Impact Wrestling Rebellion: Best and Worst- New champs, Former NJPW Superstar arrives

So, I've been doing the 'Best and Worst' series for Impact Wrestling, for some time now. I've been quite hard on the company, for their faults, mainly on the production front. And therefore, I must commend them when the product that they put on actually exceeds my expectations. I thought that the show they put together was exceptional.

And when you're missing Game of Thrones to cover an Impact Wrestling pay-per-view, the show better be good. I'm glad to report that this could have been one of my favourite shows, all year. If you read my articles, you'll know that I watch a lot of wrestling on a weekly basis, and so it takes a lot to wow me.

Let me begin by saying that there's a lot more to like about Rebellion than dislike about it, and if I had to rate the show, I'd give it a solid A. That said I'm going to nitpick and pick out a few faults from the show nevertheless.

But if you haven't watched the show, I strongly recommend that you do so.

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#1 Best: The crowd

My fellow Sportskeeda colleague Shiven often remarks on how Impact puts on good shows, but there's literally no crowd participation. That was rectified in Canada because the crowd was simply electric at the pay-per-view.

They cheered for the babyfaces and cheered for the heels too, and gasped, ooh-aahed and even went 'Thank you Gail' when required. I really do hope that this energy continues during the tapings because without a good crowd, even the best show doesn't seem as good.

Spurred on my the audience, I thought that everyone delivered and then some. It really did help that the crowd seemed like they were caught up on all the action, and knew all the storylines leading up to Rebellion.

#1 Worst: Sloppy camera angles

I play music as well, and it always irks me when a cameraman captures the wrong musician at the wrong time. A lead guitarist could be blazing away on a solo, but the cameraman may focus on the rhythm guitarist at that point, not knowing what's really up.

Because the action was so fast and furious at Rebellion, it certainly seemed like there were quite a few points where the cameramen just lost track of all the drama that was unfolding. This was especially true in the main event when Pentagon took a drink from the ringside area and used it on his opponents.

It was also true during the Rascalz match where there was so much happening that I'm guessing that the cameramen just lost control entirely. This was the only minor production snag I noticed at Rebellion.

It was still a step up from United We Stand, I felt.

#2 Best: Brand new world champion + Elgin!

I loved Johnny Impact as a cowardly and dastardly world champion, and to be honest, I wouldn't have minded another run from him. But at the same time, it was high time that Brian Cage was made the face of the company. This was a positive move from Impact Wrestling, and I'm all for it.

Of course, the match was overshadowed by the fact that former NJPW Superstar Michael Elgin would show up and get in Brian Cage's face. The two men are bulls and a clash between the two will certainly be one for the ages, in my opinion. Despite all of the negative publicity around Elgin, the fact remains that he's one of the biggest stars in wrestling.

As for Johnny Impact, I'm guessing he'll cash in the X Division title opportunity he won at United We Stand. That could be a good feud, Impact vs. Rich Swann!

#2 Worst: Not taking a chance with Jordynne Grace

Let me preface this by saying that I thought that the Jordynne Grace vs. Taya Valkyrie match was great. But that said, I just thought that the outcome could have certainly been different. The stage just seemed right for a title change to take place.

I mean Grace had the support of the crowd and they were spurring her on to victory against the vicious heel. And Taya Valkyrie is an established name, not just in Impact Wrestling but also in the world of independent wrestling, which essentially means that she is already over without the strap on her. Grace, on the other hand, is still looked upon as a budding star and this win could have catapulted her to the next level.

But as I said, I am nitpicking. Congrats to the two women for putting on a barn burner.

#3 Best: The hardcore stuff

If you are a WWE fan in the PG Era, chances are that you long for the good, old days of hardcore wrestling. Well, if you look outside the WWE bubble, you'll find that there are quite a few promotions preserving the art.

Pentagon and Fenix took on LAX in a fantastic main event, which resulted in the titles changing hands. But the story was told through tables, ladders, and chairs and yes, thumbtacks as well, which are a rare sight in today's wrestling.

Rich Swann and Sami Callihan also told a fantastic story using other weapons of mass destruction using a staple gun as well as a baseball bat with barbed wire fully wrapped around it. I really thought that these two matches were the highlight of the show.

Like I said before, if you haven't watched this show already, go and watch it!

#3 Worst: No Killer Kross at the pay-per-view

When you're building your company around a star like Killer Kross, you need to ensure that he's on every single show. Kross has been the best thing about Impact Wrestling in weeks past and it was a shame that he wasn't at Rebellion in any capacity.

I can see from his Twitter posts that he was booked for yet another pro wrestling event. I did think that instead of the throwaway X Division match at the top of the show, we could have had a more meaningful match between Killer Kross and let's say, Eddie Edwards.

Eddie Edwards should have ideally faced Eli Drake at the pay-per-view and because of Drake's departure, it did not really work out. It was a shame to see him wasted in just another multi-man match.

Impact has a handful of stars and they must all be protected.

#4 Best/worst: Blanchard breaks character

Can I just say how good and fluid Gail Kim is in the ring despite her age? She didn't look out of breath at all as she took on the hottest star in the Impact Knockouts roster, Tessa Blanchard. Tully Blanchard, most famously known for being one of the Four Horsemen was at ringside and I thought it was a pretty great touch overall.

But I don't know if having her become babyface at the end was a good idea. Yes, it was a tender and sweet moment and a passing of the torch from a legend to a definite future star. But it also took away a lot of the aggressiveness we've come to associate with Tessa Blanchard.

You never saw Vince McMahon, the greatest heel of all time, break character at the conclusion of a heated feud. Maybe I'm just old school.

What did you think of Scarlett's inter-gender match?