Impact Wrestling – March 23, 2021: Everyone Else But Him

Impact Wrestling
Date: March 23, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: D’Lo Brown, Matt Striker

We are on the road to Rebellion and that means it is time to start hammering home some of the card. This time around it is going to include an appearance from Kenny Omega and that means things are about to be dropped to focus on him. That makes sense given that he is the biggest star on the show, but it doesn’t do much for anyone around here once he leaves. Let’s get to it.

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

Don Callis leads Kenny Omega into the building.

Opening recap.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Jazz

Non-title with Susan and Jordynne Grace here as well. They go to the mat to start with Jazz switching into a hammerlock. Back up and Jazz hits some snap jabs but a drop toehold puts her into the ropes. Susan gets in some choking and Purrazzo’s clothesline gets two. We hit the chinlock with a knee in Jazz’s back but she jawbreaks her way to freedom. Purrazzo misses a charge into the post, setting up Jazz’s spinning kick to the head for two. A facebuster gives Jazz two, mainly due to Susan putting the foot on the rope. Jazz goes for Susan and gets a shoe upside the head, allowing Purrazzo to get the pin at 6:24.

Rating: C-. Just a match here and odds are the ending sets up a rematch for Hardcore Justice, which may or may not be the best idea. Above all else, Purrazzo could use some fresh competition and Jazz will do fine as a short term challenger. I’m not sure what they are going to do at Rebellion, but at least Jazz should keep them covered for the time being.

The Good Brothers are telling stories to some of the locker room when Eddie Edwards comes in to mock them for suddenly being willing to change with the boys now that they have lost their titles. The Brothers leave and run into Decay, who mock them as well.

Johnny Swinger, a 26 year old male, gives us a commercial for Swinger’s Palace. Alisha Edwards (with an unlit cigarette and a graphic saying she has a problem) talks about how the cards keep moving around here. Lenny Powers, an out of work security guard, has shown his brother he isn’t the black sheep. Completely non disgruntled employee John E. Bravo is glad to be the dealer here. Come try your luck! This was funny.

Rohit Raju runs into Fallah Bahh, who has hit a rough patch and is sleeping in the studio. Raju yells at him and tells him to get it together. Violence is teased.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

X-Division Title: TJP vs. Ace Austin

Austin, with Madman Fulton, is defending. They go to the exchange of holds to start, which shockingly enough goes to TJP. Austin manages to take him to the mat but TJP kicks him away without much effort. Back up and TJP dropkicks him into the corner, only to have Austin springboard out with a spinning kick to the head.

TJP gets dropped onto the apron and they head up top, with TJP being dropped down hard with a super gordbuster. We take a break and come back with Austin working on a half crab. That’s switched into a double chickenwing to keep TJP in trouble but he manages to reverse into an abdominal stretch. Austin breaks it up so TJP kicks him down, only to get kicked in the face.

Austin’s top rope Fameasser gets two but he misses a charge and gets caught in something like the Octopus in the ropes. That’s broken up so TJP misses the Mamba splash. A double clothesline puts both of them down for a bit, allowing Austin to try the Fold. TJP counters that into the Detonation kick into the Mamba splash but Fulton comes in for the DQ at 13:20.

Rating: C+. This was good while it lasted but you could see the ending coming from the second Fulton came through the curtain. That’s not a bad thing either, as the monster saving the champ who gets in trouble is as simple and effective of a booking trope as you can find. If nothing else, it makes the big title change down the line feel more important.

Josh Alexander runs in for the save.

We get a sitdown interview with Matt Cardona, who is ready to open all of the presents he sees around here. Cardona talks about how social media has meant a lot to his career, which brings him to Brian Myers accusing him of riding his coattails and following him to Impact. That isn’t the case, because Cardona is here for competition. If Myers wants a match, come get it, and then they’re done.

Trey Miguel runs into XXXL and a fight is teased but Tommy Dreamer pops up to say they can have an exploding ring barbed wire deathmatch at Hardcore Justice. XXXL leaves and Miguel wants to fight Romero tonight. Dreamer talks about what happens when someone gets in your head and warns Miguel not to go there.

Rohit Raju vs. Fallah Bahh

Bahh wastes no time in hitting a belly to belly but misses a crossbody. Raju hammers away but Bahh shrugs it off and hits a twisting slam. The Banzai Drop is up and Raju’s double stomp gets two. Bahh charges into the running knee but doesn’t go down. That leaves Raju to try a sunset flip but he has to avoid the sitdown splash, meaning it’s a crucifix with tights to finish Bahh at 3:49.

Rating: D+. Another match that didn’t have time to go anywhere but you could only expect to much out of this. Bahh has come a long way and him being the poor gambling addict is more of a character than he has had before, though I’m not sure how far he can go. Raju continues to be one of the bigger surprises in Impact as he has gone from nothing to a completely watchable star.

Kenny Omega and Don Callis say they will do their talking in the ring.

We get the Tony Schiavone/Tony Khan Dynamite preview, this time featuring Don Callis and Kenny Omega. We run down the card and Omega is not worried about facing Matt Sydal because there is a 0% chance of him earning a title shot.

The Good Brothers can’t get in to see Kenny Omega and aren’t happy about it. The idea that he’s not in his dressing room doesn’t seem to occur to them.

Here are Kenny Omega and Don Callis for a chat. Omega says this is his land and Callis promises that Omega will have the title sooner rather than later. Callis talks about his chat with Rich Swann last week. Swann can have anything he wants and all the success he wants, but he can’t get the One Winged Angel out of his head. We hear about how Omega is the greatest wrestler of all time and Callis is ready to suck all of the talent out of this company if it helps Omega.

Callis has prepared a tribute to the One Winged Angel and Omega talks about how scared everyone is to be around him. The day he arrived in Impact was the greatest day in the history of Impact, but it was Tuesday to Omega. There is no one here who can beat him and until he falls on a banana peel, no one is taking this title from him. They promise to destroy everyone here, including Rich Swann.

Eric Young talks about showing Rhino the truth and the monster inside of him.

Fire N Flava talk trash to Havok and Nevaeh. A match is set, but it’s non-title because the champs want them to earn something. Fire N Flava leave so here are Kaleb With A K and Tenille Dashwood to offer another alliance with Nevaeh. Again, it doesn’t go anywhere.

Acey Romero vs. Trey Miguel

Miguel starts fast but gets knocked out of the corner with a big forearm. After a quick trip to the floor, Miguel charges into a side slam and we take a break. Back with Romero hitting a splash for two and we hit the double arm crank. Miguel fights up with some forearms and a spinning kick to the head gets two. Another springboard is Pounced out of the air to give Romero two but Miguel gets smart by kicking the knee out. A springboard cutter sets up the top rope Meteora for the pin at 8:20.

Rating: C-. Another not so great match here but it worked out well enough. Miguel getting a win is a good thing after last week’s war against Sami Callihan. I’m not sure where Miguel goes from here, but as long as it isn’t another stupid version of “they hate each other and now they’re partners”, I think he’ll be fine.

Post match the beatdown is on but Sami Callihan makes the save. OH COME ON WITH HIS STUPID IDEA AGAIN.

Rich Swann isn’t sweating the One Winged Angel because every time he and Omega have been one on one, Swann has gotten the better of it. So it’s Omega who needs to be ready.

James Storm is ready for his 1000^th match around here and he’s ready to face Eric Young in #1000. Scott D’Amore comes in to make the match next week’s main event.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Eddie Edwards vs. Karl Anderson

Feeling out process to start but Eddie picks up the pace with an overhead belly to belly. A clothesline over the top puts Anderson on the floor and there’s the suicide dive. We take a break and come back with a Doc Gallows distraction letting Anderson shove Eddie off the top and out to the floor. That’s enough for the referee, who makes Gallows…..sit in a chair.

Back in and Anderson cranks on the arm and neck for a bit before whipping Edwards hard into the corner. Commentary talks about the One Winged Angel some more but starts paying attention more during a chinlock. Eddie finally fights up and manages a release gordbuster. The Backpack Stunner gets two and the Blue Thunder Bomb is good for the same. The Gun Stun is broken up so Eddie tries an O’Connor roll, only to have the kickout send him into Gallows’ chair. Anderson hits a spinebuster for the pin at 13:48.

Rating: C+. I know the Good Brothers can be over the top with a lot of their antics but they can wrestle a pretty decent match when they are given the chance. Granted in this case it helps having Eddie Edwards in there because he can wrestle with anyone. Not a great match, but it was perfectly serviceable for a main event.

Post match FinJuice pops up to talk about how they have won all over Japan and talk about various young boy things, because this feud is still about Japan.

Overall Rating: C-. Omega’s promo was the highlight, and that is kind of the problem around here. I do get completely sick of Impact acting like Omega/FinJuice/anyone from any other promotion is like some kind of gift from Heaven but Omega really is a lot better than almost anyone here. Now if they could use that as a way to boost up Impact rather than Omega, we might be onto something. The wrestling and stories were mostly just ok, but this show was all about Omega. As usual.

Results

Deonna Purrazzo b. Jazz – Rollup after a shoe shot from Susan

TJP b. Ace Austin via DQ when Madman Fulton interfered

Rohit Raju b. Fallah Bahh – Crucifix with tights

Trey Miguel b. Acey Romero – Top rope Meteora

Karl Anderson b. Eddie Edwards – Spinebuster

 

 

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