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AUSTIN ARIES VS. JOHNNY IMPACT, CONCRETE JUNGLE MATCH AND MORE: COMPLETE IMPACT WRESTLING BOUND FOR GLORY COVERAGE FROM NYC

Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of the 2018 Impact Wrestling Bound for Glory PPV in Long Island City, Queens, NY!

Pre-Show Notes:

Among those visiting are Stokely Hathaway, Dan Maff, Steve Mack, John Silver and Alex Reynolds.

Legendary ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta is also visiting.

There are a number of representatives from the Pop Network here as well.

They are tossing out light-up Impact Wrestling pens to the audience.

The plan is to close the night with Austin Aries vs. Johnny Impact, which means the ring crew has a hell of a night ahead of themselves tearing down the ring for the Concrete Jungle match (which will be second from the top) and then setting it back up for the main.

The word making the rounds about Eli Drake's mystery opponent is that it's a former WWE talent.  I haven't seen anyone out of the ordinary yet.

IMPACT WRESTLING BOUND FOR GLORY 2018 COVERAGE

The show opened with a great opening video narrated by LAX. 

Willie Mack  & Rich Swann vs. Ethan Page & Matt Sydal

The crowd chanted "Return of the Mack.:"  Everyone jawjacked at the bell.  Swann dropkicked Sydal and Page.  Sydal told Swann he wasn't scared of Mack.  Mack tagged in.  Mack and Sydal squared off and had some nice and forth action.  Mack did a handstand on the top turnbuckle to mock Sydal, then caught him with a great clothesline.  Swann tagged in, as did Page.  The crowd booed the heck out of Page.  

Swann had control of Page until Sydal kneed him from behind.  Sydal came off the ropes with a big knee across Swann's arm.  He took him down to the mat and controlled him with an armbar.  They tagged in and out, controlling Swann.  Page nailed a nice elbow in the corner, then flipped him off the ropes for a two count.   Swann reversed a Sydal whip into the corner but was kicked as he charged and dumped to the floor.  Swann and Sydal battled on the floor.  Page distracted the referee to allow Sydal to commit additional damage.  Mack finally had enough and did a flip off the apron onto Sydal.'

Swann returned to the ring and attempted to make the tag out but was caught and trapped by Sydal in a side chinlock.   Swann fought to his feet but was hit with a Side Russian Legsweep and trapped again.      Swann fought his way out of the corner but was drilled by Sydal with a slam. Page came off the ropes with a big elbow for a two count.  Swann finally made the hot tag to Willie, who cleaned house and nailed a big cannonball on the corner on Sydal.  Page kicked him but was caught with a big overhead suplex.

Mack went for a short arm clothesline but was kicked off.  He came back with a Samoan Drop and a standing moonsault for a two count.  Mack and Swann nailed a double team flapjack/bulldog combination for a two count.   Page slammed Swann off the top and nailed a swanton bomb into the ring for a two count.  The crowd chanted "This is Impact."  Everyone battled in the ring.  They traded big spots and strikes.

Sydal nailed a top rope rana on Swann, who flew into Page and nailed him with a rana instead.  That was pretty damn cool.  The crowd chanted, "This is awesome."    They battled back and forth with kicks and punches.  Page accidentally kicked Sydal.  Swann nailed a handspring cutter and came off the top with a twisting 450 splash for the pin.

Your winners, Rich Swann & Willie Mack!

Real entertaining opener with a lot of strong action and a nice story from bell to bell.  A great way to start off the show.

Swann and Mack danced for the crowd, who ate it up.

Mack took the mic and said he was glad everyone enjoyed his debut and that everyone is having a good time at Bound for Glory.  He said they had two empty seats in the front row, so whoever makes the most noise gets them.  He said those seats were courtesy the show's sponsor Comda.com and he hopes next time everyone at home comes and sits in the front row live too.  He said they just set this "b***ch on fire" and told everyone to have fun.  That was some interesting product placement.

Swann was holding his neck as he was leaving, but I believe that was just selling.

They aired a video piece on Austin Aries going "too far" on Twitter while talking about Johnny Impact's wife Taya Valkyrie with clips from TMZ Live.  They then showed the scene that closed the Hall of Fame ceremony last night between them.

Backstage, LAX found Konnan beat up in a locker room.  The live crowd booed this, realizing it means he's probably not wrestling.

Eli Drake has an open challenge.

Drake took the mic and said he wanted to talk to NYC.  He said the gravy train has rolled in and you can feel it.  He said you can feel the tingling in your loins.  Well, OK.  He said that he rolls in and asked that the best NYC can give him in this open challenge.  He looks for faces he hasn't seen before and didn't see anyone.  He said he's in a town who's claim to fame is pizza.  Fans chanted for "pizza."  He said since he didn't see any new faces in the back, he looks in the crowd and sees some players for the New York Giants.  He said he knows it couldn't be them with their 1-5 record.  So, he wonders who can it be to challenge Eli Drake.  He said it doesn't make a difference.  

Out came James Ellsworth.  The crowd groaned.    He took the mic.  The crowd chanted, "Delete!"  Drake told them that was the wrong guy.  Ellsworth said that he's badmouthing New York but if you bad-mouth a New Yorker, they fight.  Drake asked him if he was a New Yorker.  The crowd chanted, "No!"  Ellsworth said he not really, but he was dating a girl from Staten Island for awhile.  OK, that was a great line.  He said he doesn't like when people knock NYC.  The crowd reacted to him taking up for them by chanting, "F*** you Ellsworth."  

Drake said that it looks like someone knocked his chin off already.  Ellsworth said he doesn't have a chin, but it looks like he doesn't have any b****s.  He began doing his line about any man with two hands but drilled Drake with the mic.  He worked over Drake, who nailed him with a flapjack and worked him over in the corner.  The crowd chanted for Drake.  Ellsworth came off the ropes and nailed a tornado DDT.  He set up for Sweet Chin Music but was caught and chokeslammed.  The crowd chanted "Gravy Train."  Drake pulled him up but was caught with a surprise super kick.    Drake came back to hit the Kryptonite Krunch, then another and scored the pin.

Your winner, Eli Drake!

Drake said he didn't come for garbage.  He wants top guys.  He wants former Champions.  He wants Hall of Fame material.  Abyss' music hit and he came to the ring.  Drake attacked him as he entered but Abyss nailed a series of clotheslines and a running Avalanche in the corner.  He nailed the Black Hole Slam, then left the ring.    He pulled a table into the ring.  He grabbed Drake for a chokeslam but Drake nailed him and drove him into the corner.  He set up Abyss sitting on the table and came off the ropes but was caught and chokeslammed through the table.  The crowd liked this, but not as much as they liked Eli Drake beating up Ellsworth.

Earlier today, Tessa Blanchard was caught by McKenszie Mitchell coming into the building.  Blanchard said tonight is her night and she is true wrestling royalty.  She said is the greatest and the title proves it.  She said diamonds are forever and so is Tessa holding the Knockouts Championship.

Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie.

They locked up and Tessa began working over her arm.  Taya nailed a head scissor takedown and drilled Tessa with a kick in the gut.  They fired back and forth with big shots in the corners.  Tessa rebounded off the ropes but was speared by Taya and rolled to the outside.  Taya went to the top for a moonsault to the floor but Tessa nailed her and hit a neckbreaker off the ropes to the floor.  Tessa brought her back into the ring but was immediately kicked off during a charge.  Tessa nailed her and knocked her off the ropes for a two count  Tessa began working over the challenger, choking her against the ropes.  She nailed a nice leaping kick to the back.

They grappled back and forth until Taya nailed a back suplex.    Taya nailed a hip attack in the corner.   Taya nailed a double knee strike.  Taya is yelling a lot in Spanish and that's getting very over with the crowd live.  They battled on the top. Taya nailed a big superplex and turned her over into a guillotine choke.   Blanchard fought to her feet and charged Taya into the corner, then nailed a Northern Lights suplex.  Hiroshi Hase would be proud.

They battled back and forth with hard uppercuts and forearms.    Taya nailed a TKO variation for a two count.  They continued battling until Tessa nailed a cutter.  Tessa came off the ropes but was caught and hit a chokeslam, which looked painful.  Taya scored with a moonsault off the ropes but the Champion kicked out at two.   Taya cinched in an armbar submission.   She turned Blanchard into a bow and arrow and drilled her down with a curb stomp.   She tied up Tessa in another submission as her arms flailed for the ropes, finally making it and forcing the break.    Taya nailed her with the Implant Buster but Tessa got up at the last second.   The timing was wonky with the count and the crowd knew it.

Taya sent her into the buckles but the Champ sidestepped her and sent her into the ringpost shoulder-first.   Tessa caught her staggering out of the corner with a DDT but Taya kicked up at the last second, which shocked the crowd.  They battled back into the corner.  Taya went for a powerbomb but Blanchard hit a rana, sending her into the buckles.  Tessa flew off the top and came down with an inverted Codebreaker and scored the pin. 

Your winner and still Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion, Tessa Blanchard!

There were a few moments were the timing was rough, but not enough to hurt the match.  Athletically, this was the best Taya has looked in awhile in my opinion and she got the crowd behind her.  Blanchard is a phenom and looked great here.  A really good match.

McKenszie Mitchell interviewed Moose, who was dressed like Prince Nana.  He cut a good promo about how pro wrestling takes friends and turns them into enemies.  He promised tonight why Eddie Edwards was going to find out why he's the legend known as Moose.  Moose's promos have gotten 100,000 times better.  A great turnaround. 

Coverage continues on Page 2!

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