Best and worst of Impact Wrestling- Big debut, Rosemary takes wrestler captive

Impact Wrestling brought us two interesting hours of action this week, much like always. This episode was significant in the sense that it was the show before Rebellion, the upcoming pay-per-view. So, while it wasn't the best episode I've seen, I can imagine that Impact Wrestling must be saving the best for the show. This show was not bad.

I did have some major issues with the show, but overall, I can't say that I was bored at any point, honestly. It was a bottom heavy show, where I actually preferred the tail end of the program a lot more than the beginning. I also think there was way too little wrestling and too many commercial breaks this week.

Please feel free to air your own thoughts and views about the show and Impact Wrestling in general. Do you watch the show every week, and if not, why?

What would you like them to change to become a full-time viewer of Impact Wrestling?

---

#1 Best: The main event

Man, if you put six of the world's very best wrestlers in the main event and have them go all out, you are pretty much guaranteed a very good match. I thought that the Pentagon and Fenix pairing with Johnny Impact was weird at first, but the three worked great together and so did the babyfaces comprising of LAX and Brian Cage.

Remember how I said that this was a bottom heavy show? Everything built up to the main event, and thankfully, it did not disappoint at all.

Of course, this was just a teaser of the things that we'll get to see at the pay-per-view. But if the main course is as good as the appetizer, we're in for a treat.

#1 Worst: The Deaners

While Dean Ambrose has made his departure from WWE, The Deaners have debuted on Impact Wrestling. I don't mean to bury them right off the bat, but I just think that their gimmick is a little dated for my liking.

Don't the two men remind you of something from 90s era WWF, back when the business was at its lowest point? I don't know if the guys have a chance to emerge out of the lower mid card with a gimmick of this nature, in my honest opinion.

I personally think that Impact Wrestling does a far better job when it comes to character building than any other company. And yet this is one of those moments when they just took their finger off the pulse and served us a gimmick that would have been out of date even in 1999.

Let's hope they get repackaged soon.

#2 Best: Lance Storm

Right before the main event, the Impact Wrestling Champion Johnny Impact and the Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie met Lance Storm in the middle of the ring. The two of them recalled their time coming up in the business together and looked as Storm as an ally for the pay-per-view.

Storm was the perfect counterpoint to their devious and underhanded ways and assured Impact and Valkyrie that he would not be biased in the main event match. And then he showed us what great shape he is in by delivering a superkick, to a tremendous ovation. Lance Storm is a legend across the world, but especially so in Canada.

I can't wait to see the match at Rebellion and just how it will play out and what role Lance Storm has to play in the overall proceedings. He is the X Factor that pretty much makes this match special.

#2 Worst: No more Eli Drake

The opening segment this week on Impact Wrestling felt way too short. I think the company just aired it to end the Edwards vs. Eli Drake rivalry on television, now that we know that there won't be a match between the two men owing to the fact that Drake's contract has been terminated.

Both of the men involved in the feud are exceptionally gifted and I suppose that I feel bad for Edwards as well, who had to end this feud midway. Whatever the case may be, we all know that Eli Drake is going to excel wherever he finally goes.

I wonder what the future holds for Eddie Edwards. Will he be the babyface who challenges Johnny Impact after Brian Cage at Rebellion, if the champ manages to defend his title?

I can also see him tear it up with Rich Swann in the X Division.

#3 Best: The Swann segment

Josh Mathews keeps saying that Impact Wrestling separates itself from every other promotion because of the simple fact that they make movies. This week's segment in which Rich Swann went all the way to Dayton to confront Sami Callihan was a great reminder of just how much Impact Wrestling excels at this space.

Things got very real when Rich Swann confronted a locker door that Sami Callihan had locked himself behind. Through the door, Swann spoke of his past and the history he shares with Callihan, while the latter ignored his pleas to open the door.

It is great to see that wrestling can get real at times and strike an emotional chord when it needs to. Kudos to the Impact Wrestling creative team for adopting such a fresh approach.

Rich Swann and Sami Callihan now have a lot more at stake when they clash at Rebellion.

#3 Worst: No Melissa Santos

So, if you watch Impact Wrestling on Twitch, you know that Melissa Santos is your host during the commercial breaks. She is best known for her time on Lucha Underground where she was both an announcer and also a central character.

This week, she was nowhere to be found (we really do hope that all is okay with her) and Don Callis and Scott D'Amore took over during the commercial breaks. While them goofing off at the beginning was entertaining, it soon became tiresome as we realized that they were winging everything.

I hope that this was just a temporary thing, because Santos does a much better job than the two gentlemen. Callis is fantastic behind the commentary desk and D'Amore is great in his cameos as an authority figure, but they did not do a good job as comperes.

It was a mess, ladies and gentlemen.

#4 Best: Rosemary takes an undead spirit captive

Everything about Rosemary is just so cool, is it not? I mean she has the best theme song in wrestling and perhaps the coolest character too. She is always true to her character and few have the opportunity to interact with her when she's not The Demon Assassin.

This week she took on the Undead Maid of Honor, and following the match, even took her captive. I am very intrigued to know where this whole storyline is leading and I wouldn't be surprised if it leads to The Undead Realm. I would love to see how the whole Allie storyline finally concludes.

As I said, where Impact Wrestling excels is when it comes to telling stories. They can create amazing mini movies and I'm sure they are headed in this direction with Rosemary.

By the way, what do you think will happen at the live Smoke Show?