[2018-07-22-Impact-Slammiversary] Tessa Blanchard vs Allie

[Superstar Sleeze]

Tessa Blanchard vs Allie - Slammiversary 7/22/18

After this performance, I am completely flummoxed how Allie is not a permanent wrestling fixture on Dynamite. It is 2018 so I do not agree with every choice that was made in this match, BUT in terms of execution, staying true to the character/gimmick and the intensity/passion, this was a home run. Stiff strikes, great use of armdrags early, urgency on the charges, Allie came to play. You got to get up for Tessa Blanchard, who is definitely one of the most intense wrestlers of this era. Everything she does looks great and her mean muggin' is awesome. The contemptuous pieface followed by Allie's right was a great way to start this match and really stayed true to the simple, elegant story: Tessa is the baddest woman and has no time of Allie's rainbow & unicorn outlook on life and Allie says you dont have to be mean & angry to be accomplished. The hotshot on the railing was a great transition to heat. Didnt love the choice of a suplex into the buckles as a hope spot. I thought they went back to often to Allie in terms of hope spots. The work out of the Indian Deathlock was great. Allie was really connecting on those strikes to the midsection. Every wrestler needs to learn from Tessa how to throw a punch from a full mount position, those were things of beauty. Death Valley Driver by Allie on the floor was a great high puroresu-esque highspot to the level the playing field. I dont love the "charge hit a clothesline and fall to your knees, repeat" comeback, but Allie showed great determination at least and was not going through the motions. Shoutout to commentary to keep the viewer keyed in on what to look for. This is only my second Allie match and maybe fifth Tessa match. So knowing to look for the Codebreaker, Superkick and Hammerlock DDT was great. I liked the moves down the stretch were usually set up by missed moves or smart evasion. Tessa Top Rope Frankensteiner looked great. The Codebreaker and Tessa powder was straight out of the AJPW playbook. Allie's Superkick is called the Best Superkick Ever, but I dont think Chris Adams has anything worry about, BUT it is better than Dolph Ziggler's. That's her nearfall. Allie gets her up for the nearfall and BONUS POINTS for how Tessa reverses. This is not some terrible bullshit like Allie gave up on the move or the better albeit passe elbows to the head, Tessa shifts her weight and pulls on Allie's tights to YANK her down and then WRANGLE her into the Hammerlock DDT. Loved that struggle and the efficiency of the match. This is one of those matches that actually got better as I wrote about because it made me think of all the things they got right. I think some move trading early on undermined the gravity the match, but the last two minutes were killer. Better than any Dynamite Women's Match Ever. Tessa vs Charlotte is a dream match that needs to happen. ***3/4

P.S. Does knowing that Magnum married Tully's Ex-Wife make the I Quit Cage match more insane? Took his pride and his wife. Goddamn Magnum!