Match Ratings For Impact Wrestling Homecoming From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Vacant X Division Championship
Ultimate X Match
Rich Swann defeated Trey, Jake Crist and Ethan Page to win the title
6.75/10

• All four guys are on the cables and take turns dropping down for huracanranas. Page gains an advantage with a top rope body slam on Trey to the outside onto everyone.
• Jake Crist raided Savio Vega’s wardrobe. He also wheel kicks everyone. A few minutes later he catches Swann and Trey with a double cutter off the top rope. Page then drops an elbow on him from the cables. A strong opener already.
• Really great crowd in Nashville.
• Page yanks Trey off the cables for a pendulum backbreaker.  Trey’s luck still sucks, as Crist catches him with a suicide DDT to the floor. 
• There was a particularly long, awkward crowd shot of a woman standing in the crowd. 
• The first extended selling point of the match comes when Swann dives to the floor. For some reason, Swann is taking forever to go climb.
• There’s a new Tower of Doom spot, but it’s just on Page, as Trey tops it off with a Meteora.
• Swann goes for a dive outside, but Crist wheel kicks and Tombstones him in a great spot. Back inside the ring, Page spears Trey off of the cables.
• Trey tries to huracanrana Swann off the top rope, but he lands on his feet, runs up the other side and gets the title. 
• Excellent opener. A fitting spotfest. 
• Josh Mathews’ audio is going in and out in between the matches. 

Dark Allie & Su Yung defeated Kiera Hogan & Jordynne Grace
5.5/10

• Allie does not fit as this character, and that’s been a part of my issue with it all along.
• If Tessa vs. Jordynne doesn’t headline a PPV this year for Impact, I’m not sure what they’re doing.
• Allie is killing time forever outside. This is an oddly worked match.
• Allie is great when it comes to executing moves, but the body language and the character work is so babyface and doesn’t work here. It’s a really big contrast to Su, who doesn’t necessarily have the technical work, but has the rest down.
• Kiera gets worked over and tags out to Jordynne, but Allie gets away. Kiera lands a dive, but Su Yung gets intercepted by a Rockerplex to the floor. 
• Hogan aids Jordynne in a powerslam/powerbomb combo but Grace gets red misted to the face. 
• Allie applies the mandible claw and won on Hogan.
• This really picked up and got good at the end. 
• They bring out a casket, but Rosemary is in it. Rosemary has returned. She doesn’t look too mobile, though. She throws Su Yung into the Bridesmaids after waiting around forever.
• Allie and Rosemary face off. This is weird, and awkward and a little lame and it shows in the crowd reaction. 

Falls Count Anywhere
Eddie Edwards defeated Moose
6.75/10

• A couple of apron powerbombs hit from Moose after an attack, but Eddie kicks out.
• After a suicide dive, Edwards brings Moose through the crowd, where they brawl.
• Moose is SUPER over in Nashville. He also gets hit with a slingshot body press from the balcony. 
• They make it back to the ring, and Edwards is busted open. After a big exchange, Moose is sent over the top rope through a bridged guard rail!!
• Moose and Edwards are tearing the house down. This was the match I cared least about going into tonight.
• Edwards finds his kendo stick, but Alisha comes out and gets in his face. She takes the kendo stick and attacks Moose. Edwards DDTs for the win.
• This wasn’t the in-ring spectacle the opener was, but the crowd was INSANE. They had this audience in the palm of their hands.

Sami Callihan (w/ Dave Crist) defeated Willie Mack
6.5/10

• The crowd plays along with Callihan’s OVE chants by saying “sucks” after.
• Callis says that Callihan takes his fines out of the Crist’s paychecks.
• Mack comes out strong with a tope con hilo, but dastardly Callihan works him over with filthy tactics.
• Mack is able to mount a comeback with a pump kick, standing moonsault, cannonball senton and Sky High.  
• A stunner almost wins it for Mack, but Callihan gets a toe on the rope. A Dave Crist distraction sets up a super Death Valley Driver.
• Mack kicks out at ONE. He does the same after a big clothesline. Callihan pins him after a piledriver.
• Mack loses yet again, but Callihan is a big name for the company. 

Monster’s Ball
Eli Drake defeated Abyss
5.75/10

• They have Eli Drake and McKenzie talking into a microphone that clearly doesn’t work.
• I think they thought Abyss would get a better ovation. I did too.
• Eli Drake attacks from behind with a staple gun, but he gets stapled on his chest trying a sunset flip.
• Drake ends up running a crate into Abyss, but Eli hilariously bumps over it like he’s in GTA.
• Some trash can shots in the ring set up Eli trying to send Abyss through two ringside tables. Instead Eli gets belly-to-belly suplexed over one, through the second. Amazing.
• Impact Wrestling puts on good hardcore wrestling pay per views.
• Eli Drake accidentally throws thumbtacks into the eyes of the ref, so the ref misses the Black Hole Slam and pin. Apparently water cures tacks to the eye.
• Eli Drake gets chokeslammed into tacks, but isn’t beaten.
• Why is Abyss holding his hands up to get zip tied?? Well, he gets zip tied, briefly. They break. Then we see 20 chair shots and Abyss kicks out. 
• Eli breaks an oar over Abyss’ head and wins. Okay.

IMPACT Tag Team Titles
LAX (c) defeated Lucha Bros.
7/10

• If you like dives, this is the match for you. There are lots and Lucha Bros look like they’re gonna win this out of the gate.
• LAX are such a great Impact-exclusive act. This week LAX passed America’s Most Wanted for longest tag team title reign in TNA/GFW/Impact Wrestling history.
• Pentagon assists his brother on a suicide somersault senton that has to be seen to be believed. 
• Santana gets an insane Alley Oop on Fenix, while Ortiz does a frog splash. Pentagon runs OFF ORTIZ’S BACK and does a leaping Canadian Destroyer to Santana. WHAT.
• There’s an insane series of spots, and Ortiz got spiked on a Fear Factor. His partner is late breaking up the pin.
• Fenix sure isn’t late stomping through on a powerbomb/blockbuster pin, though. 
• Rolling cutter/codebreaker, superkick, double brainbuster on Fenix gets the win. This was insanity. The blown spot hurt though. 

Impact Knockouts Championship
Special Guest Referee Gail Kim
Taya defeated Tessa Blanchard (c) to win the title
5.5/10

• Taya takes over early, but gets sent into the guard rail HARD where guys are painted up to spell her name. 
• Tessa crushes Taya’s head with a huge drop kick. She applies a nasty armbar in the ring, too.
• Taya gets a nice German suplex and a double foot stomp, but misses a moonsault. 
• Tessa accidentally cracks Gail with a forearm, and has Taya pinned with a Buzzsaw.
• Tessa goes to grab the title to hit Taya with it, and Gail tries to take it away and accidentally hits Taya with it. Taya kicks out. 
• Tessa pushes Gail, who pushes back into a pin for a two count. 
• Tessa still gets a rope hung Magnum. Tessa is livid with Gail and goes after her.
• Eat Defeat by Gail, Road to Valhalla gets the win for Taya.
• This match did not need all the smoke and mirrors. Just needed Tessa and Taya wrestling.

Impact Wrestling Championship
Johnny Impact (c) defeated Brian Cage to retain the title
4/10

• Cage comes out with a Terminator inspired entrance.
• Cage’s strikes are sloooooooooow. His backbreaker is hefty though. He’s breathing heavy five minutes in. 
• This match is not clicking. They just aren’t on the same page. They’re slipping and slow together.
• Eventually they take it outside after a tornado DDT, then Johnny Impact does a somersault knee to Cage’s face from the top rope to the outside for a “TNA” chant. Cage is lucky to not be hurt. 
• This is just move after move without much of a story, and the in-ring isn’t that hot either.
• A buckle bomb connects for Cage, but Impact is out of Weapon X.
• Impact’s running knee does not look very impactful. Cage’s discus lariat does, but it doesn’t win the match. 
• Starship Pain gets kicked out of. These two have some of the most nonchalant pins. 
• A series of powerbombs land for Cage, but Impact kicks out. This is the most put together the match has been so far. 
• Weapon X on Impact, but he’s too far from the ropes to get his foot on and the ref breaks it anyway. Jeez. 
• Johnny’s Survivor buddies distract a ref long enough for Impact to not get pinned. 
• Another seemingly blown spot ends the match. Commentary, ref, wrestlers, fans, none on the same page.
• Why are Impact main event PPV matches always overbooked? This was brutal. Cage gets up and grabs the title, throws it down and leaves. Taya celebrates with Impact. 
• Killer Kross attacks Impact, then powerbombs Taya over the rail onto security.
• That main event was booked about like a 2003 weekly TNA main event at the Asylum, that’s for sure.

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5.The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.