IMPACT! Wrestling Review - November 1, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Rich Swann def. The Mack

I loved the idea of wasting no time by starting the show with this match, which was all action from bell to bell. It has been established that Swann and Mack are friends outside of the ring, so this was more of a friendly exhibition than a truly intense outing. That said, they held nothing back, made the most of the time allotted to them, and contested a very entertaining match. I'm interested to see what's next for both competitors.

Desi Hit Squad def. Local Athletes

To be completely honest, the new Desi Hit Squad isn't much different than the old one because they still bore me to tears. This wasn't a terrible match, mind you, but it was far from memorable and nothing they did particularly impressed me. I'm not a fan of how much television time has been wasted on these guys when IMPACT could easily be focusing on other guys who are way more talented and deserve the spotlight more.

oVe Mocked Impact X-Division Champion Brian Cage

This was filmed at a Rockstar Pro independent event. Sami Callihan called out Cage and was confronted by a Cage impostor instead, who he quickly defeated in an impromptu "match." It was a simple angle that not only furthered the feud between Cage and Callihan, it also made viewers want to see Cage get his hands on Callihan, which Cage teased he would do next week.

Taya Valkyrie def. Impact Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard by Disqualification

Blanchard and Valkyrie proved at Bound for Glory that they work well together and this was another enjoyable encounter from them. Blanchard is a total star in every respect and Valkyrie is also a very well-rounded performer. While this wasn't as strong as their last match against each other, it was still quite good and the non-finish allows the feud to continue while keeping Valkyrie in chase mode.

Impact World Tag Team Champions LAX def. Matt Sydal and Ethan Page (Non-title)

I realize it hasn't been long, but I've been digging the duo of Sydal and Page since Bound for Glory. Their chemistry as partners is terrific and they can be a big boost to an otherwise depleted tag team division in IMPACT. Additionally, this was a very exciting outing that had the perfect pace and excellent performances from all involved. LAX continue to kill it every chance they get.

Pentagon Jr. def. Homicide

We rarely see Homicide in singles action on IMPACT! Wrestling nowadays, so that was a cool treat, especially for him to be facing someone as skilled as Pentagon. Granted, this was way shorter than it should have been, but it was a quality main event, nonetheless. The interference was kept to a minimum, and despite Pentagon picking up the victory, The OGz laid out The Lucha Brothers afterward. That will be an insanely fun match when it eventually comes to fruition.

Overall Show

IMPACT is back to delivering consistently compelling shows from week to week and the company has locked in several storylines and rivalries that have my attention at the moment. Meanwhile, the wrestling has never been a problem, because this show alone featured a handful of above-average matches over the course of the evening. Next week's Final Hour special has the potential to be a blast with what's on tap including Johnny Impact vs. Killer Kross for the Impact World Championship, Eddie Edwards vs. Moose, and more.