IMPACT Wrestling introduced much-needed changes to its product in 2018 under the new leadership of Scott D’Amore and Don Callis. The promotion started running more shows, the storylines became more cohesive, and work rate once again gained prominence.
Plus, Brian Cage and Austin Aries returned to the IMPACT Zone and took the quality of matches to another level. Aries, in particular, gave fans several match of the year contenders on both TV tapings and live PPV events.
With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best IMPACT Wrestling TV matches of 2018:
Fenix vs. Santana (December 13)
Fenix and Santana met in singles action several months prior to the epic LAX versus Lucha Brothers rivalry. The pair had some amazing sequences in this match and packed a lot into the nine minutes they got.
Santana started to show signs of his singles with this bout, though he’d have to wait for nearly six years to get to that. Pentagon Jr. and Ortiz played their part well as the managers in this great TV match on IMPACT Wrestling #752.
LAX vs. oVe (Barbed Wire Massacre III – January 18)
LAX and oVe had a lot of bad blood in 2018. The two teams tried to take each other out on multiple occasions. They finally settled the feud in this Barbed Wire Massacre main event at IMPACT Wrestling #705.
LAX (Homicide, Santana and Ortiz) received a massive pop upon their arrival. The faces looked eyes with Sami Callihan and his crew before exchanging blows. Neither of the six men wanted to be lacerated by the barbed wire surrounding it, but eventually got to that violent point.
Homicide was the first to be shoved into the barbed wires by Callihan and the match only got violent from there. A side note: the match was dubbed “too violent for TV” and served as a great main event for IMPACT’s debut on Twitch.
Fenix vs. Sami Callihan (IMPACT Wrestling #735)
Sami Callihan suffered the ultimate embarrassment at the hands of Pentagon Jr. at Slammiversary 2018. The oVe leader got a chance at redemption in this singles match against Pentagon’s younger brother Fenix.
Callihan’s explosive brawling style meshed well with Fenix’s incredible aerial offense. The inferences from the Crist Brothers and Pentagon only added to the heated rivalry between oVe and The Lucha Brothers.
Eddie Edwards vs. Moose (IMPACT Wrestling #747 – Final Hour)
Moose betrayed Eddie Edwards in one of the more shocking moments of IMPACT Wrestling in 2018. The former football player aligned himself with Austin Aries and Killer Kross in the wake of his heel turn.
The two former friends met in singles competition at IMPACT’s Final Hour TV special. Edwards delivered several stiff strikes to Moose, who brought his own offense to the game. Moose delivered a powerbomb to Edwards onto the stage. Edwards’ wife, Elisha, came out to check on her husband.
The match continued. Edwards showed signs of life with an enziguri counter only to be put away with a vicious spear.
Brian Cage vs. Fenix (X-Division Championship Match – IMPACT Wrestling ReDEFINED)
Brian Cage and Fenix gave fans one of the best IMPACT Wrestling TV matches of 2018. The pair collided for the X-Division Championship at ReDEFINED TV special at the August 12 taping. Cage’s insane strength complemented Fenix’s tremendous high-flying ability.
The Machine had already been a solid X-Division Champion up to that point, but his match against Fenix only improved his reputation. In the end, Cage retained his title with an avalanche powerbomb.
Also read: Best IMPACT Wrestling TV Matches Of 2019
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