Andrew’s Ratings & Analysis: Impact Wrestling 2.4.2020

Rosemary is trying to pull something out of Susie on this week’s IMPACT!. Will she like what she gets?

The rundown for the show today looks interesting. Susie and Rosemary will obviously turn into some cheesy Joss Whedon inspired situation, but these have still been entertaining. Daga and Dr Wagner have issues with oVe and TJP versus Hijo del Vikingo should be pretty great.

I appreciate that Impact Wrestling seems to be okay with trying a few things outside of the usual televised wrestling formula.

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@IMPACTWrestling#ImpactOnAXSTV

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Join the revolution.#RealityIsLost pic.twitter.com/B67IrEJiiq

— ICU (@RealityIsLost) February 5, 2020

Ratings:

• Tessa Blanchard vs Adam Thornstowe: Tessa wins via Buzzsaw DDT – ** 1/4
• Rhino vs Taurus: Rhino wins via DQ – **
• Susie vs Rosemary: No Contest – N/A
• TJP w/Fallah Bahh vs El Hijo del Vikingo: TJP wins via Regal Stretch – **** 1/4
• oVe (Jake & Dave Crist) w/Madman Fulton vs Daga & Dr Wagner Jr w/Galeno del Mal: Daga wins via Lifting Underhook Gutbuster – ***
• Street Fight: Tommy Dreamer vs Ace Austin: Ace Austin wins via The Fold – **

Analysis:

Tessa comes out to the ring and calls out Ace Austin, even throws in a little Spanish, yet the Mexico City crowd does not care. Ace and Reno Scum comes out, and Ace decides to feed her a substitute instead. 

Tessa Blanchard vs Adam Thornstowe – We get a marginally competitive match. Luster and Ace on the outside did more than their fair share to help out Thornstowe. Tessa got slammed into the apron by Luster, Thronstowe took her to Pity City, but who really expected a crony to beat Tessa? It was a decent match with Tessa working from underneath because of the numbers game, but nothing surprising. The match did make sure to highlight the size discrepancy between Tessa and even an undercard wrestler by needing multiple Buzzsaw DDTs to get the job done.

Madison, Taya and Kiera are great comedic heels. 

.@MadisonRayne and @HoganKnowsBest3 want nothing to do with @TheTayaValkyrie anymore. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/BfIW0S6jUy

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) February 5, 2020

Tommy Dreamer comes out to make the save, as per his role in Impact the last few years, especially with Tessa. He challenges Ace to a hardcore match later in the night.

Rhino vs Taurus – We saw a pretty solid Hoss fight in this match. Rhino had the power advantage for a while, but Taurus displayed some of his agility with some slingshot maneuvers and Shining Wizard, which just looks cool from a man in a bull mask. After Taurus misses on a big Corkscrew Senton, Rhino looks to take advantage of the situation, but Moose interjects himself. Since he went after Rhino first, I’m assuming it was a DQ in favor of Rhino. Either way, Rhino Gores Moose to get him out of the ring, as Taurus and Rhino have a respectful moment in the ring. The DQ protects Taurus from having back to back clean losses, and it builds some heat for the match between Rhino and Moose. Decent match and decent story telling, I would’ve preferred a clean finish though.

ImpactPlus Flashback Moment: Beer Money vs Team 3D vs Motor City Machine Guns, #1 Contender 3 Way Dance, TNA Sacrifice, May 16,2010

Ahh more Taya being a little delusional, and Rosemary getting her master plan in action!

.@WeAreRosemary has no time for @TheTayaValkyrie right now. She's busy trapping Father James Mitchell. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/mSZTAdCjE4

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) February 5, 2020

Susie vs Rosemary – With Rosemary dispatching of James Mitchell and Havok, we all knew the plan. Susie comes out being as sweet as pie,so Rosemary pushes, and keeps pushing, until she throws the bloody glove at her. Having the glove seemed to unlock the Su Yung mannerisms in Susie and Rosemary was ecstatic to be getting smacked around. Rosemary leads Susie to the backstage area, specifically the steps where Havok hung her and killed off Su Yung the last time they were in Mexico.

All of the same notes being played, Rosemary even had a noose to try and hang Susie. The memories came back, Su Yung’s power returned, and we see the transformation back into Su Yung. Havok managed to escape, just in time to see Su Yung return, and then Su goes after her.

.@WeAreRosemary RESURRECTED @realsuyung! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/UAzNv8pqNS

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) February 5, 2020

TJP w/Fallah Bahh vs El Hijo del Vikingo – This match definitely lived up to what we expect from both men. This was a great mixture of Lucha Libre, Cruiserweight and even a little Japanese Junior style. There was a nice rolling lucha spot which ended in the double kip up, pause for applause moment. Vikingo pulled off tons of fun moves, a Twisting Corkscrew Frankensteiner, Standing Bow and Arrow, Tope con Hilo over the Turnbuckle and post, Triangle Springboard Guillotine Leg Drop…just a great match to watch.

Even though TJP was obviously a better mat wrestler, Vikingo wasn’t completely lost on how to get out of things. Armbar variations and Indian Deathlocks didn’t keep Vikingo down. TJP flew a few times as well, a smooth Superplex, a Tombstone that gave him the opening to hit a Frog Splash, but Vikingo kicked out. The finish was beautiful as Vikingo went to the ropes, TJP caught him for a Detonation Kick, Vikingo flipped out of that and tried a Hurricanrana, but TJP caught the leg and came down in a Regal Stretch. It was just a great sequence and Vikingo submitted.

THIS WAS AWESOME! @MegaTJP submits @vikingo_aaa in an INCREDIBLE match. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/VhAQAXSo9w

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) February 5, 2020

The North hit the ring afterwards to beat on Vikingo since he beat Josh Alexander last week. TJP tried to help and Fallah eventually drew a line in the sand and The North retreated.

Katie Forbes stops Joey Ryan, Ryan assumes it’s something sexual, but it was just a set up for RVD to attack him. Decent enough reason for a match. 

oVe (Jake & Dave Crist) w/Madman Fulton vs Daga & Dr Wagner Jr w/Galeno del Mal – This was a hard match to follow the Vikingo match, but since the show is pre-taped, who knows when it was filmed. Wagner got in a nice Hangman Cutter and the crowd went along with his playing to the crowd, but Daga did most of the work. Daga and Jake has a solid back and forth where they both hit very quick popping Death Valley Drivers, and that was a good catch your breath moment. The Crist brothers had a decent chance after a Spiked Tombstone, but it wasn’t meant to be. Wagner got rid of Dave and Daga was able to put away Jake with the Underhook Gutbuster.

Solid match, but hard to follow TJP and Vikingo. Fulton lays out Wagner and Daga, so we’re not done here yet.

Street Fight: Tommy Dreamer vs Ace Austin – To be completely honest, this was a lame main event in the grand scheme of things. How many times do we have to see Dreamer make a save, demand an extreme match…just to lose? He pulled off his usual spots, Beer Mist, Dusty Elbow, DDT on a chair, but there’s no way they’re having Tommy Dreamer beat the X Division champion. Plus some of the weapon spots just took too damn long.

Was it okay for what it was, sure. Do I need to see another Tommy Dreamer “extreme” match any time in the coming decade? No.

Overall Score: 7/10

Not a bad show even though it started slow when it came to match quality and finished…well…in mediocrity. The TJP and Vikingo match was tremendous, and worth watching the entire show for that alone. Also the Su Yung story coming to an interesting point is great. Yes it’s cheesy, but wrestling is inherently cheesy, so who cares if it feels like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Having the tie from the beginning of the show to the end with Tessa’s friends and Ace Austin, so even if the matches didn’t do anything for me, at least it made sense for the story. Plus I suppose the Moose and RVD angles though basic, are still working well for what they are.

All in all, pretty good show.