The first Impact Wrestling show post Sacrifice unveiled an unexpected pay per view before April 24’s Rebellion, but otherwise no major surprises…yet.
Here’s is my review of this week’s festivities on Impact Wrestling.
BTI: Luster the Legend (Reno Scum) vs. Black Taurus (Decay)
This was one of those classic “big man vs. big man” matches with Reno Scum’s Luster the Legend and Decay’s newly acquired associate, Black Taurus. In a rare instance since his debut, Taurus comes off as the smaller man in this encounter.
Taurus managed to body slam the bigger man before he missed a moonsault, allowing Luster to capitalize with a clothesline and begin beating down the new enforcer for Decay. But Taurus managed to rally back, hitting Luster with strikes and taking him down with a spin kick, before Luster countered with a back elbow and falling onto Taurus with a headbutt.
As Luster put a headlock on Taurus, the bull man managed to break free and splash Luster in the corner, which Luster immediately countered with a corner lariat. Taurus then did a flying cross body off the top turnbuckle as both men went down.
Thornstowe grabbed Taurus’ leg as he went for another move but Crazy Steve attacked the other half of Reno Scum. But as Luster got ready for another move, he was distracted by Rosemary on the apron and Taurus managed to hit the Taurus Driver for the win.
I don’t have much to say, except that these are two potential tag teams on the ladder of contention for the tag titles, which will be experiencing a bit of a change in scenery for the next month.
XXXL vs. FinJuice (new Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions)
Despite the obviously much larger size XXXL were, FinJuice moved with natural fluidity as tag team champions on their first day, it’s easy to forget they did the same role in New Japan. Afterwards, the Good Brothers came out to demand a rematch as their excuse for losing to Juice and Finlay. Some of Gallows and Anderson’s excuses were hilarious; Gallows was hung over, and Anderson had 4 kids in Zoom classes and a ‘hot Asian wife’ to tend to, so that made sense.
Finlay agreed but said he and Juice have to go back to Japan, so the Brothers would have to wait until April for their rematch. The Brothers attempted a beatdown but FinJuice escaped with the titles as Gallows and Anderson stewed in the ring. We may have to tune into episodes of NJPW Strong or other New Japan programming to see the Impact Tag Titles for the next month.
As I predicted, Scott D’Amore booked the tag title rematch for the GB and FinJuice at Rebellion when Gallows and Anderson barged into his office. Afterwards, Tommy Dreamer came in and the next pay per view for Impact is Hardcore Justice, and apparently Dreamer will be booking the entire card.
Many forget but Tommy Dreamer is basically a producer on the show, so it’s not like he’s never booked anything before. Being a former ECW alumnus, I wonder what Dreamer has in store for a pay per view right up his alley.
Rhino (with Violent By Design) vs. Jake Something
If you thought this stable was dangerous before, especially with Joe Doering as the enforcer, adding the Man Beast takes them to another level. Jake Something comes out accompanied by James Storm and Chris Sabin.
I was expecting Something to be the one to turn and join VBD, but Rhino was a definite swerve. He’s also carrying the trophy he and Heath won at the Call Your Shot Battle Royal, which if you forgot guarantees him a future title shot. Originally, Rhino and Heath were planning to gun after the tag titles, but now with VBD this could allow the group to go after any championship on Impact.
The match was very short. Things break down between both sides and Rhino uses the distraction to gore down Jake, picking up the win. Afterwards, VBD continues beating down the babyfaces, with Rhino goring down the babyfaces as Eric Young goes full on crazy cult leader rant to close this segment.
Rohit Raju vs. Shera
As a result of a backstage altercation last week, this match was set up and Shera did look the part of the “Indian Lion” he was being called on his way out to the ring. Shera demonstrated the power set he has, but Rohit was crafty enough and demonstrated what made him the X Division Champion, as he managed to use the ropes for leverage on Shera to get the three count.
I’m not sure where they would be going with this angle, as this feud doesn’t seem to have stemmed from anything organic or justifiable to break them up as a team.
New Unified Impact Champion Rich Swann segment
Usually I reserve an entire section on backstage segments, but this was Swann’s first outing as the Unified Champion and as I continue, it merits significant attention. Swann talks about getting the monkey off his back from his loss to Omega in January, hyping up their match at Rebellion and the historical significance.
At this point Don Callis comes out, hugs Swann and talks about how he was always a Rich Swann guy and how he backed him from day one, and he’s doing some deep emotional stuff. Callis asked if Swann, while celebrating, thought about the ‘one winged angel’ looming over his head. Don concludes that “history has already been written” at Rebellion and that Swann is only a part of it…and Omega is going to win.
This was definitely one of the best wrestling promos from anyone, and depicts more of a psychological game being played. Swann looks like the match with Omega has already started, in his head, as Matt Striker put it.
Twelve women tag team match
I can’t remember how this match came about. Either Alisha got mad at Tenille for barging into Swingers Palace or Susan had another ‘brilliant idea’. Nevertheless, this match literally allowed maybe three moves for each of the twelve women in that ring.
The highlight was when Jordynne Grace and Tasha Steelz were slugging it out in the ring, as the ten other women brawled outside the ring. At one point, Jordynne stops and both agreed to suicide dive on everybody else. At one point, I thought Jordynne hit her Grace Driver finisher on Kimber Lee, but apparently it was not the finisher. The match ended when Jazz managed to tap out Kimber with the STF.
I was wondering the real reasoning for this match, but sometimes you just need a reset for storylines, as this led to Jazz being booked to face Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo next week.
Newly crowed, two time X Division Champion Ace Austin with Madman Fulton then did a backstage interview with Gia Miller when Chris Bey cut in, saying because he pinned Austin last week he deserves a title shot. Josh Alexander came in and said he was also entitled to the same after he had beaten both men on separate occasions, and finally the immediate former champ TJP came in demanding his rematch, which is set for next week.
I am definitely invested in Alexander having his first singles run with the X Division Championship; we’ve already seen the three other men in the mix have their shot and it’s time for someone who doesn’t come off as a high flyer to take that X Division title.
Sami Callihan vs. Trey Miguel
The main event on this week’s Impact will be a real grudge match between Sami Callihan vs. Trey Miguel. Earlier, we see a vignette of Callihan with the video and audio manipulated as Callihan says that while Trey has talent, his anger is being mistaken for passion and that is pissing Callihan off.
Trey tried to counter with high flying, but Callihan took much of the action to the outside, at one point wrapping Trey’s ankle around the ring post and Miguel really sold the injured ankle throughout the match, as Sami pummeled him over and over with power moves, and submissions on the top turnbuckle.
At one point, Sami locked Trey into a crossface but Miguel refused to tap. Miguel managed to rally and was going for a top rope maneuver when Sami pulled the referee in front of him, providing a distraction which allowed Callihan to set up a package piledriver. Striker and D’Lo really sold the severity of the package piledriver, saying the move should be banned and it was “disgusting”.
The match ends with Callihan standing tall. Again, I am still leaning on my prediction that the developing storyline will be Miguel being led on a darker path, most likely alongside Sami Callihan. But maybe this darker path will be Miguel having to find something in himself that will allow him to beat Callihan, perhaps in a no DQ match at Hardcore Justice?
An average professional doing the 9-5 grind who really loves wrestling across all platforms. Here's hoping wrestlers finally get some basic workers rights in 2021.
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