Impact Emergence recap & reactions: EC3 stole the TNA Heavyweight title

Night 1 (Aug. 18, 2020) of Impact’s special Emergence event is in the books. It featured two official title matches, one unofficial TNA title fight, and Brian Myers (fka Curt Hawkins) taking a shot at Vince McMahon.

One title officially changed hands, and one unofficial title unofficially changed hands due to theft. EC3 is controlling his narrative by stealing Moose’s TNA Heavyweight Championship.

Moose’s night began strong as he manhandled little Trey Miguel. It was power versus speed. Moose kicked Trey’s butt except for one flurry of offense from the Rascal. Moose crushed that momentum by catching Trey on the floor then swinging him into the guardrail and powerbombing him onto the apron.

Back in the ring, Moose went for a spear. Trey jumped up and over for a sunset flip, but Moose was too sturdy to go down. Moose picked Trey up by the neck, whipped him into the corner, then won with a spear.

After the match, EC3 ambushed Moose with a falling inverted DDT. EC3 left with the TNA title in his possession.

EC3’s aim has been to acquire the belt in an effort to destroy his past. By destroying that symbol, EC3 can be free to move forward. Based on that message about breaking attachments to material possessions, what if there are unintended consequences in this story. It would be a neat twist if this feud ended up elevating Moose to his full potential. EC3 would be like a jacked Yoda teaching Moose to use the force of controlling his own narrative. #FreeMoose.

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Let’s roll through last night’s episode from beginning to end.

Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne handled commentary duties.

X-Division Championship: Rohit Raju pinned Chris Bey in a three-way with TJP to become new champ. Raju was supposed to have Bey’s back, but he turned on him in the end for a flying stomp. More details here.

Wrestle House, part 1. Larry D morphed into Laurence D to put the moves on Rosemary. He wore flashy clothes and ring rust cologne.

Good Brothers yelled fighting words in a promo for Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. A fire has been light inside the Good Brothers.

TNA Championship: Moose retained against Trey Miguel. Moose dominated for the most part and won via spear.

After the match, EC3 attacked Moose from behind with a falling inverted DDT. EC3 took the TNA title with him.

Reno Scum met with Hernandez to hand over the money they stole from Rhino. Hernandez has more work for them.

Eric Young has been it all over 20 years. This current version is him in his purest form. He will take want he wants in Impact.

Willie Mack was interviewed about Rich Swann’s retirement, but then Brian Myers hijacked the camera crew for his own interview. Doing what he was told got him fired with a pregnant wife. Myers is disgusted that major decisions are made by an out-of-touch 70-year-old man. He will take his career into his own hands now. Mack came back to attack. They will wrestle each other next week.

Heath purchased commercial time to get #Heath4IMPACT trending. That should help him get hired by Impact. Do it for Rhino and Heath’s kids.

Good Brothers defeated Ace Austin & Madman Fulton in a grudge match. The beginning set up to a big man showdown with Doc Gallows and Fulton. They had a stalemate of clotheslines and punches. Doc eventually got the upper hand with a reverse Irish whip into the corner then smashing Fulton’s head into the turnbuckle. For the finish, the hosses battled on the floor. Fulton got his foot stuck in the guardrail trying to kick Gallows, so Gallows booted him over the railing. In the ring, the Good Brothers hit Magic Killer on Ace to win.

Wrestle House, part 2. Someone stole the Deaners’ beer. Larry D macked on Rosemary. John E. Bravo was jealous and looked dejected.

Kylie Rae defeated Taya. Rosemary was the referee for this Wrestle House bout. She was clearly biased for Taya and even tripped Rae on a superkick attempt. Kylie triumphed in the end with a superkick, and Rosemary reluctantly counted to three.

Tag Team Championship: Motor City Machine Guns retained against The North. MCMG exploded with offense in the end to hit their teamwork finisher of a neckbreaker/flying splash combo. More details here.

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Night 1 of Emergence was the best TV episode from Impact since Slammiversary. The difference was a focus on high-quality matches. When Impact sticks to wrestling and quick promos, they are at their peak performance.

TJP was awesome in the opener. His use of creative submissions and slams makes me think he has World Championship potential.

Rohit Raju’s title win was surprising. It wasn’t surprising that he turned on Chris Bey, but I’m shocked he did it competently. Too bad Bey’s run as X-Division champ will become a footnote. He should get his chance for a rematch, and then we’ll see if Rohit can put together wins for singles success.

Moose was rock solid. Trey is no easy out, and Moose flushed him with relative ease. This might be the first TNA title defense for Moose without cheating. He usually uses eye pokes or referee distractions even if he doesn’t need to. EC3 is a different class of muscle from guys like Suicide, Trey, and Tommy Dreamer. It will be interesting to see how Moose adjusts when he doesn’t have a clear power advantage.

The highlight of the Good Brothers’ bout was the big man clash between Doc Gallows and Madman Fulton. I love that kind of action.

The Good Brothers won convincingly, but I could see this feud continuing into a street fight. Their earlier encounters made me think a cinematic adventure is in store for these four.

The Motor City Machine Guns and The North lit it up in the ring for the main event. This match had me on the edge of my seat. It could have gone either way. Now that MCMG are 2-0 against The North, it seems like they should have a lengthy run as champs. Impact has a bunch of solid tag teams. I could see MCMG running through the division putting on good matches until it is time for a showdown with the Good Brothers. Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows are the only duo right now that would make me think twice about picking a winner.

Night 2 (Aug. 25) for Emergence will feature:

• Knockouts Championship: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Jordynne Grace in a 30-minute ironman match
• World Championship: Eddie Edwards (c) open challenge
• Willie Mack vs Brian Myers

Impact also teased more Wrestle House and EC3 speaking on why he stole Moose’s belt.

Share your thoughts on Impact Wrestling. Who stole the show? Did night 1 of Emergence live up to special event status? What future story directions do you anticipate for the winners and losers?

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