It’s time for another random review as we tackle Impact’s (which has gone back to TNA at the time of writing so forgive me if I switch between both names) 2019 edition of Rebellion. 2019 was an interesting year for the promotion that had a significant fall from grace, the company was rebuilding and had some really good shows throughout 2018. As much as this was a low time for Impact there were some good stories and matches in this period; this card has some big names on with The Lucha Brothers (Fenix & Penta) taking on Santana and Ortiz as LAX as well as Gail Kim facing Tessa Blanchard.

I’m looking back on this in 2024 having seen TNA’s return as well as the company hitting heights it hasn’t reached for years (as well as Scott D’Amore leading the charge and then getting sacked). This will be part of my random PPV reviews where I will pick a show to watch completely randomly and review the best and worst of wrestling. Without further ado it’s time for some Impact Wrestling and a Rebellion is brewing.

Our opening video package details what a Rebellion is whilst running down the nights matches, it’s quite good actually despite feeling rather long. Essentially everyone is going to win tonight and Johnny Impact hates the fans.

Josh Mathews (with Don Callis) welcomes us with the definition of Rebellion (man this is annoying already), but luckily we jump into our first match straight away.

Six Pack Scramble
Petey Williams v Jake Crist v Eddie Edwards v Ace Austin v Jake Deaner v Aiden Prince

Summary: This match replaces the originally scheduled Eli Drake v Eddie Edwards match. Looking forward to this one, should be ridiculous spotty chaos which for me, is the best kind. The match starts with chaos immediately as Petey and Eddie go at it early on, Edwards hits a dive on Deaner before Williams hits a Hurricanrana from the ring to the outside on Eddie Edwards.

Aiden Prince is next to attempt a dive but Ace intercepts with a springboard round kick, Austin now sends himself over the top rope but is hit with a cutter in mid air by Jake Crist and both men crash into everybody else in the match. Petey goes for a Canadian Destroyer on Edwards which is reversed but he manages to lock in a sharpshooter. Deaner breaks the submission before hitting Williams with a falcon arrow which Williams kicks out of at two.

Jake Crist and Ace Austin are in the ring as Crist hits another Cutter on the One true Ace (this time from the top rope), Crist follows up with an tope suicida into a DDT on Deaner. Edwards is side slammed on the apron by Crist who then gets a codebreaker from Williams. Aiden Prince hits a running knee on Williams before hitting a 450 on splash. Ace breaks up the cover hitting a side slam/kick to the head combo but he gets hit with a Tiger Driver by Eddie Edwards for the two count.

Eddie goes for the Boston Knee Party but Deaner intercepts with a slam, he follows this with a spear to williams in the corner but gets caught in the Canadian Destroyer. Williams goes for the cover but Austin sneaks in with a roll up on Williams and he gets the three count whilst holding the tights.

Winner Ace Austin

Stitch’s Rating: 6.5/10. Exactly what it should be, a quick spotfest that got the crowd going and was really entertaining. Every man got their time to hit their big moves and showcase some of their talents. The man who came out of this well was Ace Austin, his quick seamless move set is incredible and it’s so good to see Impact showcasing it’s young talent as well as giving them a good win. A really good start.

Josh Mathews and Don Callis run down some of our matches tonight, we will have four title matches as well as a full metal mayhem match in the tag team main event. This is also when they launched Impact plus so they hype that up for a bit.

Sami Callihan cuts a promo ahead of his match with Rich Swann for the X-Division championship under OVE rules (essentially no rules and the ones there are in favour of Callihan). Sami talks about Rich being his brother, his family, talks about the old days where they waited for each other and rooted for each other. He says tonight Rich goes in the ring with the Death Machine not his big brother, he says he will do this on his own (OVE banned from ringside). Sami says you don’t turn your back on family and tonight he will break his legs not because he hates him but because he loves him.

Scarlett Bordeaux v Rohit Raju

Summary: This match comes from social media with Rohit taking offence to Scarlett’s smoke show segment. Fallah Bah is in Scarlett’s corner tonight as the bell goes and Rohit goes straight for Scarlett but she hits him with some quick right hands. Rohit takes down Bordeaux before stepping over her and posing, Bordeaux trips him and does the exact same thing.

Rohit is sent to the outside but narrowly avoids the baseball slide, Rohit takes control back in the ring sending Scarlett into the corner with a vicious lariat. He next steps on Scarlett’s fingers before hitting a snap suplex, he goes for a pin but breaks it up himself. Scarlett fires back with a smack and a spit before hitting a back elbow in the corner. Scarlett tees of with chops before hitting a hurricanrana into the crossface. Rohit escapes but gets caught in a German Suplex by Bordeaux, he rolls to the outside but is caught by a flying crossbody off the top rope. Rohit’s manager Gama Singh distracts the referee whilst Raj Singh crotches Bordeaux on the top rope.

Scarlett kicks Rohit right in the knads (as Don Callis so wonderfully puts it) before planting Rohit with a piledriver for the three.

Winner Scarlett Bordeuax

Stitch’s Rating: 5/10. A quick sprint that was entertaining if not much more, a big win for Scarlett and something fun for a throwaway PPV match. Not much else to talk about really, solid enough with bigger matches on the way.

Moose & The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) v The Rascalz (Dez, Trey & Wentz)

Summary: Coming into this Moose has recently turned his attention to the Rascalz (after he took them out for mocking him) who are quickly becoming the most popular group on the roster. Moose teams with The North (one of the best tag teams in TNA history in my opinion) in what I’m hoping will be a stand out match tonight.

The Rascalz begin this match triple teaming Moose with quick tags as well as kicks before Wentz hits a double stomp to the back. Rascalz follow up with a triple moonsault before locking eyes with the North. As the Rascalz take their eyes off Moose he keeps up running through Wentz and Dez with clotheslines before the heels take control with stiff clothesline and kicks to all members of the Rascalz.

Dez is legal and getting worked over by all the members of the opposition, Alexander hits a big backbreaker for a two count. Dez tries to fight back but Ethan Page is in, side slamming Dez before tagging in Moose. Dez goes high against the big man but Moose pulls of an incredible standing dropkick knocking Dez down before tossing him off the top rope half away across the ring.

Dez manages to reverse a sideslam into a DDT as he goes for the tag but the North tag cutting off the tag. Josh Alexander takes out both Wentz and Trey on the apron before getting kicked (just) in the head by Dez. Page once more cuts Dez off with a side slam esque driver. The match breaks down with all three Rascalz members on the ramp and Moose in the ring; Wentz hits a springboard cutter on the big man who then recieves a springboard hurricanrana from Trey.

Page is taken out with a Hot Fire Flame from Wentz and Dez whilst Trey tries to take out Moose with a dive but is caught and slammed into the railings brutally. Dez uses Alexander as a springboard as he launches a cannonball into, well everybody else but mainly, Moose. Back in the ring it’s all three of the Rascalz v Alexander, a 619 and a big kick follows before a double knee, Swanton, corkscrew combo (each Raszcal hits one) pin attempt is broken up by Ethan Page who hits the ego’s edge on Trey into Alexander and Dez. This is amazing!!

Dez is alone in the ring with all three opposition, he gets hit by The Northern Assault courtesy of the North before being finished off with the spear (again just) for the three.

Winners Moose & The North

Stitch’s Rating: 7.5/10. This was a really good match that lived up to my expectations, these guys gave everything here with some brilliant spots such as the Rascalz triple aerial manoeuvres as well as Trey getting lobbed into the railings by Moose and the ego’s edge to save the match for the heels. The story was simple but great and all four of these men shined. A really good showing.

Backstage Taya, Johnny Impact and Johnny Bravo are being interviewed after claiming to be the best couple ever before Johnny runs down Cage. He tells him he doesn’t understand winning, class and victory. He says that Lance Storm being guest referee won’t change anything and he will be the World champion by the end of the night. Tay, the knockouts champion, promises to break Jordynne Grace’s undefeated run and end her streak.

Knockouts Women’s Championship
Jordynn Grace v Taya Valkyrie (c)

Summary: The match begins as Grace takes down Taya with big punches and a spear, the ref pulls her off (whom she nearly hits) as the action heads to the outside. Grace plants the champ with an electric chair spinning slam on the apron followed up by a apron powerbomb, wow what a start here.

Back in the ring Grace hits a senton from the top rope where she already gets a very near fall, Taya is sent into the turnbuckle but manages to hand up Grace on the ropes. Taya goes after her challengers arm wrapping it around the ring post before she hits a knee to the face, Grace kicks out at less that one. Taya has slowed the match here as the crowd tries to rally Grace, Taya slams Grace before trying to lock in an arm breaker which Grace blocks Taya further works on the arm but her arm lock is broken by the ropes.

Taya gets another near fall with a hanging DDT but Grace kicks out at two! Another arm lock is locked in but Grace tries to fight back, she pushes Taya back into the turnbuckle hitting a clothesline but that just causes her even more pain to the injured arm. Taya hits a backfist to the arm but walks straight into a Grace Driver, Grace gets the cover 1.. 2.. Taya kicks out!!!! Taya tries to go high but Grace gets her in position and hits the muscle buster!!! 1.. 2.. thr… nooo Taya kicks out at the very last second!!

Grace goes for another Grace Driver but Taya’s shots to the arm get her out, Taya hits the road to Valhalla for 1.. 2.. 3 and Taya retains the championship.

Winner and STILL Knockouts World Champion Taya Valkyrie

Stitch’s Rating: 7/10. A shorter but good title match here where both women looked great, this felt like a match that was a bridge for a rematch. You can see here Graces’ journey to the top, she is here on another level and the crowd was in love with her. Taya led the pace and did so well, I like the story that Taya used an attack she did on Grace previously to set the seeds for her targeting the arm, it enabled Taya to come out looking like a genius and brutal champion where Grace just looked like a warrior who only lost because of the injury which Commentary did a great job of further selling this narrative. Great match.

Backstage Gail Kim is being interviewed ahead of her coming out of retirement to face Tessa Blanchard. Gail says she (as a trainer) couldn’t get through to her and that she is coming out of retirement to teach Tessa Blanchard respect.

X-Division Championship
Rich Swann (c) v Sami Callihan

Summary: OVE rules in this one. A blood feud that has come from Swann refusing to join OVE with Callihan feeling betrayed by someone who has been his friend for decades. OVE are banned from ringside as Rich Swann angry walks to the ring instead of his usual dancing. The match starts with both men trying to kick the others head off, the exchange ends with Swann dropkicking Callihan out of the ring and this is followed up by Callihan being stapled twice to the shoulder and then to the head (Swann also eats a staple for some reason).

Swann goes under the ring throwing trash cans, chairs and a wet floor sign into the ring. Swann ducks the stapler three times before Callihan staples him in the mouth, a brutal running knee to the face of Swann in the corner follows. Swann counters another knee with the superkick before going for a suicide dive but flies headfirst straight into a baking tray. Another shot to head follows as Callihan hits a piledriver right on the apron. That looked absolutely brutal and Swann looks decimated.

Callihan picks up one of the steel railings wedging it between the ramp and the steel steps, Rich gets hit with one of the water bottles before rolling back into the ring. Callihan goes for the Razors edge onto the railing but Swann gets out, finds a chair and nails Callihan in the back. Swann sets up the chair but gets hit with the exploder suplex right into the chair! 1.. 2.. Rich kicks out at two! Sami goes for the piledriver again but Swann hits him with the baking tray, another smack with the tray leads to Swann putting a trashcan on Callihans head before following up with kicks. Swann lands an incredible suplex onto the garbage can but Callihan kicks out at two!

Rich Swann chooses his next weapon, the wet floor sign which he hits Callihan with first on the back then to the head about six times. Sami fights back on the ramp but Swann hits an hurricanrana that sends Callihan back to the ring. Sami goes for a clothesline but Rich uses the rope to springboard into the cutter on the ramp!!!!! Rich goes up high but jumps into a right hand. A superkick from Swann follows as Sami goes for the low blow giving him the chance to hit a piledriver on the railing!!!!! Back in side 1… 2.. thr… RICH KICKS OUT. Sami’s next weapon is a giant Lego brick full of Lego, he goes for the piledriver but Rich reverses into a hurricanrana right into the Lego!!! Pinfall now but Callihan still kicks out!!

Callihan then throws flour like powder in to Rich’s face before hitting a top rope piledriver into the Lego, the pinfall gets 1.. 2.. RICH IS NOT QUITTING! Sami gets a barbed wire wrapped bat but before he can use it Swann lands a low blow. Sami begs Rich not to use the barbed wire but Swann goes straight for the head before locking in a crossface with the barbed wire and SAMI TAPS!

Winner and STILL X-Division Champion Rich Swann

Stitch’s Rating: 8/10. My sort of match here, these men brought everything!! It was violent, brutal, shocking and you could not call which way this would go. The story was that Rich Swann had to go down to Sami’s level to beat him and he did just that. Rich was on fire here and Sami always brings a good dastardly heel story to matches. The Lego spot looked just brutal, as did the piledriver on the railings, so much to like here definitely give it a watch if you haven’t.

Tessa Blanchard is interviewed next. Tessa tells us that she knows about respect and she’s earned it, she says her family has earned respect and are hall of famers. Tessa says she used to respect Gail but that ended the minute Gail cost her the knockouts championship. Tessa promises to teach Gail a lesson in regret. Her Dad, Tully Blanchard, arrives saying that he will be at ringside. Tully tells her to be Tessa Blanchard and show Gail Kim what it’s all about.

Gail Kim v Tessa Blanchard

Summary: Mathews bills this as era vs era as Tessa lands the first punch that is followed by Gail pushing Tessa into the corner and stumping a mudhole walking it dry. Tessa hits a dropkick that sends Gail to the ring following it with a Tope Suicida before mouthing off to Gail’s husband. Gail retaliates with a 619 around the turnbuckle on the outside. Gail goes for the figure four around the turnbuckle but Blanchard counters. Gail goes high but meets another kick followed by a brutal looking codebreaker on the top rope. Tessa gets the pin but Gail kicks out at two.

Gail looks to try build some momentum but she runs straight into Tessa’s elbow, the forearm to the back of the head misses but Tessa can get a backbreaker followed by a suplex for the two count. Tessa has slowed the pace here, kicks to the head are followed by shots to the gut, Gail goes for a kick against the ropes but Tessa pulls the ropes sending Gail to the outside. Both women exchange shots in the corner before they ram each others shoulders into the ring post. Gail once more goes for the figure four against the ring post and this time she gets it in before the ref breaks the hold.

Back in the ring Tessa hits a big slap before forearms which are returned by Gail, Gail ups the pace with a crossbody from the top rope and the cover 1.. 2.. Tessa kicks out!!! Gail goes for eat defeat but she gets kicked out the ring onto the ramp; Tessa then goes for a suplex on the ramp which is blocked but does a hit a tiger suplex-esque move off the ramp onto the floor which is just amazing! Gail beats the ten count at nine and three quarters as Tessa goes back on the offensive with strikes. Gail Kim hits the eat defeat out of nowhere countering Tessa’s slingshot suplex for 1.. 2.. 3NOO Tessa kicks out!!

Tessa presses Gail Kim off the top rope before hitting the magnum for the wi…Noooo!! Gail kicks out. This is immediately countered into a crossface which eventually makes Gail tap out!!!

Winner Tessa Blanchard

After the match Tessa looks like she wants more of Kim but the women embrace as Tessa raises Gail’s arm and allows her to have her moment. A passing of the torch here, just a shame what follows this and where Tessa Blanchard is at time of writing.

Stitch’s Rating: 8/10. This was brilliant, one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time coming out of retirement and looking like she’s not lost a single step. This match was built around Tessa looking like the next star and wow was she. In 2024 it’s really sad to see Tessa’s matches at this time because they were so good and its so much potential wasted. Back to the match and it was a war between two women who just didn’t want to stop fighting, the tiger suplex off the ramp was incredible and so was the eat defeat counter. These two had so much chemistry and it really felt like an era vs era match. I loved it, I’m sure it won’t be as high for some people but for me the action and storytelling was on another level.

Impact World Championship
Brian Cage v Johnny Impact (c)

Summary: Lance Storm is special guest referee for the title match tonight. I’m not sure what to expect in this one, these two both have stellar ppv matches in their history so lets see what we get here. Impact makes his entrance flanked by Taya Valkyrie and John E Bravo.

The match begins with Cage absolutely steamrolling Impact with vicious shoulders and power moves that leads into an F-5, 1..2.. Johnny kicks out!!! A bucklebomb to Impact rocks him as well as a suplex from the apron to the inside of the ring. The pinfall attempt gets a two count as the two men go up top; after exchanging strikes, Impact ducks under for a German suplex all the way from the top rope. Impact takes the fight to Cage with a flying leg lariat and a knee strike. The standing shooting star is caught by Cage who throws before hitting a standing moonsault of his own for the two count!. We’re onto the ramp now as Cage goes for a powerbomb, Impact reverses this into a Spanish Fly off the ring ramp onto the floor below.

This doesn’t look good for Cage, he may have been legitimately injured. Storm even refuses to count Cage out because Cage just isn’t able. Storm and Impact are in tense discussions as I assume they figure out how to change the match. Cage has been busted open pretty bad as he finally gets back in the ring, Impact locks in a headlock as he tries to get this match back on track. Cage takes a big ensuguri as well as a springboard spear. Impact gets the pin but Cage kicks out at two. There’s so much blood here, as Taya and John E set a table up on the outside. The match is really slow here as they just try to get through without further injuries, there’s lots of stoppage where Impact and Cage are quite clearly communicating. Johnny goes for a moonsault through the table but Cage ends up power bombing him through.

Back into the ring Bravo gets involved grabbing Cages foot, Impact hits Cage with the title belt before kicking Lance Storm out the ring. Johnny does an Eddie Guerrero and pretends Taya hit Cage with the title. Taya gets a powerbomb but another title shot sets Cage up for starship pain but Cage kicks out! John E Bravo came in with a ref shirt but is taken care of by Lance Storm. Cage finally gets the win with the Drill Claw.

Winner and NEW Impact Champion Brian Cage

Michael Elgin makes his debut facing off with Cage making his intention clear, he’s coming for the world champion. Elgin drops Cage with a spinning powerbomb leaving him lying in the ring.

Stitch’s Rating. 5/10. Hard to rate this one, we were onto something with this match but the injury to Cage from the Spanish Fly just ended any momentum the match had. Cage could barely take anything and Impact tried to get us through but there was not much more he could have done, a real shame.

Impact World Tag Team Championship – Full Metal Mayhem
Lucha Bro’s (Pentagon Jr & Rey Fenix) v LAX (Santana & Ortiz w/Konnan)

Summary: Ohh am I excited for this one!! Essentially a street fight for the titles, the match begins with both members of LAX hitting dives to the outside taking out the champions. LAX start choking both their opponents before doing some table manoeuvring. The Lucha Brothers fire back as they hit double Tope Suicida’s to both LAX members through the tables they had just positioned. Fenix hits a chair shot to Ortiz whilst Penta opts for a garbage can to the head of Santana. Back in the ring Fenix is working on Ortiz, Penta joins him to hit a sling blade before the double team roll through gets the champs a two count.

Penta and Fenix then hit a double super kick to Santana who’s snuggled nicely inside a trash can, Santana kicks out of this as Penta throws the trash can at Ortiz. Lucha Bros bring a table into the ring as well as setting up one on the ramp, Ortiz returns with a baking tray but ends up taking a shot to the head himself. Santana gets a cutter on Penta followed by a codebreaker from Ortiz and a slam for 1..2.. Fenix breaks it up!! Santana tees of with some big forearms to Fenix before Fenix fires back with the kicks, Fenix takes a kick to the head from both members of LAX before Santana hits a cannonball in the corner.

Ortiz has a chair party as he throws many into the ring whilst Santana works on Fenix; he’s put onto the top rope before Fenix takes two feet to the back of head straight through a chair but still manages to kick out. Santana kicks Penta back into the railings as he tries to return to the ring, before we see Fenix get suplexed onto chairs by Ortiz. Santana throws Penta into the crowd as he declares this LAX’s house. LAX now introduces a ladder as Fenix is a sitting duck here, he tries to fight back with chops but is outnumbered. Penta returns as all four men trade shots before all sitting on chairs exchanging punches strong style.

Konnan hands LAX a fork but it’s blocked by the Lucha Bro’s as they go for a dive but are hit with flying chairs courtesy of LAX. LAX are first to their feet chairs in hand as Penta is once more removed from the ring, Fenix is put up high above six chairs but Penta returns armed with a trashcan lid to the challengers, Fenix hits a double stomp to Ortiz’s head before Santana gets hit with a fear factor through the chairs!!!!!! OH MY GOD this is amazing!!!! Pinfall now but SANTANA KICKS OUT, oh my. Santana hits an F-5 to Penta on the chair as Fenix is hung up on the top rope, Penta is moved onto the table by Ortiz but promptly falls off. LAX try again after attending to the table, as they set up Penta they forget about Fenix who runs the top rope and hits Ortiz with a SPANISH FLY OFF THE LADDER ONTO THE TABLE.

Penta and Santana square off now and Penta hits a Pentagon driver through the chair for the win but Santana kicks out!!!!!! Penta sets up another table in the ring just infront of the ladder. He then sets up another table before going for the thumbtacks!! He pours them on the table before taking a handful of tacks and a superkick from Santana. Santana goes high but so does Penta, they exchange punches but Ortiz gets on the ladder holding Penta in place as Santana forks Penta in the head. Ortiz hits the powerbomb through the tacks and the two tables and go’s for the pin 1..2..3!!!! They take the titles in an all out war.

WINNERS – LAX!!!

Stitch’s Rating: 9/10. Match of the night and an all out war, these four men gave everything in a brutal fight that was coming off a really good story. LAX were one of the best tag teams in the world and Penta and Fenix still are. It was absolute carnage, the fear factor through chairs, the f-5 on the chair, the Spanish fly, the powerbomb through the tacks and tables… just so many brilliant moments I can’t put into words how good this match was. Check it out if you haven’t.

Konnan leads a show of respect between the two teams as the locker room arrives to congratulate both teams.

Final Rating: 8.5/10. A great hidden gem ppv that’s got three incredible matches you must check out and only two that were completely forgettable. Top to bottom the ppv was well built with some interesting stories and great wrestling. If nothing else check out the main event but the Tessa/Gail match is really worth a watch too. A great show that I’m sure a lot of people haven’t seen! Let me know your thoughts below especially if you decide to watch it after the review. My TNA/Impact reviews will come out at least once a month and be another random ppv from the companies history, let me know what ppv’s I should add to my upcoming list!