Impact Wrestling results: Rebellion fallout

Impact Wrestling returns from Nashville, TN for the fallout of Rebellion. 

Opening video was a quick recap of the second night of Rebellion, where Kiera Hogan said she’d be taking a break after losing to Kylie Rae, while Willie Mack won the X-Division Championship, Shamrock defeated Callihan in a unsanctioned match, and Moose proclaimed himself the new TNA World Champion in the wake of Tessa’s absence.

Sami Callihan came down to the ring to open the show. Callihan cut a promo saying that he had the fight of his life against Shamrock, but he was still standing and it would take a lot more to take him out. Callihan blamed the referee for losing as he stopped the match. He said he didn’t need help from anyone, not the referee nor oVe. 

Callihan called out Ken Shamrock, who came out and got in the ring. Shamrock told Callihan that he is one of the toughest men he’d been in the ring with for not tapping out. Shamrock told Sami that they could go back outside to keep fighting, or they can shake hands and let it go and they can go chase the World Title. Looks like a Callihan babyface run is coming.

Michael Elgin came out to interrupt. He said that he is the only man that is next in line to be the World Champion. He talked trash to Callihan for his antics, because Elgin’s wrestling speaks for him. Shamrock was ready to get in a fight with Elgin.

Elgin attacked Callihan, Shamrock went in for the save and took down Elgin. Callihan was going to deliver the Cactus Special on Elgin, but the latter escaped. Good little angle, with two new names entering the title chase.

Chris Bey cut a promo saying that while there was uncertainty about the next World Title contender, there was no doubt that HE was the no. 1 contender to the X-Division Championship. Bey said that tonight, he was going to challenge Willie Mack for the title. Good promo.

Willie Mack cut a promo. He accepted Chris Bey’s challenge. Mack is such a weird promo.

XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D) defeated oVe (Madman Fulton & Jake Crist) with Dave Crist 

Fulton and Larry D started off with a clash of big lads. They tried to lock up, but neither had the upper hand until Crist slapped Fulton. They traded some shoulder tackles before Larry landed a scoop slam and tagged in Acey for the senton. 

Jake Crist tagged in, but was easily taken down and tossed around by Acey. XXXL double teamed Crist for a two count. Larry D landed some splashes and sentons. Eventually, Dave Crist saved his brother by pulling him out of the ring before XXXL could double team him again.

Back from commercial, we saw footage of how Fulton tackled Acey Romero into the steel steps and successfully cut him off. 

oVe, now in control, worked over Acey. At one point, Fulton got Acey on the top rope, got him up on his shoulders and hit an impressive Lambeau Leap. Fulton hit a running splash and boot. After some more offense, Acey managed to hit a desperation spinebuster on Fulton to get the tag to Larry D. 

Larry ran wild over Jake Crist, hit a release suplex and plancha for a two count. Jake recovered and hit a kick combo, but was sent outside the ring and taken out by a suicide dive by Larry D. Fulton stopped Larry from hitting a moonsault, and along with Jake Crist, hit a doomsday cutter for a two count when Acey broke it up.

Acey pounced Fulton to the floor. Larry knocked out both Dave and Jake Crist and pinned the latter for the win. Good match towards the end, Larry D is so good. The oVe losing streak continues.

Impact Plus Flashback Moment of the Week was Victory Road 2009’s Kurt Angle vs Mick Foley.

We got another episode of Madison Rayne’s Locker Room Talk show. Havok was the guest tonight, introduced as “dark and boring”. Madison asked Havok about losing to Rosemary and what was next, even brought up the possibility of retirement. Havok said that Madison would end up like the last person that got under her skin, meaning either James Mitchel or Su Yung. 

Rayne asked about Nevaeh, who was there during Havok’s match at Rebellion. Havok said she was an old friend, but didn’t know why she was here. Rayne brought up a surprise guest and brought in Kimber Lee. Lee said she was here to rise to the top. Havok and Lee got face to face. Knockouts’ Division just improved even more!

Jake Deaner cut a promo from outside his trailer. He said that since the “kwaranteen” started, he has been living in the middle of nowhere, but it was more like squatting in someone’s ranch. He now has a merch table in the middle of the highway. This was good.

Suicide defeated Johnny Swinger

Swinger jumped Suicide when the ref was checking in for weapons. Swinger mostly tried to choke and rake Suicide, but Suicide has a full body suit so that didn’t do much harm. 

Suicide came back, sent Swinger outside and hit a Plancha. He went to the top rope, but Swinger hit the ropes and dropped Suicide. Swinger went back for more chokes, hit an Olympic Slam for a two count, then went for a headbutt. Suicide dodged striking his way back.

Suicide finished the match with a couple of palm strikes, a codebreaker, and a swanton bomb for the win.

Swinger kept calling him Spidey, which was funny.

Backstage, Ace Austin cut a promo saying that Bey didn’t deserve a title shot because Bey has only been here a couple of weeks, while Ace has beaten everyone. Ace inserted himself into the X-Division title match with his rematch clause.

Josh Matthews interviewed Moose. After a quick recap of last week’s main event, Josh asked why Moose thought he was the champion. Moose said that he disagreed with Elgin being champion by forfeit while he had been out there beating up legends and that made him the real World Champion, because not even Tessa was there.

Josh said that the TNA title was locked up in a warehouse, it doesn’t really mean anything in the books. Moose said that he was there as THE champion. He won it by beating men all year.

Josh announced that starting next week, there will be a tournament to crown a new No. 1 Contender for Tessa Blanchard’s title. Moose told Josh that he was pulling himself out of the tournament because he was the TNA World Champion and didn’t care about the Impact World title.

This delusional Moose is interesting.

Joseph P. Ryan defeated Cousin Jake

Ryan started the match stalling, but after leaving the ring over and over, Jake got his hands on Ryan and started pummeling him. Jake stomped on Ryan and hit a body block before Ryan once again ran out and asked for a time out.

Ryan went back to work on the same arm he worked on during their Rebellion match, but Jake was still more powerful and took him out with clotheslines, landed a dropkick, and hit a two handed chokeslam. 

Outside the ring, Ryan managed to toss Jake into the ring post shoulder first, and got the chance to work over the injured arm some more. Ryan hit a scoop slam for a two count. Ryan kept working until Jake hit a desperation slam to get some space. 

Jake made his comeback with clotheslines and a discus lariat to take Ryan down. Jake hit a deadlift Powerbomb for a two count. Jake sent Ryan to the floor, but when he went for the dive, he was caught by a superkick by Ryan for a two count.

Blocking a slam attempt by Ryan, Jake instead landed one of his own. Jake went for the pounce, but Ryan pulled the ref in front of him, poked Jake’s eyes and rolled him up, grabbing his tights to steal the win.

We got a vignette for Kiera Hogan. This was fantastic, she talked about being born and raised in Atlanta, about always being in the passenger seat and being ready to be the driver.

We got a match from Canada for The North’s title defense. The crowd was made of dummies with Impact and North shirts on, and fake audience sound bits. Ethan Page played into it, but Josh Alexander no sold it.

Page cut a promo putting over Canada and said that they were the best tag team in the world and that all they wanted to do was to compete. Josh Alexander called out Kurt Angle of all people in tonight’s third name drop of Angle. Interesting.

Out came the challengers, two skinny wimps.

Impact World Champions The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) defeated The Creeps

This was a squash match, but it was shown as a long highlight reel of The North torturing these two guys. Page got the pin for the win. This wasn’t good, segment included.

Rosemary was at the bar. She said that it was nice to be back in the ring last week, and then started to read her tarot cards, which told her to follow her instincts. Too cryptic to be useful.

Rohit Raju cut a promo about being entered as Moose’s replacement in the World Title No. 1 Contender’s Tournament. He said that he’d been there for years and that he would be the Impact World Champion. Awesome promo!

Josh Matthews ran down the #1 Contender’s Tournament matches, with Rohit Raju vs. Trey Miguel and Hernandez vs. Madman Fulton next week. Later on, Sami Callihan vs Michael Elgin, and Ken Shamrock vs Rhino.

Also next week, Kimber Lee debuts versus Havok. Moose will defend the TNA World Championship versus Suicide.

X-Division Champion Willie Mack defeated Chris Bey and Ace Austin to retain the title

Match started with Ace trying to use the title belt to take out Mack. Instead, Mack took both men down. Mack took on both men with chops, forearms, double clotheslines, and at one point, hit a double Samoan drop and moonsault into both. 

Ace and Bey got in each other’s faces, but agreed to team up to take out Mack, but it didn’t last long when Ace sent Bey head first into the ring post.

Mack and Ace went at it one-on-one for now, mostly Mack chopping Ace, but the latter managed to sweep Mack, kick him and lock in an armbar for the card-cutting spot. Ace dropkicked Mack to the floor, but Bey cut him off when he attempted the dive. Bey went for the dive instead, but Mack had recovered and caught him with an uppercut. 

Mack now worked on Chris Bey, but once again fell to a kick combo. Mack then went for a pop-up bomb, but Bey countered into a rana. Ace pulled out Bey and brawled with him for a bit, only for Mack to take both out with a tope con giro. 

Back from commercial all men are in the ring, with Bey taking out Mack with a missile dropkick and stomping on Ace on the corner. Ace came back with a beautiful snap suplex for a two count. Ace went after Bey’s ribs with knees while keeping Mack at bay outside the ring.

Bey got a couple of near falls himself on Ace, but then went after Mack and distracted himself from Ace who took him out again. Ace hit a second rope leg drop for a two count. Ace and Bey then took each other out with synched kicks, allowing Mack to come back to the ring.

All three got into a strike exchange that Ace was winning for a while, but when he started going corner to corner, Mack came back with a palm strike. Mack hit running clotheslines and a cannonball on Ace, followed by an exploder on Bey. 

Mack went for the 6-Star Frog Splash, but Ace cut him off with an enzuigiri. Ace went for a top rope rana, but Mack escaped and went for a powerbomb. Ace blocked, but Bey was there to hit a jumping German. 

Mack hit the stunner on Bey and went for the 6-Star again, but Ace cut him off, with a rana, sending Mack on top of Bey. Ace hit The Fold on Mack, but Bey broke up the pin. Ace got rid of Mack and went for Bey, but Bey came back with a kick. Ace managed to hit a Fold out of nowhere on Bey, but Mack broke up the pin. 

Ace hit a spinning kick on Mack, and a second to set up the top rope tana, but Mack held on, hit the 6-Star Frog Splash, and retained his title. Great match, Bey and Ace Austin were great.

Final thoughts — 

Pretty good show, it was fun and had good in-ring action. Not really hurt by the lack of audience. The direction out of Rebellion is interesting now that they have too fallen into the quarantine taping issues.

A delusional champion and a tournament may be the best way to proceed. In addition, the new members of the Knockouts division seems to be a huge improvement.