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Impact Wrestling put on a low-key great show during WrestleMania weekend with their Impact vs Lucha Underground event. Now they looked to do it again with their first pay-per-view in the new era of Impact Wrestling, the aptly named Redemption.
Matches advertised for the show including Impact World Champion Austin Aries defending his title against Lucha Underground stars Pentagon Jr and Fenix, LAX putting their tag-team titles on the line against Eli Drake and Scott Steiner and Allie taking on Su Yung for the Knockouts Championship.
So, without further ado, here are the results and recap for the show!
Read More: Impact Wrestling debut new championships before Redemption PPV
Aerostar Vs. Drago
The show kicked off and we have Josh Matthews and Don Callis on commentary which was a pretty good commentary team throughout the show.
In an interesting twist, however, the first match of Impact Wrestling's pay-per-view was between two Lucha Underground Superstars, but what a way to kick of the show with a messy, high-flying and exciting affair between Aerostar and Drago.
The match two men traded pins and felt each other out before the high-flying action began. However, one of the more notable spots from the match was this Springboard Reverse Cannonball that surely must have hurt.
The finish came when Drago hit Aerostar with a Powerbomb and then went for a second, only for Aerostar to counter it into a Springboard Cutter, followed by a Codebreaker for the pin.
Result: Aerostar Def. Drago
LAX Vs. Eli Drake and Scott Steiner - Impact Tag Team Title Match
LAX were great at Impact vs Lucha Underground but how would they fare against the unconventional team of Eli Drake and 'Big Poppa Pump' himself Scott Steiner, as they looked to retain their tag-team titles?
Well, their night got off to a bad start as there was a backstage segment of LAX in their base wondering where Konnan is. They get a phone call from someone who says they've taken Konnan out, so the pair of Ortiz and Santana will have to defend their titles without him.
The match started and LAX were incredibly over, with loud 'LAX' chants. We then get classic tag-team action with LAX getting quick tags to work over Drake, and Drake and Steiner employing heel tactics to beat on LAX. However, none of this matters as Scott Steiner, at the age of 55, hit a top rope Frankensteiner!!
Steiner attempted the Steiner Recliner after this Frankensteiner but Ortiz prevented it. Drake then took Ortiz out with a Top-Rope Springboard Moonsault but got Superkicked afterward for his trouble. LAX regained control but Santana made a decision to go over Steiner on the outside rather than Drake in the ring. This allowed legal-man Drake to hit Gravy Train on Ortiz to pick up the win and the tag-team titles.
Result: Eli Drake and Scott Steiner Def. LAX to become new Impact Wrestling Tag-Team Champions.
Taiji Ishimori Vs. Desmond Xavier Vs. El Hijo Del Fantasma Vs. Brian Cage Vs. DJZ Vs. Trever Lee
Anyone paying attention to Brian Cage's booking so far on Impact Wrestling should have already known how this one was going to end. Which is somewhat of a shame given that the other five guys are essentially Impact's X-Division and they were used to propel Cage forward.
Anyway, onto the match. There are only two men in the ring at any given time, with a new competitor entering if someone leaves the ring. The beginning of the match basically saw the X-Division guys trading blows with the crowd impatiently waiting for Brian Cage to enter. They weren't disappointed when he did because he did stuff like this. (Sure, he slipped doing a Moonsault and had to do it again, but don't we all?)
Scrappy finish with several different guys getting near falls, including Trevor Lee, almost getting a surprise 3-count on Cage. Fantasma nailed Xavier with the Arrow from the Depth of Hell and tries to get a pin but DJZ broke it up, Trever Lee Double Stomped DJZ but Cage Discus Clotheslined him before he could capitalize. Cage then planted Xavier with the Drill Claw for the win
Result: Brian Cage Def. El Hijo Del Fantasma, Desmond Xavier, Taiji Ishimori, Trever Lee and DJZ
Taya Valkyrie Vs. Kiera Hogan
Kiera Hogan is one if Impact's newest talents (despite being signed to the company for well over a year previously to her debut) but can she get what would be considered an upset win over the dominant Taya Valkyrie?
Well, the short answer is no. The match is dominated by Taya who just hammered away at Hogan, getting all of the offense.
The brutality was broken up briefly by independent wrestling star and Mae Young Classic competitor Tessa Blanchard showing up to join the commentary team.
Hogan desperately tried to rally, but couldn't with Taya recovering everytime she got some offense in. Eventually, Valkyrie put Hogan away with the Road to Valhalla to put the plucky upstart down
Result: Taya Valkyrie Def. Kiera Hogan
We then get a funny backstage segment with Petey Williams and Scott Steiner where the pair talk about - you guessed it - math.
Matt Sydal Vs. Petey Williams - X-Division Championship Match
It has been a decade since Petey Williams last held the X-Division Championship but a Feast or Fired briefcase gave him the opportunity to take on X-Division Champion Matt Sydal for a chance to end that absence.
Predictably but excitingly the match started off quickly with the pair making multiple pin attempts on each other until Williams was able to gain the advantage with a Hurricarana into the corner and a Double Stomp.
Sydal got the upper hand shortly afterward however and started working on William's back with multiple kicks and eventually a standing Moonsault. The rest of the match revolved around Sydal countering the Canadian Destroyer, with Williams hitting it eventually.
However, that wasn't enough to put Sydal away. Williams attempted a Super Canadian Destroyer but Sydal held onto the ropes. Sydal went for a Shooting Star Press that Williams countered into another Canadian Destroyer attempt. But, Sydal countered that into a Small Package pin for the win.
Result: Matt Sydal Def. Petey Williams to retain the X-Division Championship.
Moose, Tommy Dreamer, and Eddie Edwards Vs oVe - House of Hardcore Match
Say what you want about Sami Callihan using his accidental almost blinding of Edwards to get over as a heel but the pair put on a great I Quit match at Impact vs Lucha Underground and this House of Hardcore match was also bundles of fun.
For example, Jake Crist tried to get the jump on the good guys early with an early attack but got caught by Moose and then Powerbombed onto the ring apron. This was the start of the match.
Dreamer then started hitting everyone with various weapons garnering 'ECW' chants from the Impact Wrestling crowd. However, Callihan soon regained control for his team with an Exploder Suplex onto Edwards through a steel chair.
Needless to say it all gets a bit nutty from here with a whole bunch of crazy stuff being done to people with various dangerous objects. Edwards ended up on his own in the ring and oVe triple-teamed him, but Moose and Dreamer returned to even the odds. Mainly by ploughing Dave into some thumb tacks with a Powerbomb.
The finish came when Callihan scratched Edwards' eyes and went to hit him with the baseball bat. Dreamer countered with a barbed wire baseball bat and smacked Callihan in the stomach and raked his face. Callihan managed to hit a low-blow on Dreamer for the 3-count.
Result: oVe Def. Tommy Dreamer, Moose and Eddie Edwards
The hardcore brutality didn't end there though as Edwards attacked Callihan post-match. Edwards busted Callihan's head open with the barbed wire baseball bat and then duck taped him to to the ring ropes, leaving him helpless. Eddie got a Kendo Stick and then swang away at a prone Callihan.
Multiple people including the referee, Tommy Dreamer, Jake and Dave Crist and even Alisha Edwards tried to stop him, but Edwards lost control and hit them all with the Kendo Stick too. Edwards only stopped when he realised he'd just blasted his wife with the stick.
Allie Vs. Su Yung - Knockouts Championship Match
Many fans were wearing bunny ears in support of Allie but that wasn't enough to help her start the match off well. That's because Braxton Sutter, who accompanied Su Yung to the ring made his presence felt, both right at the start when Allie was distracted by asking him to leave the ring which allowed Yung to get the jump on Allie at the start of the match and shortly afterwards when he knocked Allie into a Tree of Woe position.
Yung wailed on Allie until the champion was able to recover. Eventually Allie hit a huge Superkick and almost got the win but Sutter distracted the referee. Allie had finally had enough and levied Sutter with a huge blow which almost cost her the match with Yung attempting the Panic Switch. Allie managed to turn it into a rollup to retain the title.
Result: Allie Def. Su Yung W/. Braxton Sutter to retain the Knockouts Championship
We then get a post-match segment with Braxton Sutter trying to fix Su Yung being unhappy at losing by proposing to her. Naturally, this goes as well as his previous proposals to Laurel Van Ness and Allie and Su Yung spat mist in his face and attacked him with a Mandible Claw.
Austin Aries Vs. Pentagon Jr Vs. Fenix - Impact World Championship Match
Regardless of how you feel about Austin Aries, there's no denying that the wrestler's entrance where he carries as many title belts as possible is entertaining as hell!
Onto the match! All three men taunted each other to start things off. There's an early callback to the Double Superkick that took Aries out of the match in their Impact vs Lucha Underground Triple Threat match but he managed to evade it this time.
Aries then attempted Last Chancery on Pentagon but Fenix prevented it. Aries dumped Pentagon to the outside and got a near fall on Fenix. Aries ends up dumped to the outside and Fenix almost kills Pentagon with a Swanton.
The finish to this match was something else! Aries 450 Splash'd both men and then went for a Brainbuster but ended up on the receiving end of a Double Superkick this time. Pentagon Superkicked Fenix and then Package Piledrivered both wrestlers. Pentagon then put Aries down with the Pentagon Driver to become the new Impact Wrestling World Champion.
Result: Pentagon Jr Def. Fenix and Austin Aries to become new Impact Wrestling World Champion.
After the match Fenix and Pentagon Jr show mutual respect to each other as real-life rothers and embrace in the ring to celebrate Pentagon's new world title win!
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