Official Chairshot Staff Picks: Impact Wrestling Redemption 2018

This is one of those moments, where I feel people are looking at this title confused. Ya know, Impact Wrestling deserves a lot of credit for what they’ve been doing. Lots of fans wrote this company off before Hogan and Bischoff ever got there, and now just try to use them as a crutch for argument. Remember, we’re an all inclusive site, not just WWE and Japan.

Current Standings:

DPP 25-11
Steve: 22-14
Harry: 21-15
Weigell: 21-15
Big Dave: 21-15
Eric: 21-15
Mathew: 20-16
Rick: 20-16
Ninja Steve: 20-16
Cook: 20-16
PC: 20-16
Platt: 20-16
Tony: 20-16
Patrick: 19-17
Greg: 18-18
Andrew: 17-19

It’s about time we all grow up and give Impact the clean slate they deserve. New management, new ownership, new name, and I’m pretty sure I heard something about new belts being unveiled at Redemption. So let’s look at the card and stop being petulant.

Impact World Title Match: Austin Aries (c) vs Pentagon Jr vs Fenix

Well this is probably the match most people know about, since it came from the Alberto el Patron fall out. Pentagon and Fenix have been very active lately. Main eventing the inaugural MLW Fusion, and now main eventing the first Impact Wrestling PPV under new management. It’s hard to really expect Aries to lose this ‘belt collector’ gimmick, when he still has a match for the ROH TV Title coming up. But this should be a high quality match, no matter how you slice it.

Eric: Austin Aries
Mathew: Austin Aries
Rick: Austin Aries
Steve: Austin Aries
Greg: Austin Aries
PC: Austin Aries
Patrick: Austin Aries
DPP: Austin Aries
Platt: Austin Aries
Cook: Austin Aries
Weigell: Austin Aries
Big Dave: Austin Aries
Tony: Austin Aries
Harry: Austin Aries
Andrew: Austin Aries
Ninja Steve: Austin Aries

Chairshot Official Pick: Austin Aries (Unanimous)

Impact World Tag Team Title: LAX (c) vs Scott Steiner & Eli Drake

Hey, Scott Steiner’s world famous, bitch. Honestly though, this match is anyone’s guess. LAX has been a stalwart of the tag division for nearly a year. But even though they are always either the champions or the number 1 contenders, the tag division isn’t very deep and they do tend to trade titles to compensate for a lack of tag team depth.

It’s very possible they could drop the titles to the thrown together team of The Big Bad Gravy Daddy and The Big Bad Booty Daddy, unless we get a return or surprise appearance.

Eric: LAX
Mathew: LAX
Rick: LAX
Steve: Drake & Steiner
Greg: LAX
PC: Drake & Steiner
Patrick: Drake & Steiner
DPP: LAX
Platt: LAX
Cook: LAX
Weigell: Drake & Steiner
Big Dave: LAX
Tony: LAX
Harry: LAX
Andrew: Drake & Steiner
Ninja Steve: LAX

LAX: 11

Drake & Steiner: 5

Official Chairshot Pick: Latin American Exchange

Impact X Division Title: Matt Sydal (c) vs Petey Williams

Sydal had a small glimmer of being a double champion, before he revealed Josh Mathews as his spiritual adviser. Sydal turning heel has been an interesting take, but Petey Williams coming back after retirement could be due. He had two shots at Victory Road and Bound for Glory, but couldn’t get past Trevor Lee. Now may be the perfect time for Petey to get his third reign as X Division Champion, 10 years after his last one.

Eric: Matt Sydal
Mathew: Matt Sydal
Rick: Petey Williams
Steve: Petey Williams
Greg: Matt Sydal
PC: Petey Williams
Patrick: Matt Sydal
DPP: Matt Sydal
Platt: Petey Williams
Cook: Matt Sydal
Weigell: Matt Sydal
Big Dave: Petey Williams
Tony: Matt Sydal
Harry: Matt Sydal
Andrew: Petey Williams
Ninja Steve: Petey Williams

Matt Sydal: 9

Petey Williams: 7

Official Chairshot Pick: Matt Sydal

House of Hardcore Match: Sami Callihan & Crist Brothers vs Tommy Dreamer, Eddie Edwards & Moose

The match, that spun from a botch, but has also done wonders for Callihan as an indie angle. The uncaring and dangerous Ohio Versus Everything, against the baby faces, consisting of the first victim of Callihan’s dangerous gimmick.

We saw Sami get the win over Edwards on the ImpactvsLU event on WrestleMania weekend using his Jeremiah Crane gimmick. This team also cost Moose his briefcase against Eli Drake. So you have to wonder if this will be the blow off, or if oVe wins to continue the feud.

Eric: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
Mathew: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
Rick: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
Steve: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
Greg: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
PC: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
Patrick: oVe
DPP: oVe
Platt: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
Cook: oVe
Weigell: oVe
Big Dave: oVe
Tony: oVe
Harry: oVe
Andrew: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose
Ninja Steve: oVe

Dreamer, Edwards, Moose: 9

Ohio Versus Everything: 7

Official Chairshot Pick: Dreamer, Edwards, Moose

Impact Knockout’s Championship: Allie (c) vs Su Yung

Now this is a…confusing matchup. Allie finally dispatched of Laurel van Ness, but the rest of that wedding angle has come back to haunt her. Braxton Sutter, who was slowly turning heel after he chose Allie over Laurel, returns and tries to get back with both Laurel and Allie. They both reject him, but almost, like a spectre of that past storyline, the Undead Bride appears and seems to be the object of Braxton’s affection now.

Allie is probably the most organic babyface Impact has developed since AJ Styles. She went from being a clueless assistant, to slowly learning how to be a wrestler, and everyone loves her bubbly persona. Will Allie get a big defense against the Undead Bride, or will she get distracted and show her inexperience?

Eric: Su Yung
Mathew: Su Yung
Rick: Allie
Steve: Su Yung
Greg: Su Yung
PC: Su Yung
Patrick: Su Yung
DPP: Su Yung
Platt: Su Yung
Cook: Su Yung
Weigell: Allie
Big Dave: Su Yung
Tony: Su Yung
Harry: Su Yung
Andrew: Su Yung
Ninja Steve: Allie

Allie: 3

Su Yung: 13

Official Chairshot Pick: Su Yung

6 Way Dance: Dezmond Xavier vs Taiji Ishimori vs El Hijo del Fantasma vs Brian Cage vs DJZ vs Trevor Lee

Not a lot of story here. We’ve got 3 former X Division champions in DJZ, Trevor Lee and Taiji Ishimori, then we’ve got the winner of the Super X Cup in Dezmond Xavier. Rounding out the 6 we have the AAA Latin American Champion in Fantasma and lastly, the god damn machine, Brian Cage.

Honestly, this should be fun, but Cage out powers all of these men combined. Unless something miraculous happens, Cage may just continue his warpath.

Eric: Dezmond Xavier
Mathew: Brian Cage
Rick: Brian Cage
Steve: Brian Cage
Greg: Brian Cage
PC: Brian Cage
Patrick: Brian Cage
DPP: Brian Cage
Platt: Brian Cage
Cook: Brian Cage
Weigell: Trevor Lee
Big Dave: Ishimori
Tony: Brian Cage
Harry: Brian Cage
Andrew: Brian Cage
Ninja Steve: Trevor Lee

Brian Cage: 12

Dezmond Xavier: 1

Ishimori: 1

Trevor Lee: 2

Official Chairshot Pick: Brian Cage

Drago vs Aero Star

This was just announced, but does show more good signs of partnership with Lucha Underground and Impact. Lucha Underground will open and close the show, so the believers should rejoice. There’s no Impact storyline here, but Drago and Aero Star have a lot of history. They team together often and they have faced each other numerous times. Aero Star is known for jumping off of lighting structures, or things suspended above the ring…so it should be interesting if he’s allowed to do that.

Eric: Drago
Mathew: Drago
Rick: Aero Star
Steve: Drago
Greg: Drago
PC: Drago
Patrick: Drago
DPP: Drago
Cook: Aero Star
Weigell: Aero Star
Platt: Drago
Big Dave: Drago
Tony: Drago
Harry: Drago
Andrew: Aero Star
Ninja Steve: Drago

Drago: 12

Aero Star: 4

Official Chairshot Pick: Drago