Impact Wrestling Results, Highlights, and Grades May 24, 2018

Matt Sydal (c) vs. El Hijo de Fantasma For The X Division Championship

God, the commentary work here was so brilliant. Josh Mathews asked Don Callis what job his spirit protege, Matt Sydal, would have if he weren’t a professional wrestler. Callis responded that he’d be the guy who sells pencils on the corner, while Mathews responded that he pictures Sydal as a surfer like those in “Point Break”, doing a little bit of smooth advertising for POP TV.

What follows is even better. Callis asks Mathews if he thinks Keanu Reeves is hot (he is), because Callis thinks so. And then he asks Mathews if he needs a fan because he’s looking “moist”. Good #content. These two are great at calling the action and are incredibly hilarious, including when Callis starts dropping “insider” terms on commentary.

The action in the ring between Sydal and El Hijo de Fantasma is, as expected, even better. These are two of the best in the company, and they were putting on a technical and athletic show for the fans in attendance and watching on television.

Sydal seamlessly moves from a submission hold into a Russian Leg Sweep, which he turns into yet another submission hold that targets Fantasma’s arm. All of this work on Fantasma’s arm severely impact his punches, and Sydal starts to focus on the lower body of Fantasma to take out that high-flying. He spots the injury, and he starts attacking the legs even more aggressively.

The crowd gets behind Fantasma, but his hope for a comeback is pushed aside. Unfortunately for Sydal, all of his show-boating wastes time, allowing Fantasma to raise the knees to block the attempted standing shooting star press.

Both wrestlers go for their finishers and are countered, and Fantasma eventually gets Sydal into a brutal submission targeting the legs until the champion finally grabs the ropes.

Sydal nails his finisher from a unique position and bags the win to retain the X Division Championship.

Rating: B+, this was another good match from Sydal, and I hope we get to see he and Fantasma fighting for the X Division Title again in the future.