wrestling / TV Reports
Irene’s Impact Wrestling Review 3.30.21
Image Credit: Impact Wrestling
Loading...Tonight marks the 1000th time James Storm will walk the TNA/IMPACT ramp and hear the bell ring as he faces a fellow seasoned foe in Eric Young. Aside from 2019, Storm has appeared on IMPACT television every year of the company’s existence. In that time he has created one of the most memorable characters of his era. Storm flourishes in any setting, and knows how to grip an audience like few others. If there’s another IMPACT Hall of Famer coming up, I think tonight could point us towards our next inductee.
*Recap of last week where Karl Anderson pinned Eddie Edwards with assistance from his Good Brother, Doc Gallows, and Kenny Omega and Don Callis sent a message to Rich Swann.
NON-TITLE MATCH
HAVOK and NEVAEH vs. FIRE n’ FLAVA
Kiera starts off confident against the bigger Havok who obliterates her. Nevaeh comes in with some energy, charging Kiera in the corner. Havok and Nevaeh use frequent tags to cut off the ring but Kiera escapes and tags in the fresh Tasha Steelz. Fire n’ Flava use their speed to wear Havok down in their corner. Tasha grounds Havok with a headlock and hands the tag over to her partner. Tasha flies but Havok catches her and tags Nevaeh. She goes off with a STO and German Suplex. Tasha takes out Neveah with a codebreaker but Havok gets a blind tag and hits a huge sit-out powerbomb. Things get wild as Kiera sets up Havok and Tasha lands a Frog Splash to win. Nevaeh hugs Havok but blind sides her as she walks out. She follows up with a spear and looks crazed as she mauls Havok with strikes. She calls Havok the “weakest link” and walks out.
WINNERS:
FIRE n’ FLAVA
**1/4
This match was fine. They kept it short and it heated up towards the end. The Nevaeh turn was expected but welcomed as the team isn’t adding much at this point.
* The man of the hour, James Storm is here for an interview and he’s fired up. Storm dedicates the match to Bob Ryder who recently passed away. The IMPACT theme song is playing in the background and really takes away from the emotional connection HERE. I suddenly forgive this when Chris Sabin and Jake Something introduce “The Wildcat” Chris Harris. They hug and it fades to black. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.
* Deonna Purrazzo and Susan are interviewed. Susan says Jazz deserves a beating but she then gets completely laid out by her.
SAMI CALLIHAN vs. LARRY D
Larry D was signed through Rockstar Pro, which was run by The Crists so these two are very familiar with each other. They start off hot and Larry floors Sami with a clothesline. Sami uses his speed to gain the advantage but gets caught on a low-pe and sent into the apron. Larry slams him on the apron as we head to break. Larry sends Sami through the ropes as he tumbles to the floor. Sami gouges Larry’s eyes on the outside but gets sent down with some elbows. They trade stiff shots and head back to the ring. Very physical stuff here as Sami lays in some slaps and hair pulls. Larry hits a discus clothesline with momentum and follows up with a splash. Callihan kicks out of a pin attempt leaving Larry angered. Sami fights back with a forearm and a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Sami looks for a piledriver on the apron but Larry lowers his base. Larry hoists Callihan up but he escapes to land another eye gouge. Sami hits a piledriver through the ropes to pick up the win. Acey Romero jumps in and attacks Sami leaving him on the mat. Despite helping Trey Miguel last week, the former Rascal did not return the favor here. Sami gets up and respects this, laughing and applauding.
WINNER: SAMI CALLIHAN
***
This was a pretty good physical match. Larry looked good here delivering some heavy shots with Callihan shining as always in a TV sprint. This feud still isn’t entirely clicking with me but they have a little bit of time left.
*Video package of the IMPACT Tag Team Champions, FinJuice in their New Japan tour. Kenny Omega, Don Callis, and The Good Brothers watch this backstage. Callis and Omega are impressed but Anderson and Gallows aren’t as enthused. They pass a secret down by whispering and look excited as we hit a commercial.
*Callihan finds Trey backstage and confronts him. Callihan reminds him of his lack of passion. Callihan offers to be Trey’s mentor and this fires him up. Callihan plans to team with Trey next week against XXXL. This was a stronger segment in the feud.
BRIAN MYERS vs. SUICIDE
Myers is still sporting his branded eye patch. Suicide catches Myers off guard with a flurry of moves. He locks in an Octopus Stretch but Myers sends a punch to the throat. They go back and forth as Suicide lands a dropkick. Myers hits a sit-out suplex and looks for the win. He calls out Suicide for merely being a video game character. Myers hits a picture perfect flatliner and follows up with THE ROSTER CUT, formerly known as THE CLOTHESLINE FROM STAMFORD. Myers vows to not face Cardona in IMPACT and declines his challenge.
WINNER: BRIAN MYERS
This was a wrestling match with well executed moves but really didn’t have much purpose other than gibing Myers a dub.
*Jazz is looking for D’Amore but ends up with Dreamer. He then decides to book Jazz vs. Deonna in an Ultimate Jeopardy match, as a tribute to ECW. In this match stipulation, the combatants must put something on the line. Deonna is putting her title up for grabs, and Jazz decides to hang up the boots if she is unsuccessful.
*AEW paid ad airs with Tony and Tony. Omega and The Good Brothers face The Lucha Brothers and Laredo Kid tomorrow on Dynamite.
*Swinger checks in with John E. Bravo for Rebellion bets being placed. He counts the money as Bravo begs to use the restroom. Swinger hands him a cup as Callis and Omega approach. Swinger recognizes Callis from TNA, who is looking for the odds. Swinger reveals that it is 1:1 causing Callis to show off the One Winged Angel music video. The odds SWING, as Callis places $20,000 on Omega. Swinger calls him a money mark and is excited for the money. This segment was fantastic, simply due to the cast on camera.
TJP and JOSH ALEXANDER vs. ACE AUSTIN and MADMAN FULTON
Josh meets Fulton to kick it off as The Walking Weapon gets flung. The X-Champ comes in but quickly tags Fulton back in. Josh attacks him from the top and invites Ace Austin into the ring. Ace accepts but immediately wants out. Alexander controls him on the ground but Ace reaches the ropes. Fulton interferes, causing TJP to do the same. Ace catches TJP with a kick to the face and switches the momentum. Fulton comes in and chokes TJP from the second rope. TJP needs a tag desperately as Ace re-enters the match with showing off some teamwork with Fulton. TJP finds his way to a rope-assisted DDT and lands a tag to Josh. Fulton comes in and eats some powerful forearms. Josh lifts Fulton up for a suplex and follows up looking for his double underhook piledrive. Fulton lands a big boot and sets Josh up in a suplex position. TJP interrupts Ace and things get crazy. TJP and Josh work on Fulton but lose their timing as Josh runs into TJP. Ace hits a smooth combo on Josh setting up a Fold attempt. Josh sneaks a jab in and TJP sneaks a tag in and a Mamba Splash. TJP and Josh fight over the pin as Ace catches TJP in a roll-up to win.
WINNERS: MADMAN FULTON and ACE AUSTIN
***1/4
This was an exciting match to nobody’s surprise. These four are great and I’m down for TJP and Josh to have an elevated feud.
*Callis meets up with Willie Mack. He reminds him of his new contract in his office that he signed. He acts like his best friend as Mack is unenthused. Callis shows the One Winged Angel video as Rich Swann comes in. Swann gets intense as Callis promises that Omega will kick out of Swann’s finisher. Swann and Callis get into a heated argument where Swann reveals that he would slap him if he wasn’t writing his checks. Callis says for the next ten minutes, he is not his boss, he is the Canadian Heavyweight Champion of the old days. Omega and The Good Brothers storm the room and attack Mack and Swann. Eddie Edwards evens things up as the bad guys run away. Good stuff here with Swann looking legit.
*Rohit Raju meets up with Hernandez, pitching “Indian Latin Xchange”. Hernandez makes it clear that he does not want a team.
*We get a short cryptic ad for “IMPACT Wrestling presents Coming Soon, from The IMPACT Zone in April 2021.”
*Tommy Dreamer has a meeting for Hardcore Justice. Dreamer announces a Knockouts Scramble match that will decide the number one contender at Rebellion. All weapons will be legal, which pleases Rosemary and Havok, but frightens Tenille and Kaleb with a K.
*Next week, Rich Swann teams with Eddie Edwards and Willie Mack to face The Good Brothers and Kenny Omega, who is making his IMPACT Wrestling TV debut.
JAMES STORM’S 1000th MATCH
JAMES STORM vs. ERIC YOUNG
Young is out with his VBD mates, as Storm is joined by Sabin, Something, and Chris Harris rocking an old Storm shirt. Storm and EY lock up as words are exchanged. Storm lands some right hands and a knee and legdrop to a grounded EY. Storm lands some big elbows to the upper body of EY. Deaner distracts Storm allowing EY to damage Storm on the outside. VBD and Storm’s crew stare down as we hit our final break of the night. EY has full control flipping Storm into the corner with a throw. EY continues to attack the neck with a big neckbreaker. Storm fights back with a flurry of moves. Storm sets up the Eye of the Storm but EY escapes. Storm looks for it once more, this time landing it. EY kicks out at two, wincing in pain. EY fights back with a boot and running neckbreaker. He follows up with a long distance elbow drop for a near fall. EY lands a superkick of his own for another close one. They get up exchanging punches. Deaner tries getting involved but Sabin puts a halt to it. Storm gets sent outside where everyone brawls. Chris Harris grabs EY’s leg on the other side of the ring and lands a left hand. He sends EY into a Last Call Superkick for a James Storm victory. Storm sends a message to Bob Ryder, who was essential to TNA. Good stuff.
WINNER: JAMES STORM
***1/4
This was good wholesome stuff here. Sometimes you don’t have to get too cute with things and having Storm win here felt right. It felt like for once, he was truly appreciated for the star he is and has been. EY apparently tore his ACL in this match, which didn’t cause the quality to drop noticeably. Good main event, oozing TNA nostalgia.
