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I would say that 'Cali Combat' in itself was an okay show. There were good moments, but it was nothing to really write home about, in my opinion.
It is what was teased during the show that really caught my eye, and I'm sure that Impact Wrestling will kick it up a notch when we move into the following weeks. This week's show had very little wrong with it, but it's hardly the kind of show that will captivate the casual fan and make them go wow.
Before I begin, let me just say that the crowd was amazing, actually cheering the babyfaces and rooting against the heels. When you have a crowd that is so very electrifying, it just lights a fire under the performers to give it their all and shine.
Also, I thought that this spurred Josh Mathews and Don Callis to call the action in a more energetic way and I'd go so far as to say that this was one of their best weeks behind the desk in quite some time.
#1 Best: Tenille Dashwood's promo
Tenille Dashwood or Emma/Emmalina as you may know her from her WWE stint should have ideally been a much bigger star than she turned out to be. Not only did she have a great look and great in-ring skills, but she also had the support of fans who wanted to spur her on to the top of the division.
Well, since then she's done a lot of things outside WWE and will now be a part of the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Roster in the days to follow. She has made it clear that she'll go straight for the gold upon her return, and Taya vs. Tenille is not something you want to miss out on.
#1 Worst: No World Champion
It's very hard to fault a company for not putting their injured World Champion on their weekly TV show because I know it's not their fault at all, in this case. However, I just think that his absence is diluting the world title picture because the Number 1 contender Sami Callihan has nobody to really riff with.
I know that Tessa Blanchard is a worthy replacement in a sense because she's keeping the feud going at the top of the card. I just wonder if the segments with Melissa Santos where she addresses the state of Brian Cage's condition from her house go a long way in reminding us that he's still around.
That did not happen this week at all. I'd like to wish Cage a very quick recovery and just hope that he can make it back in time for the rest of the Impact tapings.
Maybe even a promo from wherever he is could go a long way in keeping fan interest alive.
#2 Best: Ken Shamrock takes on Moose
Anyone who's watched WWE during the Attitude Era knows that Ken Shamrock was a huge part of the period. Those who follow MMA and UFC probably know of his accolades in the field as well. Shamrock was obviously a big part of TNA as well.
And as it was recently announced, Shamrock will become a part of the Impact Wrestling roster very soon taking on Moose, who's segued into a fantastic playboy character, that suits him very well indeed. The storyline here is that he's not bothered at the thought of the 'World's Most Dangerous Man' coming to Impact Wrestling and he's in for a nasty surprise indeed.
I had a chance to speak to Australian pro wrestler Zenith only a few days ago and he put over Shamrock in a big way. Shamrock still bumps around like he's in his 20s, and this should be a good match.
#2 Worst: Tommy Dreamer in the main event takes viewers away
I want to take nothing away from Tommy Dreamer at all. He is a human anomaly in the sense that he can still go at his age and put over Sami Callihan in a big manner. I just don't think that he's main event material, especially for a special event like Cali Combat.
Rob Van Dam feels like a special attraction, but when Dreamer is in the ring, you know that he's going to put the other guy over in a big way indeed. Maybe it is his benevolence, and the fact that he's so giving that plays to his detriment every time. Would you watch a mystery movie until the end, if you already knew who did the crime?
And a lot of viewers on Twitch seemed to echo my sentiment as well, from what I could. Around 1000 viewers left by the time that Dreamer came on.
#3 Best: Another big inter-gender match teased
Impact Wrestling has been breaking new ground when it comes to inter-gender wrestling in recent times with Tessa Blanchard and Sami Callihan. I had a chance to speak to Callihan in an exclusive interview not long ago and he told me he'd be willing to mix it up with other women in the roster as well, from Taya to Havok.
It does seem like Eddie Edwards may want to enter this inter-gender fray as well, feuding with Havok next. He would chase Ace Austin around the ring for making advances towards his wife, and then get scooped up by Havok for a chokeslam.
As Mathews remarked on commentary, Havok is even bigger than Edwards when the two size up. This may indeed make for a very interesting confrontation somewhere down the line someday.
Against the backdrop of the feuds the two are embroiled in, it could make for a great special attraction match.
#3 Worst: Match without a storyline
Let's get something out of the way right away. When you put Trey and Willie Mack into a ring and ask them to have a match, they are going to have a good match for sure.
My grouse is with the fact that two babyfaces were scheduled to face one another in a match without a storyline or anything coming out of the match per se. Impact Wrestling is one of those companies that has always been known for making characters and compelling storylines, and this was honestly a very weak moment overall.
It's criminal that The Rascalz, who're one of the most popular acts in the company, do not have a storyline going for them at the moment. They should be front and center of every program, mixing it up in the X-Division and the tag team division.
But as I said, the match was really good.
#4 Best/Worst: Battle of the behemoths
If you've been to a pro-wrestling event, you know there's nothing more special than watching two big men square off in a clash of bulls. Rhyno vs. Michael Elgin was one such attraction, and the only reason why it's a 'Best/Worst' is because it's going to be dragged out over several weeks. I'd have liked to see Rhyno pick up a victory in this case.
As I've mentioned with Tommy Dreamer, you don't want to give the impression that someone who's older has only returned to put people over in this particular run. Having the two men trade victories leading to a rubber match would have been the best thing to do, in my personal opinion at least.
But the match in itself was exactly how you'd expect it to be. Michael Elgin just cannot have a bad match at all, in my opinion.
There are a lot of reasons to enjoy Impact Wrestling going forward...
