IMPACT Genesis Review - January 9, 2021

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Ace Austin def. Suicide in a Super X Cup Tournament Quarterfinal Match

So, let me get this straight. Suicide was around for a while and it was heavily hinted that TJP was under the mask at one point. But then he reverted to his Manik persona instead, but Suicide is still around? Why? It's not like the character is interesting and whoever is under the mask can wrestle without it. For example, this was a pretty generic match that only existed to get Austin to the next round. Suicide is simply a waste of a roster spot at this point.

Blake Christian def. KC Navarro in a Super X Cup Tournament Quarterfinal Match

Other than their most recent appearance on IMPACT! Wrestling, I knew nothing about these guys, so it was nice to get introduced to them a bit via their pre-match sit-down interviews. Navarro stood out more as the bigger star of the two, but Christian had the better story. I don't agree with the decision to put these guys against each other as opposed to facing more established talent, but I applaud them for having solid showings. There were some fun moments and both of them impressed.

Cousin Jake def. Daivari in a Super X Cup Tournament Quarterfinal Match

It's been cool to see Daivari back in IMPACT after over a decade away and the dude looks like a million bucks, but it's pointless to keep bringing him in if all he's going to do is lose. I realize he's there to serve as an enhancement talent and to elevate others, but a win over him will mean nothing if he always loses. These two worked a different style than the first two matches and it was decent. Jake hasn't done a ton on his own so far in IMPACT, so I'm curious to see how he'll fare as a singles competitor.

Crazzy Steve def. Tre Lamar in a Super X Cup Tournament Quarterfinal Match

Steve has a bit of momentum at the moment following his win last Tuesday on IMPACT! Wrestling, so he was the right winner here. That said, Lamar looked good and scored plenty of offense before eating defeat. Steve played mind games with Lamar throughout and that was what cost him the victory. This was a well-wrestled affair to close out the first round.

Ace Austin def. Cousin Jake in a Super X Cup Tournament Semifinal Match

Interference from Madman Fulton aside, this was a good match. I liked the size dynamic and Austin's selling of Jake's offense. As previously noted, I haven't had lofty expectations for Jake as a singles star, but he had another quality performance here, so maybe there's some untapped potential there. However, Austin was the better choice of the two to advance and him hitting The Fold seemingly out of nowhere to Jake made for a great finish.

Blake Christian def. Crazzy Steve in a Super X Cup Tournament Semifinal Match

Both guys are babyfaces, so I'm not sure who you were supposed to want to see win here. Maybe Christian because of his story? Either way, it was a solid match, though there wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it. They used the time they had well, but I was waiting for Christian to shine and really wow me. On the bright side, Christian's 450 Splash to Steve at the end while he was draped over the top rope was pretty damn cool.

Jordynne Grace def. Jazz

These two teamed in the Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament and came up short in the semifinals on Tuesday night. At the age of 48, Jazz has looked damn good in IMPACT thus far and she certainly held her own against Grace. Both Jazz and Grace are two dominant competitors, so I wasn't surprised by this being as physical as it was. Time will tell if another match will come out of this or if this was meant to mark the end of Jazz's recent run.

Ace Austin def. Blake Christian to Win the Super X Cup Tournament

I appreciated Austin telling Fulton to stay in the back as that prevented any potential interference from taking away from the action. Christian didn't have star-making performances in his first two matches of the night, but he rose to the occasion when it mattered most. Maybe having a terrific foil in Austin was a significant factor, or he was just saving his best stuff for last. Regardless, they made excellent use of the time they had and Christian just barely got beat. Austin winning the whole thing made the most sense and should him back in contention for the Impact X-Division Championship after Hard to Kill.

Willie Mack def. Moose in an "I Quit" Match

Every encounter Moose and Mack have had have been less about stealing the show and more about telling a story. This was another example of that. They beat the holy hell out of each other, Mack showed fantastic babyface fire, and Moose was as aggressive and as intense as ever. "I Quit" matches aren't normally my favorite because of how plodding they tend to be, but it worked in this case. That Go to Hell from Moose through the table on the outside was something else. The commentary could have been better for it (though that goes without saying), but it was still a surreal moment. I wasn't expecting Mack to win, but Moose quitting after Rich Swann made the save for Mack and agreed to give him a shot at the Impact World Championship was clever. That prevented Mack from suffering yet another loss and also set up Moose vs. Swann for a later date.

Overall Show

To be completely honest, this was a one-match show. Genesis 2021 was built around the return of the Super X Cup, but it wasn't built up enough in advance for me to care. Some matches were better than others, but only the finals were remotely memorable in my opinion. Thankfully, the ladies delivered and the main event capped off the evening on a high note. This wasn't a newsworthy show by any means and I wouldn't recommend checking it out in its entirety, but the final three matches were entertaining and the main event in particular is worth a watch. I assume IMPACT is saving their best stuff for Hard to Kill next Saturday, which will be headlined by what should be a stellar six-man tag team match. As an Impact Plus special, this was serviceable.