Welcome to a special edition of POINTS OF IMPACT—a breakdown of the top moments of Impact Wrestling events.
This segment will fill you in on the most important parts of the show worth checking out or keeping up to date with, in case you missed this Impact special event.
Without further ado, let's inspect the biggest takeaways of Rebellion!
IMPACT WRESTLING: REBELLION 2023 RESULTS
#5 - The Design of a Betrayal
The months of storyline paid off at Rebellion, as Sami Callihan became the Death Machine once more, betraying the Design during their 4 on 3 tag match against the team of Joe Hendry, Santino Marella and Dirty Dango.
On the card mostly to serve as a buffer match and keep the crowd hyped, this match did its job, and did it well. Marella, wrestling in his first televised match in almost 9 years, really hasn't lost a step, the whole crowd, including his son seeing him wrestle for the first time, behind him.
The babyface team was able to pick up the win, with a Cobra by Marella, after Callihan betrayed the Design with a pair of shots with his signature bat to Deaner. Thumbs up, thumbs down on Callihan's time in the Design.
#4 - Xcellent Division
The two X-centred matches at Rebellion were absolutely amazing, and in an attempt to talk about as much good wrestling as possible, I'll mention them both in the same entry.
To open the Rebellion show proper, the Motor City Machine Guns took on Bullet Club's ABC (Ace and Bey Connection) in an Ultimate X match for the Impact Tag Team Championships. This was a great story of youth vs experience, strategy vs athleticism. The MCMG worked over the legs and arms of the champions for much of the match, while Ace and Bey performed various high-flying feats in attempts to retain the titles in a speedy manner. Entertaining from start to finish.
In the second match we'll discuss here, Trey Miguel defended his X Division Championship in an Elimination match against Jonathan Gresham and Speedball Mike Bailey. Expertly paced, and even more expertly booked, this is the way to have a heel champion retain. Gresham was eliminated first, Miguel springing off the ropes and nailing Gresham while Gresham had Speedball in a submission, and then rolling up Speedball with a handful of tights, but only after a thrilling match. All three men delivered here.
#3 - Hopefully Not the Last Last Rites Match
I think it's safe to say the announcement that PCO and Eddie Edwards being set to face off in a Last Rites match at Rebellion was met with a "Really? They're doing this again?"
Your fears of this being a repeat of Sting and Abyss's legendarily bad match are understandable, but ultimately wouldn't come to pass, as this was a Last Rites match only in name. It was, in practice, a Casket match. And a very good one as well. PCO's supernatural comebacks are always fun to watch in a superhuman feat of endurance way, the French Canadian Frankenstein being ridiculously good for his age, and Eddie Edwards has always been a reliable ring general for Impact.
If Impact sticks with this variation of the Last Rites match, there will be no complaints from this writer. Russofied this was not.
#2 - A Returning Challenger for a New Champion
Before the World Championship match this evening, former TNA Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis returned to the Impact promotion. Having departed the NWA officially at the end of his contract in January, Aldis seems to have chosen the promotion where he was formerly known as Magnus as his new home.
Joining the commentary team for a hard-hitting World title match, Aldis got a great reaction from the crowd, but what for an even better reaction was the match between Kushida and Steve Maclin. Competing for the vacated Impact World title, the two challengers worked a steadily paced, physical match. Kushida was the clear babyface, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find people online not happy for Steve Maclin, who would end up winning the match.
With the call of "Once forgotten, now always remembered as a champion" we enter the Maclin era of Impact. And while we're on the subject of new champions of previously vacant titles…
#1 - A Virtuosic Title Win
With Mickie James confirming on Impact a few days prior that she wouldn't be able to compete at Rebellion, the evening's main event was set. Deonna Purrazzo and Jordynne Grace for the vacant Knockouts Championship. Both women two time former Knockouts champions, both of them having a very good case for being the new Knockouts champion.
The quality of this match was never in question. As they proved during their early pandemic feud, Purazzo and Grace have chemistry for days. The question always was, who was the company going to choose to pick up the pieces of the abrupt end to Mickie James's title reign? As the title of this entry would suggest, they went with the Virtuosa, Deonna Purrazzo.
After speculation about her contract status with Impact, Purrazzo would pick up the win after a brilliant match, an especially brutal Queen's Gambit sealing the deal, and earning Purrazzo her third Knockouts title. With Grace's contract status in question, this could be her last match with Impact. If so, what a match to go out on. Thank you Jordynne Grace, for five years of excellence in Impact.
What did you think of this week's episode of Impact Wrestling?
Do you think any other moments stood out on this show?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
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