As Impact Wrestling makes its way through April, it’s fair to say that they are positioning themselves for a significant upcoming run regarding the remainder of 2019. Impact has been producing steady and consistent episodes. There have also been many solid to great wrestling matches from most of their talented roster. The biggest strength of the company at this point seems to be their unique and intricate character development. I cannot recall a time in their near 17 year history where they were so dedicated to each performer getting adequate screen time within the flow of a two-hour program. The storylines make sense and do not insult the intelligence of the audience. The overall product is really exceptional at the moment. There is much to be optimistic about and this Rebellion pay-per-view is going to be very interesting as far as the general direction of things moving forward. It should serve as a tone-setter as we dive into the spring and summer months.
This particular tweet that Konnan recently put out accurately sums up the current state of Impact. I don’t remember K-Dogg putting out a tweet like this previously as a “general state of affairs” type of thing. He is usually a pretty straight shooter, so this declaration does hold weight given the influence that he has in three major pro wrestling companies right now.
April has been a wonderful month for Impact with the success of “United We Stand” during Wrestlemania weekend and other crucial things with touring and Twitch events. Both “Critical Transformation” and “Salute to the Troops” took place in April, although the latter won’t air until May 11th. Also, RVD will be making his TV taping return for Impact the day after Rebellion on April 29th in Toronto. Then, as we get into early May, things will get super intriguing as the company tapes two days worth of TV in Philly at the 2300 Arena with Van Dam scheduled for that set as well. Imagine the ECW influence that can be portrayed while taping in that venue for the first time ever with Tommy Dreamer and Rob Van Dam being two of the biggest legends in ECW history. That will be a very special situation with the crowd and atmosphere in Philadelphia as Impact is showing no fear by taping in a hostile pro wrestling environment.
So I’m going to give you some brief thoughts on the matches that have been announced so far on this Rebellion pay-per-view card. I will update the main graphic as soon as Impact does (Eli is still on the current one). Also, as more matches get announced I will update as necessary. There are five official bouts so far but obviously there will be more than this added before April 28th. Feel free to share your thoughts on this line-up in the comment section below.
***UPDATED on 4-27***
The Rascalz Vs The North and Moose: I’m glad that this match is happening because the segments that have happened lately with Moose and the Rascalz have been absolutely golden. All of their one-on-one matches have also been entertaining and interesting. Also, The North had a fantastic debut and should be featured heavily as a strong duo in the tag team division moving forward. So it makes sense that all six of these competitors would end up on the card for this pay-per-view. The Rascalz could lose here and it wouldn’t hurt them at all so I’m taking Moose and The North to win in this one.
Scarlett Bordeaux (LIVE Smoke Show): This could get very interesting and adult because things that are allowed on a pay-per-view format are completely different than what would air on network TV. There isn’t much that Impact will have to hold back on this one and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a nipple slip or something pretty daring here. Will it just be Scarlett stripping or will this actually morph into storytelling of some sort? I have no clue what this segment will end up being exactly but that’s the beauty of a LIVE PPV event. Expect the unexpected as I imagine this will get people talking regardless.
Eli Drake puts out this interesting tweet : Is Eli Drake really gone from Impact Wrestling or have we all been worked? It seemed pretty legit that the company had released him given the reports that had been posted by reputable sources. It appeared to be official and we, as fans, had basically moved on. Then comes this tweet causing speculation that Eli is possibly flying to Toronto and now I’m not sure what to think. If it’s a worked shoot type of thing, they definitely fooled like 99.9 % of us, including the dirtsheets. If this is just Eli having some fun by now working the Twitter world and tricking us into thinking that he’s coming to Rebellion, then that also should be applauded because it’s adding a lot to the intrigue about if he will show up or not. Either way, until the PPV event is over, I will be wondering if he’s going to make an appearance. I love this kind of stuff so, whatever happens, thank you Eli for making it even more compelling.
***End of Update***
The current Rebellion PPV card:
Brian Cage Vs Johnny Impact (Impact World Championship): There are many complex layers to this World Title match as Johnny has somehow managed to prevent Cage from taking the strap from him up to this point. Now, there’s a “crooked ref” element involved with John E. Bravo which complicates things even more. Taya and Johnny Impact are in full on heel mode as they’re really at the top of their game as a championship power couple. Cage is the ultimate face here as The Machine seeks revenge and his first major World Title. My guess is that Cage wins the belt at Rebellion and Johnny will go on to other feuds.
Lucha Brothers Vs LAX (Full Metal Mayhem, Tag Team Championship): This one is really tough to predict as there are rumors of both of these teams possibly leaving Impact in the near future. Who knows what will happen with all of that, but this figures to be a brutally violent match. Lots of hardcore spots and craziness are in store for this fight. The Lucha Brothers seem to be able to work for whatever promotion they want to without having to be exclusive to AAA, MLW, AEW or Impact. Something tells me that LAX gets the belts back and that they will be sticking around for several years to come but I wouldn’t necessarily be shocked by any outcome here.
Tessa Blanchard Vs Gail Kim: This KnockOuts dream match has been brewing for several months as Gail came out of retirement solely to wrestle Tessa Blanchard. That speaks volumes because Gail Kim isn’t going to have many more matches in the future, if any at all. This is a great opportunity for Tessa to be put over even more than she is now, which is already a tremendous amount. Tessa is the best female wrestler in Impact and Gail is the most prestigious KnockOut of all time. What a match-up! I would be very surprised if Tessa doesn’t win this match but in the end, the fans win here because this fight should be really damn good.
Sami Callihan Vs Rich Swann (X-Division Championship): The beardless Rich Swann going against the maniacal leader of oVe, Sami Callihan, is a great example of how a feud should be done. They have focused on their prior history from earlier in their careers. Sami tried several times unsuccessfully to get Rich to join oVe. There are many factors involved here including the X-Division Title being up for grabs. Part of me thinks that Sami is going to have a run with the X-Division belt as he takes it hostage and then potentially has several matches with up-and-coming talents like Ace Austin, The Rascalz, and others. I could also see Swann retaining here and Sami possibly going on to feud with Dreamer and other ex-ECW performers. Tough call, but I’ll take Swann in a hard-fought battle.
Taya Vs Jordynne Grace (KnockOuts Championship): These powerhouse women are two of the best female wrestlers in the world. Any promotion that features women’s wrestling would absolutely love to have either one of them. In fact, there’s a good argument for Impact having the most coveted female roster on the planet. My heart wants Jordynne to win here and begin her reign as KnockOuts Champ but my mind says that Taya will retain with typical heel tactics. Jordynne’s day will definitely come eventually but I don’t think it will be at Rebellion.
Don’t forget about our DiscussPW Predictions as we will make picks for all the Rebellion matches on the final card with bragging rights on the line. Last year the April PPV was Redemption which took place at the Impact Zone in Orlando. That was the final pay-per-view event that emanated from Universal Studios. Think about just how far Impact Wrestling has come in a years time. The constant international touring, Twitch and GWN events, signing and retaining great talent, creating new revenue streams, establishing partnerships with several promotions and charities, etc. The company is poised to make big strides throughout 2019 and the vision of Impact’s management and ownership group remains true and unwavering.