IMPACT! Wrestling Review - December 14, 2017

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Allie def. Sienna, Madison Rayne and KC Spinelli in a Knockouts Championship No. 1 Contender's Four-Way Match

In a match with four good workers, it was logical to assume this would be a very well-wrestled match. It had a nice pace and I liked how all of them were constantly involved in the mix. The outcome wasn't predictable, either, because the new Knockouts Champion hadn't been crowned yet. Allie was a smart choice to go over because she hasn't been involved in the title picture too much this year and she's a fresh face.

Taiji Ishimori and Dezmond Xavier def. Impact X-Division Champion Trevor Lee and Caleb Konley

Ishimori has been fun to watch in the X-Division lately and his feud with The Cult of Lee has been well done. This was the next chapter with Ishimori beating Lee to secure himself a shot at the strap on the first edition of IMPACT! in 2018 and the match itself was a blast for as long as it lasted. Xavier has been winning more recently, but I still can't believe how the Super X Cup victory from August has done nothing to benefit him in the long-run whatsoever.

Alberto El Patron, Johnny Impact and Petey Williams def. Impact Global Champion Eli Drake, Chris Adonis and Kongo Kong

I honestly forgot Kong was still under contract to the company until he resurfaced here, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was eventually cut because he was a "Jeff Jarrett guy." At any rate, this was a great match with all six stars working wonderfully together. It was obvious Patron wouldn't get along with Impact and Williams, but that was what made this matchup interesting along with Drake and Adonis playing their roles well. Patron pinning Drake will earn him a shot at the Global title on the first edition of IMPACT! in 2018.

Moose and James Storm Called Out Lashley and Dan Lambert

As I've noted before, this hasn't been a bad program by any means, but it has dragged on for a bit too long. Thankfully, it appears to be headed for a conclusion in a few weeks when Storm and Lambert meet in a Loser Leaves IMPACT match. This was a solid segment that set that match up, and KM coming to the aid of Lambert gives fans a reason to want to see Storm kick his ass in their upcoming contest.

Laurel Van Ness def. Rosemary to Win the Impact Knockouts Championship

This was easily Van Ness' best bout in IMPACT to date, and if anyone was going to get an above-average match out of her, it was Rosemary. That isn't to say Van Ness is a terrible wrestler or anything, but her "crazy" gimmick (which has been played out for months) limits her considerably. Nevertheless, the clean finish was necessary in establishing her as a credible champion. She reportedly requested her release after winning the title, so it will be interesting to see how that situation is handled during the next set of tapings in January and how soon she drops the belt.

Overall Show

From an in-ring standpoint, this was one of the best editions of IMPACT! all year with all four matches being quality contests. Plus, the women taking center stage in the main event and the a new Knockouts Champion being crowned made this a newsworthy episode. Many matches were confirmed for the first IMPACT! in 2018 because the next two weeks will feature year-end recap shows. Thus, I will be back with my IMPACT! reviews in the new year.