Impact Wrestling Results – January 25, 2018

Impact Wrestling Results – January 25, 2018

It’s Genesis 2018, and we open the show with a video package hyping tonight’s top matches before going to Ottawa for our opening match…

Grand Championship Match: Ethan Carter III vs Matt Sydal

So this is a title match, but under normal rules, which kind of defeats the purpose of having this title.  Sydal goes rightafter EC3, who bails to the floor to create some space.  Sydal goes right out after him, so EC3 bails into the ring where Sydal catches him with a flying headscissors and a basement dropkick.  Sydal with a charging double kneestrike in the corner and covers for 2.  EC3 plows over Sydal with a hard clothesline for 2, then unloads with a series of hard chops in the corner.  EC3 with a snap suplex for 2.  Sydal sweeps the legs and goes for a standing moonsault, but EC3 gets the knees up, then makes a choking motion to Sydal as he pulls himself up in the corner.  EC3 whips Sydal hard into the corner, but Sydal ducks a wild swing and fires off a flurry of kicks.  EC3 goes down, Sydal hits the standing moonsault for 2.  Sydal comes off the top with Meteora for 2.  Sydal goes up for a top rope Frankensteiner, but EC3 slips out under him and drops him on the top turnbuckle in a nasty bump as we go to commercial.

We’re back as EC3 hits an Ace Crusher for 2.  EC3 charges right into a leg lariat that sends him to the floor, then Sydal takes him out with a baseball slide.  EC3 with a spike DDT on the apron as they climb back into the ring, then he goes for a powerbomb, but Sydal reverses to a Frankensteiner.  Sydal with a leaping kneestrike, then he goes up top for the Sydal Press, but EC3 moves.  EC3 hiptosses Sydal into the corner, hits the 1%…but he doesn’t go for the cover.  Sydal rolls out to the floor as EC3 makes more choking gestures at him, then he pulls Sydal up into the ring by the hair to go for the TK3.  He takes his time walking around the ring, then climbs to the second rope, but Sydal slips out into a sunset bomb, then heads up top and hits the Sydal Press for the win.

Winner and NEW Grand Champion: Matt Sydal

Great match, though it’s a little bit of a bummer to see EC3 going down like this on his way out of the company.  Not a knock on Sydal, he’s one of the best out there right now, but EC3 was THE guy in this company before they put him on the back burner after the Anthem buyout.  He didn’t leave like the Hardys, the Bennetts, and Drew Galloway, but they sure treated him like he did.  Hope he’s on to bigger and better things given some of what we’ve heard about places he’s been spotted.

We see still of last week’s barbed wire match they baited and switched us on, then showed the participants in tonight’s Global Title match getting ready backstage.

Knockouts Title Match: Laurel Van Ness vs Allie

They tie up very vigorously, so vigorously in fact that they roll out of the ring and around ringside while still tied up.  They finally release the tie up and Allie destroys Laurel with a series of clotheslines and covers for 2.  Laurel rolls to the floor to avoid a superkick, but Allie comes up from behind with a springboard forearm off the steps.  Laurel catches Allie with a boot to the face as we go to commercial.

We’er back, and Laurel is putting the boots to Allie in the corner.  Laurel with a hanging DDT for 2, then tries another cover for another 2.  Double clothesline wipes both girls out, but Allie is up and starts her babyface comeback.  She dropkicks Laurel’s face into the corner, then drags her across the ring to snap suplex her into the opposite corner for 2.  Allie tries a monkey flip, but Laurel catches her and slams her into the corner.  Allie comes right back with a Codebreaker for 2.  Allie puts her head down and takes a curb stomp for 2, Allie shoves Laurel off when she goes for the Unprettier, and hits a dropkick for 2.  The ref gets knocked over by an errant bump from Allie, and Laurel knocks her out with the belt and covers for the win.

Winner: Laurel Van Ness

Good match, I’m gonna miss Laurel too.  She’s been a great character.

We see Bobby Lashley and Moose backstage getting ready for their match tonight as we go to commercial.

Video package hyping Bobby Lashley vs Moose, then we head to the ring for…

Bobby Lashley vs Moose

Lashley takes his time getting in the ring, then does and goes right back out to the floor.  He has Dan Lambert and KM in his corner, by the way.  Back in and he takes Moose down with a double leg, then unloads right hands into Moose’s skull.  Lashley unloads with right hands in the corner, then elbowstrikes.  Moose fires back and has Lashley reeling with chops, but Lashley quickly recovers and rams shoulderblocks into Moose’s midsection in the corner.  Moose fires right back with more chops, then runs up the corner and wipes Lashley out with a crossbody.  KM grabs Moose’s ankle from the floor, allowing Lashley to take him out with a clothesline.  Lashley goes out to the floor and gets in KM’s face, telling him to stay out of his match as we go to commercial.

We’re back as Lashley hits a hanging neckbreaker for 2.  They go to the floor where Lashley rams Moose’s back into the apron several times, then rolls him back into the ring and starts attacking the hand and arm.  Lashley goes to the second rope, but Moose dropkicks him to the floor.  Moose unloads on Lashley on the floor, then brings him back in and hits a charging splash in the corner, followed by a delayed dropkick.  Lashley goes back to the second rope, but Moose grabs him and hits a spinning Sky High for 2.  Lashley hits a FLYING HEADSCISSORS (WHAT?!?!) and then spears Moose, but Moose gets his foot on the bottom rope at 2.  Lashley goes for a powerslam, but KM gets up on the apron and tells him to use a table.  Moose slips out of his grip and hits a clothesline for 2, then the Gamechanger finishes it.

Winner: Moose

Moose FINALLY gets his big win over Lashley, then he goes after Dan Lambert, but Lashley drags him to the floor before Moose can get his hands on him.  That doesn’t seem to move Lambert, who chews Lashley out for losing and shoves him.  KM tries to get between them, but Lashley shoves him off and spears him.  Lashley then tosses Lambert into the ring where Moose knocks his lights out with a bicycle kick.  Moose sets up a table in the corner, then Lashley comes into the ring and spears Lambert through it.  I think Dan Lambert died twice there.  Oh, here comes the bandaged up manager guy, and I think I know what’s coming next.  Lashley grabs him and cocks his fist back, but doesn’t do anything to him.  Instead, he lets him go so Moose can spear him into next week.  Moose and Lashley shake hands, and Lashley raises Moose’s hand in victory.

The cage is being set up in the arena as we go to Taiji Ishimori defending the X Division Title against Andrew Everett in Pro Wrestling NOAH.  Match is clipped to the last few minutes, and Ishimori wins after hitting a 450 splash.

And with that, it’s…MAIN EVENT TIME!

Six Sides Of Steel/Global World Title Match: Eli Drake vs Alberto El Patron vs Johnny Impact

We start off with all three guys fighting one another before Eli and Alberto create an uneasy alliance…that lasts about three seconds before they trade shots and both try to climb out at the same time.  Impact drags them both down and ping pongs both men back and forth into the cage walls.  Impact tries to climb out, but Alberto pulls him down and he lands face first on the top rope.  Alberto with a lungblower on Eli for 2.  Alberto hangs Impact in the Tree of Joey Lawrence and tries coming off the cage with the double stomp, but Impact moves out of the way, then Eli grabs Impact and hits a bodybag as we go to commercial.

We’re back as all three men trade blows in the middle of the ring until Eli drops to his knees and cracks both men in the ding ding.  Drake goes on a rampage dishing out offensive maneuvers to both men, but then Impact freestyle walks off the cage and wipes Drake out, and now it’s his turn to rampage.  He tries to climb out, but Alberto drags him down and hits a climbing enziguiri in the corner for 2.  Alberto gets his rampage in, then winds up duking it out with Impact on the top rope.  Impact gets knocked down, conveniently right into the Tree of Woe.  NOW Alberto connects with the double stomp and then gets Drake in the cross armbreaker.  Impact pulls himself up and breaks that up with an elbowdrop as all three men are down.  All three get up, all three climb the same corner, and all three fight it out until Alberto and Drake both get knocked down, and Impact COULD drop down and get the win, but who wants to be the World Champion, right  He climbs back up and takes both opponents out with a crossbody, but doesn’t have the wherewithal to make a cover.  Alberto is somehow the first one up, but Eli is second and hits Alberto with the Gravy Train for 2.  Alberto tries to escape through the door, but Chris Adonis slams the cage door on his head.  In the meantime, Drake and Impact both climb over the cage and Impact drops down, but Adonis catches him so Eli can hit the floor first.

Winner: Eli Drake

Clever finish to a great main event!  Eli now will not ever have to defend against either man again as long as he’s the champion.

Credit: PWinsider.com