Spoilers: GFW Impact Tapings from 8/18/17
GFW taped more episodes of Impact on Friday in Orlando. Thanks to Lyne Butterworth for the following spoilers, which should air over the next three weeks. Part 1 of the 8/24/2017 tapings were done on Thursday night. These should air on 8/24, 8/31 and 9/7.
* New GFW World Heavyweight Champion Eli Drake is out for his victory speech, along with Chris Adonis. There’s a zebra print couch in the ring. They’re both wearing suits and smoking cigars. Eli says people are telling him that he must be happy that he’s finally champion but actually he’s pissed because it took 14 years for him to finally be recognized. Johnny Impact (John Hennigan) interrupts and comes to the ring challenging him to a title match. Eddie Edwards interrupts and says he has seniority in the company, and Johnny needs to go to the back of the line. Jim Cornette interrupts and announces a tag match. Whoever gets the pin will become the new #1 contender but if Eli gets the pin, no one gets a title shot
* Impact Grand Champion Ethan Carter III defeated El Hijo del Fantasma by split decision. Hector Guerrero, representing AAA as a judge, voted for EC3. Fantasma confronted Hector outside of the ring. He went back into the ring to confront EC3 but a random man ran down and joined Fantasma for a double team on EC3. Eddie Edwards made the save. It appears this was AAA wrestler Pagano making his debut
* OVE defeated Fallah Bah and Boykara in a squash match
* Petey Williams defeated Caleb Konley. Caleb was accompanied to the ring by Trevor Lee. Peter is back using the Maple Leaf Muscle music and wearing the loin cloth. After the match, Petey was double teamed until Sonjay Dutt ran out for the save
* Kongo Kong defeated “Standby Wrestler” Richard Justice in a squash match. After the match, Kong attacks Justice but Mahabali Shera runs out for the save. He tosses Kong out of the ring
* Low Ki defeated James Storm. The finish saw Konnan distract the referee so Santana could hit Storm with a GFW Tag Team Title belt. Homicide is once again missing
* Eli Drake and Chris Adonis defeated Eddie Edwards and Johnny Impact when Drake pinned Eddie. Bobby Lashley and the American Top Team MMA group arrive to confront Drake. Jim Cornette interrupts and reminds the group about being inside the railings. Cornette announces a GFW Title match between Drake and Sydal for the following week
* Petey Williams and Sonjay Dutt defeated Trevor Lee and Caleb Konley when Dutt pinned Konley
* Texano has signed with GFW and will debut tonight
* Taryn Terrell and GFW Knockouts Champion Sienna defeated Gail Kim and Allie. KM and Braxton Sutter were out with their respective ladies and started fighting after KM tried to interfere. Sienna and Taryn continued the beatdown until Rosemary shows up for the save. Taya Valkyrie as a heel equalizer, and takes down Rosemary and Allie
* Jim Cornette opens an episode with a promo announcing Sydal vs. Drake for the title tonight. Johnny Impact interrupts and wants the winner of the match. The LAX interrupts (still no Homicide) and Konnan claims white privilege as Johnny cuts in front of line ahead of Low Ki, and that his AAA Title means nothing here. Cornette says Johnny is internationally recognized talent but he still has to wait in line just like Low Ki. Ki interrupts and says this isn’t AAA, WWE or Lucha Underground… this is GFW and Johnny needs to get in line behind him. A brawl breaks out and security arrives. Cornette threatens to suspend LAX if they didn’t leave the ring. Johnny stands tall
* Jeremy Borash confirms that AAA’s Pagano has signed with GFW
* El Hijo del Fantasma and Pagano defeated Eddie Edwards and Impact Grand Champion Ethan Carter III after Texano came out and interfered. Texano, Pagano and Fantasma do a post-match beatdown with Texano using a rope to whip them with. James Storm comes out for the save, hitting Fantasma and Texano with a beer bottle
* GFW World Heavyweight Champion Eli Drake retains over Matt Sydal after Drake hits a belt shot thanks to the referee being distracted by Chris Adonis
* Borash announces that Lashley is quitting GFW to pursue a career in MMA. Lashley has asked for a final confrontation with Moose as a send-off. JB asks the audience to chant “quitter” during the match. Lashley cuts a promo in the ring and says he’s forced to decide between wrestling and MMA. Lashley claims Top Team is begging him to come back and win a heavyweight title in MMA. After several months of deliberation, Lashley has decided to go home to his real family and friends. He calls out Moose for one last fight. Moose comes to the ring and cheap-shots Lashley. A fight breaks out and they brawl all around the arena. Top Team eventually comes out to gang up on Moose. Security tries to break it up but Top Team throws them out. Lashley and the MMA fighters from American Top Team stand tall to end the show
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