IMPACT! Wrestling Review - January 25, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Impact X-Division Champion Rich Swann def. Hijo del Vikingo (Non-title)

Similar to the last set of tapings IMPACT had in Mexico, I'm sure we'll be seeing a number of new/unfamiliar faces that I'll ultimately be impressed with. Vikingo is one of those people. He had a good showing against the X-Division Champion, and although this was far from a barn-burner, it was a well-wrestled opener and a nice way to kick off the show. Afterward, Sami Callihan and oVe once again attempted to recruit Swann into their ranks with Callihan explaining how he and Swann are close outside of the ring and how Callihan helped Swann when he needed it most years ago. Swann declined the offer, but this storyline is just getting started.

Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie def. Keyra (Non-title)

Keyra was in action on IMPACT! the last time they were in Mexico, and she didn't have the most memorable outing (which is probably why I barely remember her). On the bright side, she had a far better performance here and really took Taya to her limit. That dropkick in the corner was especially brutal, holy hell! It was a hard-hitting affair that saw Valkyrie win in her first match as Knockouts Champion. Valkyrie's post-match promo was great and she seemed genuinely happy to be back in Mexico. She put Tessa Blanchard for when she returns from her "suspension" and wisher her husband Johnny Impact luck in the main event.

The Rascalz def. Desi Hit Squad

Desi Hit Squad continue to do absolutely nothing for me. On the bright side, they had an excellent team to work with in The Rascalz, who carried them to a decent match and a fun final stretch. The Rascalz are a recurring highlight reel on IMPACT!, so here's hoping it isn't long before we see them challenging for the Impact World Tag Team Championship. As for Desi Hit Squad, may serve as stepping stones for every other tandem in the division for the remainder of their run together.

Trey def. Ethan Page

Both of these guys fared well in the Ultimate X match at Homecoming earlier this month and this was their chance to build momentum. I'm a bigger fan of Trey than I am of Page, but they both have potential, nonetheless. This was a perfectly solid match, but I felt they didn't have enough to produce anything special. With Trey picking up the victory here, The Rascalz are on a bit of a roll right now.

Impact World Champion Johnny Impact vs. Killer Kross Ended in a No Contest

The story was that with Brian Cage unable to make it due to an "issue" at customs, Impact had to go at it alone and overcome the odds with Moose at ringside. Kross was on offense for a majority of the match, so the pace didn't really pick up until the end. Before they could reach that next gear, Cage "shockingly" interfered and attacked everyone, so the contest was thrown out. There's plenty of bad blood in the title scene at the moment, so while Impact vs. Kross was never resolved (and that was a bit disappointing), at least it looks like we're headed toward a three-way for the belt.

Overall Show

Like I said the last time IMPACT traveled to Mexico, the new atmosphere is a refreshing chance of pace and it helps that there is a ton of talent on the roster that has cut their teeth on the Mexican wrestling scene. This wasn't a super strong edition of IMPACT! Wrestling from an in-ring standpoint since none of the matches were above-average in my opinion, but at the same time, they weren't terrible either and everything served a purpose. Plus, it was a wrestling heavy show with a world title defense in the main event (even if it wasn't spectacular), so I can't complain.