Bound For Glory presented by COMDA.com is the night of the year everybody waits for. The night a whole year builds toward. A special night where a year of hard work, emotion, passion, dedication all come to a head as everybody is looking to shine on IMPACT’s biggest stage of all. This is where stars are born, legacies are defined, careers are made and broken. Matches are never forgotten and moments immortalized. Bound For Glory is a time for greatness.
Eddie Edwards vs. Moose
It’s certainly been an unusual year for Eddie Edwards – dragged into a dispute with oVe alongside Bobby Lashley, that would change the direction of career and maybe even his life forever. A fateful encounter with a baseball bat would leave Edwards changed. No longer interested in delivering the masterclass technical performances he was known for, Eddie became unhinged. He’d much rather swing his kendo stick named Kenny than apply a Boston Crab these days. However through all of that there was one constant – his friend Moose was at his side.
That made Moose’s actions at Under Pressure on August 30th all the more shocking. Moose stabbed his best friend Eddie Edwards in the back and aligned with Austin Aries. While Moose used Edwards’ failure to visit Moose in the hospital at Slammiversary as justification for his double cross, Edwards always fought alongside Moose.
Now they fight each other face to face. Driven by rage, fueled by revenge Eddie Edwards will have the chance to take out all his pent up anger and aggression on Moose.
Eli Drake’s Open Challenge
Eli Drake‘s open challenges have yielded interesting results to date – an adventurer answered the call, a Mexican legend, a former associate of Drake’s and even Zack Gowen making his return to an IMPACT ring for the first time since Bound For Glory 2006 to accept the challenge on a recent Twitch show.
It takes a particular sort of mettle to issue an open challenge – to turn to the world and invite anybody to come and face you. You have to have supreme confidence in your abilities to do that. The big question remains for Eli Drake, who will answer his special New York open challenge tonight?
Matt Sydal and Ethan Page vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack
Matt Sydal seemed determined to recruit Rich Swann to his way of thinking. Seeing great potential, Sydal believed his knowledge of the 3rd eye could be the key to unlock Swann’s endless promise. Swann couldn’t have been less interested in Sydal’s spiritual guidance.
Sydal found a different believer in Ethan Page. Swann found his own world class partner instead – Willie Mack. Willie Mack has taken the wrestling world by storm competing in Lucha Underground and PWG, IMPACT fans may remember his stellar performance alongside Killshot as they took LAX to the limit at IMPACT vs. Lucha Underground in April. It will be a tag team battle of knowledge, wisdom and spiritualism vs. charisma, athleticism and raw talent at Bound For Glory.
Allie Enters The Undead Realm
Su Yung has haunted Allie since “The Undead Bride” arrived in IMPACT Wrestling on the March 22nd episode of IMPACT. Allie had just captured the Knockouts Championship for a second time and Su burst onto the scene to make Allie’s life a living hell.
Su trapped Allie’s best friend Rosemary in a coffin and cremated it. Yung took Allie’s Knockouts Championship and her soul at Under Pressure on May 31st. Su banished Madison Rayne from IMPACT at Slammiversary and Su took Kiera Hogan from Allie two weeks ago on IMPACT, despite Allie’s vow that Su Yung would never take anybody from her again.
Allie has already embraced the shadow to fight Su to no avail. Now, with the help of Father James Mitchell, Allie will travel to The Undead Realm to save Kiera’s soul. What happens when your nightmare’s come to life and you have to fight them? What else will Allie find in The Undead Realm? Can Kiera be saved?
IMPACT Knockouts Championship
Tessa Blanchard (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie
Since she arrived in IMPACT at Redemption, Tessa Blachard has run roughshod over the Knockouts Division. A third generation wrestler, her legacy all but guaranteed her success but she took over the division with a forcefulness and dominance we have seen in a long time, defeating Kiera Hogan, Allie and Su Yung. She insists she’s undeniable – she proved it in short order.
There is one person she has yet to overcome however: Lucha Royalty, Wera Loca herself Taya Valkyrie. Taya was fed up of seeing Blanchard bully the Knockouts division and had some less than glowing words to say about Tessa’s character and the match was one. So far in her Championship reign, Tessa has had the power advantage against everybody she’s wrestled – that may not be the case tonight. 64% of the time the Knockouts Championship has changed hands at Bound For Glory – history favors the challenger.
oVe Rules
Pentagon Jr., Fenix and Brian Cage vs. oVe (Sami Callihan, Dave Crist and Jake Crist)
If you cross Sami Callihan, he will never forget. LAX learned that. Eddie Edwards learned that. And then Sami tried to teach Pentagon Jr. that same lesson only for it to explode into a gigantic six man rivalry. Brian Cage wasn’t about to stand idly by while Callihan and his pack of hyenas the Crist Brothers were turned loose on the Lucha Bros and this six man tag team match was one.
One paper the team of The Lucha Bros and Brian Cage look unbeatable. First and foremost Cage has never been pinned and never submitted. He is a one man army capable of smashing through anybody. Combine that with the unique brand of hard hitting, high flying, technical savagery The Lucha Bros bring to the table and they look like the ideal trio.
However you can’t count out chemistry. oVe have been fighting together for years, they are a unit. They have gone to war more times than they can count. That experience, that bond, that fraternity is invaluable. There is one other big difference maker: oVe Rules. This is literally their match; and anything can happen.
Concrete Jungle Death Match
LAX (Santana, Ortiz and Konnan) vs. The OGz (King, Homicide and Hernandez)
To see this dispute evolve and escalate over the last six months has been fascinating and terrifying. King feels entitled to lead the next generation. Konnan feels he still has plenty left to give. That is a tension that will never be solved with words. If King wants Konnan’s territory, he’s going to have to take it by force.
And so he tried. He tried to take Konnan out and take his place. That worked for a time but once LAX discovered the truth their loyalty to Konnan overruled any success King may have led them to. King then reached into Konnan’s past and found deadly allies – the original LAX’s Homicide and Hernandez and thus the OGz were formed. LAX still came out on top at Slammiversary but King had the last laugh stealing and tagging the World Tag Team Titles. LAX regained them in a brutal Street Fight and it appeared the OGz were finally done.
King would not be foiled. There would be no low to which he wouldn’t stoop in order to take power from Konnan and LAX. He ran over a child. He took the dispute between the two groups and dragged in a harmless, innocent bystander. King was defiant and despicable. And so it was ordered: a Concrete Jungle Death Match at Bound For Glory.
The ring boards will be exposed. The turnbuckle covers will be removed to brandish the steel below. It will be violent, barbaric and deeply personal. Konnan returns to an IMPACT ring for the first time since Destination X 2006 to settle this score for good.
IMPACT World Championship
Austin Aries (c) vs. Johnny IMPACT
To think a dispute that began with Austin Aries, Moose, and Killer Kross placing a chair on Johnny IMPACT’s neck and striking it with another chair has somehow become more deeply personal is hard to believe but that’s where we’re at.
Johnny IMPACT and Austin Aries are two of the very best in the world. Johnny combines fluid movement, unique strikes and high impact offense to create a hybrid style that can fly just as fast as he can take your head off. Austin Aries’ offense is defined by precision. Every movement, every assault, every targeted attack has purpose and force. Austin Aries has defeated Pentagon, Moose, Sydal, Drake, Bahh, and Texano as World Champion. He knows how to win above all else.
One person he’s also beaten is Johnny IMPACT. Aries successfully retained the championship against Johnny back at Crossroads on March 8th. So much has changed since then though, Aries is transformed totally. Now aligned with Moose and Killer Kross he is laser focused on staying on top – but crucially Aries promises his associates will stay clear of the World Championship match. Can he be taken at his word?
Johnny IMPACT is on top of his game right now too. Better than he’s ever been and now driven by Aries penchant for running his mouth, Johnny IMPACT will walk into the Melrose Ballroom in New York City looking to fulfill the destiny of his name. Will he finally reach the top of the mountain or will Austin Aries do what he does best: win?
Find out tonight LIVE on PPV and Fite TV digitally from 8pm ET!
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