A number of matches were booked as the card for Impact’s Against All Odds pay per view on June 12 took shape, but my goal for this week’s Impact Review is to highlight only a few good, bad and maybe in between segments…in my view.
Shouldn’t Jake Something be in the X Division #1 contenders match?
I am a recent convert BACK to Impact Wrestling / TNA, so my criticism here is strictly out of love for this brand. Usually when you have a competitor come out with a big win he should be in line for title contention. Jake Something and Rohit tore through each other in this tables match, with Something closing the match by spearing the former X Division Champion through a table for a massive win.
But unless I missed something, it was Rohit who was added to a five man X Division match to crown a new #1 contender to Josh Alexander at Against All Odds. I am not taking anything away from Rohit’s talent and ability and having him in this match will be fantastic and complements the four others’ high flying style. But Rohit just lost, so why would you reward the one who lost, instead of the winner in that tables match?
When I commented on this matter in other social platforms, I was told the Tables Match came about because Raju had ‘screwed’ Something out of an opportunity. But that was back a few weeks ago and it was about the World title #1 contender, not the X Division.
Maybe I missed something there, but conventional wisdom would say Jake should be in this match; having a power guy like him work with the four high flyers would make for an interesting dynamic.
Backstage segments
This week’s backstage segments is one of the first times where I thought more story-lines were developing that any in ring action, with the main takeaway being something finally being done in response to Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers’ constant run-ins to the ring. D’Amore said, because GB struck Sami Callihan, the ‘Death Machine’ therefore just beat the #1 contender for the Impact titles held by Omega. So maybe Callihan should be added to the mix as well.
Callis contends that under the agreement with AEW, Tony Khan would have to sanction any of Omega’s matches on Impact as he is a contracted AEW talent…and that Khan would never let Callihan near Omega since he’s on some ‘blacklist’. D’Amore countered that he already called Khan and that the AEW President will be at the Impact Zone next week to ‘adjust the main event’.
I said something similar a few weeks ago that Callihan would somehow get added to make this match a Triple Threat with Moose and Kenny Omega on June 12. I don’t want to say I told y’all so…
After months of him just shitting all over other wrestlers in the back, they finally found something else for Brian Myers to do other than jump Matt Cardona in the back. “The Most Professional Wrestler” appears to have taken Sam Beale, a trainee at Trey Miguel’s wrestling school, under his wing…with a first lesson in a proper ring entrance, which Mr. Beale is severely lacking of since he doesn’t appear to even have entrance music.
Beale got in a hilarious line, asking Myers why he was wearing a mask when he had both of his Covid vaccine shots. But what is even more funny is Cardona’s reply to this segment.
I’m not sure if Cardona is reacting to Myers’ entrance, Beale’s poor excuse of an entrance, or the entire notion of Myers’ attempt to apprentice this rookie.
Deaner gets to show his worth at Against All Odds
The backstage segment also showcased another match booked on June 12: Violent By Design will defend the tag titles against Decay after an altercation between the two groups in the back. As Joe Doering has a match against New Japan’s Kojima that same night, VBD have invoked the infamous ‘Freebird Rule’ in tag team wrestling to allow a member of a faction to defend the title, in this case Deaner along with Rhyno.
The evolution of Deaner has been something to see, from his days being a comedy act with the then ‘Cousin Jake’ to being taken in by Eric Young and “reborn” into this “purer” version of himself. Also, the powerhouse team of Doering and Rhyno would be tough for anyone to overcome, even a unpredictable duo like Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus. Having the pairing of Rhyno, an industry veteran alongside the young upstart Deaner is something different…
In this case Decay may even have a shot because Steve and Deaner complement each other, the way Rhyno and Taurus do as power guys. I still predict a VBD win, but this will be interesting.
Just go watch this match
What else could be said about this match? This was storytelling at it’s finest; two combatants at the prime going at it for over an hour, looking absolutely spent, bleeding..with your peers coming to ringside, whether they be babyfaces or heels, just soaking in the importance of what a match like this means for Impact Wrestling.
In the absence of an actual Impact wrestler carrying the promotion’s top title, Josh and TJP gave it their all in showing the world what Impact is all about in 2021 and beyond.
An average professional doing the 9-5 grind who really loves wrestling across all platforms. Here's hoping wrestlers finally get some basic workers rights in 2021.
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