Rebellion 2023 Review

Countdown to Rebellion

Heath and Rhino vs Champagne Singh and Shera

Rhino attempts a Gore on Shera, but he is tripped by Singh from the outside. Shera wearing down Rhino. Rhino is able to create an opening but Heath is knocked off the apron by Shera which prevents Rhino from tagging Heath in. Rhino hits a belly to belly suplex on Singh which allows Rhino to finally tag in Heath. Heath quickens the pace of the match as he clotheslines Shera over the top rope. Singh ends up pinning Heath, using the ropes for leverage and assist from Shera to pick up the win. Well, I predicted that wrong. On a bad start for my predictions. An ok match to start the Countdown to Rebellion. Grade C-

After the match, Rhino hits Singh with a Gore.

Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: The Coven (Taylor Wilde & KiLynn King) vs The Death Dollz (Rosemary & Jessicka)

Rosemary hits King with a running splash, she attempts to bite Kings face, but King is able to counter with a jawbreaker/clothesline combo. The Coven are able to remain in control. They begin to wear down Rosemary, cutting off the ring to prevent Rosemary tagging Jessicka in. Rosemary able to rise up and fights back against Wilde. Rosemary able to tag Jessicka in. Jessicka slams Wilde on top of King. Rosemary hits a spear on King, goes for a pin but it’s not enough to keep King down. Rosemary avoids a kick from King but it causes King to hit Jessicka instead. Wilde makes the blind tag, hits Rosemary with the Wilde Ride, she follows that up with the swinging neck breaker, covers Rosemary and gets the 3! The Coven retain their titles. Well, I’m 0-2 on my predictions, not a great start for me. This was a good match. I hope that if the rivalry ends between these teams now, that the titles continue to be incorporated and not forgotten about. Grade C.

Rebellion 2023 starts now!

Match 1: Impact World Tag Team Championship Ultimate X Match: The Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bet) Vs Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)

Sabin uses the steel to his advantage, pulling Ace’s arm repeatedly through it. Shelley ties up Bey with a Figure 4 Leg Lock. Sabin tries to climb the Ultimate X structure, but is pulled down by Ace. Shelley hits Ace and Bey with a double clothesline. All 4 men are down following a flurry of offence. Bey hits Shelley with a Slingshot DDT. Bey then hits a step-up Moonsault to the outside. Ace takes out both Sabin and Shelley with the Soar to Glory. All 4 men begin to climb across the cables towards the titles. Everyone falls to the mat. Bullet Club hit the MCMGs with the Art of Finesse followed by the Fold. Ace boosts Bey up towards the cables and Bey unhooks both titles, retaining the belts! I got a prediction right! 1-2 on predictions. This was an awesome match! Ultimate X matches are always fun. These two teams are just brilliant and their chemistry is insane. Grade A

Backstage Segment: Steve Maclin declares victory in tonight’s championship match. It does not matter to him that his opponent has changed. He says that this is the biggest night in both men’s careers.

Match 2: Joe Hendry, Dirty Dango & Santino Marella Vs The Design (Deaner, Angels, Kon & Callihan)

Santino taunts Angels with the Cobra. Angels Irish whips Santino into the turnbuckles. Marella able to come back with a deadlift saito suplex and tags in Hendry. Hendry throws Deaner, Angels and Callihan across the ring. He attempts the same with Kon, but the numbers game is too much. Kon provides a distraction from the ring apron, enabling Deaner to capitalise. Dango hits Angels with a back body drop. Marella re-enters the match and he is on a roll. The match is quick paced at this point with plenty of action. Hendry hits a huge double Fallaway slam. Callihan hits Hendry with a Cactus Driver 97. Dango flies over the top rope, colliding with both Kon and Angels on the outside. Deaner now instructing Callihan to take out Marella, Deaner brings out Callihan’s baseball bat and give it to Callihan to use on Marella. Callihan hits Deaner with the bat! Callihan has turned on the Design! Callihan leaves the ring and makes his way to the back. Santino gets back up and hits Deaner with the Cobra and gets the 3! I called Callihan turning on the Design tonight! I’m 2-2 on predictions now. A good tag team match, a very good showing from all the men involved. I’m so excited to see further progression in the Callihan/Design storyline. Grade C+

Backstage Interview: Gia Miller interviews Team Dreamer ahead of Hardcore War. Dreamer is very emotional during the interview. He says the team is united.

Match 3: Last Rites Match: PCP Vs Eddie Edwards w/ Alisha Edwards.

PCO catches Edwards off guard, hitting him with a Tope Con Hilo. Edwards dives through the ropes, taking down PCO. PCO hits Edwards with a jumping leg drop to the back of his neck. PCO launches himself off the top rope, hitting the De-Animator on Edwards. Edwards hits PCO with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Both men exchanging slaps in the middle of the ring. Edwards hits PCO with a buckle bomb but PCO is immediately back up. PCO hits Edwards with a PCO-sault. Edwards is caught in mid-air by PCO and is hit with a chokeslam. Edwards kicks PCO off the ramp. Edwards tries to put PCO in the casket but PCO is not done yet. The men brawl up the ramp, and Edwards hit PCO with a Kendo Stick. Edwards hits PCO with the Boston Knee Party and puts PCO in the casket, PCO still not done yet and stops Edwards closing the lid. Alisha hits PCO with a shovel, but it doesn’t appear to affect PCO. Edwards attempts a superkick, but he accidentally hits Alisha with it. PCO hits Edwards with the shovel and then chokeslams him into the casket and closes the lid. PCO wins Last Rites! Another wrong prediction from me on this one. So I’m 2-3. Not a bad match, I’ve seen better versions of this match, but the rivalry is making it better. I don’t think this one is over anytime soon. Grade C-

Match 4: 3-Way Elimination Match for the X-Division Championship – Trey Miguel Vs Jonathan Gresham Vs Mike Bailey.

Bailey attempts a dropkick, Miguel ducks so Bailey hits Gresham. Bailey spikes Miguel and locks in a Figure 4 on Gresham. Gresham hits Miguel with a driver. Bailey hits Gresham with a Poison Rana. Bailey able to counter Miguel’s Lightning Spiral attempt, both men toppling over the top rope to the floor. Miguel hits Bailey with a cutter on the outside. The match gets back in the ring, Miguel hits a running cutter on Gresham, covers him but only gets a 2. Gresham locks in the Figure 4 Leg Lock on Bailey, but Miguel hits a Meteora on Gresham and Gresham gets Eliminated. Miguel locks in his own Figure 4 on Bailey. Bailey hits a running Spanish Fly but it doesn’t keep Miguel down for the 3. Bailey attempts a tornado kick but crashes and burns. Bailey delivers knees to the ribs of Miguel. Miguel able to avoid the Ultima Weapon, he rolls up Bailey with a handful of tights and gets the 3! Miguel retains. A really good match. Amazing talent and effort from all 3 men. Fantastic. Yes, I was wrong on my prediction again so I’m now 3-3. Grade A-

Match 5: Hardcore War – Team Bully (Bully Ray, Moose, Brian Myers, Kenny King and Masha Slamovich) Vs Team Dreamer (Tommy Dreamer, Frankie Kazarian, Yuya Uemura, Bhupinder Gujjar & Killer Kelly).

Moose and Kaz start the match. Kaz sends Moose into the ring post. Hits the slingshot DDT and follows that with a springboard leg drop. Moose attacks Kaz with a trash can but Kaz able to turn the match around. Brian Myers now enters the match. Kaz lifts Moose over the top rope and sends him into Myers. Kaz looks to be suplexed through 2 tables, but Bhupinder Gujjar makes his way into the match, evening up the numbers. Gujjar uses a cheese grater and drags it across the head of Myers. Next to join the match is Kenny King, giving Team Bully the advantage again. Next out is Killer Kelly, she has brought out a staple gun. She uses the staple gun on the head of King, the foot of Myers and then the nether regions of Moose! She then uses the staple gun on her own head while the crowd chant “you sick f***!” Masha Slamovich now joins the match. Myers throws Kelly over the top rope into a mass of bodies. Slamovich then dives from the top rope with a chair, hitting everyone on the outside. Next out is Yuya Uemura, and he brings the fight to Myers. Team Dreamer now holding down the ring as Bully Ray makes his way to the ring with a table. Another brawl breaks out, Killer Kelly is now defenceless against Team Bully, but out comes Tommy Dreamer. Kelly bites Bully’s arm and Dreamer attacks Bully with a Kendo Stick. A series of submissions are broken up by Kelly and Slamovich with steel chairs. Kelly hits Slamovich with a Death Valley Driver onto a chair. Dreamer able to avoid Moose, sending him crashing into Bully with a spear. King hits Gujjar with a Blockbuster. Kelly locks King in the Killer Clutch but Slamovich able to break it up with the Snow Plough. Slamovich with a low blow to Kaz, Dreamer then hits Slamovich with a Pile driver. The Good Hands make their way to the ring and attack Dreamer. Kaz, with an assist from Kelly, sends Skyler through 2 tables with a Slingshot cutter. Bully sets up Dreamer on a table and begins to climb a ladder. He shouts to the refs to hold the ladder for him, but they refuse. The refs have had enough of Bully and pummel him with fists. Dreamer hits Bully with the Dreamer Driver but only gets a 2. Dreamer climbs the ladder, the refs holding it steady for him. He hits Bully with a splash sending Bully crashing through the table. Dreamer pins Bully and picks up the win for his team. Another wrong prediction, but I’m glad Team Dreamer won, currently 3-4 on predictions. A brilliant hardcore match. Great to see the women being treated as equals. Loved this match, think it brought some nostalgia feelings from old ECW days. Grade B+

Nick Aldis makes his shocking return to Impact, joining the commentary team for the Impact World Championship match.

Match 6: Impact World Championship Match – Steve Maclin Vs KUSHIDA

KUSHIDA immediately goes for the Hoverboard lock. Maclin retreats to the outside. Maclin slows the pace of the match down and regains control. Maclin hits KUSHIDA with a backbreaker. The match spills to the outside and Maclin delivers a clothesline followed by a suplex. Maclin jumps off the apron with a flying knee. The match gets back in the ring. Maclin hits KUSHIDA with an Olympic Slam, covers KUSHIDA and gets a 2. Maclin attempts another Olympic Slam but KUSHIDA able to counter into a handspring back elbow. KUSHIDA hits Maclin with a Fisherman’s Buster, covers him and gets a near fall. KUSHIDA manages to avoid getting Caught in the Crosshairs and able to hit a Pele kick. Maclin hits KUSHIDA with a German Suplex and both men are down. Maclin then hits a Bucklebomb/powerbomb combo on KUSHIDA, almost getting the win. Maclin goes to the top rope, but KUSHIDA able to pick him off the top rope and KUSHIDA locks in the Hoverboard lock. Maclin is able to get to the bottom rope, forcing KUSHIDA to break the hold. KUSHIDA slams Maclin face first into the French Announce table. KUSHIDA now Caught in the Crosshairs. Maclin able to hit KUSHIDA with the KIA, covers KUSHIDA but KUSHIDA able to kick out! KUSHIDA catches Maclin in the Hoverboard lock, but Maclin able to fight out of it. KUSHIDA again locks in the Hoverboard lock but Maclin is able to hit KUSHIDA with a super KIA, covers KUSHIDA and gets the win! Steve Maclin is the NEW Impact World Champion! I got this prediction right! 4-4 currently with only 1 match left. A very good match from these 2. It’s still a shame that it wasn’t Josh Alexander Vs Steve Maclin, but this was definitely a good replacement match. Grade B.

After the match, Maclin demands that Scott D’Amore hands him the Impact World Championship. D’Amore comes out, tries to hand Maclin the title, but Maclin then demands that D’Amore puts it around his waist. D’Amore forces the title onto Maclin’s shoulder and turns around to walk away. Maclin attacks D’Amore from behind, hitting him with the title belt. Nick Aldis comes off commentary and enters the ring. He and Maclin stare each other down until Maclin leaves the ring.

Promo Video: On 20th August, Impact and NJPW join forces again for Multiverse United 2: For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Promo Video: Impact returns to the Rebel Entertainment Complex on Sunday 27th August for Emergence.

Main Event: Knockouts World Championship Match – Jordynne Grace Vs Deonna Purrazzo.

Grace headbutts Purrazzo off the ring apron. Grace dives through the ropes, sending Purrazzo into the guardrail. Grace hits Purrazzo with a Juggernaut Jackhammer on the floor. Grace lifts Purrazzo up into a delayed vertical suplex, the crowd counting to 20. Purrazzo drops Grace with a Side Russian Leg Sweep and then locks in the Fujiwara Armbar, but only momentarily as Grace breaks free. Purrazzo kicks Grace through the ropes. Purrazzo then hits a Moonsault off the ramp to the floor. Purrazzo hits a Flatliner, then manages to transition into the Koji Clutch. Grace able to counter a Figure 4 attempt into a sleeper. The women are both down after knocking heads. Grace hits Purrazzo with a Spinebuster, covers her but only gets a 2. Grace connects with a Grace Driver but it still isn’t enough to keep Purrazzo down. Purrazzo hits the Queen’s Gambit and gets the pin! Deonna Purrazzo is the NEW Knockouts Champion! Another correct prediction! 5-4 on predictions overall. An amazing match from two very talented women. I’m very happy that this was the main event. Grade A-

After the match, Grace congratulates Purrazzo on her victory. Purrazzo celebrates in the ring as Rebellion goes off the air.

Overall, an excellent PPV. I am loving how good Impact is! Seriously, more people need to be watching the programming from Impact. I’m looking forward to seeing where all the storylines go now.