IMPACT! Wrestling Review - April 7, 2020

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Willie Mack def. Reno Scum in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match

It's well documented that Reno Scum do absolutely nothing for me, so I had no problem with them losing here despite the odds being stacked against Mack. It was a pretty basic bout that was largely made bearable by Mack's offense. Mack was attacked by Ace Austin afterward, setting the stage for their upcoming clash for the Impact X-Division Championship. This would be the perfect time for Rich Swann to return so Mack could have some backup against Austin and Reno Scum.

Chris Bey def. Daga

Both of these guys are terrific talents and will be breakout stars in the X-Division soon enough. I would have been happy if either of them won, but Bey is the fresher face of the two and needed the victory more. They were given an ample amount of time and made the most of it by producing a fun affair. I wish Bey would have won more decisively, but I also don't mind Daga being protected in defeat.

Havok def. Madison Rayne

Considering both Havok and Rayne are heels, I'm not sure who the crowd was supposed to cheer for here. Havok's matches can be sloppy, but she's solid when she's in there with the right opponent like Rayne, who sold well for her. Havok dominated Rayne for a majority of the match before scoring the win with a jumping Tombstone. I could see Havok being built up as Jordynne Grace's first real challenger for the Impact Knockouts Championship after Taya Valkyrie gets her rematch. Whatever happened to the Grace vs. Rayne feud that was teased?

Jimmy Jacobs Interviewed Ken Shamrock

 It's been three weeks since Sami Callihan returned and attacked Shamrock. I didn't mind the angle, but Shamrock sold me on it with his promo here. His matches in IMPACT since returning haven't been anything amazing, but to his credit, his mic work is still strong. It's a shame the formal Rebellion pay-per-view in New York City was canceled because I would've liked to have seen that match in person. From what I've read, IMPACT will go ahead with the show in an empty arena similar to WWE WrestleMania 36.

Rhino & Tommy Dreamer def. oVe (Dave Crist & Jake Crist)

As I've said before, I'm perfectly fine with Rhino having a regular role on the show, but there is zero need for Dreamer to be wrestling as often as he has been on TV in 2020. Everybody and their mother has beaten him and his matches are almost always slow and boring. This was decent while it lasted, but I hated the outcome. If Madman Fulton was going to attack afterward anyway, why not just have oVe win? I swear, this faction is so weak outside of Callihan.

Kiera hogan def. Susie

Of course, Susie is Su Yung's alter ego, but because she is more of a character and less of a wrestler, this wasn't much of a match, at least in the beginning. It eventually turned into a competitive contest with Susie surprisingly holding her own, only for Hogan to go over in the end. IMPACT's Knockouts division is stacked right now and adding Kylie Rae into the mix will make it that much stronger.

Impact World Tag Team Champions The North def. Impact World Champion Tessa Blanchard & Eddie Edwards

Despite not being a regular team, Edwards and Blanchard made for a terrific team here and had great chemistry. This received a ton of time and yet the pace was consistently exciting. Everyone put in a fantastic effort, but Blanchard in particular stood out as a star. The North held nothing back whenever they were in the ring with her and she withstood everything they dished out. I can understand why some fans wouldn't find that believable, but in my mind, it made sense because she's been established as being on their level. Blanchard wanting to finish the fight on her own was what cost her and Edwards the tag titles in the end, obviously adding more fuel to the fire heading into their three-way Impact World Championship match at Rebellion.

Overall Show

That was one of the best main events on this show in recent memory and you should definitely make time to check it out. Nothing else came close to being nearly as excellent, but I thought the build to Rebellion (which apparently is still on in some form or fashion) was well done. Bey vs. Daga and Shamrock's sit-down interview were also among the highlights on this edition of IMPACT! Wrestling. Enjoy these regular audience shows while they last because the company will reportedly be taping in an empty arena sooner rather than later.