IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV: Results, Highlights and Grades for Nov. 19

Rich Swann vs. Brian Cage

After 30 minutes, bloodied and bruised, Swann somehow is up to his feet, but is petrified to see his opponent. But he urges himself to fight through the pain and the anguish to lean against the ropes. Cage acknowledges his sympathy to Swann, but Swann slaps him in the face. He goes for a chokeslam, but Swann reverses with an armbreaker and a series of kicks. Cage is down.

Swann hits a 450, but Cage kicks out at one. He goes to the top once more, but gets caught by Cage once more. Swann tries to wiggle out for a roll up, but Cage flips Swann through the air. Cage runs at Cage, but Swann gets the knees up and hits a superkick. Swann wiggles out of a pumphandle to kick Cage in the face again. He climbs to the top one more time for another 450 for a near fall.

Lethal Injection attempt gets reversed by a German suplex. Cage puts him in a fireman’s carry, but Cage gets by a Cutter. Swann finally hits the Lethal Injection, but he is too dead to make the pin immediately. He crawls and nails his way to the pin for a near fall.

He attempts a Phoenix Splash, but Cage has it scouted and hits a Weapon X for the mercy kill of a win. Tessa Blanchard is out next and is the final competitor to come out at that.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Brian Cage

Staredown at the start. Collar and elbow tie up, but Cage strong arms her into the corner. Tessa pushes him and dodges a series of clotheslines. She attempts a backslide and arm drags, but isn’t strong enough. He goes for a powerbomb, but Tessa, landing on her feet, springboard dropkicks Cage to the outside before hitting a suicide dive. Cage does not leave his feet, but she hits a second one.

He’s now down to a knee as Tessa goes for a third, but Cage catches her in mid-air to F5 her onto the apron. Tessa is laid out, leading us to one last commercial break.

Back in the ring and back from the break, Cage shoulder blocks Tessa into the corner. He then whips her into the opposite corner for a clothesline, but Tessa gets the foot up. She goes for a dive, but Tessa catches her. He goes for a fallaway slam, but she lands on her feet, sends him into the ropes, then running kicks him into his injured back.

He pushes her away off the cutter and he goes for a tilt-a-whirl slam, but she turns it into a DDT for a two count. She goes for her finisher (Hammerlock DDT), but Cage pushes her off. He goes for a powerbomb, but Tessa hits a hurricanrana, then a Codebreaker off the middle rope, followed by a crossbody splash for a two count.

She dives, but Cage side steps it for a military press slam for a near fall. He goes to the top rope to hit a deadlift suplex for another near fall. He sets up another suplex, but Tessa lands on her feet, hits a superkick, then Cutter, then a Hammerlock DDT for the nearest of near falls!

Cage back up, he hits a Sit Out Alabama Slam for a two count. He puts her on the top rope to set up a Razor’s Edge from the top, but she turns it into a rana. She then climbs to the top to hit a diving Codebreaker for the near fall!

She climbs to the top once more for another diving Codebreaker, but Cage catches her and turns it into a buckle bomb. He sets up Weapon X, but she turns it into a snap sunset flip for the win! Tessa Blanchard is your new number one contender for the IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship!

Cage and Blanchard hug after the match. Cage raises her hand, then leaves the ring to allow Tessa her moment in the ring.

Winner: Tessa Blanchard

Grade: A+

This match was awesome. Well, all the matches were awesome. Everyone involved gave it their all, especially Rich Swann in a star making performance, best one I’ve ever seen from him. Every single competitor came out of this match looking like a million bucks. Best Gauntlet Match I’ve seen in a long time, probably since that one from Raw last year. And this was better than that.

Overall Grade: A

Really loved this episode. First hour of matches and segments were fun enough, but that last hour or so of that Gauntlet Match made this a must see episode and the best IMPACT episode on AXS TV since the premiere episode earlier this year. Go out of your way to see this main event, folks. It’s a match of the year candidate.