Andrew’s IMPACT Wrestling Ratings & Analysis 3/15/2019

Andrew keeps the IMPACT Wrestling coverage coming! Does Brian Cage gets his title shot?

So this show has potential to make some big story waves coming off the Dark War, Eli and Eddie trying on being a team and Brian Cage’s rematch.

That gives us a lot of unresolved issues with a few weeks until Against All Odds.

Speaking of unresolved issues…Ohio Versus Everything…amirite?!

"I'm going to take everything you love away from you." @TheSamiCallihan is coming for EVERYTHING. #IMPACT

WATCH NOW – https://t.co/jyZYT6QL46 pic.twitter.com/0nEmytzqEZ

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) March 16, 2019

Ratings:

• Sami Callihan & oVe vs Willie Mack, Rich Swann & Tommy Dreamer: Callihan wins via Piledriver – ** 1/2
• Glenn Gilbertti vs Kikutaro: Glenn wins via Chart Buster – ** 1/4
• KM & Fallah Bahh vs Reno Scum: Fallah wins via Belly to Belly Suplex – **
• Number 1 Contender Match: Tessa Blanchard vs Jordynne Grace: Grace wins via Grace Driver – *** 1/4
• Desi Hit Squad vs Eli Drake & Eddie Edwards: Eddie wins via Kendo Stick Strike – ** 1/2

Analysis:

Well okay…this match was very, slapstick. Dreamer played up a lot of comedy. He readjusted from the top all the way to the bottom turnbuckle before doing a Double Axehandle. Sami spat a big loogie on his face and he ate it, which caused Sami to have a gross out face. Swann and Mack helped Sami do a kip up, they egged him on to do a Frog Splash. Then the match ends with Sami slipping out of a Spicolli Driver, hitting a groin claw and then Piledriver. Just a lot of goofball indy spots that some people enjoy but I don’t really care for. But hey, when puking on someone’s dick goes viral…I guess there’s definitely a crowd for this.

Melissa is back on twitch video! So yup, I think they figured out their formula unless she has a conflicting booking.

Rascalz segment, just watch:

It's all fun and games with @TheMooseNation and The Rascalz until Moose starts to strangle somebody. #IMPACT @TheTreyMiguel @DezmondXavier @zachary_wentz

WATCH NOW – https://t.co/jyZYT6QL46 pic.twitter.com/OdJgj8w42s

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) March 16, 2019

Alright, Disco was amusing. He asked for a clown, got Kikutaro and went to the announce table just to say ” Isn’t this guy like the champion of New Japan or something”. As for the match, it’s alright. Disco is still in great shape, plays up goofy jerk, hits his Disco move occasionally and even attempts the Village People’s Elbow. Which is the People’s Elbow but he does the YMCA dance first. Kikutaro did some Muta references during the match, so that was a little neat. Not bad for what it was, but two comedy matches to get the show rolling is a little rough.

Rolando Menendez investigative reporter segment with Taya. Taya says she’s concerned but I don’t buy any of this. Johnny CharismaVacuum needs to drop the belt.

Scum took out Fallah early, so it was a lot of KM fighting from underneath. Fallah eventually got back to the apron, wanted the hot tag and performed decently while favoring his leg. Short match, but not bad, just short and a little simple.

Konnan asks Pentagon and Fenix when the rematch is and they basically blow him off in cool Spanish Cero Miedo kind of ways.

LAX segment after the commercial break with a pissed off Konnan with Ortiz and Santana playing more comedy support. Scarecrows man.

Tessa dominated most of this match, and it was a solid match. But Tessa’s temper and the Gail Kim situation distracted her numerous times to yell at the referee or the crowd. After the loss Tessa freaks out and tries to kill the bell keeper kid in a pink shirt and pizza tie. Gail comes in for the save and clears Tessa out. Hopefully this leads to a match at Rebellion.

After the altercation in the ring:

.@gailkimITSME has been SUSPENDED by @ScottDAmore for going too far and putting her hands on @Tess_Blanchard. #IMPACT

WATCH NOW – https://t.co/jyZYT6QL46 pic.twitter.com/yDxmi0KFzO

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) March 16, 2019

GWN Flashback Match: Sting vs RVD at TNA Slammiversary 2010.

Broken Bunny back stage segment. Rosemary doesn’t know where the rest of the Bunny is, so it seems like we’re going to keep this angle going a little longer.

The tag match was actually really solid even though it was really short. But there was some nice story elements when Eli got frustrated, slides in, takes out the other two but Gama distracts the ref and Eli throws in Kenny and Eddie uses it, then throws it back out seamlessly for the pinfall. Eli and Eddie actually look like they have a moment of understanding. This could be the birth of a great tag team run.

Another GWN Flashback? Abyss vs Sabu at TNA Turning Point 2005. So…did someone hit the wrong button or did Melissa and Don get busy so this is in lieu of the Skype sessions? Ahh the barbed wire sandwich match, that’s right!

And Melissa accidentally interrupts the show feed after the Flashback. She always has some kind of technical difficulty. So glad she committed to the gimmick.

Well Killer Kross carries out Johnny’s body and a cinder block. It looks like he’s going to smash Johnny’s head, security tries to break it up, Kross kills them. Taya drags out Cage to help, Cage refuses until Taya gets involved. Cage slides in to protect Taya, and then she low blows him. Johnny kips up and the beat down of Cage begins. Taya and Johnny are now heels, Kross is laughing on the outside, and Cage is knocked out with the cinder block in the ring. Top 10 Anime Betrayals.

Overall Score: 5.5/10

Okay show from Impact Wrestling. Also, I’m very picky with my brand of comedy, and what Dreamer was doing and the whole Disco/Kikutaro segment was fine. But it felt a little odd especially when the oVe/Rich Swann story is so personal and gritty, then you have goofy spots. It’s just a tone shift I don’t appreciate. It’s like if Metallica did Children’s Songs (yes it’s a reference to the old Jim Breuer joke…but if you get that, then you know what I mean).

So yeah, if you ask me, this just felt like an entire filler episode. Aside from the heel turn from Taya and Johnny (that most saw coming after the disingenuous satellite interview last week), this was mostly skippable.

Twitch Views:

• Week 1: High – 10,350 / Low – 8,500
• Week 2: High – 8,000 / Low – 6,500 
• Week 3: High – 8,500 / Low – 7,900  
• Week 4: High – 7,100 / Low – 5,300
• Week 5: High – 7,450 / Low – 5,650
• Uncaged: High – 9,000/ Low – 8,000
• Week 6: High – 8,025/ Low – 5,300
• Week 7: High – 14,400/Low – 9,800
• Week 8: High – 7,200/Low – 4,500
• Week 9: High – 9,700/Low – 4,000

This is another slow start week. Granted some of it could’ve been because of the ROH Anniversary show, but the high is actually the 3rd best historically. Also a point of note is that after the numbers shot up (took about 30 minutes), the viewers never dropped below 8,500. I’m surprised the number stayed as strong as it did for a show that was tied with the lowest score I’ve given so far this year.

Funnily enough,  the last 5.5 show came two weeks before UNCAGED, and we’re two weeks before Against All Odds. I wonder if that’s a coincidence or a trend that two weeks before a big show is the throw away show? Only one way to find out, right?