'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABfAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQcQAAIBAwQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEBQYREiEHCBMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQRAAICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEABCFB/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDP/H+jhlrDWWMhvTaxxKtnI6x7u0fxAfiQw48iOx2KlQ+vum3iRnyF2WZQTsqClKRuqoTWIFXF2ue4yPYmkklR2tY2CoD4CLz/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
IMPACT Wrestling's go-home show for Rebellion was loaded, as the company has been thrown into complete chaos over the past few months. Not only did Josh Alexander give up the IMPACT World Title last week due to injury, but Mickie James did the same this week.
The top two titles were vacated days before one of the company's most important events. We also saw a former World Champion added to the Hardcore War between Team Tommy Dreamer and Team Bully Ray.
In between all that, IMPACT delivered some great action that helped serve up two quality hours of TV just days before Rebellion.
#5 Former X-Division Champions battle for the man advantage in Hardcore War at IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion
For those unaware, a Hardcore War is essentially WarGames without a steel cage. Competitors from each team start the match off, with a new competitor entering the ring every 90-120 seconds. At Rebellion this year, IMPACT will pit former best friends Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray in a five-on-five Hardcore War.
On the most recent edition of IMPACT Wrestling, we saw Frankie Kazarian of Team Tommy battle Kenny King of Team Bully to determine which team would obtain the numbers advantage.
The two former X-Division Champions opened the show and delivered a fantastic back-and-forth match. Near the end, Kazarian pulled out a slingshot cutter but was unable to keep King's shoulders down.
At that moment, Team Bullly and Team Tommy began to brawl on the floor. At that point, two unannounced members of Bully Ray's group, Brian Myers and former IMPACT World Champion Moose, interfered and cost Kaz the match.
Moose and Myers will replace John Skylar and Jason Hotch, known as the Good Hands, giving Team Bully some much-needed firepower. The two will join Masha Slamovich, King, and Bully while Tommy Dreamer will go to war with Kazarian, IMPACT standout Yuya Uemura, Killer Kelly, and Bhupinder Gujjar on his side.
While fans are more than ready to see Tommy Dreamer finally get some payback against Bully Ray, the real secret ingredients for this match have to be Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly, two of the most dominant knockouts yet to hold gold in the promotion. The two monsters have only faced each other once in IMPACT in a four-way, so it should be interesting when they square off again on Sunday.
#4 Laredo Kid makes IMPACT Wrestling return six months after rupturing his intestines
Laredo Kid has been working on and off with IMPACT Wrestling since 2017, usually appearing for short stints here and there. In early 2022, Kid signed a contract with IMPACT. Unfortunately, Kid suffered a horrific injury during a show in Monterrey, Mexico.
Kid faced Vikingo on October 23rd where, at some point during the match, his intestines ruptured. He was immediately driven to a local hospital following the match for emergency surgery, saving his life in the process.
Laredo Kid made his return to IMPACT Wrestling this week in a four-way contest against Lince Dorado, Rich Swann, and Black Taurus. With competitors like that, fans expected high-flying excellence, which is exactly what they got.
While Kid, Lince, and Swann flew around the ring at a blinding fast pace, they were met with the wall that is Black Taurus. The monstrous bull of Decay has consistently impressed in IMPACT Wrestling since joining the group in 2021.
In the end, it was the returning Laredo Kid who came away with the victory following an avalanche Spanish Fly to, of all competitors, Black Taurus. Welcome back Laredo Kid!
#3 Tasha Steelz and Gisele Shaw tear the house down
Gisele Shaw's been, unfortunately, in the news due to some less-than-positive circumstances after Rick Steiner threw some terribly offensive transphobic comments her way at WrestleCon in March.
On the latest episode of IMPACT Wrestling, Shaw continued to prove why she's one of the most exciting women in the Knockouts Division. The 34-year-old had a tall task at hand in a singles bout against former IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Tasha Steelz.
Shaw brought a familiar face to the ring, as Steelz' former ally Savannah Evans was at ringside for the Quintessential Diva, as well as Jai Vidal. This was the first time we'd seen Steelz in an IMPACT ring since January, and the Boricua Bad Ass came out swinging. Both women threw nasty boots, elbows, and chops in the opening moments, with the intensity at a high
Despite interference from Vidal and Evans, Tasha Steelz managed to withstand the pressure from Shaw and company. After Shaw injured her knee going for a running knee strike, Steelz took advantage with a dropkick to the knee on the inside. With her weakened leg, Shaw was unable to kick out of the pinfall.
#2 IMPACT Wrestling World Title contenders come to blows ahead of Rebellion
On April 6th, Josh Alexander was forced to relinquish the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship after a torn pectoral put him on the shelf. Though his surgery was successful, he'd be away from the ring for quite a while, forcing IMPACT management to make the tough decision to take the belt off the longest-reigning champion in the company's history.
Alexander was set to defend the title against Kushida at Multiverse United earlier this month only to be replaced by Lio Rush after sustaining the injury. As for Steve Maclin, he has been eyeing the gold for quite some time now. Maclin's picked up some incredible wins against the likes of Jay White, Moose, James Storm, and Rich Swann in the last year alone.
After months of waiting for the right moment, Maclin finally got his shot against the Walking Weapon at Rebellion. While we're unfortunately robbed of the continuation of Josh Alexander's championship reign, Maclin has the opportunity to prove that he deserves the spotlight on Sunday.
Before IMPACT Wrestling kicked off this week, Maclin interrupted the Canadian national anthem before being attacked by Kushida. The Time Splitter earned big reactions from the crowd as they chanted "Kushida" throughout the brawl. Eventually, IMPACT officials were able to separate the two.
Despite having to shift things around quite a bit, IMPACT managed to provide an epic shortlived feud that will come to a head at Rebellion.
#1 Mickie James' Last Rodeo ends in depressing fashion
On September 8th, 2022, Mickie James began her Last Rodeo. The legendary Knockouts champion revealed that her time in the ring was soon coming to an end, and said she had one goal in mind: to win the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Championship one last time. If she lost a match, she'd call her career then and there.
Cut to 2023, and Mickie James accomplished her goal. At Hard to Killl on January 13th, she defeated Jordynne Grace to win her fifth Knockouts Championship. Since then, she's continued to compete, and even successfully defended the title against Masha Slamovich as well as Gisele Shaw.
Unfortunately, James will not be able to compete in the triple threat against Grace and Deonna Purrazzo at Rebellion. Suffering through three broken rib caps, a slight shoulder tear and a possible torn pectoral, James had no option but to give up the gold so that IMPACT Wrestling could have a fighting champion.
IMPACT Wrestling asked the fans in attendance to leave the building to give James time to share some rather unfortunate news without her having to look her fans in the eyes. What we did see, though, throughout her segment were the two women challenging for her title at Rebellion, Jordynne Grace and Deonna Purrazzo, backstage watching together.
"I have to do what's right for business. I have to do what's right for this championship. I have to do what's right for that locker room. With all that being said I just want to say thank you. Thank you for this Last Rodeo. Thank you for making me believe in me all over again. It's been really special, and I'm forever grateful, but I just got off the phone with the doctor and unfortunately I am not cleared to compete at Rebellion. I am a woman of my word. Deonna, Jordynne, it's your time now."
James left the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Championship, and her iconic hat, in the middle of the ring. Is this the last we'll see of Mickie James? Is this where she rides off into the sunset? We here at Sportskeeda certainly hope not.
With the top two titles vacated before the pay-per-view, Rebellion is set to be one of the most exciting shows in IMPACT history as we're guaranteed at least two new champions on April 16th. Who will walk out the Knockouts and World Champions? Let us know in the comments below!
