Elias Accepted Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns' Open ChallengeI don't know how wise it was to announce from the get-go that The Shield wasn't going to be a part of the show due to Dean Ambrose being on his honeymoon, but at least they weren't falsely advertised. I can't say I was surprised by the relatively positive reaction Reigns received because he was cheered more than he was booed last week as well. This was a solid segment establishing his open challenge gimmick as Intercontinental Champion and setting up Elias as his first challenger. Seth Rollins def. Raw Tag Team Champion CesaroI questioned WWE's decision regarding The Shield not appearing in full on this show in the previous paragraph, but I will give them credit where it's due because it was smart to position this as the opener to the episode. There was nothing on the line (why not say ahead of time that the tag team title rematch was happening next week and the winner of this bout would be able to choose the stipulation?), but they were given a ton of time and it was a quality contest that gave the challengers another momentum boost before they invoke their rematch clause next Monday night.
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Team Eddie Edwards (Edwards, Fallah Bahh, Garza Jr., Richard Justice And Allie) def. Team Chris Adonis (Adonis, Caleb Konley, El Hijo del Fantasma, KM and Laurel Van Ness) in Impact Global Champion Eli Drake's Gravy Train Turkey TrotThe entire episode was built around who would join each team and the wrestlers talking about the opportunity to wrestle in the main event. The match itself was fine for what it was and enjoyable at points, but it was obviously designed for comedy because not even the commentators took it seriously. In fact, there was a point down the stretch where Josh Mathews burst out in laughter (at something that wasn't all that funny) for literally a minute or two non-stop. Nonetheless, everyone involved put forth a decent effort. Because the babyfaces won, Adonis was forced to wear the "legendary" turkey suit afterward, and if he didn't, Drake would have had to. It was far from must-see, but it's been an IMPACT! Thanksgiving tradition over the years and the holiday-themed show wouldn't have been the same without it. Overall ShowNeedless to say, this was basically a filler edition of IMPACT! Wrestling since nothing of note happened whatsoever. As noted, the whole show consisted of backstage promos hyping up the main event, and other than that, turkey suit matches from years past aired in their entirety. I would not suggest taking time out of your holiday to watch this because you'd be wasting your time. By the way, how weird must it have been for the fans in attendance watching this considering the show emanated from Canada and their Thanksgiving was in October? If nothing else, at least they advertised several matches for next week's show, which will be headlined by Johnny Impact vs. Alberto El Patron in a Grudge match. Happy Thanksgiving, folks!
Randy Orton CAlled Out Jesse VenturaWe had a ton of throwaway guest hosts of Raw from 2009 to 2010 and a handful of decent ones, but Ventura was definitely among the best of them. Obviously, the gig came natural to him as a former wrestling personality, but he was so perfect in this segment as he set the stage for the Breakthrough Battle Royal main event, which would feature Superstars who had never before been world champion fighting for a world championship opportunity at TLC. He didn't seem to forget any of his lines and actually cared about what he had to talk about. Meanwhile, Orton attempted to convince Ventura that he deserved a title shot, but Ventura disagreed. Kofi Kingston def. Dolph Ziggler in a Breakthrough Battle Royal Qualifying MatchThese two went on to have many, many matches in 2010 and 2011, and most of them were enjoyable, but this was a forgettable first face-off from them. They weren't given much time and the crowd didn't care about Ziggler at all (he was largely exclusive to SmackDown at this point), but it did succeed in showcasing Kingston, who was on an absolute roll at the time by becoming the sole survivor at Survivor Series the night prior.
Ruby Riot def. Sonya DevilleBefore the bout began, video packages aired informing viewers that both Deville and Riot made their main roster debuts this week on Raw and SmackDown Live, respectively. This very well could be the last we see of either of them in NXT, and they went out on a high note with a fun match. Deville hasn't quite gotten herself over with audience just yet, but Riot is super likable and easy to rally behind as a fan favorite (which is why I'm not sold on her turning heel on SmackDown right now) and carried her to a good outing here that benefited from being the first matchup of the night. WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne def. Johnny GarganoNo, an American contending for the WWE United Kingdom Championship didn't make much sense, but who the hell cares when the match was as awesome as it was? We all expected that coming in, and it definitely delivered in being a blast. The pace was perfect and the crowd was engaged in the exciting action every step of the way. The closing minutes were especially exceptional and had me yearning for more of Dunne on NXT (or anywhere for that matter).
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