IMPACT! Wrestling Review - October 6, 2020

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Tommy Dreamer def. Brian Myers by Disqualification

I've been enjoying this feud in recent weeks and the intensity from both men in their interactions backstage have been great, but the matches haven't exactly lit the world on fire. That shouldn't come as any surprise given Dreamer was involved and that this was no different than most matches he's had in IMPACT this year. I appreciate that he wants to elevate talent, but less is more as far as him getting in the ring. Myers getting himself intentionally disqualified obviously means the rivalry will continue.

Jordynne Grace def. Impact X-Division Champion Rohit Raju in a Defeat Rohit Challenge (Non-Title)

The Defeat Rohit Challenge was basically an open invitation from Raju where whoever could beat him would win the Impact X-Division Championship. Willie Mack, who Raju defeated at Bound for Glory, came out first and later helped Grace beat Raju in under a minute, seemingly for the title. However, Raju complained afterward that it wasn't a championship match because the referee didn't hold up the belt beforehand, so it was ruled a non-title win for Grace. That led to the announcement that it was going to be a six-person scramble at Bound for Glory with Raju, Grace, Mack, TJP, Trey Miguel and Chris Bey. I didn't care about Raju previously, but IMPACT has done a nice job lately of building him up as a pest champion, so it will mean something when he eventually loses it.

The Rascalz (Dez and Wentz) def. XXXL

I've found XXXL's matches to be mostly hit or miss, depending on who they're facing, but this was a fun tag team affair. It didn't seem to serve much of a purpose aside from giving The Rascalz a much-needed win, but at least it was well-wrestled. Props to IMPACT for gradually building their tag team division back up. It isn't perfect, but more teams matter now compared to six months ago. More work needs to be done with these teams though as they feel directionless at the moment.

Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie def. Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan

It really, really feels like IMPACT is hinting at the return of the Knockouts Tag Team Championship with how much the commentators talk about the tag teams in the Knockouts division and how often we see tag team matches with the women like this one. It was pretty good as they made the most of the time they had and kept the pace flowing throughout. Rosemary and Valkyrie winning means that they're finally on the same page heading into Rosemary's wedding with John E. Bravo.

The Deaners def. Johnny Swinger and Crazzy Steve

I guess Swinger and Steve are supposed to be a tag team now? If so, I honestly couldn't care less. Swinger is good for the occasional comic relief, but he and Steve wouldn't be an interesting addition to the IMPACT tag team ranks, assuming this wasn't a one-off. The Deaners don't do much for me either, so while this was a decent match, it felt like filler more than anything else.

Impact World Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns def. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton

Motor City Machine Guns have been doing some terrific work since returning to IMPACT at Slammiversary and this was another above-average match from them. Meanwhile, Austin and Fulton have quickly developed chemistry as a team and that was on display here. It's been cool to see the tag team division showcased in the main event of IMPACT! Wrestling more often than not in the last month or so heading into the multi-team matchup for the Impact Tag Team Championship at Bound for Glory. I was a little surprised Austin and Fulton lost, but I assume IMPACT wants to keep the champs as strong as possible ahead of the event.

Overall Show

While not a home run of an episode, this was a super solid show on the whole. There was a follow-up from Victory Road on Saturday and hype for Bound for Glory in a few weeks. Every division seems to have something going for it at the moment, which makes watching these shows that much easier. The main event was the best part about the program this week, but almost everything else succeeded in what it set out to do. The Deaners vs. Swinger and Steve was whatever, but that was just a minor misfire on an otherwise efficient episode.