Impact Wrestling – April 7, 2020: They’re Doing Something

Impact Wrestling
Date: April 7, 2020
Location: Coca Cola Roxy, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Madison Rayne, Josh Matthews

Things are getting interesting around here as they are running out of original content but apparently are going to do a big empty arena taping soon enough. As a result, we could be seeing a lot of Rebellion, though not quite in the same situation. I’ll take what I can get though as they’ve made me want to see the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here’s an annoyed Willie Mack for a chat. He calls out Ace Austin and Reno Scum for attacking the injured Rich Swann last week so come out here and try that on him. Cue Reno Scum so Mack says let’s do this.

Willie Mack vs. Reno Scum

The brawl is on in a hurry with Mack sending Thornstowe outside but the numbers game takes him down early on. Legend drops Thornstowe down in a legdrop for two and we get the Pit Stop for a bonus. Thornstowe gets two off a standing moonsault and we hit the neck crank. Make that a chinlock, which is totally different you see. Mack raises his knees to block a splash so it’s off to Legend, who gets knocked down as well. The double teaming takes Mack down again but he sends the two of them into each other in the corner. A Stunner drops Legend and the Six Star Frog Splash finishes Legend at 5:51.

Rating: D+. There was only going to be so much here and Mack beating the team is the logical way to go. Scum is little more than lackeys and Mack is someone who could become a major player around here with his charisma alone. The fact that he can go in the ring helps, but you’re only going to get so much out of a handicap match.

Post match Ace Austin comes in and takes Mack down.

Show rundown.

Kylie Rae runs into Gail Kim and, believe it or not, is very excited. Then she runs into Susie and they like each others bows. Kiera Hogan comes in to say there are no friends around here. Kiera laughs off the idea that Rae is facing her at some point and gets a match with Susie this week. Rae could be rather entertaining around here.

Daga vs. Chris Bey

Daga headlocks him down to start for all of half a second before Bey is back up. They trade some fast paced rollups for two each and that means an early standoff. A headscissors into a dropkick puts Bey on the floor but he’s able to break up a rope walk armdrag. Bey kicks at the chest and hits a backdrop to send us to a break. Back with Daga still in trouble and having to fight out of an abdominal stretch.

A bodyscissors holds him down a little longer and Bey switches into a sleeper. That’s countered with a flip over the back and Daga scores with a gutwrench powerbomb for two. They head outside with Daga hitting an enziguri, followed by a big running dive off the ramp (though he seems to switch whatever he was doing in the air). Back in and Daga tries a sunset flip but Bey sits down and grabs the rope for the cheating pin at 14:23.

Rating: B-. This was your weekly future stars showcase match and that’s a good idea. Impact has a lot of young talented people and putting them out there for fifteen minutes a week is going to do a lot of positive things for the show. If they had figured this out years ago, who knows where we might be around here.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Xscape match from Lockdown 2011.

John E. Bravo is covered in pads so Taya Valkyrie can beat the heck out of him with a chair in preparation for Full Metal Mayhem against Jordynne Grace. He tries to hide behind the stuffed dog but that just makes her angrier. Bravo says it’s not worth it but Taya insists the Knockouts Title IS worth it.

The Deaners, TJP/Fallah Bahh and XXXL join the Rascalz in the Treehouse but they bring food and beer by mistake. Trey and Wentz leave.

Madison Rayne vs. Havok

Josh is on commentary alone. Rayne tries to avoid her a few times to start so Havok knocks her into the corner. A clothesline drops Rayne again and there’s a running boot in the corner. Rayne’s strikes work a bit better the second time but stops to pose, giving us the Kurt Angle/Big Show “What’s behind me?” spot. More forearms and a Tombstone finish Rayne at 3:37.

Rating: D+. Squash match here with Havok continuing to be a monster. Havok is someone who they could push for a long time to come as you can always use someone like her. At the same time you have Rayne, who is one of the more consistent people around. This was nothing to see though, which is kind of the point here.

Tessa Blanchard and Eddie Edwards aren’t exactly on the same page before tonight’s Tag Team Title match but Eddie’s offer to be a team is on the table.

We get a sitdown interview with Ken Shamrock, who has had to get treatment on his eyes thanks to Sami Callihan’s fireball. He can see though and he’s not cool with Sami trying to injure someone and take food off of his table. They’ll have a contract signing next week for Rebellion. Shamrock knows he has to keep his composure so he can get to Sami on April 19. The lights start to flicker and Shamrock storms off to find Sami.

OVE vs. Rhino/Tommy Dreamer

Rayne is back on commentary and Mad Man Fulton is here with OVE. Dreamer and Dave fight over wrist control to start but it’s off to Jake and Rhino in a hurry. A shoulder runs Jake over and it’s back to Dreamer for a double elbow to the jaw. Fulton offers a little interference though and that means an ejection. Jake kicks Dreamer in the face and the stomping in the corner begins. The chinlock goes on, followed by a double suplex for two. Dreamer catches Dave on top with a superplex though and it’s back to Rhino to clean house. Jake kicks Dreamer in the face over and over but walks into a Gore for the pin at 6:45.

Rating: D+. Yeah sure. I’m not even able to get annoyed at this stuff anymore because the ECW guys are going to be around forever no matter what and who cares if they’re beating former Tag Team Champions clean? Yeah the story is that OVE is lost without Sami, but it’s Rhino and Tommy Dreamer. Was there NO ONE else available here? The Deaners or two popcorn vendors?

Post match Fulton comes back in to beat down the ECW guys.

Rosemary is still at the bar and runs into Johnny Swinger, who hits on her as only he can. The Young Bucks are mentioned and Johnny promises to bring M. Jackson next week. We’re in Atlanta so it’s going to be Mike Jackson isn’t it?

Kiera Hogan vs. Susie

Susie doesn’t like being shoved in the face to start and grabs a bulldog for two. Hogan knocks her into the corner and poses a bit, followed by a running elbow for two more. The cravate doesn’t last long and a fisherman’s neckbreaker is broken up as well. It turns into more of a catfight in the corner until Hogan superkicks her for another near fall. Susie catches her on top and snaps off a hurricanrana. That just earns her a kick to the head and a fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Susie at 5:03.

Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one and they didn’t have the best chemistry in the world. That being said, it kind of makes sense to have Susie lose because she’s not in her full on evil form. Hogan is someone who has always had potential and that is something they could use in the division. Just push her instead of all the starts and stops.

Michael Elgin comes in to see the North and fires them up for the title defense.

Tenille Dashwood is ready to beat Taya Valkyrie next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Rebellion rundown, with Kiera Hogan vs. Kylie Rae added to the card.

Tag Team Titles: Eddie Edwards/Tessa Blanchard vs. The North

The North is defending. Eddie and Page start things off and with nothing going on there, it’s off to Tessa vs. Alexander. Tessa can’t tornado DDT him and gets thrown down, earning Alexander a clothesline to the floor. A Page distraction lets Alexander get in a cheap shot on Tessa but it’s off to Eddie as the pace picks up. Alexander gets sent outside for a dive from Eddie, followed by the big dive from the top to drop everyone as we take a break.

Back with Eddie fighting out of the corner but Page pushes him off the top to take over again. Alexander whips him into a shoulder as Tessa is getting annoyed on the apron. Eddie flips out of a double belly to back suplex and hurricanranas them both at once, allowing the hot tag to Tessa. House is cleaned with back to back suicide dives onto the champs and a cutter gets two on Page.

That earns her a cutter into a wheelbarrow suplex but Eddie saves her from a double suplex. Everything breaks down and Tessa hits another cutter on Alexander to put everyone down. Eddie suplexes Alexander and Tessa low bridges Page to the floor. Magnum is blocked though and a double spinebuster gets two on Tessa with Eddie making the save. The double Neutralizer is broken up and Tessa hits a tornado DDT on Page. Tessa goes over to the corner but won’t make the hot tag to Eddie. Instead the North sends her into Eddie and Northern Assault finishes Tessa at 17:35.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a match and the ending made sense. Tessa isn’t going to trust anyone in the company at the moment and that fits her personality to the letter. It helps move forward with Eddie vs. Tessa at the pay per view, though the North needs some challengers in the near future if they’re going to do something at Rebellion.

Post match the argument is on and Eddie walks away. Cue Michael Elgin to lay out Tessa as Eddie watches from the ramp. Elgin holds up the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Two good matches and a nice build towards the pay per view is enough to give this one a solid grade. I’m not sure what they’re going to do with the pay per view changed around but an empty arena version could be something to see. I want to see the show though and that’s a good sign of what they’re doing at the moment. The card still has some holes but maybe we get those figured out next week, along with where the show is actually taking place.

Results

Willie Mack b. Reno Scum – Six Star Frog Splash to Luster the Legend

Chris Bey b. Daga – Rollup with a grab of the rope

Havok b. Madison Rayne – Tombstone

Tommy Dreamer/Rhino b. OVE – Gore to Jake

Kiera Hogan b. Susie – Fisherman’s neckbreaker

The North b. Eddie Edwards/Tessa Blanchard – Northern Aggression to Blanchard

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