IMPACT Turning Point Review - November 14, 2020

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Eddie Edwards def. Daivari

Daivari resurfaced in the Call Your Shot Battle Royal at Bound for Glory and appears to be in fantastic shape. He's obviously being brought in to put other people over and not be a focal point, though it's crazy to believe he's only 36-years-old. There was no established bad blood between these two, so this was more an exhibition than a true grudge match. It was a well-wrestled opener and the win allows Edwards to rebound coming off his recent losses to Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock.

Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie def. Jordynne Grace and Tenille Dashwood

Grace and Dashwood are coming off a superb series of matches against each other and decided to see if they were compatible as a team, mostly because they couldn't find anyone else who made sense to be their partners. I honestly thought they would win here and enter the Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament together, but apparently not. This was more about telling the story of whether Grace and Dashwood could coexist than it was delivering the strong match they're capable of, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

Brian Myers def. Swoggle

Swoggle recently got involved in Myers' match against Tommy Dreamer on IMPACT! Wrestling, so that's how this bout came to be along with how close they are outside of the ring. I wouldn't be surprised if Myers pitched to work with him. It probably lasted a little longer than it needed to, but it didn't drag, either. Myers threw Swoggle around for a bit, Swoggle battled back, and Myers ultimately went over as he should have. I like the Myers has had in IMPACT so far and how he wins more often than he loses.

Chris Sabin and James Storm def. XXXL

Interestingly enough, Alex Shelley teamed with James Storm nine years ago at Slammiversary when both of their partners were out injured. Storm returned the favor here by joining forces with Sabin while Shelley it out hurt. Sabin and Storm are two tag team specialists, so this was unsurprisingly excellent and they worked well against XXXL, who have gradually grown on me over the past few months. As far as I know, this was it for Storm in IMPACT, but I could certainly see him going back for one more run depending on what he wants to do and what his options are.

Impact X-Division Champion Rohit Raju def. Cousin Jake in a Defeat Rohit Challenge

This was another open challenge from Raju. Cousin Jake isn't an X-Division wrestler and had no business winning the title here, which is why I was underwhelmed by Jake answering the challenge. He's not bad, but The Deaners do nothing for me personally. That said, this was fun for the size dynamic and Rohit bumped around really well for Jake's offense. It was also refreshing to see Rohit win decisively for once. Post-match, Eric Young emerged with Joe Doering, someone I'm not familiar with but he came across as imposing. It looks like The Deaners will be their first feud.

Moose def. Willie Mack by Referee Stoppage

This was technically contested for Moose's TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Moose is clearly being primed for a feud with Rich Swann over the Impact World Championship, so it makes sense for him to work with Mack before then. It's a shame Mack loses more often than not because he's so good, but this was an enjoyable affair. I loved how Moose not only won but that he won decisively via referee stoppage. It put him over as being dominant and makes him that much more of a threat to the top title.

The Good Brothers def. The North to Win the Impact World Tag Team Championship

The North have been the standard-bearers of IMPACT's tag team division for the last year and a half and have had quality matches with just about everyone, so I expected no different from their encounter with The Good Brothers here and they delivered. The North regaining the tag titles at Bound for Glory was weird to me, but now we know it was because IMPACT wanted to get the belts back on a heel team so it meant more when The Good Brothers won them. Beyond this rivalry, I'm curious what's left for The North in IMPACT and if they're potentially on their way out.

Deonna Purrazzo def. Su Yung in a No Disqualification Match to Win the Impact Knockouts Championship

Yung winning the Knockouts title at Bound for Glory was illogical to me with the roll Purrazzo was on leading up to that event. Thankfully, Yung's run was short-lived as Purrazzo got the belt back in this match. Due to the No Disqualification stipulation, I liked this more than their clash at Bound for Glory. It was definitely violent at certain points and added an extra layer to Purrazzo's character, establishing that she'll do whatever it takes to be champion. This was the third straight pay-per-view/special that Purrazzo and Yung have faced off on, so I'm ready for some fresh faces to enter the title picture.

Impact World Champion Rich Swann def. Sami Callihan

Swann and Callihan feuded over the Impact X-Division Championship last year and have plenty of history with each other from before their IMPACT days. They already had the chemistry and thus this was a great main event. Unlike with the previous two title matches, I didn't think the Impact World Championship was in jeopardy of changing hands here, but as a match, it was entertaining. Callihan's pursuit of the title will likely continue with Ken Shamrock ambushing Swann afterward (and Edwards making the save).

Overall Show

I enjoyed this event more than the last Impact Plus special the company did in October (Victory Road) and I'm glad it seems like they'll be a monthly staple going forward with Final Resolution returning next month. It helped that this show featured two title changes, giving viewers the impression that anything can happen on these Impact Plus exclusive events and that they aren't just glorified house shows like the old Impact Plus shows used to be. Additionally, the in-ring action was above-average and the two-and-a-half hours to fly by as a result. Turning Point 2020 gets a strong recommendation from me, though feel free to skip over Myers vs. Swoggle.