'%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,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I have said this in the past. I find Impact Wrestling episodes easier to watch than WWE on most weeks. The action just seems to flow better. This week had its moments for sure, but overall, I was just a little underwhelmed across the course of the two hours.
The in-ring action was just as good as ever, I felt. I just think that the issue lay in the fact that this was more a 'setup' episode than a show where the action goes down. There were some other issues with the show as well that I found quite distracting.
But that said, I would still have to say that the episode had more good than bad overall. I know I've dwelled on the flashback segments in the past and how easily they can take a viewer out of the action, so I was glad to see that WWE cut the segment down to its bare bones this week.
Here's what I liked and disliked from the show...
#1 Best: The opening contest
Impact Wrestling always starts off with a bang. Pentagon, Fenix and Taurus teamed up to take on LAX and Daga in a triple threat match.
It was the battle of the masked warriors against three unmasked ring generals. As one would expect, the action was fast and furious from the opening bell. The Lucha Bros won the match with Taurus in their corner and they earned themselves a tag team title shot.
If you saw their match at Homecoming, you should be salivating at the thought of LAX vs. Lucha Bros Part 2. What a match this is going to be.
The 6-man tag match was a really good way to kick the show off!
#1 Worst: The bizarre ad breaks
I love the pairing of Josh Mathews and Don Callis. The two men have great chemistry with Mathews playing the straight man, while Callis is perhaps the best color commentator of the current era.
When the two men are by the ring, they bring a sense of seriousness and urgency to the action. But during the ad breaks when they're at home, there's an informal tone to the segments that do not appear professional.
Jimmy Jacobs tried to make things interesting by taking off his shirt and bringing in an element of humor, but somehow the whole segment failed to make a real impression. The fact that Josh Mathews was eating during a live broadcast was quite disappointing too.
As a comment on the Twitch chat said, maybe a real ad would have worked better than this!
#2 Best: The announcement of Impact Wrestling's Rebellion
I think Impact Wrestling really gets the most raucous crowds in Canada. The audience in Mexico for this episode was hot for some segments, but then they would be dead still for others. By returning to Canada, Impact has the chance to really translate the energy in the ring and the arena into creating a more compelling product.
The company has hit it out of the park when it comes to pay-per-views. Beginning with Slammiversary last year, all the way to Homecoming, Impact always puts on some great pay-per-view events. I'm glad to see them doing a fourth pay-per-view in 2019 (Homecoming, followed possibly by Slammiversary and also Bound For Glory).
Rebellion is also a great name and it sounds like the successor to Redemption, the event that took place last year. I am certain that we're in for a great night of professional wrestling.
#2 Worst: Two teams that cannot coexist
This is probably a personal grouse but I think the idea of tag teams that are not on the same page has been done to death in wrestling. Little did I know that there would be two matches with this storyline on this very show. Eli Drake and Eddie Edwards and Brian Cage and Johnny Impact were both part of two such teams this week.
What I did like is how differently both matches played out. Eli Drake, a man who's been an advocate against hardcore wrestling actually used a kendo stick to pick up a victory this week. Cage and Impact could not coexist well enough to pick up the win.
But it just shows a lack of imagination when two teams have the same storyline on the same show. Knowing how creative the Impact Wrestling think tank can be, this is disappointing.
#3 Best: Hogan and Grace
Even without Tessa Blanchard and Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie competing on the show, the division showed its fire. I'm particularly impressed by Kiera Hogan who really is the girl on fire.
Against the backdrop of the supernatural story that has consumed this division, both of these competitors proved that they're great wrestlers. Jordynne Grace brought the power while Hogan brought the speed to the table, this week.
Su Yung and Dark Allie held their own during this contest, but it is clear that the babyfaces are significantly better in the ring than the two heels are. I would not be surprised if the two of them step up to compete for the Knockouts Championship very soon.
Of course, that little cameo by Rosemary was really good too. She is clearly the most over Knockout on the roster, considering everyone in the Twitch chat was marking out over her.
#3 Worst: The plodding Fallah Bahh vs. Pyscho Clown match
There were certainly some cool spots during the match. But it is clear to anyone that watched that this was probably the worst match on this week's show by a fair margin.
There was nothing particularly wrong about the match, from a technical standpoint I suppose but when there's a match so deep into an uneventful show, it better be very good. Fallah Bahh with his comedy should open most shows.
Impact Wrestling has some of the most gifted and talented individuals in their roster but it just seems like they do so many throwaway episodes that some of them just lose the interest of their fans. As good as the main event was, it was still a throwaway tag team contest.
Let's hope that Scarlett's in-ring debut lives up to all the hype too. The vignettes are certainly special!
