Josh Alexander and Impact World Champion Moose BrawledThe storytelling in this feud has been top-notch. It started with the excellent swerve at Bound for Glory in October when Moose essentially stole the title from Alexander and everything they've done in recent weeks has been compelling. I think my only fear is that the program may peak before Rebellion in April. This was a strong segment to follow up on last week's show-closing angle and to give Alexander a small measure of revenge. "Speedball" Mike Bailey def. Willie Mack and Laredo Kid in a Three-Way Match to Qualify for the Impact X-Division Championship Three-Way Match at RebellionOnce Ace Austin qualified for the Impact X-Division Championship match at Rebellion, you had to Bailey would follow suit given the storyline they find themselves in at the moment. Despite the predictable result, this was still an enjoyable affair with fast-paced action. IMPACT has done a ton of three-way matches with the X-Division guys over the last year and the formula is starting to grow a bit tired, but it's hard to complain when they keep delivering. Steve Maclin def. HeathAs expected, Heath's push toward the main event scene was short-lived and he's back to the same spot on the card he was before. Then again, that's where he thrives in my opinion, so I have no issue with that. Maclin has momentum right now and needed the win more. This didn't last long, but it didn't need to. Heath and Rhino are obviously headed back to the tag team ranks and I'm looking forward to them finally chasing the Impact World Tag Team Championship. Impact World Tag Team Champions Violent By Design (Eric Young and Joe Doering) def. The Good Brothers in an Lumberjack MatchThis was a rematch from Sacrifice where Violent By Design beat Good Brothers for the belts. The Lumberjack stipulation not only ensured no one would leave the ring but also served as a preview of the multi-team elimination challenge match for the titles at Rebellion. Considering this had a heel vs. heel dynamic and Lumberjack matches typically aren't great, I was pleasantly surprised how decent this was. I appreciate the effort IMPACT is putting into beefing up its tag team division. Eddie Edwards def. Rocky RomeroIt's awesome that Romero continues to make appearances in all of these different promotions. He's a super reliable competitor who works well with just about everyone, so unsurprisingly, this was a very entertaining outing. Edwards has been a compelling character as a heel and they're doing the right thing by having him rack up wins. It also gets more heat on Edwards, so this was a success all around. Impact Knockouts World Champion Tasha Steelz def. Mickie James in a Philadelphia Street FightWe just got a Street Fight of sorts for the Impact Knockouts World Championship at Hard to Kill two months ago between James and Deonna Purrazzo, but that didn't end up mattering with these two making the most of the stipulation and having a hell of a brawl. This was the rubber match in their series and easily the best. They made excellent use of the weapons they had available to them and the finish was well done with Chelsea Green refusing to help James. I'm really looking forward to Green and Matt Cardona vs. James and Nick Aldis, which has since been announced for Multiverse of Matches over WrestleMania weekend. Overall ShowAs I always say, IMPACT's shows are easy to follow, the matches deliver, and the storylines are engaging. All in all, the product is the best it's been in many years and the weekly shows are benefiting. They pull out great stuff for every episode, including this one with what we got in those last two matches. The Moose and Alexander stuff has been well done, too. Multiverse of Matches next Friday is shaping up to be a strong show that I'm looking forward to, even though it's bound to get overshadowed by everything going on during WrestleMania weekend.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|