Impact Wrestling 'Best Of 2017' Recap: Bound For Glory, Gail Kim Retires, Eli Drake, Knockouts

By Joshua Gagnon

Welcome to our live coverage of Impact on POP, which will begin at 8pm ET! Tonight's show is recap of Impact Wrestling's best moments from 2017 (Part 2). Be sure to leave your feedback in the comments section, share our coverage of tonight's episode through social media, and REFRESH for the most up to date coverage. Above and below is what's on tap for tonight's show:

- We started off with a recap of Slammiversary XV that included some footage of Jeff Jarrett thanking the fans and the spot where DeAngelo Williams overshot the table off the top rope. Why they would show his only bad moment in that match is kind of confusing. They finish off with Alberto El Patron winning the title.

- Josh Mathews welcomes us in to part 2 of the "Best of 2017" and gets us right to the title unification match between Sienna and Rosemary.

Sienna vs. Gail Kim (Slammiversary XV – Knockouts Title Unification Match)

Sienna out first, pinkies up. Rosemary next with a bunch of minions by her side. The titles are handed off to Gail Kim and she holds them up to the crowd. Rosemary goes right after Sienna with a few shots. Laurel Van Ness and KM show up on the outside. Laurel with a quick distraction as Sienna hits Rosemary from behind. Laurel is goofing around on the ropes and Rosemary launches Sienna into her as we head to break.

Both women in the ring now with Rosemary in control, flying elbow in the corner, Rosemary rolls Sienna into another corner. She looks for Red Wedding, but gets suplexed by Sienna. Rosemary tries to rise up, but gets kicked right back down, pin, two. Sienna with some ground and pound, tosses Rosemary into the corner, kicks to the midsection. Sienna charges in, elbow to the face, Rosemary with upside down over the ropes. "Rosemary!" chant starts up. Action spills out to the floor as Sienna slams her on the apron and rolls her back in. Sienna taunts the crowd a bit, charges the corner, misses, gets put up on the top turnbuckle.

Rosemary climbs up, gets knocked back into a tree of woe position, but sits up and and suplex Sienna back down to the mat. Rosemary heads up to the top rope, missile dropkick, release suplex. Sienna hits a silencer, pin, kick out! Rosemary able to hit Red Wedding, Laurel pulls the ref out to the floor though as he goes to count the pin. Earl goes to kick Laurel out and Allie comes down to ringside with a kendo stick. During that craziness, Sienna hits Rosemary with a title, pin, only two! This gets a nice pop from the crowd.

Rosemary tries to spit out mist, but Sienna blocks it with her hand. Rosemary tries for another Red Wedding, but Sienna puts some of that mist in Rosemary's eyes. Sienna locks in a submission and gets the tap out victory.

Winner: Sienna via Submission to unify the titles

- Josh Mathews takes us to our next match.

Josh Mathews and Scott Steiner vs. Joseph Park and Jeremy Borash (Slammiversary XV)

We see Park and Borash run away as Steiner chases them down in a golf cart. The duo end up spraying Steiner and Mathews with a fire extinguisher. Steiner and Mathews steal a car and chase after their opponents. Steiner says fat ass about 6 times in two minutes. They split up with Mathews cornering Borash by a pool, Mathews gets flipped in and then Borash pulls off his own flip as the two fight underwater. We then see Steiner pounding away on Park in storage facility. Steiner throws him through a wood wall and goes off. Shark Boy makes an appearance in the pool and scares Mathews as the two swim off.

James Mitchell shows up and gives Park his Abyss mask. The match makes its way back to the ring with Mathews going for a senton off the top rope and missing. Spear by Borash as Steiner comes in the ring to stop Borash. Shark Boy makes another appearance and swings away on Mathews and Steiner, but gets suplexed by Steiner and is tossed out of the ring. It looks like Borash is going to tap out, but here comes Abyss!

Big clotheslines to both opponents in the corners. Bag of tacks make their way into the ring, Mathews gets a black hole slam on the tacks. Borash heads to the top rope, big splash, hands full of tacks, Abyss with the pin, and we'd one here.

Winner: Abyss and Jeremy Borash via Pinfall

Gauntlet for the Gold Match for the Global Championship

We start part way through the match with five people left in the match: Lashley, Eddie Edwards, Moose, Eli Drake, and Johnny Impact. Lashley and Moose go after each other until Moose is able to dropkick Lashley out of the ring and out of the match, we're down to four. American Top Team is front row and can't believe their guy is out of the match. Moose and Edwards lock up, Edwards nearly gets powerbombed out of the match, but Moose gets a hurricanrana that sends him to the floor. Down to three as Drake is nearly sent out of the match by Johnny. Drake is literally hanging on by his feet as Edwards and Johnny swing away at each other.

Johnny almost goes out, Drake goes through the second rope and to the floor, but he's not out. He then just grabs Johnny and pulls him to the floor, eliminating him. Drake vs. Edwards now, pinfall or submission is the only way to win the match now. Drake with a pin, two. Blue thunder bomb by Edwards, pin, two. Drake rolls up a charging Edwards, feet on the ropes while he goes for a pin, still only two. Edwards stuns Drake, heads to the top rope, Drake leaps to the top, gets sent back. Edwards with a splash, Drake catches him and rolls through, hits the gravy train and that will do it.

Winner: Eli Drake via Pinfall to win the Global Championship

- Post-match, American Top Team attacks the referee. Dan Lambert shoves Scott D'Amore down and the entire group bails to the back.

- Back to Josh Mathews who touts Impact Wrestling's partnerships, the Global Wrestling Network, and Eddie Edwards winning the GHC Championship with Pro Wrestling Noah.

- We see a recap of Edwards winning the GHC title and Edwards talking about how all of this training led to his championship win.

- Recap of Johnny Impact working in AAA where he held multiple titles with the company. Johnny talks about AAA TripleMania and how the best stars of Mexico show up to put on one of the biggest shows of the year. Johnny put up all three of his titles at the event and was able to retain against El Hijo del Fantasma and Texano.

- Debut of Taya Valkyrie who attacks Rosemary, kicking off their feud.

Trevor Lee vs. Sonjay Dutt (c) (Falls Count Anywhere X Division Championship)

We start off with the match in progress, tornado DDT off the ropes by Dutt, who then heads up to the top rope. Lee able to knock him down and hits a superplex. Dutt heads to the floor, Lee goes for a pin, two. Dutt is put up against the steps, Lee launches a chair, Dutt dodges it and sends Lee crashing through the barricade. Both end up fighting all the way to the outside of the Impact Zone.

Caleb Konley shows up and uses a garbage can on Dutt. Lee and Konley then swing away at Dutt, Lee goes for a pin, only two. Konley holds Dutt, Lee swings away with a garbage and mistakenly hits Konley. Dutt with a kick to Lee's face, pin, two. Trash can lid to Lee's dome. Dutt goes for a tornado DDT off the wall, but he gets countered and crotched on a steel barricade. Konley with a strike, Lee with a strike, pin, holds the tights and a building post to keep Dutt down for three.

Winner: Trevor Lee via Pinfall to win the X Division Championship

LAX vs. oVe (Tag Team Championship 5150 Street Fight – Bound for Glory)

Dave put on a table, Santana starts to climb up a scaffolding and dropped down through the table. Probably a 15-20 foot drop! Crowd chanted "We can't see s—-" to "Holy s—!" in seconds. Back near the ring, Jake is put on a ladder that's going across the apron and the barricade. He wakes up and launches a chair at Ortiz. Jake sets up four chairs, climbs up to the table rope and hits a superplex, but he puts himself through the chairs!

Ortiz and Santana together in the ring now as they pile a ton of chairs on each other. Blockbuster/powerbomb combo on the chairs, Dave is able to break up the pin. Kicks by both teams, everyone is down on the mat momentarily. Jake and Ortiz on the apron with a table below them. Konnan gets powder in the eyes and Sami Callihan shows up and flips Santana on a ladder. He then piledrives Ortiz through a table and tosses him back in the ring, 1-2-3.

Winners: oVe via Pinfall to retain the Tag Titles

- Post-match, oVe kicks away at LAX. Sami gets on the mic and says "We are Ohio versus everything! Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!"

- Recap of Gail Kim announcing she would be retiring in 2017 and would go out on top at Bound for Glory. Allie talks about how she's worked hard and deserves her spot in the division. Sienna talks about how she is coming in as champion and will leave as champion. Couple highlights of the match as Kim ends up winning the title. Career retrospective of Kim's career with the company. Fast-forward to Kim formally announcing her in-ring retirement and relinquishing the Knockouts Championship. Before she can say anything, out comes Allie. "Thank you Gail" chant from the crowd. "Almost 18 years ago, I was a young woman growing up in Canada, and I loved wrestling. I saw these beautiful, athletic women wrestling and I thought to myself, 'That's what I wanted to do.'" Kim holding back tears and talks about how through hard work and sacrifice that dreams can come true. "You deserve it" chant from the crowd. Kim thanks Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly, Awesome Kong, and Taryn Terrell for helping her along the way. Kim says she's fully confident in decision, but she's relinquishing the title. She is fully confident in the women's division and is excited for her future. She thanks Impact Wrestling and the fans.

- Look back at American Top Team causing all kind of chaos withing Impact Wrestling. Moose and Stephan Bonnar head to the ATT headquarters and trash the place, which eventually leads to a Six Sides of Steel Match between them and Lashley/King Mo.

Johnny Impact vs. Eli Drake (c) (Global Championship – Bound for Glory)

Match is already in progress, both men on the top rope, Johnny with a Samoan drop from the second rope, standing moonsault, standing shooting star, pin, Drake kicks out. Johnny heads to the top rope for the countdown to impact, misses, rolls through, dropkick. Johnny using his agility and the ropes to stay away from Drake, kick to the head. Adonis with the distraction, Drake runs, leaps on the top rope, superplex! Both end up on the top rope again, spanish fly by Johnny, pin two! Adonis slides title to Drake, Drake misses, Johnny has it and nails Adonis with it. Johnny looks for countdown to impact again, pin, Drake kicks out.

Johnny looks to be out of it now, Drake pulls him up to the second rope. Johnny fights him off, kicks him down to the mat. Starship pain hits, Johnny with the pin, Alberto yanks the referee out though. Johnny sees Alberto, goes for a dive and ends up nailing the referee instead of Alberto. Now, Alberto grabs a chair and whacks Johnny in the face. Alberto gets in the ring, grabs the title and hammers Drake in the face with it. Johnny gets in the ring, and takes a hard chairshot to the head. Finally, Alberto drags Drake over to Johnny and he gets the win.

Winner: Eli Drake via Pinfall to retain the Impact Global Championship

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