IMPACT Rebellion: Part 1 Review - April 21, 2020

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Rhino, Tommy Dreamer and Crazzy Steve def. oVe

Dreamer is definitely more bearable in tag team matches where his offense is limited, but as I've been saying constantly over the last two years, there is absolutely no reason for him to be as active on IMPACT programming as he has been. On the bright side, it was cool to see Steve back in IMPACT for the first time in three years. Decay was a terrific team, but it's a shame he can't reunite with Abyss due to Abyss now being a backstage agent for WWE. At any rate, this was a decent match with the wrong winners. I'm convinced oVe will officially be broken up soon based off how often they've lost this year.

The Rascalz def. Fallah Bahh & TJP and Team XXXL in a Three-Way Tag Team Match

These three teams clashed on last week's IMPACT! Wrestling in a four-way tag team match also involving Reno Scum, so while it wasn't anything new, it was equally enjoyable. IMPACT's tag team division is filled with talent at the moment and this was proof of that. I'm glad The Rascalz finally picked up a meaningful victory, but it's odd Bahh and TJP didn't keep their momentum going after winning last week.

Willie Mack def. Ace Austin to Win the Impact X-Division Championship

Rich Swann was shown with Mack backstage beforehand and afterward, so I'm surprised he wasn't present at ringside. That said, I'm glad he wasn't and that there wasn't any interference from him or Reno Scum and that the focus was entirely on the in-ring action. Even without anyone in attendance, they delivered. Mack winning the title was a cool moment and I'm sure it'll set up a future feud between himself and Swann for down the road. On a side note, what the hell was up with those colored contacts Mack was wearing? They were wildly distracting.

Kylie Rae def. Kiera Hogan

Rae and Hogan did an excellent job of making up for the silence in the arena by trash talking each other and keeping it fun throughout. Hogan is coming along nicely and Rae should be a breakout babyface in this division. I would've liked for this to be built up for a few more weeks, but they could always hold a rematch at some point. They had quality chemistry and Rae going over was for the best.

Ken Shamrock def. Sami Callihan in an Unsanctioned Match

This match, probably more than any other, benefited the most from being pre-taped because I assume this would have been a mess live. Shamrock can still hold his own, but his matches since returning to IMPACT haven't exactly been lighting the world on fire. This didn't last long at all, but what we got from them was good, especially in the backstage setting. The biggest surprise came when Callihan turned on his oVe stablemates. I don't know if he'll turn face or not, but either way, I wasn't thrilled with him losing to Shamrock.

Overall Show

A three-way match for the Impact World Championship between Tessa Blanchard, Eddie Edwards and Michael Elgin has been advertised as the main event of Rebellion for a while, but Blanchard and Edwards couldn't make the tapings and thus it was called off. No word on what that means for the title. Part 1 of Rebellion didn't feel like a pay-per-view to me, but it was a solid show on the whole. Shamrock vs. Callihan wasn't an epic main event by any means, but the undercard was entertaining enough to make Part 1 of Rebellion worthwhile. The X-Division title changing hands was an added bonus.