IMPACT! Wrestling Review - September 8, 2020

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Tommy Dreamer Saved Alisha Edwards From Impact World Champion Eric Young

I've seen people say that IMPACT should have put the title on Young when he first came back at Slammiversary, but I'm honestly glad they waited. I thought I would hate the move because I've never been the biggest fan of his, but he's been doing terrific work since returning to the company and won it at the right time. As for Alisha, she isn't known for her mic skills, but she fared better than I thought she would here. Dreamer making the save right before he was about to attack her set up the night's main event that I had no desire to see.

TJP def. Chris Bey

Both of these guys have been lobbying for a shot at the Impact X-Division Championship lately, so it was no surprise that Rohit Raju was standing ringside for this. It was a very well-wrestled match as expected with the two of them having quality chemistry together. This wasn't officially deemed a number one contender's matchup, but it's safe to assume TJP is next in line for a title opportunity. He's still teaming with Fallah Bahh, so I don't see him winning.

Brian Myers def. Willie Mack

Myers beat Mack the last time they squared off, so Mack was looking for a chance at redemption here. Despite having the advantage with it being an impromptu match, Mack still lost. It's worth noting that Myers had to hit Mack with a low blow to win, so the feud obviously isn't over yet. What we got from them was good and this program gives both guys some needed direction at the moment. I appreciate that Mack didn't immediately avenge the loss (which would have been a case of 50/50 booking).

Impact World Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns def. The Rascalz (Dez and Wentz)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first match these teams had against each other at Slammiversary and this was equally entertaining, especially with the tag titles being on the line this time around. Granted, I didn't buy into the idea that The Rascalz were going to win, but from an in-ring standpoint, this was fun. The Rascalz have been given multiple title shots over the last two years and have never held the belts once, but hopefully they'll get a run with them eventually. The post-match melee indicates that a five-way for the titles involving Motor City Machine Guns, The North, Ace Austin and Madman Fulton, The Rascalz, and The Good Brothers could be imminent.

Taya Valkyrie def. Tasha Steelz

Does Valkyrie being the wedding planner for Rosemary and John E. Bravo make her a babyface now? I wouldn't mind it as long as she doesn't change what made her a great heel in the first place. The match was fine albeit nothing special. If I had to guess, Valkyrie and Rosemary putting their differences aside to take on Steelz and Hogan would seem to be the logical next step in this story.

Impact World Champion Eric Young def. Tommy Dreamer in an Old School Rules Match

I was going to say that the finish was foreshadowed once this was announced as being for the title, but then again, it was a Tommy Dreamer match, meaning that there was zero chance he was going to win, regardless. I hate to sound like a broken record, but I've been saying for over two years at this point that Dreamer should not be wrestling in main events anymore, regardless of who it's against. The person he loses to hardly benefits if he comes up short almost every single time. I honestly don't remember the last singles match he won on this show. They tried, but a shorter version of this would have been more effective. The real highlight was Rich Swann returning afterward and going after Young. I'd love for Young vs. Swann to be the Bound for Glory main event for the world title.

Overall Show

Personally, I would have gone with the tag title match in the main event spot over Young vs. Dreamer. Yes, the Impact World Championship was up for grabs, but the outcome was never in doubt and it wasn't very entertaining, at least in my opinion. That said, this was a solid show overall with the wrestling delivering more than usual, storylines progressing, and seeds being planted for possible matches we could see transpire either in the coming weeks or at next month's Bound for Glory pay-per-view.