This Sunday, the landscape of Impact Wrestling will forever change as big title matches, as well as a once-in-a-generation marquee matchup between the Unified Impact World Champion Rich Swann and the AEW World Champion Kenny Omega is set to occur. But tonight on AXS TV at 8/7 C, witness the final messages and matches before Rebellion on Sunday.
* Final build towards Rebellion
* Eddie Edwards vs. Eric Young
* The Good Brothers vs. Decay
* Tenille Dashwood vs. Susan
* Kiera Hogan vs. Jordynne Grace
* Shera vs. Jake Something
* Madman Fulton vs. Fallah Bahh vs. Petey Williams will kick things off on Before The Impact
* Who will be Jordynne Grace’s partner at Rebellion?
Last night’s episode of AEW Dynamite saw the continued war of words between The Pinnacle and Inner Circle. The Pinnacle – Inner Circle parley is set for next week as the two teams build to a big Blood and Guts match on May 5.
On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that the May 5 episode of Dynamite will be a one-match show with just the Blood and Guts match. There will likely be pre-taped segments throughout the episode, but the episode will be centered around the Blood and Guts match.
WarGames matches are typically long, and with a five-on-five format, the match could see a long run time. The last WarGames matches on NXT both lasted over half an hour. The women’s WarGames match went over 35 minutes, and the men’s WarGames match went over 45 minutes. The matches were competed in a four-on-four format.
The Elite was originally supposed to face Inner Circle in a Blood and Guts match, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to that match taking place. There is no word yet on any other details on Blood and Guts.
Mauro Ranallo working the Impact Rebellion pay-per-view is reportedly a one-off, at least for now.
Impact announced on Thursday that the former WWE and MMA announcer will join the Rebellion commentary team on April 25 to call the Title vs. Title match between Impact World Champion Rich Swann and AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.
PWInsider reports that Mauro is only coming in to Impact for this pay-per-view, at least as of Thursday evening. However, the door could be open for more work down the line. The gig came together over the last several weeks with the idea of Mauro adding to the grandeur of the Title vs. Title main event.
Mauro was at the Impact studios on Wednesday night, doing voice-over work for the “5 Ways To Win” videos for Omega and Swann, which you can watch below. Mauro also did voice-over work for the “This Is Rebellion” special that will air on AXS TV next Tuesday night.
“Swann vs Omega, champion vs champion, title vs title – this match represents everything I love about professional wrestling,” Ranallo said in a press release. “I have been fortunate to call these two superstar’s matches in the past and I’m very excited to be part of this historic encounter.”
Mauro and Impact Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore go back a few decades after working together in Stampede Wrestling. It’s possible that this is the connection between Mauro and Impact.
“This once in a generation title vs. title showdown deserves to be called by the once in a generation play-by-play announcer,” D’Amore added in a press release. “I’ve known Mauro for over two decades. There are very few people in the world who are as passionate about or know their wrestling history as well as Mauro. This is an historic main event, the world champions of two major organizations putting everything on the line. I’m thrilled that April 25th, at Rebellion, fans will have Mauro’s legendary voice proving the soundtrack to history!”
This will be Mauro’s first pro wrestling work since leaving WWE in August 2020. He has continued to work for Showtime Boxing, and worked the Mike Tyson pay-per-view from Triller last year.
Below are the new “5 Ways To Win” videos Mauro did for Swann and Omega:
Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
* Chris Jericho vs. Dax Harwood with Mike Tyson as the Special Enforcer. Cash Wheeler and Sammy Guevara will be at ringside but the other Pinnacle and Inner Circle members will be banned from ringside
* AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks defend against PAC and Rey Fenix
* AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin defends against Matt Hardy in a Falls Count Anywhere match
* Anthony Ogogo makes his in-ring debut
* Jade Cargill vs. Red Velvet
* Kris Statlander makes in-ring return against indie star Amber Nova
* How will Taz react if Christian Cage turns down his Team Taz invite?
Josh Alexander & Petey Williams defeated TJP & Fallah Bahh and Ace Austin & Madman Fulton in a three-way tag team match. Alexander, TJP, and Austin were allowed to pick their own partners.
Shera defeated Hernandez in a Chairly Legal Match. Rohit Raju hit Hernandez with a chair, which led to Shera getting the pin.
Doc Gallows defeated Black Taurus
Matt Cardona defeated Johnny Swinger in a Mystery Crate Match. There were four crates and each contained weapons that could be used by the wrestlers
Sami Callihan defeated Sam Beale
Jake Something defeated Brian Myers in a Hardcore Blindfold Match. Matt Cardona brought the final mystery crate that wasn’t opened during his match and gave it to Something, who used it as a weapon. The create was filled with action figures
Tenille Dashwood defeated Rosemary, Jordynne Grace, Alisha Edwards, Havok, and Su Yung in a Six-Way Weapons Match to earn a Knockouts Championship match. Susan was attacked by Su Yung (yes, really) before the bell. Dashwood pinned Havok after Nevaeh threw powder in Havok’s eyes
Deonna Purrazzo defeated Jazz to retain the Knockouts Championship in a Title vs. Career Match. Jazz’s career is over due to the loss
“Violent By Design” Eric Young, Joe Doering, Deaner, and Rhino defeated Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Eddie Edwards, and Trey Miguel in a Hardcore War. Tommy Dreamer was attacked prior to the match and was replaced by Miguel. Young pinned Mack to win the match
Tonight, Impact Wrestling will revert to its original weekly timeslot, Thursday on AXS TV 8/7C. Before The Impact airs at 7/6C.
In less than 48 hours, Impact’s Hardcore Justice will take place.
Susan (w/Deonna Purrazzo) vs. Jazz (w/Jordynne Grace) will kick things off on Before The Impact.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will compete for the first time on its flagship show in the main event as he and The Good Brothers join forces to take on the Impact World Champion Rich Swann Willie Mack and Eddie Edwards
Deaner vs. Chris Sabin (w/James Storm)
XXXL vs. Sami Callihan & A Mystery Partner (Trey Miguel?)
The Young Bucks are once again aligned with Kenny Omega.
Last night’s AEW Dynamite main event saw Matt and Nick Jackson team with Jon Moxley to take on Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers. The two trios had a competitive match throughout, with underlying tension between the Bucks and Omega. Matt Jackson consistently hesitated to hit Omega with moves, including a strike and a superkick.
The climax of the contest saw the Bucks line Omega up for the BTE Trigger, but never execute. Moxley shouted at the Bucks on the outside and eventually enter the ring himself. Moxley hit Omega with two Paradigm Shifts, locked him in a sleeper hold, and lined up for a third, but was hit with two superkicks before he could land the DDT.
Post match, the conflicted Bucks ended up superkicking Moxley yet again, and then hugged Omega and the Good Brothers to close the show.
Matt and Nick Jackson previously teased reuniting with their former Bullet Club stablemates at the end of the January 6 edition of Dynamite, where the five Too Sweet’d to close the show. From there, Omega and the Bucks have had a complicated relationship, as the AEW Tag Team Champions have constantly showed their distaste and disapproval of Don Callis, Omega’s manager. During a March edition of Dynamite, the Bucks saved Jon Moxley from a Kenny Omega-led beat-down, and even walked out on the Best Bout Machine’s attempt to bury the hatchet.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
(The Photo at the top was not from last night is was taken form New Year’s Smash in January.)
