Impact Wrestling preview (Apr. 26, 2018): Redemption fallout

Impact Wrestling returns tonight (Apr. 26) from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida. It is the first episode of the most recent set of tapings and serves as the fallout show for Sunday’s Redemption pay-per-view (PPV).

Here’s what’s advertised for tonight:

• Pentagon’s first Impact as champion
• LAX vs. Scott Steiner & Eli Drake (c) for the Impact tag championships
• Allie (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie for the Knockouts championship

As per usual, here are our five questions about Impact tonight:

1) Is Pentagon a longterm champion for Impact?

It’s a bit of an understatement to say Pentagon defeating Austin Aries for the Impact title on Sunday was a bit of a shocker. Especially given the fact this was a match that was put together last minute when Impact released Alberto El Patron.

It is certainly not a bad move. Quite the opposite. Pentagon is a popular wrestler and the title change created good buzz.

Now is he a long term champion? Is he even a full time Impact wrestler?

Not that it’s a problem if he isn’t. It still shows anything can happen at an Impact PPV regardless what promotions challengers spend most of their time in.

However it goes, tonight is an important episode for the promotion. Redemption was well-received and they have an opportunity to keep the ball rolling. For a change, the narrative surrounding this Impact PPV was mainly positive. They got people’s attention. With perhaps more eyes on their product this week, it’s a chance ot try to win some of those new viewers over.

Impact picked up some positive momentum on Sunday. How will they attempt to keep it rolling tonight?

2) Is Austin Aries’ arm broken?

Before Aries took a Pentagon Driver that lost him the title, Pentagon delivered a move he’s done in Lucha Underground plenty of times. He broke Austin Aries’ arm.

Or did he?

In Lucha Underground, the move where Pentagon grabs the arm of an opponent laying on their side, puts his knee in their back, and pulls results in a broken or at least dislocated arm. That’s a move that people don’t recover from quickly. It’s cost wrestlers months in the Temple. It’s a protected move.

Is it as protected in Impact? If it is, it means Austin Aries is walking around in an arm brace for the rest of these tapigns. Or are they going to work around that so one of their top guys is able to wrestle on TV sooner?

3) Are we going to learn of Konnan’s attackers tonight?

Part of the reason that Santana and Ortiz of LAX lost their titles at Redemption was because Konnan wasn’t at ringside to guide and focus them. The leader of the stable was attacked prior to the match. But it never seemed like the team that beat them for the gold, Eli Drake and Scott Steiner, were the perpetrators.

LAX have exercised their rematch clause for tonight. We don’t know if Konnan is back with them or still recovering. While flipping the titles right back wouldn’t be completely shocking, this is also a prime time for Konnan’s attackers to reveal themselves and to finally get LAX another big feud.

4) Where does Tessa fit in?

Impact is doing the bit where they have a random title match (this time Knockouts) with no real set up. Given that Allie vs. Taya could be a big feud, I highly doubt there’s a title change Or that there’ll be a finish at all.

Instead, I think this will be a spot for Impact newcomer Tessa Blanchard to make her presence known. She showed up on commentary for Taya’s victory over Kiera Hogan at Redemption and made it clear she was ready for that Impact gold.

Perhaps this is a start to a feud between Taya and Tessa. I’d definitely be into that. Or maybe a feud between Tessa and Allie. I’d be down for that too.

5) Where’s Rosemary?

It was very odd not to see the Demon Assassin on their PPV. Last we saw her, she defeated Taya in a Demon’s Dance match. What’s next for her?

Rosemary is a top star in Impact so surely they have something planned for her. There were rumblings, but nothing concrete I could find, that she may be dealing with an injury from February. Cagematch.net only has one match in the last couple months. We’ll be able to get an idea of that with how physical she gets on these shows.

No matter what, hopefully she’ll have a big presence on these shows.

Impact Wrestling airs tonight at 8 EST on Pop TV. Who’s watching?