"Know the enemy, know yourself; your victory will never be endangered. Know the ground, know the weather; your victory will then be total." -
Sun Tzu.
In the world of Impact Wrestling, tempers always flare and rivalries explode into molten-hot lava. As the summer dissipates and the world heads into then relatively cooler temperatures of the fall, Impact remains the exception to the rule as all paths lead to October's Bound for Glory, the apex of the Impact Wrestling calendar.
Before the combatants of Impact Wrestling can scale those heights, they are all destined to collide this Saturday when FITE presents the 2021 edition of Victory Road. Every professional wrestler laces their boots and enters the ring with all eyes on Victory - financial rewards, championship gold and eternal glory all come hand in hand with Victory.
To reach that milestone moment, to place their names in the time capsule for all time, every combatant within Impact Wrestling will have to navigate the obstacles, circumvent the turmoil and overcome every hairpin turn and collision, traveling through the unlucky 13th edition of Victory Road and beyond.
This Saturday's Victory Road on FITE, presented by Impact Wrestling will feature the following main event confrontations:
IMPACT WRESTLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
If there is one dream that every professional wrestler shares, it's to become the World Heavyweight Champion. For Christian Cage, who at one point appeared to have competed for the final time, the moment where he captured the Impact Championship from Kenny Omega on
AEW Rampage, that dream becoming realized one more time had to have been the sweetest victory of them all. For the outside observer, it was one of the most inspirational moments of 2021. For Ace Austin, however, that happy ending moment was just another window of opportunity.
After ascending to the position of top contender, Austin, one of the most brash, ferocious competitors in Impact today is seeking to make history yet again by becoming the youngest Impact Wrestling World Championship of all time. With Madman Fulton by his side, Austin has emerged as one of the most dangerous talents anywhere in professional wrestling. If he can snatch Cage with The Fold, a new champion may be all but guaranteed.
To get to that moment, however, Austin would have to out-wrestle someone who proudly boasts he can out-work everyone else in professional wrestling. Cage has always shown to be one of the most versatile competitors inside the ring with an incredible knack to come from behind and shock and awe opponents and fans alike by meshing different styles.
With an incredible series of bouts with Kenny Omega behind him, Cage has burst out of the chains that had held him back in recent years, shining brightly in AEW and Impact alike. Christian was one of the signature talents of the Attitude Era and now, he seeks to strike down one of the brashest combatants anywhere in the world.
When Victory Road climaxes on FITE this Saturday night, the world will stand witness to see who will head to Bound for Glory as the definitive Impact Wrestling World Champion.
X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Since attaining the X-Division Championship, Josh Alexander has ascended from being one of Canada's greatest athletes to becoming the professional wrestler all others are measured by. "The Walking Weapon" has made it clear his goal is not just to steal the show every week in Impact Wrestling, but to prove himself as the greatest professional wrestler inside the squared circle every time the bell rings. He has sought out endless challenges from boundless competitors, all in the name of victory. With that next victory, however, Alexander looks towards the next challenge, unrelenting in building his name, the prestige of the X-Division and even Impact Wrestling.
Alexander may have found himself with his ultimate challenge at Victory Road. Eight-time X- Division Champion Chris Sabin, having tired of Alexander declaring himself the greatest X-Division Champion of all time, confronted him and issued a challenge for this Saturday. Should
Alexander defeat Sabin, who has conquered Impact Wrestling on all fronts, he'll stand ever closer to his goals of being the best. But, should Sabin earn a record-breaking ninth X-Division title run, Alexander's phenomenal success will come to a screeching halt, crashing and burning.
Two great in-ring competitors who carry the burden of their work ethic on their backs, with all the internal pressures that go with it, will clash this Saturday night on FITE. Only one competitor can walk away the champion. The other will have the trajectory of their life changed forever.
HATED ENEMIES GO TO WAR...TOGETHER
If there is a yin and a yang to Impact Wrestling, two sides that constantly push and pull the other to greatness through their mutual hatred of the other, it is Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan. Their feud is legendary, sparked by Callihan nearly ending not just Edwards' career but his life with one of the most brutal baseball bat incidents in the history of professional wrestling. The two have spilled blood and shattered the others' teeth over the years but now, in the most unthinkable twists of fate ever in Impact Wrestling, they stand tall, ready for battle, but together. With Moose and W. Morrisey having united based on their own shared hatred towards everyone else in the Impact locker room, they focused their attacks on Eddie Edwards until finally, even Callihan had enough, hacking his way into the scene, handing Edwards a baseball bat as the two hated foes found themselves the most unlikely of allies.
Victory Road has always delivered an explosive Impact Wrestling event, but with this tag team war, chaos and insanity abounds with no one safe. With these four competitors seeking to destroy the other once and for all, this confrontation promises to decimate not just ringside but the entire Impact Zone. If there is one safe haven anywhere in the world, it's watching via FITE, where even the most ferocious violence will be documented for history.
KNOCKOUTS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Decay's Havok and Rosemary shocked the world yet again when they captured the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Tag Team Championship from Fire N' Flayva but Tasha Steelz, undeterred, immediately pivoted to find new backup in the savage and brutal Savannah Evans.
While Decay are used to haunting others, in recent weeks, it has been Evans and Steelz who have been stalking the champions, going as far as to steal the championship belts several weeks ago. Now, at Victory Road, Steelz and Evans seek to achieve championship victory while also trying to unlock the mystery of overcoming Havok's might and Rosemary's uncanny, insane strategies inside the ring.
In replacing Kiera Hogan with Savannah Evans, the scheming Tasha Steelz may have found a golden ticket to the title belts, indeed. Evans had been destroying talents in the Carolinas for years and now, at Victory Road, the towering star may shine brightest. To accomplish that goal, however, the challengers will have to descend into the darkest depths against Decay and hope to not just survive, but to thrive. That is a task that many have attempted, only to find themselves fallen prey.
At Victory Road, who survives with the Knockouts Tag Team Championships will be revealed live on FITE.
FUNJUICE SEEKS VENGEANCE
Since arriving in Impact Wrestling, David Finlay and Juice Robinson have stood tall against all competition, but once Jay White arrived on the scene, their Impact experience changed forever. Finlay and White have been at each other's throats as Finlay attempted to wrest New Japan Pro Wrestling's NEVER Openweight Championship from the leader of the Bullet Club.
Always the smart general, White soon recruited Chris Bey into the Bullet Club as the Ultimate Finesser found himself warring with FinJuice. Just when it appeared that they had Bey all to themselves and trapped in a corner, Bullet Club's ultimate plan was revealed as the towering, 7 foot Hikuelo, the son of Haku, one of the toughest men who ever walked planet Earth, emerged to lay waste to the former Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champion, attempting to take them out of action forever. At Victory Road, Finlay and Robinson are coming for war, attempting to take down Bullet Club head on to disassemble their grip, but are they again overmatched? Could White or another
B.C. member be waiting in the wings seeking to wreak havoc on Nashville, Impact and the world at large? Traditional tag team rules or not once the bell rings, there is a promise of unending violence and an unease leading into this Saturday for a bout that transcends all promotional boundaries and all levels of hatred.
All of these main events and so much more are set for Saturday, live on FITE from the Music City, with Impact Wrestling's Victory Road 2021!
Mike Johnson is the lead reporter for PWInsider.com and has been writing about professional wrestling since 1996. He can be found on Twitter @MikePWInsider and MikeJohnsonWrites.com.
