IMPACT! Wrestling Review - August 18, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Black Taurus def. Laredo Kid, Rey Horus and Trey Miguel in a Four-Way Match

Without anything at stake, this was a very random four-way. Miguel was the biggest star of the bunch being a former Impact X-Division Champion and I thought he might win here to get back on track, but it was actually Taurus going over instead. Taurus is talented, so I'm not complaining, but it is odd that Miguel has no direction at the moment. From an in-ring standpoint, this was a fun opener and they made the most of their time.

Heath def. Kenny King

This stemmed from Heath getting the best of King in recent weeks on the show and at Emergence last week. I wasn't sure if he'd actually go over, but I'm glad he did to maintain that credibility and build to more matches with other members of Honor No More. This was a quality contest while it lasted. I'm curious when Rhino will be back so we can get him and Heath against Honor No More, possibly for the Impact World Tag Team Championship if Honor No More win the belts by then.

Killer Kelly def. Savannah Evans

As soon as Evans was announced as Kelly's opponents and not Tasha Steelz, it became clear who was winning. I'm not complaining, though, as Kelly should continue to rack up wins this early in her IMPACT run. This wasn't an instant classic by any means, but it was decent for what it was. Kelly's character is certainly interesting, so we'll see if it ultimately gets over. I assume her against Steelz will be happening soon.

Impact X-Division Champion Mike Bailey def. Chris Bey

i love how much of a fighting champion Bailey has been since capturing the title earlier this summer. It makes his matches more meaningful and he's facing a wide variety of talented opponents. This was no exception as Bey is awesome and they worked wonderfully together. They made the most of their time and had a hell of a match. Hopefully Bailey gets a high-profile opponent at Bound for Glory.

Eddie Edwards def. Rich Swann, Bandido, Steve Maclin, Moose and Sami Callihan in an Impact World Championship No. 1 Contender's 6-Way Elimination Match

Callihan, Moose and Maclin are all wrapped up in a storyline with each other at the moment, so it was logical for them to eliminate each other early on. I didn't think we'd get Bandido vs. Josh Alexander at Bound for Glory, but he had a strong showing here. I liked how it came down to Swann and Edwards because both are believable opponents and Swann had the story of wanting to go back after the title he never received a rematch for last year. They had an excellent closing stretch and Edwards winning was the right call. Honor No More hasn't been featured in the top title picture at all up to this point, so Alexander defending his coveted championship against the "invaders" makes total sense and it should be a kickass match to boot.

Overall Show

The road to Bound for Glory in early October is officially underway and it's only mid-August. IMPACT will have another Impact Plus special with Victory Road next month, but I'm glad they're not waiting to announce what the main event for their biggest pay-per-view of the year is going to be. While not confirmed, Jordynne Grace vs. Masha Slamovich for the Impact Knockouts World Championship is also looking likely. This was a top-notch follow-up show coming off Emergence that set some stuff in motion. It was all about the main event, and considering it delivered, I'd call this a thumbs-up episode.

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