IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion
April 16th, 2023
By: John Siino
Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentary: Tom Hannifan & Matthew Rehwoldt
Heath & Rhino vs. Champagne Singh & Shera (Countdown to Rebellion)
Champagne Singh and Heath start the match as Singh right away tries to pay off Heath, in which he crumbles up the money and tosses it away. Heath starts in control, until he makes the tag to Rhino. Shera tags in and they go back and forth with Rhino taking Shera down with a shoulder block. Rhino sets up for the Gore, but Singh takes him out as Shera is distracting the referee. Singh & Shera keep Rhino in their corner and work on him. Heath is able to tag in and go to work on Singh with punches and a power slam before clotheslining Shera over the top rope. Shera distracts Heath on the outside, giving Singh the opportunity to roll up Heath with his feet on the ropes for the pin and the win. Rhino took out Singh with a Gore after the match.
Winners: Champagne Singh & Shera by pinfall at 6:12
IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Championship: The Coven (Taylor Wilde & KiLynn King) (c) vs. Death Dollz (Rosemary & Jessicka) (Countdown to Rebellion)
Taylor Wilde and Rosemary start the match, but it quickly becomes Jessicka and KiLynn King who start trading forearms until King gets clotheslined to the outside. Rosemary & Jessicka keep King in their corner, as Rosemary asks the Toronto crowd if she should bit her face off. King counters it with a jaw breaker and a clothesline before tagging out to Wilde. Wilde stays on top of Rosemary send her repeatedly into her corner, but Rosemary fights off King and puts the Upside Down on Wilde where King kicks Rosemary right in the head. King keeps Rosemary in her corner with chops before hitting a suplex for a two count. Wilde starts choking Rosemary in the corner, before King goes for another two count. Wilde comes in and takes Rosemary out with a kick, but she rose up from it and asked for more. Rosemary comes back with an exploder suplex, before tagging out to Jessicka who went right after King with punches and an elbow. Jessicka body slams Wilde onto King before hitting a running cross body for a two count. Rosemary starts biting King and hits a spear for a two count. King misses Rosemary and kicks Jessicka off the apron. Rosemary spears King and goes for the pin, but Wilde had tagged herself in. Wilde comes in and hits the Wilde Ride suplex and the Witch’s Wrath (twisting neck breaker) for the pin and the win.
Winners: The Coven (Taylor Wilde & KiLynn King) by pinfall at 9:40, to retain
IMPACT World Tag Team Championship Ultimate X Match: ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) (c) vs. The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
This is the first time there has been an Ultimate X match for the Tag Team Championship since 2015, and the 48th Ultimate X match. Right away, The Motor City Machine Guns start climbing, but ABC is able to stop them. All four men start going at it, with ABC cornering Alex Shelley who starts pleading them to stop, but it’s a ploy as Shelley holds on to their boots as Chris Sabin starts scaling up but gets stopped. ABC takes out MCMG on the outside with in-stereo suicide dives before they start scaling themselves. Chris Bey gets pulled down from the cables before Sabin goes right after him. Shelley pulls Ace Austin off the ropes next before they start double teaming him. They start brawling on the outside as the crowd seems torn between two teams. Austin & Sabin start climbing the truss, but Sabin snaps Austin’s arms in between it. Shelley puts Bey in a figure four as Sabin starts climbing next before Austin stops him. ABC starts controlling the match, but Shelley takes them down with a double clothesline. Shelley is able to trap both Austin & Bey up as Sabin tries to climb up before Austin gets free and stops him. Tom Hannifan mentions how MCMG could have a bit of a hangover after just dropping the NJPW Strong Tag Team Championship the night before in Washington, DC. Shelley and Bey go at it until Bey hits a DDT followed by a moonsault off the second rope to Sabin on the outside. Austin takes Shelley out with a missile dropkick, followed by a beautiful looking Fosbury Flop from Austin to MCMG on the outside. ABC start double teaming MCMG with a flurry of moves before Austin starts scaling the ropes. Sabin joins him and starts kicking Austin’s back before MCMG pull him off. All four start scaling the ropes at the same time before kicking each other off. They hit the Art of Finesse & The Fold back to back on Shelley. They tease doing it on Sabin, but Austin flips Bey onto the ropes. Sabin races up there to try and stop him, but Bey is able to toss the titles down to Austin for the win.
Winners: ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) at 13:06, to retain
Mayhem For KUSHIDA
We see a video from Steve Maclin saying this whole situation sucks and being in Canada sucks. Maclin talks about how he couldn’t beat Josh Alexander and end his streak before talking about his time in Afghanistan in 2009 and how for a year and a half he has shown everyone what he is capable of as it’s the biggest night of his career as well as KUSHIDA’s. Maclin says are you looking at the next world champion before saying tag ’em, bag ’em and mayhem for KUSHIDA.
Dirty Dango, Joe Hendry & Santino Marella vs. The Design (Deaner, Angels, Kon & Callihan)
This is a three on four handicap match, as we see Santino Marella’s son Marko sitting in the front row. Dirty Dango and Angels start the match, but Dango right away tags out to Santino. The Design start ganging up on Santino, as Callihan and Angels start kicking away at Santino in their corner. Santino is able to escape and tag out to Joe Hendry who goes right after hitting slams on everybody in The Design, but as he goes to slam Kon, gets drop kicked down by Deaner. Dango tags in and teases diving to the outside but gets stopped by Kon and Angels. Dango is able to fight off The Design and make the hot tag to Santino who goes right after Deaner before getting stopped by Kon. Everybody runs in now and goes at it with Hendry hitting Deaner & Angels with a double fall away slam. Callihan takes out Hendry with a Cactus Slam ’97, followed by Dango hitting a blockbuster on Callihan before diving on the outside. Camera work has been missing a lot of spots tonight, including that one. Callihan goes to finish off Santino with the Cactus Driver ’97, but Deaner stops him and goes and grabs a bat from under the ring instead, but tells Callihan to use it. I guess this is Step 7? Instead, Callihan hits Deaner with it and knocks him out with a shot of the bat before leaving. Santino pulls out the Cobra and hits Deaner with it, before another referee runs out to make the pin.
Winners: Santino Marella, Dirty Dango & Joe Hendry by pinfall at 10:48
This War Ends Tonight
Gia Miller is backstage with Team Dreamer and asks Tommy Dreamer for any final thoughts before going into battle. Dreamer says on Easter he talked to his mom and talks about how he found out the next day she suffered a brain bleed, and starts getting emotional as he’s calling this the worst week of his life. His mom told him to keep moving forward and says there is nothing that Team Bully can do to him to hurt him. Dreamer asks for thoughts and prayers and his mom’s eyes opened and he was able to tell her that he loves her. IMPACT told him he didn’t have to do this, but he choose to before saying Frankie Kazarian just lived through something similar. Dreamer talks about how his team all made sacrifices for this sport, and after this match he will be going away for a bit. Dreamer says these are moments that they fight for and this war ends tonight.
Last Rites Match: Eddie Edwards vs. PCO
Alisha came out with Eddie Edwards, before heading to the back for this match. As soon as the match starts, PCO dives onto Edwards with a cannonball to the outside, before they start brawling by the barricades. Edwards comes back with a suicide dive crashing into the barricade to PCO almost taking out some small children ringside. Edwards keeps PCO in the corner, until PCO comes back with a DDT. PCO hits a diving leg drop to the back of Edwards neck, which sends him spilling to the outside. PCO follows this with a senton from the top rope to Edwards who was on the apron. PCO sends Edwards over the top rope crashing into the casket, but Edwards comes right back hitting a Tiger Driver. Edwards follows this with a couple German Suplexes, but PCO gets right back up and starts having his headache attack before going outside and rams his shoulder into the ring post. The crowd is really anti-Eddie here, as PCO reveals his chest and tells Edwards to start chopping away, before they both go at it. They then start trading some big slaps to each other for a while, but Edwards is able toss PCO into the corner with a buckle bomb, but he comes right back with a clothesline followed by a reverse DDT. PCO follows that with a PCO Sault and goes to put Edwards into the casket, but he rolls off the entrance ramp just for PCO to launch onto him with another cannonball. Edwards goes after PCO, but PCO chokeslams him onto the edge of the ramp. PCO slams Edwards face onto the casket ten times, before Edwards kicks PCO off the ramp to the floor, in what looked like a nasty fall for PCO. They start fighting on the ramp again, but Edwards is able to find a kendo stick and uses it on PCO, followed by a suplex and the Boston Knee Party, as PCO goes crashing backwards into the casket. Edwards goes to close the lid on PCO, but he’s able to fight Edwards off, as he’s busted open. Alisha runs out and hits PCO with shovel and tries to hit him with another shot. PCO pulls Alisha in who gets taken out by a superkick from Edwards. PCO attacks Edwards with the shovel and chokeslams him into the casket for the win.
Winner: PCO at 13:49
We go to Gia Miller and Trey Miguel in the back, but unfortunately there is no audio and they cut to a video package for the X Division Championship match instead.
IMPACT X-Division Championship Elimination Match: Trey Miguel (c) vs. Mike Bailey vs. Jonathan Gresham
During the entrances we see Scott D’Amore, Richard Schaefer, Leonard Asper & Ed Nordholm all sitting in the front row. All three start going at each other at the start with waist locks and take down attempts before having a bit of a face off. Mike Bailey & Jonathan Gresham start double teaming on Trey Miguel, but he brushes them off and goes to the ramp and tells them to go at it and he’ll wait. Miguel even joins in and starts attacking them both in opposing corners with dropkicks before hitting a Northern Lights suplex on Gresham for a two. Bailey goes to hit a missile dropkick on Miguel, but he gets out of the way and he hits Gresham instead. Bailey goes after Miguel with kicks and hits a running shooting star press for a two. While having Gresham in a leg lock, Bailey is able to suplex Miguel while keeping the submission on Gresham. Bailey and Gresham start going at it while attacking Miguel every time he tries to get involved with them. Gresham goes after Miguel hitting him with a German suplex and a driver for a two count. Bailey comes right back hitting Gresham with a wild looking poison rana in front of Poison Rana. Bailey and Miguel go at it on the apron, with them spilling to the outside in a nasty crash. They start going at it on the outside and apron, with Bailey hitting a moonsault before Miguel hits a cutter off of the ramp to Bailey. Miguel follows this by running the ramp and hitting a cutter back inside the ring to Gresham for a two. Gresham puts a figure four on Bailey, which has been a reoccurring theme in their matches, but Miguel hits a Meteora on Gresham and pins Gresham at 9:37 while the Figure Four is still locked on. Miguel then puts the figure four on Bailey while going for pin attempts until Bailey finally reaches the bottom rope. They start going back and forth before Bailey hits a power slam for a two count. Bailey hits a bunch of kicks, a tornado kick in the corner, but misses the Ultima Weapon. Miguel dropkicks Bailey to the outside and tries a sunset flip bomb, but Bailey holds on to the ropes and flips on him with double knees. Back inside, Bailey misses Ultima Weapon again, before they go back and forth with pin attempts as Miguel pins Bailey while holding on to the tights for the win.
Winner: Trey Miguel by pinfall at 13:55, to retain
Team Bully (Bully Ray, Moose, Brian Myers, Kenny King & Masha Slamovich ) vs. Team Dreamer (Tommy Dreamer, Frankie Kazarian, Bhupinder Gujjar, Killer Kelly & Yuya Uemura)
Moose and Frankie Kazarian are the first two to start the match, with Kazarian running out with a trash can and right away taking it to the outside. Back inside, Kazarian hits a sling shot DDT. Brian Myers comes out as the next entrant for Team Bully, but Kazarian tosses Moose right onto him as he was coming out. As Moose and Myers go to suplex Kazarian onto a table on the outside, Bhupinder Gujjar runs out as the next entrant to stop them. Gujjar gets a cheese grater and uses it on Myers, as Kenny King comes out next wearing a trash can lid on his head looking like Raiden from Mortal Kombat. Killer Kelly comes out next looking like she’s part of The Dudleys with a staple gun that she uses on King’s head. Myers and Moose go after Kelly but she counters them both with staple gun shots to the balls, then decides to staple her own hand. Masha Slamovich comes out and tosses a chair into Kelly’s head and tosses the staple gun out of the ring. Myers and Kazarian get involved, as Kelly gets power bombed by Myers to the outside to everybody else. Slamovich follows that with a senton while holding on to a chair. Yuya Uemura comes out next and goes right after Myers hitting him with an over-the-head suplex. Team Dreamer stands tall in the ring as they wait for the final entrant for Team Bully in Bully Ray, who comes out with a table. As they wait for him, the rest of Team Bully takes out Team Dreamer from behind. Team Bully start going after Kelly and hold her down until Tommy Dreamer comes out as the final entrant with a kendo stick. Dreamer starts taking them all out until it’s just Bully Ray holding Kelly in front of him and asks Dreamer what he’s going to do. Kelly is able to bite her way free as Dreamer goes after Bully with the kendo stick. Dreamer starts twisting Bully’s ankle, before everybody else gets in and puts on submissions. Kelly and Masha start breaking them all up by using chairs before going after each other with the chairs until Kelly sends Masha through a chair with a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Kelly goes to the top rope, but Bully sends her flying to the outside. Bully tells Moose to spear Dreamer, but he gets out of the way and Moose takes out Bully instead. They all come in and start hitting their finishers on each other until Masha hits the Snow Plow on Kelly for a two count. Masha breaks out of a chicken wing from Kazarian, but Dreamer is there to confront her. Masha spits in Dreamer’s face, so he follows that with a piledriver. The Good Hands run out and start attacking Dreamer, but Kazarian is able to take them out. Kazarian sets up a ladder in the ring, as Myers sends Gujjar through a table ringside. Kelly fights off the Good Hands, before helping Kazarian springboard John Skyler into Kazarian who puts him through a table with a cutter. Back inside, Bully hits Dreamer with a low blow and puts Dreamer up against a table. Bully starts climbing up the ladder and orders all the referees to hold the ladder, but they refuse to. Bully puts his hands on one of the referees, and they all start attacking Bully. Dreamer hits Bully with a Death Valley Driver, and as all the referees start counting, Bully kicks out. Dreamer now goes to climb the ladder, and all the referees hold it for him as Dreamer hits the Superfly Snuka Splash on Bully for the pin and the win.
Winners: Team Dreamer (Tommy Dreamer, Frankie Kazarian, Killer Kelly, Bhupinder Gujjar & Yuya Uemura) by pinfall at 25:12
IMPACT World Championship: Steve Maclin vs. KUSHIDA
Nick Aldis comes out as a special guest commentator for this match and says he’s back in IMPACT. Right when it starts, Steve Maclin takes KUSHIDA’s Canadian flag he had and tosses it down on the outside. They go back and forth on the mat for a while, but the camera decides to stay on Aldis for a good minute as he’s talking about him beating Jeff Hardy here in IMPACT to win his first World Title. Maclin & KUSHIDA start running the ropes, before KUSHIDA hits a cross body. Maclin takes over and stays in control for a while, and start stretching KUSHIDA against the ring post as he has a bit of a stare down with Aldis. Maclin follows this with a knee drop to KUSHIDA off the apron. Back inside, Maclin hits an Olympic Slam for a two count. KUSHIDA counters another Olympic Slam attempt and hits a handspring back elbow. KUSHIDA stays on top of Maclin, hitting a kick and a Fisherman Buster for a two count. Maclin goes for the Crosshairs, but KUSHIDA dodges it. They start fighting on the ramp, where KUSHIDA hits a Pele Kick, runs the ramp and hits Maclin’s left arm with another kick. KUSHIDA goes to the top rope and hits another kick to the elbow, tries the Hoverboard Lock, but Maclin reverses it with a German Suplex. Maclin follows with a buckle bomb and a sit out powerbomb for a two count. They start fighting on the top rope, where KUSHIDA puts on the Cross Arm Breaker on the way down, but Maclin rolls into the bottom rope to break it up. They start fighting on the outside for a bit, until KUSHIDA rolls Maclin back in. Maclin is able to trap KUSHIDA in the corner and hits the Crosshairs followed by the KIA, but KUSHIDA kicks out at two. Maclin goes to the top rope, but KUSHIDA catches him right in the Hoverboard Lock. Maclin headbutts and elbows his way out, puts KUSHIDA on his shoulders and hits a Death Valley Driver. KUSHIDA holds on and puts on the Hoverboard Lock, but Maclin drives KUSHIDA right into the corner. KUSHIDA blocks a KIA with another Hoverboard Lock, but Maclin is able to reverse it into the KIA for the pin and the win.
Winner: Steve Maclin by pinfall at 18:28, to become NEW IMPACT World Champion
Tom Hannifan with a great call saying ‘once forgotten, always remembered as a World Champion’. As the referee goes to hand Maclin the title, he denies and demand that Scott D’Amore comes out and gives him the title. Maclin tells D’Amore to put it around his waist, but D’Amore just shoves it into Maclin’s face instead. As D’Amore has his back turned, Maclin takes him out with the title. Nick Aldis gets in the ring and into Maclin’s face, but Maclin leaves.
They announce their upcoming shows including a couple of new additions;
- IMPACT Wrestling/NJPW Multiverse United 2: For Whom The Bell Tolls – August 20th in Philadelphia, PA
- IMPACT Wrestling Emergence – August 27th in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
IMPACT Knockouts World Championship: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Jordynne Grace
Deonna Purrazzo starts the match working on Jordynne Grace’s arm, keeping her centered on the mat, but Grace is able to power her way out and take Deonna down, hitting a snap suplex. They fight on the apron, before Grace dives onto Deonna on the outside followed by a Jack Hammer. Grace stays on top of Deonna back inside with multiple pin attempts before holding Deonna up for a stalling suplex that she has her up for a while as the crowd counts to 20, but Grace gets a two count for that. They start going back and forth until Deonna hits a side Russian leg sweep and tries to put on the Fujiwara arm bar, as Grace escapes. They go to the ramp, but Grace gets kicked off as Deonna hits her with a moonsault. Deonna goes for the Queen’s Gambit, but Grace reverses it. Deonna is able to hit a flatliner and holds on for the Koji Clutch, but Grace turns it into a pin for a two. They go back and forth until Grace hits a Gory Bomb. Grace tries to go for the Grace Driver, but Deonna escapes. Grace kicks Deonna off from a Figure Four attempt and puts on a sleeper hold. Deonna escapes and they knock each other down with headbutts, as we see Grace is busted open above her eye. They go back and forth but this only angers Grace, but Deonna stops her and puts on the Fujiwara arm bar, before transitioning into the Venus de Milo but Grace is able to put her foot on the bottom rope. Grace comes back with a spinebuster, but Deonna kicks out at two. After a bit more back and forth, Grace hits a Grace Driver, which Deonna kicks out at two. They fight on the top rope, until Deonna takes Grace down with a power bomb followed by a vicious looking Queen’s Gambit for the pin and the win.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo by pinfall at 17:05, to become NEW IMPACT Knockouts World Champion
Final Thoughts
They both embrace after the match, followed by Deonna standing tall to end the show as Knockouts World Champion for the third time.. You would think this would ultimately lead to the power couple of champions with Steve Maclin & Deonna Purrazzo to face off another wrestling couple in Nick Aldis & Mickie James down the line. They could even feud with Jonathan Gresham & Jordynne Grace, if you want to keep the couples theme going. They have also teased the idea of Scott D’Amore wrestling one more time, and a match with Steve Maclin could be a fun one off. The crowd seemed in and out of this show throughout and some hecklers were pretty audible throughout the night. The red lights of this night club definitely gave the show a cool look, but the cameras missing some key spots throughout the night were definitely harming, especially in the multi person matches. Seemed to be a fun show throughout, and I actually found the Hardcore Match to be my favorite as far as entertainment goes, but my matches of the night is pretty even between the Ultimate X match and the X-Division elimination triple threat. Should be interesting what kind of turnout the next show in Toronto does, as Emergence is going to be the same day as All In in London.
