I’m going to keep this piece shorter than usual and to the point. While it may be somewhat true that the build for this Pay-Per-View could have perhaps been a bit more effective, there’s still a lot of anticipation and excitement for the Impact Wrestling product right now heading into the end of the year. I fully expect Bound For Glory to be a fantastic show. My suggestion for those of you that may be tiring of other websites or podcasts that tend to focus more on the negative (as if that makes them more legit somehow in their minds?) is to give DiscussPW and Spark the Discussion a try as your go-to destinations for pro wrestling discussion. Jay and TDM work hard behind the scenes to make sure that your experience here is the best possible and we have some cool things planned coming up.
Please feel free to give your own “5 Reasons” for why you’re also looking forward to Bound For Glory in the comment section below. Here’s my five in no particular order:
A Sold-Out Melrose Ballroom – Impact Wrestling has really found its niche when it comes to identifying smaller, intimate venues in North America to hold TV tapings and PPV’s in. While the capacity for Melrose might only be around a thousand (give or take), you can bet your ass that the NYC fans will be loud and passionate. A hot crowd adds so much to events like this. My prediction is that it will have an 90’s ECW type of vibe to it, which would be amazing. Also, the subsequent two days of TV tapings may not be sold out as of the posting of this column but I suspect that given the events that may happen at BFG that those two nights will also be at or near full capacity when it’s all said and done.
Abyss’ Hall Of Fame Induction – My genuine admiration for Abyss has been well documented over the last several years, even if prior websites that I’ve written for have deleted those archived columns. But this isn’t about me, it’s about The Monster. He is synonymous with Impact Wrestling, more so in fact than any other on-screen employee in the history of the company. Nobody deserves this honor and recognition more, as this induction is a no-brainer. Abyss has sacrificed his body for the fans in a way that no other wrestler has in Impact. His loyalty is unmatched. What an example of dedication he really is. Abyss has a pure love for pro wrestling. I am very much looking forward to his in-ring mic time on the PPV (if they keep up that tradition). I’m also crossing my fingers that the ceremony on that Saturday night may be streamed on Twitch or available somehow at some point for those of us that won’t be in attendance. No doubt that his words will be absolutely sincere and emotional.
Big Time Matches – I’m not going to breakdown the entire card here but, needless to say, this line-up is unique and very intriguing. The LAX Vs OGz war has been built up in such a way that I can see this “Concrete Jungle Death Match” being a frickin’ powder keg that will explode all over the Melrose Ballroom. I’m also finding myself drawn into the Johnny Impact Vs Austin Aries match for the World Championship more than I thought I would after their high-quality in-ring promo on Impact. Aries is a master on the mic and he has sold me completely after dragging Johnny through the mud verbally. Also, the oVe Vs Lucha Brothers w/ Brian Cage “oVe Rules” match could steal the show in my opinion. So much potential here for craziness and the crowd will be eating this one up like a delicious slice of pizza. Of course there are other great bouts scheduled but those are my Top 3 going into the show.
Possible Surprises – We have been talking about the possibility of Chris Jericho coming into Impact Wrestling since Don Callis and Scott D’Amore were named Executive Vice Presidents, as Jericho had a hand in those two securing those positions. If Chris comes in at BFG, it will be a true sign that Impact Wrestling has arrived again and that they are on the right path. His band Fozzy does not have tour dates during the three days that Impact is going to be at Melrose. He has been working closely with Impact on his cruise for the end of October. There have been distinct indicators on Twitter recently. So many reasons point to Jericho coming in at BFG. Who knows what kind of deal he’d have, whether it’s just for those 3 days in NYC or a one-off or occasional appearances in the future. We shall see, but I’m like 99% sure at this point that it’s going to happen. Also, if Rosemary is healthy I can see her coming back at BFG, which would be awesome. We also don’t know who Rich Swann’s partner will be in his tag match against Matt Sydal and Ethan Page. That could be a new talent debuting. I don’t see Davey Richards returning at BFG unless he’s swerving us all because his cryptic “19” stuff referring to next year has been so consistent.
Storylines Leading to Vegas – I admit that this last one is pretty selfish on my part because I will be attending all 3 days of TV tapings at Sam’s Town in Vegas this November. However, Bound For Glory has historically been the PPV where storylines are reset for the next several months. So, whatever happens in New York will set-up the new or continuing feuds heading into Sin City, which will take us through the end of 2018. Think about all the cool stuff they could film in Vegas with backstage segments and so forth. Unless I’m not taking something into account, I doubt that Jericho would make an appearance in Vegas as Fozzy will be touring in Australia during those dates. So whatever he does in NYC will probably end there temporarily or be continued on the Jericho Cruise (if they shoot footage) or maybe he’ll be back in early 2019. I imagine if Rosemary returns that she will feud with Su Yung again to seek her revenge. The LAX Vs OGz feud will probably be over but, then again, maybe they put a new twist on things and it keeps going? My guess is that the tag division goes back to normal and LAX will reign again for a while. Lots of possibilities on how the creative team will use this impressive roster coming up.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 2018 has been the most important year in Impact Wrestling’s (and/or TNA) history. They are definitely going in the right direction. Impact has a lot of things in their favor and has made tons of progress in a short amount of time. Being aware of the notorious TV ratings/viewership is one thing, but I would caution everyone to not get so wrapped up in over-analyzing those kinds of things. It is simply not the only measuring stick for success. I could list all of the amazing things that Impact has going on currently and all the great wrestlers that they have signed but you’ve heard that spiel from me before.
Enjoy Bound For Glory my friends! What’s your “5 Reasons”? Tell me. Thanks for your continued support of my columns and DPW. We sincerely appreciate it.