventures up the stairs. Allie kills a couple of bridesmaids on the way and runs into her soul under a veil. Allie covers her soul back up and gets to the chapel, where Su Yung sneaks up on her with an ax. Yung chases Allie around with the ax and works her over with the handle. Yung gets the hatchet from Allie and they fight to the supply room. Allie sat on a chair and put in the Mandible Claw until she passes out. Yung looks to strike with the hatchet, but Allie was playing dead and gets her across the neck with the hatchet. Allie gets Kiera Hogan out of the casket and they try to get the casket back out of the underworld. Father James Mitchell says he is a man of his word and promised to get them in, but never said anything about getting them out as he laughs. Rosemary returns and tells them to go back to their realm. Allie and Hogan get in the casket, but Yung comes down the stairs. Rosemary and Yung fight with force fields surrounding them as Allie tells Rosemary to come with them, but Rosemary is surrounded by bridesmaids. Allie and Hogan come back through to the other side and Hogan tells her to just let it go, but Allie grabs Hogan and says with a demonic voice that it is not okay.
This felt a little cheap, especially compared to past Impact-style video matches with The Hardys. While the effort is something different for the Knockouts,
Video package for Impact returning to Nashville.
McKenzie Mitchell with Johnny Impact and Impact says the he will take away the only thing that validates the “short, narcissistic a**hole” Austin Aries.
Impact World Championship: Austin Aries (c) (w/Moose & Killer Kross) vs. Johnny Impact (w/Taya Valkyrie)
Impact with a single-leg takedown and Aries holds onto a guillotine. Impact tries to slam out and gets the rope break to reset. Aries with a leg kick and Impact tackles Aries against the ropes. Impact with a side headlock after they exchange. Aries grabs the elbow pad to get out and reset again. Aries headbutts and slaps Impact and Impact brawls him back to the corner. Impact muscles him back into the corner off the reset and clotheslines him outside. Impact follows with a slingshot splash to knock Aries down. Aries sent into the barricade, but Aries smashes a drink in his face. Aries into the barricade, but Aries elbows out. Impact leapfrogs Aries outside and catches himself on the apron and barricade with each foot to land a moonsault. Impact goes for a springboard inside, but Aries knocks him off to the floor. Aries comes off the top and works Impact down inside for a nearfall. Impact punches Aries into the corner, but Aries drops him back down for ground-and-pound and stomps him down. Aries taunts Taya from inside and Taya flips him the bird. Aries relaxes on the top rope and lands forearms. Impact strikes back to put Aries in the corner. Knees land and Aries sent into the buckle face-first. Impact goes for the springboard again and Aries chops the back of the neck to send him out. Impact lands a forearm as Aries tries a dive. Springboard corkscrew back inside gets Impact a nearfall.
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Impact gets Aries up inside and Aries elbows out. Impact looks for the knee and Aries rolls up to get Last Chancery. Aries unable to hold the submission, but lands knees. Impact with knees of his own and roundhouse kicks. Springboard kick lands for a nearfall on Aries. Aries gets up top, but Impact meets him with strikes. Spanish Fly off the top blocked by Aries for a flying hurricanrana. Forearm drops Impact to the corner, but he runs into a big boot. Starship Pain sees Impact land on his feet and Aries to the ramp. Neckbreaker on the second rope connects for Aries. Aries up top, but Impact meets him and lands a super Spanish Fly off the top for a nearfall. Aries sent to the apron and Impact dragged out to the apron with him. Forearm exchange and Aries lands a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Aries goes up top and lands the 450 splash. Impact kicks out and Aries slams the mat in frustration. Aries lands elbows in the corner and runs into a hook kick and a superkick from Impact. Starship Pain lands, but Aries able to get his hand on the bottom rope to break the pin. Aries tries a Brainbuster, but Impact out. Roaring elbow and corner dropkick for the Brainbuster. Impact gets his foot on the bottom rope to break the pin.
Aries gets into trash-talking with Taya ringside and Impact with a backslide nearfall. Aries gets the Last Chancery. Impact crawls and gets the rope break. Aries crawls to Taya and looks at her. Impact and Aries exchange slaps and Aries with forearms and chops. Aries misses a forearm and ducks an Impact kick to land a suicide dive on Taya outside. Impact follows and beats him down ringside. Aries gets a schoolboy nearfall inside, but Impact with a Brainbuster and Starship Pain.
Winner by pinfall and NEW Impact World Champion: Johnny Impact
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
The post-match dramatics from Aries were really sour for the moment. It was either an unnecessary work on a feud that has been trying to edgily cross the line or a seriously unprofessional moment for Aries. Either way, it put a bruise on a great effort from both men that really had a big fight feel in the ballroom.
Post-match, Aries immediately gets up and flips the bird to Impact and Don Callis. Impact checks on his wife before celebrating with the title.
Impact continues to put on some good to great pay-per-views, despite what seem like trying times for the company as they face a time-slot shift in a few weeks. The Aries thing at the end was an eyesore to what as another good show.
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