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“The wrestling will never be the same again” may be a hyperbole, but things are sure going to be interesting in the fallout of Impact Wrestling’s Rebellion 2021 PPV.
As has been the case in the pandemic era, the show will take place at Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The card is headlined by the champions of two different promotions vying for all the gold, Rich Swann for Impact Wrestling and Kenny Omega for All Elite Wrestling.
One of the two companies will have to deal with a champion from another company representing them. So, hyperbole aside, there will be major ramifications for one company of the two companies. Joining AEW on the card is New Japan Pro Wrestling who is represented by the team of Finjuice that already holds Impact gold, showing that the “Forbidden Door” is well and fully opened.
It isn’t all guest stars though as Deonna Purrazzo, Ace Austin, Fire N Flava all fend of challengers to their titles. Finally, rounding out the night are three grudge matches and did I forget to mention, Mauro Ranallo comes to Impact to call the main event. Should be an exciting night for wrestling fans.
Rich Swann (c) vs. Kenny Omega (c) – Unified Impact World Championship and AEW World Championship Title vs. Title match with Mauro Ranallo on guest commentary
Story in a nutshell: AEW Champion Kenny Omega is managed by Impact Executive Vice President Don Callis which has caused friction with Impact World Champion Rich Swann.
How we got here: On Winter is Coming, a special edition episode of AEW Dynamite that aired December 2, 2020, Impact Wrestling’s Executive Vice President, Don Callis, helped Kenny Omega win the AEW World Championship and together they absconded to Impact Wrestling and joined up friends, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. Callis had Impact go all out in making sure Omega was feted as the champion he was. This special treatment did not sit well with the Impact World Champion, Rich Swann, who was treated as a second-class champion in his own promotion.
First, however, Swann had a more pressing concern in the form of Moose. Moose had stolen the then-defunct TNA World Heavyweight Championship belt and declared himself to be the true champion of the promotion. Tired of the ambiguity surrounding the title situation, Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore legitimized Moose as the TNA champion and together with Callis, booked a match for Impact Sacrifice between Moose and Swann to unify the titles. The unified champion would then go on to face Kenny Omega in a title vs. title match at Rebellion.
One of the points emphasized by Callis heading into the match is how Omega’s signature finishing maneuver, The One-Winged Angel has never been kicked out of. Swann rebutted how in a multi-man tag team match, Swann seemed to have the upper hand whenever he and Omega were in the ring together. At a (worked) press conference, Tony Khan addressed concerns that there wouldn’t be a finish by stating that there would be an AEW referee there as well as an Impact referee to guarantee a finish. Tony Khan, for his part, has been “buying” ads on Impact he is also appearing in to promote AEW Dynamite while taking pot shots at Impact Wrestling.
Analysis and predictions: While I don’t think Mauro Ranallo is factoring into the finish, that extra referee sure is. Rich Swann loses this one in controversial fashion involving the referees. As much as he has a distaste for Omega and Callis’s actions, I think it is more important to Khan that the AEW championship stays under his company’s control, Impact be damned. This will be in keeping with the disdain Khan has for Impact. Swann will have a moral victory in that he will kick out (or reach out for a rope break) of the One-Winged Angel.
Crazy idea: Instead of screwing Impact by making sure he retains control of the AEW title, Tony Khan instead screws Omega and Callis and co-opts Rich Swann. Since there has been next to zero promotion of this match on AEW Dynamite, I’m pretty much discounting this possibility.
David Finlay & Juice Robinson (c) vs. Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson – Impact World Tag Team Championship match
Story in a nutshell: David Finlay and Juice Robinson are New Japan Pro-Wrestling talents brought in by Impact Wrestling who eventually won the Impact World Tag Team Championship from the Good Brothers, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, and now the Good Brothers get their rematch.
How we got here: On February 13, 2021 at Impact No Surrender, Finjuice, the team of David Finlay and Juice Robinson, announced their Impact Wrestling debut with a pre-taped vignette. Once they arrived, they established a strained friendly rivalry with the Good Brothers, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, over their shared experience in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The Good Bros were pretty demeaning to FinJuice since they still saw FinJuice as the “young boys” (a term meaning rookies just getting into the wrestling business) they were during the Good Brother’s time there. FinJuice kept pushing back until their friendly rivalry became an unfriendly one. FinJuice got a title shot at Impact Sacrifice which was their plan all along, and they made the most of it. FinJuice took the belts to Japan hurting the Good Brothers reputation backstage with the Impact talent. Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson admitted they had been treating their run on Impact lightly by thinking that no team is a threat to them. Now they are awake and ready for Finlay and Juice.
Analysis and predictions: It was weird for the Good Brothers to lose their titles when they were an important part of Kenny Omega’s act but if it showed New Japan that Impact can play nice, I’m fine with it. Gallows and Anderson have been playing into the whole “big name wrestlers come in to take advantage of the gullible company and are phoning it in” trope, as they pretty much confirmed in their last promo. Therefore, I expect them to ratchet up the intensity for this match and regain their titles. Hopefully, this newfound intensity caries forward beyond this match.
Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs. Tennille Dashwood, Impact Knockouts Championship match
Story in a nutshell: Tenille Dashwood won a weapons match at the Impact Hardcore Justice event to become the next contender to Deonna Purrazzo’s Impact Knockouts Championship.
How we got here: The full story of how we got here fits in the aforementioned nutshell with plenty of legroom left. Since most of the time for the build was spent with Deonna Purrazzo dealing with Jazz, there hasn’t been too much set up.
Analysis and predictions: A heel vs. heel match, with a lack of true build, it’ll be up to Tenille and Deonna’s character work to add that extra something to the match. I am looking forward to seeing how these two personalities interact in the ring. And Deonna wins, natch.
Ace Austin (c) vs Josh Alexander vs. TJP – Impact X Division Championship match
Story in a nutshell: TJP did not get a fair rematch after losing the Impact X Division Title at Impact Sacrifice to Ace Austin and now he gets another chance with Josh Alexander getting in on the action too.
How we got here: Ace Austin defeated TJP to win the Impact X Division Championship at Impact Sacrifice. Their rematch ended in a disqualification when Madman Fulton, Ace Austin’s backup, interfered. Josh Alexander saved TJP from a post-match attack. TJP and Josh were teamed together against Austin and Fulton, but their alliance quickly deteriorated. Both want a shot at Ace Austin thus… this three-way match. There was also a “Steiner Math” promo by Little Petey Pump in Swinger’s Casino.
Analysis and predictions: It feels like Impact is getting behind Josh Alexander but the incumbent champ usually wins multi-man matches unless the match is designed to strip the champion of their title while keeping him protected. I don’t see that being the case here. Ace retains.
Trey Miguel vs. Sami Callihan – Last Man Standing match
Story in a nutshell: Sami Callihan is trying to turn Trey Miguel to Dark Side so they can rule the galaxy as father and son.
How we got here: I may have gotten my wires crossed up there but ever since Trey Miguel’s return to Impact, Sami Callihan has accused him of lacking passion and decided to help him in that way that only Callihan can… though mental torture. Like a villainous sensei, Callihan attacked Trey’s wrestling school injuring Trey’s sensei and corrupting one of the students Callihan promptly discarded. Callihan claims he doesn’t want Trey as a lackey, but as a partner. Callihan went as far as taking out Tommy Dreamer prior to Dreamer’s match at Hardcore Justice just so Trey could get the spot. After unambiguously turning Callihan down, Callihan began the physical torture. No matter what Callihan did to Trey, Trey would still get up. This gave Callihan an idea and thus this last man standing match.
Analysis and predictions: Sami Callihan is back at last! No more feuding with RVD’s girlfriend Katie Forbes or Eddie Edward’s wife Alisha for a rehash of Eddie vs. Sami. I can’t help but feel that there is a shoot, or real-life component to this story. When the Rascalz left Impact for NXT, Trey was nowhere to be seen until he reappeared on Impact. I wonder if NXT turned him away thinking he lacked “passion”. The promos he cut on the way to this match felt like they had some truth to them. Whatever the case I am hyped for this match.
Trey beating Callihan here would be great for Trey, but I think they can do one better. I think we see Ken Shamrock return to help out Callihan. Prior to vanishing from TV, they were building Shamrock up as a monster someone would have to take down. At the time I thought it would be Rich Swann but now that Rich is married to the Omega story, why not spend the equity Shamrock has on getting Trey over in a match down the road. Failing at that, I’d still like to see Trey under Callihan’s thumb so Trey losing and adopting a “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality works for me too. I’m going Callihan on this one.
Matt Cardona vs. Brian Myers
Story in a nutshell: Brian Myers is tired of his career being tied to Matt Cardona, accusing Matt of following him to Impact Wrestling and lashing out at him.
How we got here: After debuting for Impact Wrestling in August 11,2020 Brian Myers’s attitude has been rubbing everyone the wrong way. He calls himself the “most professional” wrestler while being anything but. Matt Cardona made his surprise debut at Hard to Kill 2021. Playing into their real-life connections in both the WWE and the podcasting sphere, Myers accused Cardona of following him to Impact Wrestling. Cardona, for his part, claimed that he is not at Impact to either team with, or fight against, Myers. Myers wouldn’t let it go and the two continued butting heads by interfering in each other’s matches. Eventually things reached a boiling point and this match.
Analysis and predictions: I’m going with Myers here. Myers has a more established character than Cardona and how you handle defeat defines character, something I’d like to see more from Cardona. Myers has done a decent job of washing off the WWE stink of his run there with his character work these last months. Cardona still has some work to do.
Chris Sabin & Eddie Edwards & James Storm & Willie Mack vs. Eric Young(?) & Deaner & Joe Doering & Rhino
Story in a nutshell: The world is “sick” according to Eric Young and Violence by Design is his “cure” and only the “soul” of Impact Wrestling, Chris Sabin, Eddie Edwards, James Storm, and Willie Mack can stop them.
How we got here: Eric Young has built a faction around himself of like-minded individuals who believe there is a “sickness” in the world, they have the answer to it, and they plan on inflicting the cure on Impact. After suffering many devastating losses and beatings to Eric Young and Joe Doering, Cody Deaner recognized the sickness in himself and joined Violent by Design. He only goes by Deaner now. Rhino joined later when he turned heel at Sacrifice. James Storm had reached his thousandth match in the company, and he wanted to face Eric Young. Storm won the match so VBD went after his old tag-team partner, Chris Harris. Various Impact stalwarts have faced off against VBD and this is the current group to try to stop them..
Analysis and predictions: If you don’t know what the “sickness” is, it is something I’ll keep to myself. Unfortunately, a sickness in Eric Young’s knee may have him out of this match so there may be a new member of VBD to take his place. Young hopes to remain involved in a non-physical role since he’ll be out for six months and he is the lynchpin of the group. With that in mind, if there is a surprising replacement for Young the VBD wins. Otherwise, team Impact wins.
Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs. Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering – Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship match
Story in a nutshell: After getting themselves in hot water for ruining Jazz’s retirement announcement, Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz were forced to defend their Impact Knockouts Tag-Team Titles against Jordynne Grace and a partner chosen by Jazz… Rachael Ellering.
How we got here: Jordynne Grace was in need of a partner for the Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament and so she called up Jazz who staved off her retirement for one more run. They were not successful in the tournament but the two stuck together for a while including a friendly one on one match against each other. Prior to Hardcore Justice, Tommy Dreamer who was booking the show, offered Jazz a match against Deonna Purrazzo and in the spirit of ECW’s Ultimate Jeopardy matches, each wrestler would have to give up something. Deonna’s title would be up for grabs but Jazz could choose what she was willing to lose. She chose her career. She lost and keeping her word, retired.
Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz interrupted Jazz’s retirement announcement and and impromptu match was started. Jazz won the match so Scott D’Amore granted her and Jordynne a shot at the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. Jazz maintained that she was retired for real, but she had a partner in mind for Jordynne. On the following week, Jordynne wrestled Kiera, winning by disqualification. Rachael Ellering came out to make the save, revealing herself to be Jordynne’s partner.
Analysis and predictions: Unless Jazz had extremely bad judgment and Rachael turns on Jordynne, I’ve Jordynne and Rachael win. Jordynne and a fresh new face are too important to lose here.
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