IMPACT! Wrestling Review - January 11, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Impact World Champion Johnny Impact, Brian Cage and Killer Kross Brawled

I wasn't a fan of the finish to the Impact World Championship main event at Homecoming, so I'm happy it looks like Cage isn't done with Impact or the title yet. He certainly has a claim to the championship, and of the two, I get the feeling Impact would be the one to turn heel. Anyway, all three guys played their roles well in this segment as it served to set up the night's main event between Impact and Kross.

The Lucha Brothers def. The Rascalz

Along with LAX, Pentagon Jr. and Fenix have been the best thing to happen to IMPACT's tag team division in several years, so here's hoping their chase for the the twin titles is far from over despite their recent shortcoming last Sunday night. The Rascalz are still a relatively new addition to the division, but they have already proven to a blast to watch and this was every bit as fun as I expected it to be.

Sami Callihan Interrupted Impact X-Division Champion Rich Swann; Willie Mack def. Callihan

It was teased about a month or so ago that Swann and Callihan have a history together, and I liked how Callihan alluded to that here without giving anything away, leaving viewers in suspense in the process. I'd have no problem with that being the next program over the X-Division Championship, especially if it means more matches between Callihan and Impact. This was as entertaining as their encounter from Homecoming, and with Mack picking up the victory, they are now tied with one win apiece.

Scott Steiner Attacked Desi Hit Squad

Scarlett Bordeaux's "strip show" was hyped heavily throughout this episode, and in what should have come as no surprise, it was interrupted before it could even begin by Desi Hit Squad. They were then taken out by a returning Scott Steiner, making this a train wreck of a segment. I'm sorry, but I can't possibly condone trash like this when I was among the vast majority who wanted to do away with "Divas" wrestling in WWE for years. Bordeaux is an excellent character and clearly a selling point for the company, but there was no need to have her strip in the middle of the ring in front of a 56-year-old. 

Tessa Blanchard def. Cali Collins

Blanchard lost her Impact Knockouts Championship to Taya Valkyrie at Homecoming following interference from Gail Kim, so to say she look frustrated here (from a storyline standpoint, of course) would be a massive understatement. No one relays pent-up anger in their matches better than Blanchard, and although this was a short and sweet squash, it was the way that Blanchard dominated her opponent that was key. I'm looking forward to the next promo she cuts about how she was "screwed" out of the title.

Killer Kross def. Impact World Champion Johnny Impact in a No Disqualification Match

Impact and Kross have gone one-on-one before, but this was totally different with there being no disqualifications. They took full advantage of the stipulation by brawling all around ringside and battering each other with every weapon they could find. It was a hard-hitting affair and easily Kross' most memorable performance in IMPACT to date. Moose aiding Kross to victory was logical given their past alliance, so look for Kross to eventually receive another shot at the Impact World Championship (in addition to Cage).

Overall Show

There was plenty of fallout from Sunday's Homecoming pay-per-view, but aside from the No Disqualification main event and Steiner's unannounced return (I can get excited about Steiner coming back only so many times), this was business as usual from IMPACT. I honestly expected more now that they're on a network almost nobody gets (as well as Twitch, thankfully) and the company should be doing everything imaginable to get people to tune in. This was a solid show on the whole, but it didn't feel overly eventful.