Impact Wrestling aired their second show from the Mexico City tapings held earlier this month. Two more episodes from Mexico City will air before Impact travels to New York City for Bound For Glory.
Here are 8 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 9/27.
Impact Wrestling 9/27
Taya Valkyrie Challenges Tessa Blanchard For Bound For Glory
After Tessa Blanchard defeated Faby Apache to open the show last night, she cut a promo saying she’d run through the entire Knockouts division. Taya Valkyrie then appeared on the big screen and explained to Blanchard that she had never beaten her. The match was then made official for Bound For Glory.
The Lucha Brothers Kidnapped Dave Crist
Brian Cage defeated Jake Crist
Brian Cage defeated Jake Crist in single’s action last night. Following the victory, however, he was jumped by Callihan and Dave Crist. Not long after this started, however, the lights went out and when they came back on, Dave Crist was gone.
A video on the big screen showed Pentagon and Fenix with an already tied up Crist brother. The brothers beat him up and gave him a double super-kick. Then back in the ring, Cage delivered a double clothesline to the two remaining guys from Ohio.
Moose Pinned Eddie Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHJ46Ng1-us&t=5s
Moose & Killer Kross defeated Eddie Edwards & Johnny Impact
Moose and Killer Kross picked up the win in last night’s main event. With all four men down in the closing moments of the match, Austin Aries attempted to interfere but was thwarted by Johnny Impact. Unfortunately, the distraction allowed Kross to hit him with a Saito suplex, taking Impact out of the match. Moose then delivered a spear to Eddie Edwards and picked up the win.
The OGZ Burned Konnan’s Mask
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-z6zqW0wdQ
LAX defeated the Desi Hit Squad
LAX defeated Great Gama Singh’s Desi Hit Squad in a non-title match this week. After the match, however, King again tried to goad Konnan and LAX to break the ceasefire. This time King cut a promo saying of all the myths and legends of Mexican wrestling, Konnan was one of the biggest myths. They then burned his mask in the back.
Scarlett Bordeaux Is Holding A Global Talent Search
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ROhzc5MXVk
Scarlett Bordeaux announced she is holding a Global Talent Search for someone she can dedicate her full attention to. Bordeaux mentioned the success KM and Fallah Bah have had since enlisting her help as reasons why wrestlers from other the world should be crawling over one another to have Bordeaux on their side.
Kiera Hogan Pinned Su Yung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHJ46Ng1-us
Kiera Hogan & Allie defeated Su Yung & Undead Bridesmaid
Kiera Hogan pinned former Knockouts Champion, Su Yung, with a spinning fisher-suplex. It’s arguably the biggest win of Hogan’s Impact career thus far. The win moves Hogan’s winning streak to 5 matches. Allie and Kiera Hogan are now 3-0 as a team and Hogan has defeated Alisha Edwards and KC Spinelli (ONO show) recently as well.
Shortly after this match, Impact announced Su Yung and Kiera Hogan will clash in single’s action next week.
Joe Hendry Has To Worry About MURDER Clown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB5qvVXcQxE
Katarina ran into Joe Hendry and Grado in the back. It appears Katarina is looking for revenge against the two. She announced she’d enlisted the help of Murder Clown, one of the murderous clown faction which also includes Psycho Clown and Monster Clown. Henry will have to take on Murder Clown next week.
Last night on Impact Wrestling, Taya Valkyrie returned after a short hiatus from the promotion. Fittingly, last night’s episode emanated from Mexico City, where Taya has been building a large following since debuting there in 2012.
Knockouts Champion, Tessa Blanchard, had just finished off Valkyrie’s old rival, Faby Apache, when she cut a promo saying she had gone through the entire Knockouts division. Valkyrie appeared on the big screen wearing a “Perros Del Mal” T-shirt, a nod to her longtime faction.
Valkyrie explained that Blanchard couldn’t say she’d gone through the entire division when she hadn’t yet beaten her. She then challenged the champ to a title match at Bound For Glory.
Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Taya Valkyrie – Bound For Glory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxmRms-qybw
Newlyweds, Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie, both have title shots at Impact’s October 14th PPV from New York City. Johnny will take on Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship.
In 2018, the Knockouts division has arguably been the most talked about in the promotion. Blanchard’s performances on Impact Wrestling shows are often the most talked about matches. Valkyrie will be the tough test for Blanchard, who has already successfully defended her title against Su Yung, Gisele Shaw, and now Faby Apache. Blanchard defeated Allie, Rebel, Kiera Hogan, and Alisha Edwards in single’s action before winning the Knockouts title.
Taya Valkyrie has cleared up her status with IMPACT Wrestling.
The near-10 year veteran has worked for promotions such as WWE, AAA, Lucha Underground and IMPACT. The 36-year-old Canadian, and wife of former WWE Intercontinental Champion John Morrison, recently spoke to Interactive Wrestling Radio.
She discussed her current status with IMPACT Wrestling and revealed she’s still working with the promotion:
“I’m still working with Impact. There’s nothing wrong or whatever. It just is the way that it is right now. I look forward to getting back there very shortly and continuing to do some great work with them.”
Valkyrie also put over the IMPACT Knockouts division, saying the roster is made up of some of the best wrestlers she has ever worked with:
“The female locker room, the Knockouts division, are some of the best female wrestlers I’ve ever encountered. I’m just really honored to be working with them.
“I’m just doing what I’m doing right now which is promoting Lucha Underground and all the projects I’m involved in. So, don’t you worry! I will be back in the Impact Zone! (laughs)”
Lucha Underground Star Taya Valkyrie who made her Impact Wrestling debut last month was recently interviewed by Wrestling Epicenter where she talked about a number of Wrestling related topics. Below are the highlights from her interview:
On her debut with Impact Wrestling:
“This is only the beginning! It’s been amazing! It is so different from what I’m used to like being in AAA and Lucha Underground, but that’s what is exciting! I try to always evolve as a wrestler and a performer and as a character. I just think this was a natural progression and next natural step in my career.”
How Impact is different from AAA or Lucha Underground:
“[Laughs] Everything about it is different! It is a totally different roster, obviously, so I’m facing women I’ve never faced before who all wrestle in different styles. I’m Canadian, but I also spent 5 years of my life in Mexico in AAA. It’s just so different. The speed is different. We’re wrestling to the left instead of the right. The ring is different. The fans are completely different! But, it’s cool! It’s a challenge just like anything, but, you know, I’ve started at the bottom and came up from there always. I’ve always had these challenges throughout my career and different barriers I have to break through and create a name for myself. This is just one more opportunity to do so!”
On the infamous Sexy Star shoot incident:
“I was just so disappointed. I was in LA watching, I was not in Mexico, even though some people try to say that I was. I was just so disappointed in the whole situation because I consider myself to be the face … Heavily involved within the Lucha Libre world. It was really sad for me to watch. I don’t think I really want to say too much about it because I think it has been talked about enough. Some people just don’t deserve that attention, but I just think that everyone’s true colors show in the end.”
Apart from this, Taya also talked about her boyfriend Johnny Impact and how she is on her own at Impact.
Global Force Wrestling and Lucha Underground star Taya Valkyrie was the latest guest on Ring Rust Radio.
Topics discussed include her recent Impact Wrestling debut, the possibility of working with Johnny Impact in GFW, her elaborate ring entrance, GFW’s Women’s division, attending the finals of the Mae Young Classic tournament, the Sexy Star / Rosemary incident from AAA TripleMania XXV and the future of Lucha Underground.
Here are the highlights from the interview sent in by Donald Wood:
Ring Rust Radio: On the September 7th episode of Impact Wrestling, you made your GFW debut with a grand entrance and an attack on Rosemary. What ultimately went into your decision to sign with GFW and what was the signing process like?
Taya Valkyrie: I’m constantly trying to expand where I am wrestling and who I am wrestling and looking for the best female wrestlers everywhere, you know what I mean? Karen and Jeff had known me for about five years and they would come down to Mexico and work with AAA all the time. Karen and I would laugh about me coming to work with her and do her projects with her and stuff, but I just couldn’t. It was really an exciting thing to be asked to be a part of it. I am really happy and excited to see what happens. It’s a different opportunity, it’s a different demographic than the lucha libre crowd and I get to wrestle some girls that I’ve never worked with before. It’s a new challenge for me so I’m very excited.
Ring Rust Radio: You and Johnny have worked great together in Lucha Underground as part of Worldwide Underground, and now that you’re both in GFW there’s inevitably going to be questions about whether you’ll team up there as well. What’s your personal preference between either keeping that alliance alive in GFW or both of you just doing your own thing?
Taya Valkyrie: Throughout my entire career, I’ve always been part of factions. In Lucha Underground, I’m part of the Worldwide Underground. With this opportunity at GFW, I get to stand on my own. It’s exciting and it’s something I haven’t done before. You never know what the future will hold, and I’m so happy the way Johnny Impact is doing what he’s doing on his end in GFW. I’m excited to see and show that I can be on my own and hold my own by myself. So, it’s different and challenging. You never know what the future will hold as far as John and I working together or in a group, but for now I’m really excited for Taya Valkyrie and proving that I can do it about myself.
Ring Rust Radio: Your GFW debut featured an incredible entrance. What went into setting that up and what type of creative input or freedom do you currently have or think you’ll have moving forward at GFW?
Taya Valkyrie: Taya as a character I just find her to be another side of myself and it’s really cool to now have Taya Valkyrie in GFW be so different than Taya in Lucha Underground every week. I was the longest reigning Reina de Reinas champion and that’s where the Queen stuff comes from because Reina de Reinas means Queen of Queens. I’m of Norwegian background and the Taya Valkyrie you are seeing now is this dominant force, goddess, queen, bitch if you want put it any other words. This Taya is coming to dominate. Creatively, I always come with my own ideas and everyone is super open to my ideas and everything I have come up with so far so hopefully it keeps going that way.
Ring Rust Radio: You enter a GFW women’s division stacked with stars like Gail Kim, Rosemary, Sienna, Allie and more. Who are you most looking forward to squaring off against and what are your ultimate goals in GFW?
Taya Valkyrie: Obviously, my ultimate goal is to be the Knockouts champion, who doesn’t want that, you know what I mean? Right now, I’m just going to pick them off one by one and prove why I am there. I am going to prove my worth, demonstrate and show to everybody in the American public and the world stage which is the stage of GFW Impact, that I deserve to be there and why I am the longest reigning Queen of Queens champion. I am going to show them why I was given all these opportunities and show the knowledge that I’ve gained through the wrestling career that I’ve had.
Ring Rust Radio: There’s been so much buzz surrounding women’s wrestling in recent years, and one thing that really seems to be taking the wrestling world by storm currently is the Mae Young Classic. What are your impressions of the tournament if you’ve been following, and what kind of impact do you think it can have on women’s wrestling globally?
Taya Valkyrie: I was actually at the final last night here in Las Vegas. Anything that promotes women’s wrestling to me is a positive thing and I know so many girls and women that were in the tournament who are friends of mine. I follow their careers and for me I’m just so proud of being part of a movement that’s happening right now. I’m coming from a different side of it with the lucha libre world and stuff, but I’m just really excited to see what happens. Women, we main event now, we are not the arm candy. We are the ones breaking down barriers, breaking the rules, and I think the Mae Young Classic is just another part of that. I’m just happy that more eyeballs and people are seeing what women’s wrestling is and taking it seriously and not viewing it as a joke.
Ring Rust Radio: GFW, WWE and Lucha Underground are really leading the charge for women’s wrestling in the mainstream. What do you make of the way these companies promote their women wrestlers and what do you think yourself and the other women need to do to receive more main-event opportunities?
Taya Valkyrie: I just think we need to just keep doing what we’re doing and chipping away at it. I think we’re doing the right thing right now and we are proving it in the ring every single time. You’re seeing it at different indie shows and Lucha Underground and Impact and WWE. Given the opportunities that women have on these different rosters, we take it and we go with it. I just think we need to keep doing what we’re doing: working, training hard and making people that aren’t believers into believers. Slowly but surely we are proving it and that’s the most important thing to me.
Ring Rust Radio: One major topic of conversation in recent weeks has been the incident between Sexy Star and Rosemary. As a AAA veteran and someone who worked with both Sexy Star and Rosemary, what are your thoughts on the situation and how it was handled?
Taya Valkyrie: I don’t want to go too much into it because honestly, I don’t want to give more attention to something or someone that doesn’t need it. Rosemary is the nicest, most professional woman, and a fellow Canadian. Obviously, I had the privilege and continued privilege to work with her. I was so embarrassed and disappointed watching that match on a whole, not just the finish but the whole thing. I consider myself as an international woman and a face of what women’s wrestling is in AAA, and I just feel so embarrassed and I think basically that’s all I can say about it. It was so ridiculous to me, uncalled for and unprofessional. I was so disappointed and I continue to be disappointed by it. I just feel like it happened but it’ll never happen again. I hope to God it never happens again. I experienced similar situations in my five years being in AAA with different female wrestlers there in the Indies throughout Mexico because I am Canadian, I look different, it’s crazy to me, but it still exists. There are still people that are just out for themselves. It is what it is, but I’m so happy that Rosemary is doing better because I can’t wait to kick her ass.
Ring Rust Radio: There continues to be a lot of interest and support for Lucha Underground, especially with Ultima Lucha coming up soon, but I think there’s some concern from fans about whether a fourth season is going to happen. What would you like to see happen with Lucha Underground moving forward, and what’s your expectation with regard to whether there will be a fourth season?
Taya Valkyrie: Lucha Underground changed my life. As I mentioned in Jericho’s podcast, that is where I finally branched out to wrestling in the states, I met my fiancé there and it really changed my life. So, for me obviously I want to see a Season 4. We have so much fun when we are filming and the creative team, the entire roster we just create magic during those tapings. I just want to do it again, who doesn’t? So hopefully the fans keep watching it and supporting it and let’s hope to the Lucha Gods we get to do a Season 4. So far, we don’t really know what’s going on exactly but I’m really, really positive that with something as special as Lucha Underground we will be able to do it again. I am very confident, but I honestly don’t know. I still don’t know, but I just have faith. I always try to look at the shiny side of the whole situation and find something good in it. Yeah, we haven’t filmed in like 15 months or something, but I love creating that product. It’s so different from GFW and WWE. It something new and exciting and I get to be two characters. I am still under the name Taya obviously, but I truly believe that Lucha Underground and GFW are so different and I get to be a part of both. So, we will see what happens moving forward and hopefully Season 4 happens sooner rather than later.
Global Force Wrestling released a video on Wednesday teasing the upcoming debut of Taya Valkyrie.
Valkyrie was signed to a WWE developmental deal back in 2011 but never appeared on television. She competes for Lucha Underground and worked for Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA promotion until earlier this year, when she had a falling out with the company last month.