C.S.

My thoughts as someone returning to Impact for the first time in what is probably over a decade: I'm surprised by all the geeks who watch this on the horrendous Twitch site/app, when the impactplus.tv site and app is so much better. I believe the show aired live there too, but don't hold me to that. However, it was definitely up right after. I will admit I didn't watch everything. If the show didn't hook me on a certain match, I fast forwarded it. Josh Matthews: Jesus, he got old. I haven't really seen him regularly since the WWE. Josh Alexander (w/ Ethan Page) vs. Chris Sabin (w/ Alex Shelley): Absolute nothing indie rasslin' jabroni match I was given no reason to care about, so I skipped it. I also hate the WWE-esque trope of feuding tag team wrestlers in singles matches. It's boring, not creative, and feels so low stakes. Chris Bey/Moose segment: The camerawork and acting were pure amateur hour, but they definitely have something with Moose. Tony Khan/Tony Schiavone "paid advertisement": This was great fun, and Tony Khan laid everything out in a very logical manner. I hope Khan was intentionally heeling it up a bit though, because that's how he came across. The Schiavone comment about quitting the business for 18 years after his one lone TNA appearance was great. Yeah, I think they were definitely heeling it up a bit here... Brian Myers vs. TJP: This is an opening card match on 205 Live. I wouldn't have cared about it or watched it then, and I don't care about it and didn't watch it now. Deaner and TJP/Rojit segments: The Deaner segment was natural and believable. Rojit is absolute money. Eric Young (w/Joe Doering) vs. Cody Deaner (w/Cousin Jake): I watched this, because - guess what - the Deaner segment above got me interested in seeing what happened. Every match on Impact should have a little setup segment beforehand. Wow, I would not have recognized Eric Young. Others should take notes. This is how you do it if you had a bad run in WWE and need to reinvent yourself. The match itself was nothing special, but it accomplished what it needed to. I have to laugh at someone in another post calling Joe Doering "jacked." No, he's just tall. Impressive clothesline though. Tommy Dreamer segments: What the fuck is with that tiny ponytail hairdo? Poking fun at being able to get away with attempted murder by booking a wrestling stipulation to get out of it would've landed better if any of these people could act. Scott D'amore, on the other hand, is a great performer. Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee vs. Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary: Deep into a tournament I haven't been following and have no investment in made this an easy skip for me, but it probably worked well for weekly viewers. Aunty Tenille: So, this is where she's been hiding? WWE is usually proven right with who they release, even when they're darlings we all love, because they end up falling short elsewhere. But Tenille Dashwood/Emma is someone WWE was wrong about and had no idea what to do with. Sami Callihan: Wow, is it possible that he's somehow gotten worse and even goofier since his NXT Solomon Crowe days? Apparently so. This was all sorts of terrible and embarrassing. Everything out of his mouth sounds like completely unconvincing cosplay. His terrible "tough guy" act is just plain painful community theater indie rasslin' bullshit. Chris Bey and Moose vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack: Swann was the weak link of the match, as usual. Impact was really exposed tonight by having an opening card guy with no credibility like this as its World Champ when a real star like Kenny Omega is on the same show. Moose and Mack were fun to watch, and they might have something with Chris Bey. Rich Swann segment: Wow, Impact isn't even hiding what a geek their champ is. Swann was made to look like a complete bitch and chump, being ordered around by the demands of a real World Champion in Kenny Omega. This was like the WWE Champion visiting Smoky Mountain Wrestling. What was the purpose of this? Kenny Omega vs. Rich Swann is a dream match in no one's mind. Kenny Omega/Don Callis interview: Light fucking years ahead of everything else on this show. Absolutely incredible. Kenny even managed to make the geekiest shit imaginable - collecting rare comic books - somehow sound cool and menacing. Callis was just as good. Pure perfection! How the hell did WWE drop the ball so completely and thoroughly on Kenny Omega and how did the wrestling business as a whole let Don Callis get away for 18 years? Verdict: I'm sure Impact got a ton of new viewers out of this, but did they do enough to retain them? I'm not so sure. I realize they had a PPV to build up, but I would've treated this as an introduction show of sorts for the benefit of all the new viewers tuning in, but that's not really the approach they took. So, not exactly a home run for Impact. AEW came across as the major leagues, while Swann looked like the pretender he is, Callihan was dreadful and completely unworthy of the hype, and the rest of the show was a mixed bag at best.

Poor Elias, being saddled with this absolute no talent bag of shit - on Main Event, no less.

I've never wanted anything more in my life than I want that.

Because most rasslin' fans are deep in the bubble. Even I have to admit I had no idea he was commentating Tyson/Jones. I would've ordered it if I had known that. But yeah, there's definitely a whole wide world outside of WWE. I can see him ending up in AEW down the road, if that's what he wants. But he may not, since he's a professional sports broadcaster too, which is a role that gives him more credibility and presumably less BS and less mental health triggers to deal with. It sometimes feels WWE is run like a frat house instead of a professional organization.

The greatest commentator of this or any generation, Mauro Ranallo, addresses his exit from WWE. https://www.mandatory.com/wrestlezone/news/1213230-mauro-ranallo-wwe-became-too-much-for-me-calls-nxt-his-vision

Exactly how I felt. They all would've benefited by having 5 minutes or sometimes as much as 10 minutes shaved off the running time.

Even by that metric, he'd be a good counter-punch to PAC if AEW ever completely loses its marbles and gives that guy its World Title. I used to love Gargano, but like Ciampa, he's stale as hell now in the NXT setting and would benefit enormously from a change of scenery - even if he inevitably isn't used as well.

Well, we both know Raw and Smackdown would be pipe dreams for Dunne to be built around, but it could be done. He'd be a great NXT Champion, and I'd be surprised if at least that isn't in his future. He's still very young and is only going to continue to improve and refine his game. People are going to wander into this thread tomorrow and be outraged by our "hot takes" on Thatcher and Dunne, respectively, but I think people are used to me having opinions outside the "norm."

As much as I hate extra shit in a match that doesn't need it, individualized tables with the UE members' names on it is a hilarious touch.

Dunne can work with a wide variety of opponents and adapt to different styles. Thatcher is only as good as someone who can adapt to his style. Also, Dunne is someone with infinite potential who can actually be built up as a top guy - Thatcher's ceiling is #3 goon in a stable on Smackdown or the champion on 205 Live. Any flaws Dunne may have can be attributed to how young he still is. Remember, he's only in his early 20s. Thatcher has a good decade on him - or at least looks like it, lol. I'm calling 10:10.

Not a fan of Priest's name or gimmick (what there is of it), but he has really impressed me in this match. Looks awesome in the ring and great character work. So, of course, they go with the stalest possible outcome and have Johnny regain the title. Ruff's underdog reign should've continued to legitimatize him. The ghostface gimmick and this goof saying "Austin, it was me all along!" like he's an extra on BTE is the shits.

Unique style that stands out, but he can only work his kind of match. With that said, I agree he'd be good as the #3 guy in a stable. I wonder if he was originally pegged for the McAfee group before the infinitely superior Pete Dunne was able to return. Lumis vs. Grimes (and I'm not exactly a fan of Grimes, who looks like he belongs in the NWA wrestling Thomas Latimer and Royce Isaacs in front of 25 fans) and Ruff vs. Gargano vs. Priest (so far at least) have been far more interesting to me because they have good character work, story, and stakes. Good rasslin' alone will never, ever impress me because that's the bare minimum requirement and something I already expect from anyone in WWE or even NXT (TV). In this case, the jury is out on Thatcher, who is great with someone who can wrestle his style or adapt to it, but completely out of his element in any other scenario.

Fair enough. But the current main roster schedule is more than doable, especially with the future of house shows in doubt, no? Even a temporary call-up during the pandemic would do wonders. He's so stale in NXT. He deserves to work WrestleMania at least once in his career. (I know NXT wrestlers have had matches at Mania - Rhea Ripley last year being the primary example - but it's very rare and sporadic.)

The best thing I can say about that match is that it's now over. Thatcher brings nothing to the table - nothing - and Tomasso Ciampa desperately needs a refresh of some kind (a call-up and change of scenery maybe?).

Now there's blood in a match that doesn't call for it. Hard way? I hope so, because this having blood and the first (and presumably second) WarGames not having it is pretty fuckin' ludicrous.

Thatcher is a very limited worker. Yes, I said it. He's a colossal bore in any match that doesn't cater to his very specific style. Why hire this guy? He barely has star power in NXT, and definitely isn't someone who can be built into anything on the main roster. (But even if he could, good luck getting Vince and Bruce to try.) If he ever gets out of NXT, I see 205 Live as his future.

Thatcher better hope he's never called up. If anyone epitomizes NXT-only, it's him. On Raw, Thatcher would be Terrific Timothy Thatcher, managed by Terry Taylor.

Ciampa cosplaying as Triple H.

Yeah, I can't even keep the teams straight and do not care about anything that's happening or anyone it's happening to. WarGames really works best when at least one of the sides is the hot heel stable of the day.

I'm not feeling this match. The fact that a heel has to wrap a chain around the cage door just to "lock" it tells me that everyone in this company has completely lost sight of what a cage match - and WarGames - is supposed to be. Edit: And why does there need to be a ladder and other plunder? The stipulation is strong enough to stand on its own. But that's modern WWE for you, I guess.

At first I thought it was odd that Shotzi was the team captain instead of Rhea Ripley or literally anyone else on her team, but then I realized, none of them need it. They're all already big stars in NXT (and WWE in some cases). Shotzi is not (yet) in comparison.

Women's WarGames starting things off... I miss Mauro.

WarGames Match: The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, and Roderick Strong) vs. Team McAfee (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan) WarGames Match: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, and Io Shirai) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel González, and Toni Storm) NXT North American Championship: Leon Ruff (c) vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest Strap Match: Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes "Battle of the Tough Guys": Timothy Thatcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Could be a good one... His first good one in a while, according to some of you.

Good riddance.