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WEEKLY OVERVIEW – IMPACT WRESTLING (thru 11/30): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more

By Landon Pipkin, PWTorch Contributor

December 2, 2018

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...

•Top Stories of the Week

  • Impact Wrestling did not rank in the Cable Top 150 list this week. So far an exact viewership number has not been announced. (SOURCE)
  • Impact management pulled LAX from their upcoming Evolve bookings in December. As a result, Evolve has stated they will no longer consider booking Impact talent. (SOURCE)
  • LAX will defend their Tag Team Championships against The Lucha Bros this January, at Homecoming. (SOURCE)
  • Next week on Impact, there will be two qualifying matches for the Ultimate X match at Homecoming. Willie Mack will face Jake Crist, and Matt Sydal will go one-on-one with Ethan Page.
  • The Thanksgiving edition of Impact Wrestling drew 124,000 viewers. This was up 23 percent from the November 15, 2018 episode. (SOURCE)

•Live Event Results

No new shows since the Las Vegas tapings.

•Upcoming Major Show Line-up: Homecoming in Nashville

Impact Homecoming
January 6, 2019
Nashville, Tenn. at the Fairgrounds

(1) Johnny Impact (c) vs. Brian Cage – Impact World Championship match

(2) Tessa Blanchard (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie – Impact Knockouts Championship match.

(3) TBA vs TBA vs TBA vs TBA – Ultimate X Match for the vacant X-Division Championship.

(4) LAX (c) vs. The Lucha Bros – Impact World Tag Team Championship match.

(More matches haven’t been announced, but are listed HERE.)

•Upcoming Events

  • 11/30/2018 – Gold Rush, Newark Pavilion, Newark, Calif.
  • 12/1/2018 – One Night Only: Back to Cali, Salinas Pal Youth Center, Salinas, Calif.
  • 1/6/2019 – Homecoming, The Asylum, Nashville, Tenn.
  • 1/7/2019 – Impact Live, The Asylum, Nashville, Tenn.
  • 1/25/2019 – Battle of Brooklyn, St. Pats CYO Sports, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • 1/26/2019 – One Night Only: New Beginnings, Holy Family Academy, Hazleton, Pa.
  • 2/15/2019 – Impact Live, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • 2/16/2019 – Impact Live, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • 2/17/2019 – Impact Live, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
  • 3/22/2019 – Impact Tapings, St. Clair College, Windsor, Ont.
  • 3/23/2019 – Impact Tapings, St. Clair College, Windsor, Ont.
  • 4/4/2019 – Culture Clash 2019, 9112 144th Place, Queens, N.Y

•Latest TV Highlights: (11/29 Impact Wrestling)

Impact Wrestling from Nov. 29, 2018, from Sam’s Town Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aired on Pop TV at 10 p.m. EST.

Announcers: Josh Matthews and Don Callis.

(1) The Lucha Brothers defeated Willie Mack & Rich Swann

-After the match, LAX came to the ring and showed respect to their respect to the Lucha Bros. They then challenged the Lucha Bros for a match at Homecoming.

-Backstage, Konnan was frustrated with LAX for making a match without consulting him. He expressed that they were not ready for the Lucha Bros.

(2) Jordynne Grace defeated Katarina

-KM and Fallah Bahh were upset about recent misfortunes inside and outside the ring. Scarlett Bordeaux showed up and they both cheered up.

-Backstage, a referee walked into Tessa Blanchard’s locker room and said putting hands on an official is unacceptable. Blanchard sarcastically said she understood.

(3) Taya Valkyrie defeated Ray Lyn

-After the match, Tessa Blanchard attacked Taya Valkyrie and then proceeded to choke the referee. Gail Kim made the save which bought time for Valkyrie to hit Blanchard with a spear.

-A video package aired, Johnny Impact discussed his upcoming title defense against Brian Cage. Killer Kross approached Impact and asked him to give the okay to “do it”. Impact said he didn’t understand and rushed off set.

(4) The Rascalz (Dez & Wentz) w/Trey defeated Mike Sydal & Chris Bey

-Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Kiera Hogan. Hogan begged Allie to come home and to not let the darkness consume her.

-A video package aired, Eddie Edwards was in a doctor’s office with Alisha. He was unresponsive and the doctor asked Alisha to leave and let him rest. Moose entered and reminded Edwards of all the things that happened between them.

-Backstage, Matt Sydal and Ethan Page were backstage discussing their recent misfortunes. Sydal said the only way for Page to learn is to face him next week, in an Ultimate X qualifying match.

(5) Eli Drake defeated Tommy Dreamer – No disqualification match

For a more detailed report and analysis check out the full PWTorch.com TV Report HERE.

•LATEST PWTORCH LIVECAST COVERING IMPACT

PWTorch.com’s Mike McMahon and Andrew Soucek discuss Impact Wrestling! They talk Pentagon/Fenix vs. Mack/Swann, The Rascalz debut, Dreamer vs. Drake, and more.

-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “PWTorch” or “Pro Wrestling Torch” on your podcast app of choice

•Impact in the Media

  • Jordynne Grace was interviewed by Wrestling Inc. this week and was asked if there is still a place in the Knockouts division for someone like Scarlett Bordeaux. Grace said she thought so, she commented, Unfortunately, some gentlemen still watch wrestling to see acts like Bordeaux. LINK
  • Josh Mathews made more comments regarding ratings and Impact’s future on this week’s conference call. Mathews avoided the rumors of Impact talking to three different networks, but he did say “This whole rating thing… has become absurd”. LINK
  • Jordynne Grace and Ethan Page were the featured guests on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling’s Press Pass. They discussed numerous topics including competing in Impact, hobbies outside the ring, assessing the Impact roster, and much more. LINK
  • Killer Kross was this week’s guest on Behind the Lights with Anthony Carelli and Alicia Atout. Kross discussed how he got started in pro wrestling, mixed martial arts, and much more. LINK

•Social Media Scene

https://twitter.com/SantanaLAX/status/1068166989548523520

https://twitter.com/Tess_Blanchard/status/1067913001225703424

https://twitter.com/TheTayaValkyrie/status/1067962686678302720

•Closing Commentary

One step forward, two steps back. This has been Impact Wrestling’s motto for years, and it appears nothing is going to change.

Throughout the different regimes, we see the same mistakes being made year after year. The in-ring match quality is actually above average at times, but it’s everything else in between that drives fans away.

For example, the opener to Thursday’s show featured two prominent tag-teams, the Lucha Bros facing off against Willie Mack and Rich Swann. But later in the show, we have Kiera Hogan begging Allie to overcome the darkness inside of her and to come home. Also, Eddie Edwards is apparently going crazy and is in an asylum.

Every week they present something new that insults our intelligence. Also, it doesn’t help when Josh Mathews says that the whole rating thing… is absurd. Hopefully, he knows ratings still matter or in the coming months he will find out when they can’t find a network to be on.

On a positive note, next week’s show will have two qualifying matches for the Ultimate X match at Homecoming. In the main event, Moose & Tessa Blanchard will face Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie. But we are also going back to visit Eddie Edwards at Shady Acres, and we will see Dark Allie debut. I can’t wait…

NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.

OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S IMPACT OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – IMPACT WRESTLING (thru 11/24): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more

Landon Pipkin has been a pro wrestling MMA fan for over a decade. e is from Raleigh, North Carolina. Find him on Twitter @pipkinbrand. Email: pipkinlandon@gmail.com

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