4/20 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: Moose vs. Uemura, Changing of the Guard Ceremony

IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
APRIL 20, 2023
TORONTO, ON AT THE REBEL ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX
AIRED ON AXS TV (RECORDED)
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

-Highlights of the Rebellion PPV, including the crowning of two new world champions.

(1) TIME MACHINE (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin & Kushida) vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY & JONATHAN GRESHAM & TREY MIGUEL

Gresham and Shelley started the match and did some mat wrestling. They slapped hands and tagged out to Bailey and Sabin. Sabin and Kushida worked on Bailey’s arm. Trey scratched Kushida’s back. Trey and Kushida had a fast paced exchange. Time Machine worked on Trey’s arm. Time Machine triple teamed Bailey and Gresham. Time Machine continued to hold the advantage. Kushida and Bailey exchanged kicks. Time Machine triple teamed Bailey and kicked Trey and Gresham to the outside. Sabin did a dive on Trey and Gresham on the outside. [c]

Kushida chopped Bailey. Time Machine continued to work on Bailey. Bailey made a comeback and got the hot tag to Gresham. Gresham got a series of two counts on Kushida. Kushida accidentally kicked Shelley. Gresham suplexed Kushida and got a two count. Shelley tripped Gresham and pulled him outside. Sabin accidentally kicked Shelley. Trey did a dive on Shelley and Sabin. Kushida knocked Trey to the outside. Bailey kicked Kushida. Bailey did a moonsault from the top rope to the floor on everyone. Everyone traded moves in the ring. Kushida had Trey in the Hoverboard lock but he got to the ropes. Sabin and Shelley had Bailey and Gresham in submissions. [c]

Kushida worked on Trey’s arm. Trey choked Kushida with his foot. Sabin dropkicked Trey from the top rope. Sabin caught Bailey with a boot. They traded forearm shots. Bailey gave Sabin a standing Spanish Fly for a two count. Bailey gave Sabin the double knees. Sabin made a comeback. Sabin gave Bailey a German suplex from the top rope. Trey shoved Gresham on the apron. Trey tagged in but got clotheslined by Sabin. Time Machine triple teamed Trey. Bailey did an Ultima Weapon to Sabin. Trey was mad that Bailey hit him too. Shelley pulled Bailey to the outside. The wrestlers exchanged moves in the ring. Time Machine triple teamed Trey. Sabin gave Trey the Cradle Shock for the pin.

WINNERS: Time Machine in 29:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Lots of super action and the longest opener in memory. Trey couldn’t get along with his teammates and it cost them the victory. For the second match in a row, Sabin and Shelley accidentally hit each other and I wonder if this will lead to something.)

-Gia Miller interviewed Santino Marella. She talked about him winning his in-ring return. He said he might return from time to time. Alisha Edwards interrupted and asked what he was going to do about PCO. Santino informed her that she had a match coming up. She was disgusted and left. Zicky Dice and Johnny Swinger walked in. Santino had a match for them with a luchador and Dice said he would cover his transportation. [c]

-Deonna Purrazzo video. There were slo-mo images of her posing with the title. She spoke and ended with “Welcome to the new age of the Virtuosa”.

(2) ALISHA EDWARDS vs. TARA RISING

Alisha took Tara to the mat early and punched her. Alisha elbowed and chopped Tara in the corner and tossed her to the mat by the hair. Alisha gloated and fans booed. Tara caught Alisha with a kick, but Alisha came right back and threw Tara out of the ring. Alisha threw Tara into the apron. Alisha threw Tara face first into the mat and got the pin. Alisha continued to attack Tara. Jody Threat ran to the ring and made the save.

WINNER: Alisha Edwards in 3:00.

(D.L.’s Take: A showcase match for Alisha to re-establish herself and her heel persona).

-Hannifan teased the Changing of the Guard Ceremony later and said all wrestlers would be banned from ringside. Two guards in camo gear stood by Maclin’s dressing room door. [c]

-Jody Threat checked on Tara Rising backstage. Tara thanked Jody. Jody said she hated to see anyone be taken advantage of and she said Alisha would get hers.

(3) MOOSE (w/Brian Myers) vs. YUYA UEMURA (w/Bhupinder Gujjar)

Moose threw Yuya into the corner and attacked. Yuya fought back with chops. Moose took Yuya to the mat. Yuya armdragged Moose and put on an armlock. Yuya slid into Moose on the outside and dove on Myers, who stepped in front of Moose. Moose powerbombed Yuya on the apron. Back in the ring, Moose punched Yuya and chopped him. Yuya had a brief rally but Moose slammed him to the mat. Moose choked Yuya. Moose slapped Yuya, but he fired up and returned the slaps. Myers grabbed Yuya’s foot and Moose booted Yuya to the floor. Moose threw Yuya into the post. Back in the ring, they traded forearm shots and punches. Yuya made a comeback. Yuya bulldogged Moose. They traded offense. Moose slammed Yuya off the top rope. Yuya suplexed Moose off the ropes and got a two count. Yuya and Myers argued. Yuya knocked Moose off the top rope and delivered a flying crossbody block. Myers distracted the referee. Myers and Gujjar brawled at ringside. Yuya rolled up Moose for a two count. Moose sent Yuya neck-first on the top rope, then followed with a spear for the pin.

WINNER: Moose in 11:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Just the kind of match that Yuya needed to get the spotlight and break out of the pack. He made a good showing against one of Impact’s top stars, which should go a long way. This seems to be the beginning of a feud with these wrestlers.)

-Jimmy Jacobs interviewed Nick Aldis backstage. Aldis talked about his history in Impact. He said he walked in with a very bad gimmick and worked his way up to main events and the world title. He said he went away and set the standards for how to be a world champion. He said he was set on Steve Maclin and the world title. He said he is ready to usher in a new era. He said he won’t be attending the Changing of the Guard ceremony but he will be watching. [c]

(4) FRANKIE KAZARIAN vs. THE GOOD HANDS (John Skyler & Jason Hotch)

They showed clips from the Hardcore War match from Rebellion involving these wrestlers. Skyler got on the mic and complained that they weren’t even in the match and Kazarian attacked them, so they challenged him tonight. He said this company was built by two good hands. Kaz attacked both at the bell. Hotch punched and chopped Kaz. Kaz chopped them both and followed with a dropkick. Skyler pulled the rope down to send Kaz to the floor. Hotch did a dive on Kaz. Back in the ring, Hotch punched Kaz. The Hands double teamed Kaz. Skyler got a two count on Kaz. Kaz fought back with chops and clotheslines. Kaz gave Hotch a flying legdrop. Kaz put Hotch in a figure four leglock. Kaz rolled up Skyler for a two count. Skyler ran into Hotch on the apron. Kaz caught Hotch with a cutter. Kaz put Skyler in a chicken wing and Skyler tapped.

WINNER: Frankie Kazarian in 4:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Good match for what it was — mostly a showcase for Kazarian before he moves on to something else.)

-The Coven vignette. They held hands and said “long live The Coven”. Taylor read the cards and said something new was coming. They talked about the New Age of the Virtuosa. Taylor called Deonna Purrazzo a fraud. KiLynn King said they should kick her Virtu-ass. Taylor said it was the Age of Aquarius. [c]

-Sami Callihan vignette. He called himself the puppet master of pro wrestling. He said The Design pissed him off, so he made fools of them. A slo-mo shot showed him winking at the camera while he was with The Design. He said he had seven steps of his own. He said he would ruin all of The Design’s lives. He said he would destroy the design. Sami yelled “Thumbs up, thumbs down!” at the end.

(5) JOE HENDRY (c) vs. SHELDON JEAN — Impact Wrestling Digital Media Title match

Hannifan noted that Jean was part of Big Brother Canada in a pandemic-shortened season that he almost won. Hendry took the mic before the match and led the crowd in his “We believe” catchphrase. [c]

The announcers noted that Jean said he was the best student to ever come out of Scott D’Amore’s Can-Am dojo. After some early back and forth action, Jean caught Hendry with a dropkick and followed with punches. Hendry caught Jean with a cutter. Hendry gave Jean an overhead slam. Hendry gave Jean a series of strikes, but Jean came back with a punch. Hendry clotheslined Jean. Hendry chokeslammed Jean and got the pin.

WINNER: Joe Hendry in 5:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Jean made a good showing and the announcers really talked him up, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see more of him. Fans are still solidly behind Hendry.)

-Hannifan and Rehwoldt plugged matches for next week including:

• Masha Slamovich vs. Jordynne Grace
• The Design vs. ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)
• Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taylor Wilde

They also pitched to Kevin Kelly for a preview of the night’s NJPW show, featuring Mercedes Mone.

-The guards were shown outside of Maclin’s dressing room door. [c]

-New Impact World Champion Steve Maclin emerged from his dressing room and walked to the stage, followed by men in camo shirts. The men stood on the ramp as Maclin walked into the ring. He held the belt up high as streamers rained down. Fans chanted “Maclin sucks” and “We want Josh”. Maclin talked about having his back against the wall, then Impact gave him an opportunity and he kicked the door down. He said his goal was always to become the Impact World champion. He said Josh Alexander started his reign at about the same time. Fans chanted “Walking Weapon”. He said Alexander had all the glory as Maclin was setting up his plan behind the scenes and now he is the champion. He said he had one step left in his mission. He said it was to humiliate Josh Alexander in his hometown. He said the fans have already humiliated themselves. Maclin offered an open challenge to anyone in the back who was from Canada. He started challenging fans and said he wasn’t afraid to hit a kid.

Scott D’Amore’s music played and he walked to the ring. Maclin’s guards parted to let him through. Scott said don’t forget who gave him those opportunities and called him “son” mockingly. Scott said that Maclin manipulates reality. Scott asked if Maclin threw out a challenge to a Canadian because he was now ducking Nick Aldis. Maclin said he thought maybe Scott was coming out to defend his country. Maclin asked if Scott traded his balls for his headset. Scott said some days he would like to step back in the ring and he shouldn’t have thrown the belt at Maclin at Rebellion. Scott said that Maclin waited until he turned his back to attack him. Scott called him a coward son of a bitch. Scott said he rarely makes the same mistake twice and took off his jacket.

He said at Under Siege, Maclin would face a Canadian, the perfect Canadian. Perfect Creation One. PCO’s music played and he walked to the stage. PCO fought Maclin’s guards. They ganged up on him and beat him down. Maclin taunted PCO with the belt. PCO fought off the guards, then he and Maclin brawled. PCO decked Maclin, but Maclin escaped and went up the ramp. PCO speared two of the guards through a table that was set up in the corner.

FINAL THOUGHTS: A decent post-PPV edition of the show. New feuds and matches for the next special haven’t been established yet, so storylines are tying up and/or moving ahead slowly. With that said, there was some good in-ring action like the opening six-man tag and Moose vs. Yuya Uemura. The show-closing angle was good as well to set up the Maclin vs. PCO match at Under Siege.