Tonight we get Josh Alexander officially handing over the title due to his injury. We also have what could be one hell of a tag match, and a number one contender match for the X Division Championship.

Oh yeah, Jody Threat is debuting as well. Bigger deal in Canada since I know literally zero about her, but hopefully she brings something unique.

Is @TheSamiCallihan ready for Step 7?!@CodyDeaner @Alan_Angels_ @Big_Kon1 #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/iGGQ6Cshlc

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) April 7, 2023

Ratings:

• TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley): MCMG win via Jacknife Cradle – ***
• X Division #1 Contender Match: Mike Bailey vs Jonathan Gresham: No Contest – ** 3/4
• Jody Threat vs Tara Rising: Threat wins via F-416 – Squash
• Bully Ray & The Good Hands (John Skyler & Jason Hotch) vs Darren McCarty, Yuya Uemura & Tommy Dreamer: McCarty wins via Red Wing Stunner – **
• Eddie Edwards vs PCO: Eddie wins via Boston Knee Party – ***

Results:

TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)

Shane and Alex start off, Shane attacks Sabin in the corner immediately, Tito comes in. Early shortcut advantage for TMDK but MCMG put the brakes on the whip, ole them through the ropes, Double Plancha. Yakuza/Enzuigiri combo in the corner, looking for Skull and Bones early but that gets interrupted and TMDK starts the tandem offense.

Alex Shelley is getting rocked and worked over something fierce as Shane and Tito have a few quick tags and some combo offense. Corner attacks, a few Overhand Chops, Tito is legal, big T-Bone Suplex. Looks for a Top Rope Stomp, but misses and then gets Flatlined into the middle turnbuckle. Tito gets to Shane first, Shane tries to cut off Alex but a Dragon Screw gives Sabin the hot tag. House of fire, laying everyone out, Alex and Sabin have a small tandem moment giving Sabin a near fall on Haste. Reverse Powerslam from Haste stops Sabin in his tracks.

Alex runs interference on the outside knocking down Tito and then picking the leg of Haste to knock him down with a Super Kick – then we get the Five Hole Dive. All four get in the ring and exchange a few haymakers until they’re all laid out. Haste tried to set up the Assisted Blue Thunder, but it gets countered with a Headscissors. High Speed Dirt from the Guns causes Tito to powder. Haste looking for a Fireman’s Carry move, but Alex slips it into a Crucifix Pin but he’s not legal, so Sabin comes off the ropes with a Jacknife Cradle for the 1-2-3.

Quick but solid. 

ULTIMATE X at #Rebellion!?@The_Ace_Austin @DashingChrisBey @fakekinkade @SuperChrisSabin #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/8BMlNUoRwD

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) April 7, 2023

X Division #1 Contender Match: Mike Bailey vs Jonathan Gresham

They start off their usual way of a bit of chain wrestling and respect. Eventually things get chippy like they always do with these guys since they’re even in different ways. Bailey goes for the Golden Triangle Moonsault, Gresham blitzes to the apron, Bailey sees it and Leapfrogs Gresham. They have a small stand off and slowly get back in the ring staring at one another. Once back in, they shake hands again and then start throwing moves.

Commercial break happens and we’re still very much back and forth between these two. They mirror Crossbody attacks, locomotion Cradles, then they tie up for dueling Backslides before they move the ropes to cause a break. A lot of this match has been proving how equal they are. We go into the Chop off, and Bailey eventually decides to go to kicks. Gresham eats a few Round Kicks, tries to shoot the half, Bailey kicks off and business picks up. Constant motion, Standing Spanish Fly, kick out, Gresham takes Bailey’s legs out from under him and rolls back into a clutch that he spins into a Figure Four. Bailey counters the Figure Four a couple times, which hints towards the Sacrifice match where he finished Gresham with the reverse Figure Four. They stay tied up, roll to the outside and then roll right off the apron eventually breaking the submission.

They brawl on the outside almost hitting Trey who’s at the announce desk. Trey gets annoyed at the near misses and decides the ruin the match but just Springboarding himself in with a Double Dropkick. So we see a No Contest.

This will probably end up in a Triple Threat.

Jody Threat vs Tara Rising

Jody wrestles Tara down immediately with a twisting Armbar. Tara tries to fight out of things, but then Jody sinks in a Headlock. Tara stomps Threat’s feet, throws her to the ropes but Threat runs her over.

Every time Tara tries something Threat just out powers and out intensities her. Threat charges the corner but Tara moves and then Tara gets a slap in, which gets a smile out of Threat. Double Knees to the back while Tara is draped over the middle rope, German Suplex, F-416, and that’s all.

Bully Ray & The Good Hands (John Skyler & Jason Hotch) vs Darren McCarty, Yuya Uemura & Tommy Dreamer

Jesus, things with Tommy Dreamer keep getting more and more cringe. I hope this Hardcore War thing ends Dreamer’s involvement in active stories forever. 

 We’re like 3 moves in and Dreamer already hits a Flip, Flop and Fly. Hotch and Skyler are the ones doing all the early work, and Dreamer keeps Yuya in his back pocket the whole time. Bully finally gets involved when he knees Dreamer in the back as he hits the ropes. Ganging up on Dreamer is the way things go for a while.

Bully finally tags in when Dreamer is dropped, then he decided to talk shit about his family as he hits him mocking his own Flip, Flop and Dreamer hits the sucker punch. Dreamer tags in McCarty and Bully tags out. McCarty Double Lariats the Good Hands, Straight Right Hands for each good hand, then he tosses both outside, Yuya with a Plancha and then McCarty calls out Bully. Bully postures like he’s gonna fight, but of course powders. Skyler back attacks McCarty, McCarty clocks Skyler, Stunner, and McCarty wins.

Kenny King hits the ring to attack the faces, Kaz makes that save, Masha hits the ring and Killer Kelly follows. So I guess this shows who each team is going to be. 

Josh Alexander video package since he’s physically relinquishing the belt tonight. Its followed by Deonna cutting a bit of a tweener promo. She claims to create a new better “Age of the Virtuosa” – so curious if that’s gonna be as a babyface or if she turns back into heel tendencies.

Eddie Edwards vs PCO

Eddie attacks as soon as the bell rings, but it doesn’t do much to PCO. Eddie is relentless but PCO keeps throwing bombs, fists, forearms, headbutts, and then a Frakensteiner from the corner! -very early commercial break-

When we get back, they’re on the outside, Eddie tries for a Tiger Driver or a Pedigree on the outside, but PCO blocks it. Overhead Belly to Back Suplex but PCO no sells and drops Eddie. PCO climbs to the top rope, Eddie cuts him off with a Gamengiri, Superplex! Match starts to slow down as Eddie tries to lay in offense, Eddie even connects with a few Chops but PCO no sells, exposes his chest and wants the man mode chop fest! Eddie trained with those heavy Kobashi/NOAH chops, so you know they sting, but PCO isn’t human. They exchange, Eddie tries to paintbrush PCO’s face, PCO smacks him  and Chokeslams him out. PCO then decides to pinball off the side ropes before Sentoning to the outside on Eddie.

Another commercial break, Eddie is getting smacked around in the corner, then PCO pulls him to the apron. DEANIMATOR connects! PCO absorbs the crowd adulation and Eddie tries to retreat to a corner. Charging PCO, Eddie grabs a ref and the ref is dead! PCO Chokeslams Eddie, looks for a PCO-Sault – but Alisha comes out to plead, then hits PCO with the Kendo Stick! Eddie hits a Buckle Bomb and Boston Knee Party for the win! Lish proves to be a real ride or die kind of girl.

PCO sits up, so Lish and Eddie retreat up the ramp after technically being victorious. But PCO won’t stay down!

While I don’t enjoy watching Lish wrestle, I love her as an additional character. She’s actually charming and a pretty good actress. From Ace Austin trying to bang her, Wrestle House to this whole Honor No More thing. She’s great in vignettes, just not wrestling. 

Scott D’Amore, Steve Maclin and Kushida are already in the ring before Josh Alexander relinquishes the championship. Jade and their son Jett come out with Josh. The home Canadian crowd is wonderful to Josh, they’re loud, but respectful. They’re playing into face/heel dynamics correctly. If Josh needed to vacate the title anywhere, this is perfect. The crowd sounds and looks better than it has in years.

Aww, a cute moment is when Josh goes to hand the belt over Jett runs out of Jade’s arms and grabs the belt. Even Scott looks to be getting a little emotional…but Steve in true Jersey fashion has a big grin on his face to play the bad guy. Steve calls the injury a way out of facing him, then talks to his son and tries to bad mouth Josh. Steve is reveling in playing the piece of shit, beautiful.

Scott steps in between to cut the face promo for Kushida essentially. And Scott is great. Maclin and Kushida get face to face, Steve talks shit, Kushida fires and tries to sink in the Hoverboard Lock but Steve powders and grabs the belt. Kushida dives on Steve after, scoops the belt up, poses with it and then hands it to Scott. 

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Rebellion is really shaping up to be pretty impressive. Triple Threat for the X Division Championship (hopefully we get a new champ), we’re guaranteed a new World Champion, Santino Marella will have his first televised match in 9 years, and we’ll find out exactly what the Knockouts match looks like next week. Even if some of this was spurred from late in the game injuries; you can pit the top half of the card against nearly any other show.

Jody Threat being this weird combination of Bea Priestley and Ruby Soho, I’m not mad at, just curious how she’ll slot in. Bully and Dreamers teams are basically finalized, and like I said earlier; I want to see NO MORE Dreamer after this. Dreamer is slow and embarrassing to watch, just stop. Lastly, the championship segment was really great. Being in Canada made Josh look like a million bucks hometown hero, Steve played shit heel perfectly and Scott is always a good promo.

Really good show, kinda wish it was the Go Home and not penultimate.