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Impact Wrestling's biggest show of the year was finally here and what a show it was! Bound For Glory was a big opportunity for the company, hoping to maintain the momentum the new Impact Wrestling regime earned from Slammiversary and continue the positive buzz surrounding the 'new and improved' Impact.
The card was stacked, albeit slightly eclectic. Johnny Impact was facing Austin Aries for the Impact World Title in the main event, Brian Cage was teaming with Pentagon and Fenix to take on oVe, Rich Swann found The Mack as a tag team partner to face Ethan Page and Matt Sydal, Taya Valkyrie took on Tessa Blanchard for the Knockouts Title, LAX and OG'z feud culminated, Eli Drake issued an open challenge and Allie traveled to the undead realm to rescue Kiera Hogan from Su Yung.
Sure, it was unfortunate not to see the X-Division Title and Impact World Tag-Team Titles not defended on the show, and a lot of the matches and segments were fairly last minute announcements, making the show feel a bit rushed and thrown together, but how did they do on the night? Well, there are a few shocks, some surprises, an absolutely bonkers segment and a controversial pay-per-view ending. Wouldn't be Impact without one, would it?
The show began with the above absolutely stunning cold open setting the stage for what was to come. So, let us get into it, without further ado here are the results, highlights and analysis.
#1 Rich Swann and The Mack vs. Matt Sydal and Ethan Page
Rich Swann has been plagued by Matt Sydal for weeks, with the latter trying to help the former discover his 'third eye'. As a result, many were expecting this to be a singles match, but for whatever reason, we ended up with Chandler Park returning as Ethan Page and Swann drafting in The Mack to have his back.
This was a fun opener to the show with Swann and The Mack's charismatic energy getting the crowd going early, admittedly at the expense of 'The Ego' Ethan Page and Matt Sydal who find themselves on the back-foot in the opening stages.
Page and Sydal inevitably swung the tide in the middle of the match, but it would be the team of Rich Swann and The Mack emerging as the victors with Swann picking up the win by pinning Sydal after a Phoenix Splash
Result: Rich Swann and The Mack Def. Matt Sydal and Ethan Page
There was an awesome spot just before the finish where Sydal hit Swann with a Hurricarana, launching Swann towards Page, Swann then hit Page with a Hurricarana. It was innovative and great.
We then saw a backstage clip showing Konnan who had been attacked backstage, he revealed that it was Eddie 'King' Kingston that had done it.
#2 Eli Drake's open challenge
Eli Drake's open challenge was officially labeled the 'Chris Jericho' spot the moment it was announced. However, Jericho would not make an appearance at Bound For Glory at all, much to the disappointment of many, especially after all of the teases.
But, who did answer Eli Drake's challenge?
That's right, it wasn't Chris Jericho, it wasn't even Big Cass or Bully Ray, it was James Ellsworth. Naturally, the live crowd, who definitely thought it would be Jericho were very unhappy with Ellsworth.
Drake said Ellsworth isn't from New York and Ellsworth told him that he used to date a girl from Staten Island and lived in her basement. Drake beat Ellsworth with two Gravy Trains
Result: Eli Drake Def. James Ellsworth
#3 Eli Drake Vs Abyss
But we're not done yet, Drake still wanted a fight, but instead got a match with Impact Wrestling's newest Hall of Famer Abyss. Abyss hit the Black Hole Slam and Chokeslammed Drake through a table.
Result: Abyss Def. Eli Drake
#4 Tessa Blanchard (c) Vs. Taya Valkyrie - Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship Match
Much was made of the possibility of both Taya Valkyrie and her husband Johnny Impact leaving Bound For Glory as their respective division's champions, but in order for that to happen Taya would have to overcome an extremely dominant looking Tessa Blanchard.
The match itself was actually fantastic with both women pulling out all of the stops, Taya Valkyrie kicked out of Blanchard's Buzzsaw DDT finishing move and Blanchard kicked out of Taya's finisher.
Unfortunately for Taya, she wasn't able to overcome Blanchard on this occasion, with the Knockouts Champion successfully defending her title when she nailed Valkyrie with the Magnum to pick up the win.
Result: Tessa Blanchard Def. Taya Valkyrie to retain the Knockouts Title
#5 Eddie Edwards Vs. Moose
This was Eddie Edwards' best chance to get revenge on his former friend for betraying him and aligning with Austin Aries and Killer Kross, but would the wiley Moose fight fair? Of course he wouldn't.
In fact, we'd barely get a match at all as Killer Kross emerged from the crowd within three minutes and choked Eddie Edwards from behind, this caused Eddie to win by DQ but left him susceptible to the beat down from Moose and Kross.
Result: Eddie Edwards Def. Moose by DQ
Things looked back for Eddie as he was attacked, but luckily a former friend came to his rescue. ECW legend Tommy Dreamer returned to Impact Wrestling to help Edwards with a Kendo Stick and laid waste to the heels.
#6 Eddie Edwards and Tommy Dreamer Vs. Moose and Killer Kross
Tommy Dreamer isn't done yet though because he announced that it would now be a tag-team match between himself and Eddie Edwards and Moose and Killer Kross.
It was a simple enough tag-team match with Eddie Edwards picking up the win by rolling up Moose after the latter attempted to hit with the Kendo Stick and missed.
Result: Eddie Edwards and Tommy Dreamer Def. Moose and Killer Kross
Moose and Killer Kross had the last laugh though as they beat the hell out of Eddie Edwards after the match and leveled him with a nasty looking apron Powerbomb.
#7 Lucha Bros (Fenix and Pentagon) and Brian Cage Vs. oVe - oVe Rules Match
Brian Cage is literally a machine and we know how good the Lucha Bros are, so seeing them take on oVe in a huge six-man tag was certainly an exciting prospect going into the match. And it definitely lived up to expectations.
The best way to summarise this match is just to post a bunch of highlights from it, because so much insane stuff happened. Obviously, you expect insane stuff with Pentagon and Fenix and you got it here!
The biggest shock of the night though was that oVe won, and it even gets bigger than that because they won by pinning the previously unpinned and undefeated Brian Cage with a huge Triple Team move followed by a Piledriver
Result: oVe Def. Pentagon, Fenix and Brian Cage
#8 LAX (Konnan, Santana and Ortiz) Def. OGz (King, Homicide and Hernandez) - Concrete Jungle Death Match
This storyline has had one of the best builds for a feud this year and this payoff match looked to be brutal with a Concrete Jungle Death Match having no ring-mat and no turnbuckle pads, meaning these two teams would go to war with exposed wooden boards and metal posts.
It started out as a handicap match with Santana and Ortiz after Konnan was attacked earlier in the night. The match started with LAX struggling with the numbers game and King, Homicide and Hernandez controlling things throughout
The tides were turned though when Konnan triumphantly made it out to join the match and the legend took out Homicide and Hernandez with a Flapjack. This allowed LAX to gain control of King and finish things with the Street Sweeper.
Result: LAX Def. OGz
#9 Allie goes to the undead realm
I thought this was going to be a pre-recorded thing just like 'Ultimate Deletion' or WWE's 'House of Horror' match with Bray Wyatt, but I was not prepared for how nuts Allie going to the undead realm would be.
Allie entered the undead realm through the coffin and met Father James Mitchell who told her the rules. She wasted no time in actually hatcheting undead bridesmaids to death, complete with blood spatter and everything.
Allie touched her souls hand despite being told not to before finding Kiera Hogan, however, she's attacked by Su Yung who stalks her and even managed to Mandible Claw Allie to unconsciousness. However, Allie buried an axe in Su Yung's neck before the Undead Bride could kill her. (I know it's insane)
Allie and Hogan try to leave but are trapped, with the undead slowly surrounding them. Things look bad but the pair is then amazingly saved by Rosemary who holds off the horde allowing Allie and Hogan back into the realm of the living.
#10 Johnny Impact Vs. Austin Aries (c) - Impact World Heavyweight Title
This wasn't a match I was particularly invested in for quite some time, and them Impact went and pulled the stunt at the Hall of Fame Ceremony and successfully blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality with Impact's anger at Austin Aries' twitter comments directed at his wife.
The two put on a great match that will be overshadowed by the ending, real or not. For starters, we got the answer to the question 'why are the ring barriers so close to the ring'. Because Johnny Impact guys, because Johnny Impact.
There's a lot of stiffness from both men in this match, with Aries antagonizing Taya at ringside as much as he can and both men trading vicious blows. Things escalate towards a top rope Spanish Fly.
The pair trade near falls with rope-break spots breaking up the pins and then Aries accidentally hit Taya with a suicide dive. This angered and drove Impact to finish the match and win with Starship Pain to become the new champion.
Result
After the match, Aries immediately got up, no selling the finishing move, shouted something, flipped everybody off and walked out, leaving everyone at ringside confused. It's unclear if this was a work or a shoot.
