Impact Wrestling 7.19 Review: The Mash-Up Tournament

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Impact Wrestling 7.19 Review: The Mash-Up Tournament

Post by cero2k » Jul 19th, '19, 22:43

Impact Wrestling
July 19, 2019
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Josh Mathews and Don Callis introduced the show presenting the logistics of the Mash-Up Tournament. It is technically a tournament of Parejas Increibles like in CMLL, pitting two wrestlers currently on a feud, and teams them together in this tag team tournament. Winning team fight each other to earn a World Title shot.

Sami Callihan cut a promo talking about his match with Tessa at Slammiversary and what the Mash-Up team will be. Tessa then said that she is the team captain and Callihan just needs to follow in her lead.

First Round
Moose & Eddie Edwards vs Rohit Raju & Cody Deaner (w/Raj Singh & Cousin Jake) - 6/10
Ok match, nothing special. Story was that Eddie and Moose, having teamed before, worked well together, and Rohit and Cody, currently hating each other, kept getting in each other's toes, ending with Moose taking out Cody and Eddie winning with the BKP on Rohit.

Post-match - The Deaners and the Desi Hit Squad brawled with the latter getting the upper hand in this feud as they took out Cody Deaner out.

Ace Austin Interview - Jimmy Jacobs interviewed Ace Austin and Aiden Prince. Aiden tried to answer the question about their match tonight, but Ace just cut him off and talked down to him. Ace said he didn’t even need Aiden there, so Aiden took off leaving Ace without a partner for tonight.

We got a commercial for Impact’s California tour at the end of the summer for two specials and TV tapings.

We got a video about women’s wrestling, narrated by Tessa saying that they will break barriers and continue to make history. This was really awesome.

First Round
Zachary Wentz & Jake Crist vs Rich Swann & Madman Fulton - 5/10, but a good segment
Forcing enemies to team with each other, and now forcing a team to fight each other too as Crist takes on Fulton. Before the match started, Swann slapped Fulton to motivate him just like Callihan does.

oVe pretended to be doing this well, but later on revealed their master plan. After what was being a good match, Swann was the babyface in peril, Swann fought off Jake Crist with an Os Cutter, and this time he was about to tag Fulton, but the big man just got in the ring, took out Wentz, turned on Swann, hit a couple of One-handed Chokeslams before setting him up for Jake Crist to pin after a Fisherman’s Buster. Wentz and Crist advance, and I take it, Jake earns a shot at the X-Division championship too. Good action if nothing else. (oVe reveal the plan later in the show)

Ace Austin finds a partner - Backstage, Ace Austin asked Madison Rayne to be his partner using magic tricks. Rayne rejected him, calling him a court jester. Considering that she doesn’t have a shot at the title, she should have considered. Adventure Man Stone Rockwell jumped in and took the spot.

First Round
Michael Elgin & Willie Mack vs Stone Rockwell & Ace Austin - Squash
Ace started and had a good showing against both Elgin and Mack, getting some nice kicks in here and there, but once Rockwell came in, that was it. Rockwell got a suplex on Elgin, but distracted himself playing to the crowd, allowing Elgin to regain himself, hit the Buckle Bomb and Elgin Bomb combo for the win. This was pretty much a squash.

oVe Video Promo - oVe cut a promo backstage saying they had plans for tonight with a series of ‘Fingerpoke of Doom’ all the way to the finals where he’d take care of Tessa again and finally get his title shot.

Taya Valkyrie Interview - Jacobs interviewed Taya Valkyrie about their 3-way match tonight. Taya said that tonight’s match, he wouldn't be putting the title on the line. Jacobs asked about Johnny, but Bravo said they’re not married yet.

First Round
Tessa Blanchard & Sami Callihan vs Dave Crist & Trey Miguel - 7/10
Trey Miguel is cosplaying as Sami Callihan. Tessa came off as a superstar tonight after her match at Slammivesary. Even before the match, Tessa and Sami are showing a lot of miscommunication, but it doesn’t matter because Sami has a plan.

Sami and Dave started the match with Callihan going straight for the Finger Poke of Doom, but Trey broke the pin! They probably didn't think about that one.

The match was fun, it was a lot of Sami and Tessa arguing with each other and building to both of them getting more and more on each other's toes, but on a positive way. Finish saw Trey, who cosplayed as Callihan all match, went for the Cactus Special, but Tessa reversed to a roll up for a two count. Tessa spiked Trey with a Tilt-a-whirl DDT, getting the opening to tag in Sami, who took some kicks by Trey, but reversed the Cactus Special. Tessa hit Magnum and Sami the Cactus Special to pick up the win. Really good and fun match.

Finals is a 4-way elimination match with all the winning teams.

Impact Plus Moment of the Week - It was oVe vs Tommy Dreamer, Eddie Edwards, & Moose in a street fight from Redemption.

Havok vs Taya Valkyrie (w/Johnny Bravo) vs Madison Rayne - 6.5/10
Match was ok. A lot of the match was Rayne and Taya working together against Havok, but it also made Taya look strong by having her take on both women separately in a dominant way. Rayne came in and out of the match looking good for the most part. Finish saw Havok about to take out Taya, but Bravo saved her and took her away. In the ring, Havok killed Rayne instead for the win. I take it Havok vs Taya will be built towards Unbreakable if not Bound for Glory.

Michael Elgin Interview - Jacobs interviewed Michael Elgin backstage. Elgin said that it was perfect that once he wins the tournament tonight, he beats Mack at Unbreakable. He also talked about his upcoming non-title match with Cage.

Mash-Up Tournament Finals to earn a No. 1 Contender’s Match for the World title
Tessa Blanchard & Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards & Moose vs Micheal Elgin & Willie Mack vs Zachary Wentz & Jake Crist - 7.5/10
Two parts of this match. First, we had all four teams working to steal tags and all. Sami and Tessa kept arguing with each other. Elgin kept being a dick. Match eventually spilled outside where some dives took place, but it led to Elgin getting his hands alone on Eddie, who he hit with a Backfist, Buckle Bomb, and Elgin Bomb to eliminate. I NEED a Japanese match between Elgin and Edwards ASAP!

Next elimination came when Elgin walked out on Mack, leaving him for Sami to pin with the Cactus Special. Before anyone argues, Elgin has a match with Cage next week where he can earn a title shot already. It's understandable he is cocky enough to think he doesn't need to win tonight.

We now find ourselves in the same situation as before, but Tessa and Callihan actually acted like a team this time around and got into a kick fight with Wentz and Crist, the latter earning a two count on Tessa after a spinning kick, but Callihan broke it up. Sami and Jake got face to face, they went for the Fingerpoke of Doom, but Jake tried to roll up Sami instead for a two count. They fought and superkicked each other ending with Callihan hitting the Cactus Special, followed by Magnum from Tessa for the win.

Tessa Blanchard vs Sami Callihan II at Unbreakable for the No. 1 Contendership for the World Title.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was an interesting show, it was self contained, and while it’s not following the fallout of Slammiversary, the title contention on the line between Tessa and Callihan is a big story development that surely builds all the way to Bound for Glory. The wrestling was good, with some good fun tag matches.
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