Andrew’s Impact Wrestling Ratings & Analysis: 10/29/2019

IMPACT! on AXSTV is here! The company that will never die, makes it’s grand return to good TV network! How was the show?

The driving story that hopefully gets paid off on this premiere episode is Brian Cage against Sami Callihan. Sami has been a polarizing figure that doesn’t mind being the disgusting bad guy. Cage has had off and on injuries, so he’s seen as a bit of an absentee champion.

Callihan and Cage, decided in a Cage. We’ve seen them both be great at telling the blood feud story. So this is a main event with some hype.

.@TheSamiCallihan brought his entire oVe family to IMPACT tonight but @FultonWorld, @TheJakeCrist and @TheDaveCrist are BANNED from the building tonight! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/sBfxyFsJ02

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) October 30, 2019

Ratings:

• Naomichi Marufuji vs Josh Alexander w/Ethan Page: Marufuji wins via Shiranui – *** 1/4
• Rosemary, Jordynne Grace & Alexia Nicole vs Kiera Hogan, Madison Rayne & Taya Valkyrie: Jordynne wins via Inside Cradle – **
• Desi Hit Squad vs Willie Mack & Rich Swann: Swann wins via Press Slam/Swinging Neckbreaker Combo – **
• Street Fight: Ace Austin vs Eddie Edwards: Austin wins via Avalanche Fold through table – ***
• Impact World Heavyweight Championship Cage Match: Brian Cage (c) vs Sami Callihan: Callihan wins via Avalanche Piledriver – **** – TITLE CHANGE!!!

Analysis:

Naomichi Marufuji vs Josh Alexander w/Ethan Page – The North issued a challenge last week, and Josh was placed into a singles match. So kicking off the new era of IMPACT! is NOAH’s Genius and The Walking Weapon. Honestly, this was a really good match, especially for an opener on TV. Alexander showed to have done his homework and countered a few of Marufuji’s signature moves. We even get a very close near fall after Alexander executed a gorgeous Torture Rack Bomb. Marufuji fought back, a few Hook Kicks and KO-OHs set up the Shiranui, and Marufuji pulls off a hard fought victory.

-After the match Marufuji wants to shake hands, Page gets in the ring and he’s against it. Alexander acts like he might, but then he big leagues Marufuji. A bit disrespectful, so maybe Marufuji needs to get his buddy Eddie Edwards involved in things.

The Rascalz helped @FALLAH1 find his voice as only they can, and he has some unresolved issues with @MichaelElgin25! #IMPACTonAXSTV @DezmondXavier @zachary_wentz @TheTreyMiguel pic.twitter.com/KS6IjWj43R

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) October 30, 2019

Rosemary, Jordynne Grace & Alexia Nicole vs Kiera Hogan, Madison Rayne & Taya Valkyrie – So this was a typical heels versus faces with some tie together. Kiera and Madison have been generally disrespectful to everyone, as well as, Rosemary and Taya having this weird love hate…mostly hate relationship. The match was fine, just heavily unnecessary. Not sure if Kiera actually got hurt, since she never went back into the match, but her feigning a shoulder injury gave the heels the advantage. But eventually the egos backfired, Madison and Taya couldn’t see eye to eye, and Taya gets caught in an Inside Cradle for the finish.

-RVD with a decent promo with a lot of nods and obvious mentions. 

"With RVD there would be no Kenny Omega, there would be no Daniel Bryan, without RVD there would be no Young Bucks." @TherealRVD is sick of everybody stealing his stuff and he's not sorry. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/S2SK4yTyG3

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) October 30, 2019

Desi Hit Squad vs Willie Mack & Rich Swann – Commentary did a good job at trying to present the Desi Hit Squad as more than jobbers, but anyone watching, ever a little bit lately, knows they aren’t serious contenders. The match was very basic where they Hit Squad did took a few shortcuts and nearly got the upset with a Tandem Wheelbarrow DDT, but it wasn’t overly believable. I suppose there was nothing glaringly bad about the match, just a lack of caring or believing that Mack & Swann would lose.

-Moose has a Mr. Perfect style parody promo about getting a hole in one and being the best multi-sport athlete ever.

-Ken Shamrock comes out to make an announcement, and he’s interrupted by Joey Ryan. Long and short, World’s Most Dangerous Man vs World’s Most Dangerous Manhood, next week. 

Street Fight: Ace Austin vs Eddie Edwards – This non-title fight continues the story of Ace Austin trying to bang Eddie Edwards’ wife Alisha. Early on we see Eddie dominate in the style of match he should be at home in, but then Ace starts to string a few moves together. Reno Scum interferes, but Eddie fights through it. Ace kills Kenny, after using him on Eddie, then when he goes for The Fold, Eddie promptly has him fly into a garbage can. Fun visual, which popped the crowd hard. Eddie sets up the table for a big finish, but Ace fights through, He loads his wrist brace, hits Eddie with it and then does The Fold off the top rope through a table. So Ace continues to take shortcuts, which just makes him even more of a scumbag in this angle. Pretty solid street fight too.

-Su Yung recap package that leads into…umm…what? Suzie, introducing herself to The Deaners. This cutsey…okay…I’m intrigued…see for yourself

Su Yun…..er Suzie is back from the dead and she's normal?

Why is that somehow even more terrifying? #IMPACTonAXSTV @realsuyung @CodyDeaner @JakeSomething_ pic.twitter.com/M5DfjJkW0q

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) October 30, 2019

Impact World Heavyweight Championship Cage Match: Brian Cage (c) vs Sami Callihan – This started off before the bell even rang. Callihan Dropkicked the door before Cage could get in, and we saw a brawl on the outside. Callihan got some space, ran into the cage and locked the door. So he thought he was pretty smart until Brian Cage scaled the steel cage like a Silverback. King Kong ain’t got shit on Brian Cage.

Their Bound for Glory match was a great blood feud match and this was as well. Hell they even flipped the blood. Sami was busted open at Bound for Glory and Cage was busted open during this match. We saw some great brawling, solid spurts of great moves and solid workrate, but everything worked towards their overall story and who they both were. Callihan was dirty and aggressive, Cage was resilient and wouldn’t die, like The Terminator that he is.

Sami dodged most of Brian’s bigger moves. Lands 3 Piledrivers in a row, but Cage kicked out and even managed to land a Discus Lariat for a near fall. Cage takes things to the turnbuckle, looks for something big, but Sami fights back, rocks Cage and hits an Avalanche Piledriver. Callihan goes for the cover and… wins the championship!

-Tessa comes out immediately for a stare down as IMPACT! fades to black with their new World Champion.

Overall Score: 8/10

This was well balanced TV, that Impact has been doing very this year. All of their relevant storylines got some air time, we had some good to great in-ring work and the main event was fantastic. Being the fact that this might be the first episode of IMPACT! that many have seen in like 3 years, this was a damn good first impression.

Also it can’t be understated that Callihan is the best heel and Tessa is their biggest star, so this makes a ton of sense. Even if many of us wanted it to happen at Bound for Glory, it makes more sense to save the big shifts for their major television premiere.

Damn good show.