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This was a very different kind of show so to speak because most of it consisted of the wedding of Brian Cage and Melissa Santos. That said, I would have to say that the rest of the show did not feel nearly as important as the wedding segment, but definitely had some really cool moments.
So, here's a rundown of what I liked and what I did not from this week's show. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know your own thoughts, views, and opinions on whether or not you enjoyed the show.
Do you think that with Impact Wrestling moving to AXS, a lot more eyes will be on the product? This week, as good as the show was, there were only 3,500 people watching on the Twitch stream, and that was the upper limit number during the stream.
I wonder if most people just watch Impact Wrestling through YouTube clips.
#1 Best: The return of Ken Shamrock to Impact Wrestling
Long before I ever knew that I could earn a living by watching and reviewing pro wrestling for Sportskeeda Wrestling, I used to watch Ken Shamrock as a little boy, on my TV set. Isn't it amazing that he is still hungry to perform after so many years at the highest level?
He certainly looks ripped and ready to go, and I like the fact that his first feud is with Moose, who seems like the guy Impact books to face the legends. I loved the fact that he crashed Ken Shamrock's gym and took out multiple MMA fighters, making himself look like a beast.
I hope Shamrock stays for the long haul and faces Cage down the line. He could be a big part of Impact on AXS, going forward.
#1 Worst: No Melissa Santos on Twitch
There's just something about Melissa Santos on the Twitch stream that captures your attention almost instantly. And it's not just the fact that she's drop-dead gorgeous, but also her delivery and her take on the events that transpired, that arrest your attention almost at once.
The 'Iceman' was fine when he started but he caught on a joke from Callis and kept repeating it repeatedly. I think any joke becomes unfunny when you've heard it 29 times, including 'A Little Bit of the Bubbly', over and over.
In fact, Chris Jericho needs to have a word with The Iceman about making his gimmick less funny than it is. Seriously though, he is fine, but not quite Santos.
In any case, Santos should be back on Twitch in a week and all will be right with the world then.
#2 Best: Callihan lays out Santos
It is very easy to forget this because one doesn't usually associate her with the same, but Melissa Santos is a wrestler. For her to take a bump isn't a big deal at all, really. But one tends to forget this because we've seen her primarily as a ring announcer and a backstage interviewer in recent times.
I loved the fact that the wedding of Brian Cage and Melissa Santos ended with a drunk Sami Callihan stumbling to the ring and cutting a very disrespectful promo, inciting the audience. There are heels, and then, there is Sami Callihan, with the ability to get under your skin and annoy you immensely. When he swung for Cage and hit Santos instead, the arena was shocked even though they knew it wasn't real.
It was an incredible moment and one that's escalated the Cage and Callihan heat to brand new levels. What a match it should be at Impact Wrestling's Bound for Glory 2019.
#2 Worst: Rosemary attends the Callihan-Santos wedding
WWE does not get characters over but they seem to have succeeded with The Fiend, Bray Wyatt's brand new avatar. Impact Wrestling can certainly learn from this and they have Rosemary to play this part already. I just don't necessarily think that her appearing in comedy segments with Taya Valkyrie is the way to go.
The fact that she appeared at the wedding of Cage and Santos was also quite disappointing. Could you imagine The Undertaker being a part of such a segment? In fact, I'd go so far as to say that because Kane has been a part of many such 'comedy' segments, he isn't in the same ballpark as his brother when it comes to legacy.
Rosemary should terrorize and haunt the roster, as only she can. Leave the comedy to the specialists, Impact Wrestling, and stick to the horror segments with this special character!
#3 Best: Shera continues to dominate
It takes a lot to build someone to look like he's an absolute monster. It takes even more, to rebuild someone who was used as little more than a babyface sideshow act and have him seem like he's an unstoppable force.
As someone who's followed Mahabali Shera's career for a really long time, he's being used better than he has ever been thus far. Concurrently, he's also put in the work and he's wrestling better than ever and also looking more ripped than he's ever been.
I also love the storyline that's going on simultaneously with Gama Singh where he's chastising Rohit Raju and his very own son, Raj Singh, for not being as capable as Shera is. What this does, in a sense, is build the foundation for them to turn him Shera and Singh down the line sometime.
Most importantly, the Desi Hit Squad isn't a comedy act anymore.
#3 Worst: Taking way too long to win
If you listen to Jim Cornette's rants on AEW, one of the issues that he always mentions is how every match goes on for too long. To build a believable top star, a few quick squash matches are needed.
Tenille Dashwood has all the momentum in the world right now and is going up against Taya Valkyrie, arguably the greatest Knockouts Champion of the modern era at Bound for Glory 2019. For her to appear as a believable threat, she had to knock out Madison Rayne very quickly.
But this match would go back and forth and unfortunately, Madison Rayne would be in control for most of the match, until Dashwood picked up the win. Hey, it was a fine match, but I wonder if this was the right match for the current storyline.
Dashwood should have knocked her out very quickly indeed.
#4 Best/Worst: Fallah Bahh learns to speak
There is something that's very simple and visceral about professional wrestling that often gets lost if you try to complicate things. The fact that 'Yes!' chants were more over than Daniel Bryan working as a heel and shooting on the fans as an environmentalist is a testament to this. Impact Wrestling has a winning formula in Fallah Bahh, and I'm not sure that they did the right thing by having him speak.
But I'm also excited to see the next step, the evolution of Bahh. The man has transformed himself physically, and it only stands to reason that there would be a simultaneous transformation in his gimmick too. Maybe it'll even take him to the top of the card.
I like the fact that there's a storyline for TJP as well. He's a very talented man with a very high ceiling.
Do you see good things for Impact Wrestling on AXS?
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