SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
HITS
Gail Kim’s Night: The build to Gail Kim’s last match was atrocious. However, they did get her a nice, emotional send-off. The video package highlighting her career was among the best the company has ever produced. The in-ring segment was another big plus. It’s so rare that we have true, feel-good moments in wrestling. So often something nice happens, only for it to be used as an angle, and it feels so predictable. This was a simple farewell, the kind we need more of. I kept expecting Allie to turn heel (why was she the only one there, by the way?), but the way they went about it was the right note for Kim’s great career to end on.
OVE vs. LAX: Well, Impact has finally done it. After many weeks of trying, this feud is actually working. Give the vast majority of the credit to Sami Callihan, who has immediately boosted the Crist brothers. The match was fast paced, fun, and far safer than what we saw at Bound For Glory. Suddenly, the idea of seeing a couple more brawls between them doesn’t sound too bad.
Storm’s Promo: I’m not quite sure what he was going for here, I’m not sure he needed to yell so much, but James Storm looked more motivated on the mic than he’d been in months. It’s too bad he’s already out of the company; otherwise, building him as a top-level babyface for the next year or two would have been a nice move. Hopefully, this was a nice audition for him to get another shot in NXT soon.
The Main Event: A stronger, more entertaining match than what we saw in the main event of Bound For Glory. Just like we occasionally need that feel good moment in wrestling, sometimes the good guy just has to come up short, and come up short cleanly. That’s life. It makes the narrative feel more realistic and makes title changes feel even more important. Here’s to hoping that Petey Williams doesn’t get lost in the shuffle again, just like Matt Sydal, Desmond Xavier, and Garza Jr. did after their pushes.
So Long Abyss: Joseph Park told Grado he realized he was Abyss (which I think he already had years ago?) and that the monster would never come back. If you saw his match at Bound For Glory, this is the right call. It was also a good move to switch Park back to the babyface size, he’s just too likable to be a heel!
MISSES
The X-Division Opener: Last week’s episode of Impact was arguably the best of the year. The immediate follow-up? A bland, predictable, overplayed gigantic X Division match. This didn’t further any storylines, and the company has already botched whatever momentum Garza Jr. gained in his storyline with Johnny Impact. No matter who has been in charge of this promotion over the years, they can’t seem to wrap the head around a one-on-one X Division match.
Fallah Bahh vs. EC III: The match itself was actually better than one would expect, but again, why purpose did this serve? If Bahh is going to get a push, then don’t have him do the job in his return. If it was to make Carter look strong by beating the much larger wrestler, that plan also failed because Bahh never, ever wins on TV. And lastly, how did this follow up EC III’s angle with Matt Sydal from the previous week? The announcers didn’t even bother mentioning the guy. An inexcusably sloppy follow up.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S COLUMN: 11/9 IMPACT HITS & MISSES: Huge improvement this week, Sydal vs. Dutt, Petey Williams, Backstage Brawls, Josh & J.B. announcing
I pretty much agree with everything in this review. I do like Fallah Bahh and he seemed to be over with the crowd, despite generally being presented as a heel. I hope he does get a push in the future. Whatever happened to Kongo Kong?