Yesterday, April 25th, 2021 was one of the biggest shows in the history of Impact. Certainly the biggest Impact show in the last five years. The reason for this is pretty simple. The title vs title match between AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and Impact and TNA Heavyweight World Champion Rich Swann.
You see, about 5 months ago I wouldn’t have thought this match would happen. You’ve got an AEW Champion defending his belt on a different company’s PPV and it’s on an Impact PPV. People thought it would have happened on an NJPW show before anywhere else. The buildup for this match was unbelievable and it felt about as important of a match as there was in wrestling at this moment. The great thing is that the Title vs Title match got all of the headlines, and it was much deserved; but Rebellion also gave the fans a card where every Impact title was up for grabs, and the last man standing match. Now it’s time for me to review and rate every match that happened on Rebellion.
Opening Match – 3 Way X-Division Title match. Ace Austin (C) vs Josh Alexander vs TJP (Josh Alexander defeating Ace Austin (C) and TJP to win the X-Division title).
If Impact Wrestling is hosting their biggest show in a long time and potentially a nice group of new viewers watching the product, it would be smart to have a huge staple of your history be your opening match to sell the new audience. Impact! did just that by have the X-Division title on the line? The X-Division, to me, is the most relevant thing they have in their company. Ace Austin defending his X-Division title against former champ TJP and Josh Alexander.
This match was a pretty good opener and it did the job for me. The match had a lot of high flying, great technical moves, close falls. These three guys did a great job keeping me excited for the match. Each wrestler had an answer for the other, which really couldn’t give a wrestler an edge to get the pinfall. The finish of the match was pretty good when it looked like TJP was going to get the victory over both Ace Austin and Josh Alexander separate times but was interrupted twice by Alexander and Ace Austin’s bodyguard/tag partner Madman Fulton. The latter interruption gave Josh Alexander a chance to capitalize on this and beat Ace Austin with his finisher Divine Intervention to become the X- Division champion.
I’m giving this match a 3.5*
8-Man Tag Match – Violent By Design (Deaner, Joe Doering, Rhino), W Morrissey (Replacing Eric Young) vs Willie Mack, Chris Sabin, James Storm and Eddie Edwards (Violent By Design defeats Mack, Sabin, Storm and Edwards)
Violent By Design has been formed by Eric Young to resurrect careers and bring out the true selves of each wrestler. Each wrestler they are wrestling tonight has had an issue with VBD. Because of an injury caused by Eddie Edwards, Eric Young couldn’t compete tonight. He said he had a replacement and man did he. W. Morrissey was the replacement (You guys know him as Big Cass from the WWE). The match itself was solid. It was your standard 8-Man Tag, with everyone getting in the offense. W. Morrissey was by far the star of the match, and it because of how dominant W. Morrissey looked. At the end of the match, Morrissey quickly took care of Willie Mack with a big boot and his finisher East River Crossing for the win. After the match, it looked like a victory wasn’t enough for Morrissey as he delivered several punches to Mack. If W. Morrissey is a part of Violent By Design then Eric Young has put together a freighting group of monsters. Look out of VBD in the future at Impact.
I’m giving this match a 2.5*
18 year Grudge Match – Brian Myers vs Matt Cardona (Brian Myers defeats Matt Cardona)
This has been one of the best buildups on the show. Both wrestlers, more so Brian Myers, trying to prove that they belong. Matt Cardona, before the match, tried to shake hands with Brian Myers but got the middle finger instead. This match was pretty good. Better than I thought it would be, with both wrestlers hitting big moves and some outside-of-the-ring action.
The changing point of the match was when Matt Cardona hit his finisher Radio Silence on Brian Myers on the outside ramp and appeared to hurt his hip/leg. A few minutes later Cardona tried to once again hit Radio Silence on Myers, but Myers countered this time, launching Cardona in the air causing Cardona to land awkwardly on his left leg. Now this looked like a legitimate injury and I don’t know if it was, but Cardona was in serious pain and medicals and refs tried to see if he was okay. Brian Myers, Matt Cardona’s best friend for 18 years, looked to be concerned and extended his hand to Matt Cardona, only to give him a violent clothesline. Myers waited for Cardona to get up so he could give him another clothesline for the tainted victory. This now heated rivalry is far from over. Expected this to continue for a while. I’m all for it.
I’m giving this match 3.5*
Last Man Standing Match – Sami Callihan vs Trey Miguel (Trey Miguel defeats Sami Callihan)
This match was pretty much all about Sami Callihan testing Trey Miguel’s will, Trey Miguel’s grit, Trey Miguel’s desire to be great. Does Trey Miguel have what it takes to be a great wrestler, a future Impact World Champion? This match was brutal in terms of Impact matches. Sami Callihan did the following things to Trey Miguel.
- Beginning stages of the match, not even 2 minutes in, caught Trey Miguel and threw him out of the ring
- Moved out of the way of a Trey Miguel dive. He landed ribs first on the steel guardrail
- Shoved a wrench in Miguel’s mouth
- Piledrove Miguel on to the table which didn’t break
- Suplexed Miguel in between the legs on the table which was an awkward landing
- Powerdrove Miguel on the edge of the steel steps.
Callihan did these things with Trey Miguel beating the 10 count every time.
The ending of the match was unexpected, when Callihan powerdrove Miguel on the steel steps. He put Trey Miguel underneath the steel steps thinking Miguel was finished but Miguel found a way out and caught Callihan with a Diamond Cutter/RKO on the table. Callihan didn’t answer the 10 count for the victory.
I’m giving this match 3.5*
Impact Knockouts Tag Team Title Match – Fire N Flava (Keira Hogan & Tasha Steelz) vs Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering with Jazz (Grace & Ellering defeat Fire N Flava to win the Knockouts Tag Titles)
Rachael Ellering made her Impact Wrestling debut teaming with Jordynne Grace against Fire N Flava. This match was pretty good. Rachael Ellering showing Fire N Flava why she is such a good wrestler, showing dominance early. Then Fire N Flava caught an opening and starting to beat down Jordynne Grace. Fire N Flava is such a good tag team and their teamwork on Grace was wonderful. They kept her on their side of the ring, taking turns doing moves on Grace. When Rachael Ellering got the hot tag, she once again took care of business taking care of Fire N Flava. Grace and Ellering showed the world that they have some tag team moves of their own hitting Fire N Flaya with combinations. The finish of the match was Rachael Ellering hitting Keira Hogan with a cool-looking suplex spinebuster to win the Impact Knockout Tag titles for her and Jordynne Grace.
I’m giving this match 3.5*
Impact Tag Team Championship Match – Fin Juice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) vs The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Luc Gallows) ( Fin Juice defeats The Good Brothers)
FinJuice successfully defended their Impact Tag Team Titles against The Good Brothers in a solid match. . This match was your standard tag team match where FinJuice started off on fire. Then The Good Brothers took control of the match, going to work on David Finlay. Just pounding Finlay with power moves and strong rest holds wearing him down. Then Juice Robinson gets the tag, sparking a FinJuice comeback. After that back and forth action between the two teams which each team had the momentum. The ending of the match saw Juice Robinson being set up to take the Magic Killer from The Good Brothers. David Finlay sneaks up from behind and knocks Karl Anderson out of the ring. Juice Robinson with a roll-up of Gallows for the victory.
I’m giving this match 2.5*
Impact! Knockout Championship Match – Deonna Purrazzo (C) vs Denile Dashwood (Purrazzo defeats Dashwood)
Deonna Purrazzo is a one-dominant wrestler and she proved it again on Sunday when she defeated Tenille Dashwood in a pretty good match. Purrazzo with her great grappling skills got the advantage on Dashwood. I don’t see any Impact! Knockout that can mess with Purrazzo when she is on her grapple game. It looked like Dashwood was no match for Purrazzo but Dashwood being the fighter that she is got the upper hand making a comeback actually had Purrazzo in a submission hold. It was looking like Purrazzo would tap before interference from Kaleb with a K, Kimber Lee, and Susan. Kimber Lee takes out Kaleb. After some back and forth shots, Purrazzo gets the upper hand and hits Dashwood with the Queen Selection to retain her Knockouts title. After the match, Purrazzo, Kimber Lee, and Susan gave Tenille Dashwood a beatdown until a returning Taylor Wilde came in and took out Kimber Lee and Susan as Deonna Purrazzo leaves the ring. Taylor Wilde and Deonna Purrazzo later down the line sounds like a win for the fans.
I’m giving this match 3*
Title vs Title Match – Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Rich Swann vs AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega (Omega defeats Swann to win the Impact! World Heavyweight Championship)
The Main Event. The Showdown. Title vs Title. The top guys at their respective promotions. Winner take all! One ref from Impact, Brian Hebner, and one ref from AEW, Aubrey Edwards. Hebner will be the official referee and Edwards will be the outside referee. Mauro Ranallo calling the Main Event.
Did this match live up to the hype? Hell yeah, it did.
This match was great. Kenny Omega came out with The Good Brothers and his good friend Don Callis. Rich Swann came out with Willie Mack and Eddie Edwards. This match had a big-time feel, despite no crowd. This match gave you everything you want in a big match. Omega, being the cocky guy that he is, tries to play mind games with Rich Swann, which Swann doesn’t fall for.
That was what was going on for the first few minutes just Omega trying to test Swann before the action started to happen. Swann started to take advantage of Omega with quickness and high flying before Omega got the advantage by pretty much dropping Swann on his head outside the ring apron. Kenny Omega went to work on Swann’s neck and back with punishing moves.
But, much like Rich Swann’s career, he fights back starts to gain momentum again. The last 15 minutes of the match were awesome. Kenny Omega and Rich Swann pretty much used every move in their arsenal in the rest of the match. Many times Kenny Omega tried to put Rich Swann in the One-Winged Angel, only for Rich Swann to counter. We got a ref bump which saw Brian Hebner takes the Handspring Cutter from Rich Swann.
Aubrey Edwards stepped in as Kenny Omega was about to use a chair and stopped him from using it. Edwards told Omega that this is going to be a fair fight. Both guys looking like they had the advantage to put the other way and that guy would counter to keep themselves in the match. Rich Swann would answer Omega’s V-Triggers with a counter-high flying move. Kenny Omega would answer Rich Swann’s high flying arsenal with V-Triggers, Snap suplexes and a Jay Driller. Finally, after all of that, Rich Swann went for the Phoenix Splash to finish Kenny Omega, missed and Omega capitalized with the powerful V-Trigger and the One-Winged Angel for the victory.
This match is a must-see. One of my favorite matches I’ve watched all year. Big credit to Rich Swann and Kenny Omega for this great match. Some questioned if Rich Swann could hang with Kenny Omega and there is no doubt Swann answered that with a yes. As for Kenny Omega, he proved once again that he is still one of the top wrestlers in the world. This is probably one of his better matches he has had since leaving NJPW. Kenny Omega is now an AEW, AAA, and Impact Champion. Holding three titles.
I’m giving this match 4.5*
Overall, Rebellion was a good show for Impact Wrestling that needed to deliver based on the buzz going into the show. You got a great title vs title match. Two solid to good tag title matches. The great opener in the X-Division match. A pretty good last-man-standing match. Hopefully, this fun ride Impact Wrestling has been on continues to put out good shows and grow as a company to put themselves at least close to where they were during their top years. My total rating for Rebellion was a 3 out of 5.
