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Impact Wrestling returned last night (Apr. 19) from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida. This was the go-home show for their Redemption pay-per-view (PPV) that airs this Sunday (Apr. 22). You can find the results from this week’s episode at the live blog here.
Main Event Repeat
The representation for the Austin Aries vs. Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. Redemption main event match was the replay of the Austin Aries vs. Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. WrestleCon main event match in its entirety.
I know Impact’s back was against the wall and understand they didn’t have many options. But it doesn’t mean it’s a good way to build a match.
It’s never wise to just give a match away one night that they want us to pay 40 dollars to see three days later. Yes, the title will be on the line this time, but is that enough for us to want to pay to watch the match again?
The Redemption match doesn’t even have any different stipulation to separate from the one the played this week. It’s not a hardcore match. It’s not a falls count anywhere match. It’s not an elimination match. It’s not a ladder match. It’s the same type of match.
It was as good match. I didn’t watch the WrestleCon event on Twitch so this was the first time I saw it. For those who listened to all their ads for the Lucha Underground vs. Impact show and watched it, this was already a repeat. And if you sat through it again this week, you’ll be seeing it again Sunday for the third time.
Despite the reasons, this isn’t a great way to try to sell a PPV match.
Intergender Action
Kiera Hogan and Fallah Bahh faced Braxton Sutter and Su Yung in an intergender match.
Let’s talk about that for a bit.
I like that they ran an intergender match and not a mixed tag. We see so many mixed tags in the WWE and they have limitations. The fact that the men have to face the men and the women the women leaves the match without the heat that comes with a tag match. The entire basis of a tag bout is one member of the babyface team getting isolated by the heels until they can finally make a tag. That can’t happen in a mixed tag.
The only other place we can see intergender matches on TV is Lucha Underground given New Japan doesn’t have women and Ring of Honor is only starting to get their women’s division off the ground. Impact’s women’s division has always been a big part of the show so this is a good way to offer something you can’t easily see elsewhere.
The intergender format made both women in this match look like bad asses. Su Yung hit a cannonball on the Fallah Bahh from the ring apron to the floor, knocking the big man down. Kiera Hogan laid out Sutter with a top rope DDT. (Hogan looked great in this match and I hope to see more of her soon.)
After the match, Allie attacked Su Yung from behind, revenge from Su doing the same to her when this all started. And Braxton Sutter along with two referee had a very difficult time pulling these women apart. They were both very fired up.
This segment helped hype me a bit more for this match. Su Yung is growing on me the more I see her and the intergender format helped build her here. Anyone who can knock down Fallah Bahh is impressive. The fire Allie displayed was great too. Nothing like a small pull apart brawl to help hype a match.
Johnny Gorgeous
Jimmy Jacobs has been fantastic as the handler of Kongo Kong. He’s so good at selling the feuds and the motives.
Why is he and Kongo Kong targeting Johnny Impact? He explained it perfectly backstage in an interview with McKenzie Mitchell. Johnny, like McKenzie, is a good looking person, and those type of people get things handed to them. But Kong, who isn’t going to find himself on any People’s Sexiest list, isn’t. And he’s going to make Johnny Impact look like a monster.
That was their only motive during Kongo’s match with Johnny Impact this week. It wasn’t about winning. It was about starting to take away Johnny’s good looks.
The match was good. Johnny sold like a champ for the big man and his short bursts of offense were always impressive. And then he’d make it look devastating when Kong would cut him off.
The fight spilled outside and with a simple nod, Jacobs put his plan into motion. Kongo Kong took out the referee, in essence losing himself the match by DQ, and then set up the ring steps on the ring apron. Then Impact’s new monster picked up Johnny and lawn darted him into steps, leaving him bloodied.
Kongo Kong has never been my favorite wrestler. But Jimmy Jacobs is doing an excellent job as the evil monster handler that this duo is working very well. Now we wait and see if Johnny can be the man to knock off the monster.
Cage... Squash!
KM issued an open challenge and didn’t get the jobber he wanted. He got Brian Cage.
He tried to get out of the match, but Cage was there to fight and fight he did. KM had no chance and the Machine finished him off rather quickly with an F5.
Given Cage doesn’t have a marquee match at the PPV (he’s part of a six pack challenge) this is fine. KM is a low card act, but a big enough guy that it’s impressive to see Cage toss him around with ease.
Pros of the Show:
- Jimmy Jacobs is great
- Running an intergender match instead of mixed tag gives Impact a different look
Cons of the Show:
- Way way way way way way way way way too much filler
This was a heavy filler episode. In two hours there were three in-ring segments and one of them was a Brian Cage squash. The only title match that was represented in the Impact Zone was the Knockouts title match.
The rest was video packages, a long GWN match, and the WrestleCon main event.
Frankly that’s not really acceptable. I know they were behind the 8-ball with the Alberto thing, but they were the ones who decided to keep doing business with him despite feeling the need to suspend him just last summer.
For a fan who doesn’t watch week to week and is tuning in to see what’s up for Redemption, maybe this would work. But for a fan who watches weekly, this was three matches surrounded by a ton of recaps and retreads. And honestly, not worth wasting two hours live on.
Final Thought: How are Johnny Impact, Rosemary, and Taya not advertised for a Redemption match? C’mon now.
Grade: C-
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