I need to start this review with a few words on Eli Drake. We learnt this week Eli is officially not a member of Impact Wrestling roster anymore. Eli, with Eddie Edwards, Moose, KM, LAX, Kongo Kong and Rosemary, has been one of the steadiest members of the roster ever since I started to write this review, nearly 2 years ago. Saying I will miss Eli would be a euphemism…
Not that many wrestlers are as good in the ring as they can be a mic in hand. On a more personal level, I enjoyed every single chat or press pass we had. Meeting him in Manchester is something I will never forget. Outside of the ring, Eli is a real gentleman and an amazing human being. I wish him nothing but the best on his future projects. 

But let’s not forget 2019 motto is about moving forward. Impact Wrestling has survived the departures of many wrestlers over the years, and we, the fans, have survived too. We’re still in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, this week and, just 2 weeks before Rebellion, last week’s baby steps need to turn into major steps this week.
On the menu this week, Moose will square off with another member of The Rascalz, Zachary Wentz, Su Yung and Rosemary will reignite a feud that was put on hold a year ago. A new team will make its debut on the Impact Zone as Ethan Page and Josh Alexander are now The North. In the main event, Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie will compete against their Rebellion challengers, Brian Cage and Jordynne Grace. So, no more words, let’s get ready for some action, but your French Enygma Steph way, of course…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBrQzQHOva8&amp]

The Nygma’s Chart of the Week

• Moose defeated Wentz.
• Rob Van Dam promo on his match at United We Stand and his come back to Impact Wrestling after Rebellion.
• Madison Rayne talked about being back with Impact. She wasn’t happy losing to Jordynne Grace but praised the division. Tessa interrupted her and ran her down for being entitled like Gail. Rayne reminded Tessa that she’s 2-0 against her and they set up a match for later.
• Rosemary vs. Su Yung went to a no contest when Kiera Hogan and The Undead Maids of Honor got involved. Su laid out Rosemary and Hogan after the match.
• We got highlights from United We Stand.
• Ace Austin cut a promo. Bets were off last week, he had the winning hand, and Jake Crist was about to fold. Aiden Prince took the Ultimate-X win away from him. A new story is starting between him and Aiden Prince but, in the end, it will result in Aces Up.

• Willie Mack was sitting on some steps and Killer Kross seated next to him. He had a question .. does he like jazz music? Kross likes it because it’s improvisational, and the musicians have to be masters of their craft. Apparently… Rich Swann plays jazz. He tries placing seeds of doubt in Willie Mack’s head, making a claim that Swann is just using him. Kross said Willie should think about his future, before walking away.
• Jake and Cody Deaner are coming to Impact, which means no more smoking and drinking. Jake drank the last one, Cody slapped him.
• The North (Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) defeated Sheldon Jean & El Reverso. Ethan Page said The North is going to take over the Tag Team division.

• Madison Rayne defeated Tessa Blanchard. Gail Kim was on commentary.
• Backstage, Eddie Edwards and Eli Drake challenged the Lucha Brothers to a title match. LAX jumped in from nowhere and took it to the champions, while Eli Drake encouraged Eddie not to get involved.
• Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie told Melissa Santos about tonight’s main event against Cage and Jordynne Grace. Johnny put himself over and then said Cage could be champion, but then called him a dumb ass that came around once in a thousand years.
• The oVe Creepy Cam showed Sami Callihan mocking where Swann grew up and saying he tried to give Swann a family, the world, and everything. But instead of giving him everything, he will now take everything from him.

• Tessa said she was just going to beat Gail Kim at Rebellion, but Kim made it personal and now she will do the same.
• Fallah Bahh was searching for Scarlett Bordeaux backstage. She then randomly appeared and Bahh thanked her for last week. They will team next week against The Desi Hit Squad.
• Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie vs.Brian Cage & Jordynne Grace, due to the corrupt senior referee Johnny Bravo delivering a chop block to Cage, followed by a quick count on the pin. Taya hit the Nutcracker on Cage again after the match, giving Johnny the opportunity to further damage The Machine. They snogged in the ring and laughed at Cage, before holding up their Championships for the audience.

The Nygma’s Nutcracker(s) of the Week

– Josh Alexander & Ethan Page vs. El Reverso & Sheldon Jean
Of course, it’s The North’s first match, against local enhancement talents. But I chose this match, instead of Moose vs. Wentz, to check what this new team is about.
Alexander and Reverso began, with Alexander controlling with ease. Jean tagged in and Alexander maintained control and laid in strikes. Reverso back in unloaded kicks, but Alexander cut him off with a Finlay roll. Double-team moves followed and Page tagged in.

The North worked quick tags, and Alexander got an ankle lock on Reverso. The powerbomb/backbreaker then followed. Reverso tagged in Jean, Jean started putting together some offence and covered Page for 2. Page fought off the double teams, Alexander in and they ran wild. Reverso fought back and hit a moonsault press. The North hit a pop-up spinebuster combo for the win.
The North has the power, the chemistry and the strength to do it, definitely.

– Tessa Blanchard vs. Madison Rayne
Last week, I was talking about generations colliding and the fact that could be a good, or a bad, thing, for the company. This match is epitomizing my thinking. So, good or bad?
Tessa pie-faced Rayne, so Rayne fired back with rights as Tessa talked shit to Kim. Rayne followed with head scissors and then a hurricanrana. Tessa powdered and yelled at Kim again, allowing Rayne to attack. Back in, Tessa cut Rayne off, laid in strikes and the running dropkick. Clotheslines followed, but Rayne got the Skayde special for 2.

Tessa grounded things and then dumped Rayne to the floor. They traded strikes, Tessa talked shit to Kim, and back in Tessa hit strikes and a draping code breaker. Post break, Rayne started to fire back as they traded. Rayne then hit a dropkick and an enzuigiri. The northern lights suplex connected for 2. Tessa cut off Rayne with the swing-out full nelson slam. She went up top, had to drop down and rolled through, allowing Rayne to hit the crucifix bomb for 2. Tessa hit the double slingshot suplex. They worked up top, and Tessa hit the superplex. Tessa took time to yell at Gail Kim, grabbed a chair and Kim stopped her from using it, allowing Rayne to get the schoolgirl for the win.
Tough beatdown for Rayne, but she won because of Tessa’s pride…

– Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie vs. Brian Cage & Jordynne Grace
Oops, I screwed him again… Whoever Cage is facing off and whatever the configuration is, Brian Cage is always screwed up… Can Jordynne change that?
Taya talked trash to Cage and Grace then attacked. Grace ran wild early, using her power game and then whipped Taya to the buckles. Grace then hit a big boot and posted Taya. The double knees and the Vader bomb followed. After the break, Johnny Impact was begging off.

He tried to pick up the pace, lays in strikes and kicks but Cage curled him and tossed him down. Impact hit a springboard, but Cage fired back with rights and clotheslines. The backdrop connected and Cage cut off the tag but Impact strangled the eyes and Taya tagged in. Grace in and Impact got involved, allowing Taya to take control and hit a leg drop. Taya now attacked the arm of Grace, and then hit an ass attack and the double knees.

Grace now cut her off and hit the Liger bomb. Impact refused the tag and then sneaked in, but Grace fought him off and tagged in Cage. Cage ran wild, hit a German suplex and covered for 2. Impact escaped the F5 and hits the Moonlight Drive for 2. Impact looked for the Starship Pain, got cut off and Cage shrank him with a discus lariat. Grace hit a German suplex on Taya and followed with a suicide dive on Impact, and Cage followed with a tope. Back in, the referee chop-blocked Cage and that allowed Impact to get the pin.

The not-Nygma’s Moment(s) of the Week 

I have a real issue with Moose’s sense of style… I’m French after all…

The referee corrupted by a wrestler is something we saw hundreds of time in the past. John E. Bravo is for Johnny Impact what Nick Patrick was for NWO 20 years ago… At the same time, why have Johnny, Taya and Killer won so easily since Homecoming? Why has Cage been screwed up match after match?
That’s so cliché but, because I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the next 2 weeks, I can just tell you a cliché can become something legendary… Stay tuned…

The Nygma’s Award of the Week

– Scarlett Bordeaux
I said a Nygma Award every week until the end of June, but I couldn’t be more happy to see Scarlett Bordeaux being the voice, the body and the wrestler that can make intergender wrestling become something normal on Impact Wrestling. How long did I wait to say these words I was looking forward to telling you… Bahh!!

– Josh Alexander/Ethan Page
A breath of fresh air in the middle of the Tag Team Division. Over the last few months, most of the tag team action, when it was coming to Tag Team titles, has been centred on LAX and Lucha Brothers. Of course, it has provided some amazing matches but, at the same time, it had been showing how the Tag Team Division was out of talents. I’ve praised Ethan Page’s talent for a quite a while now. Scott D’Amore wanted Alexander on Impact. A new team was born, and there’s no doubt in my mind they will be Tag Team Champions in 2019.

.@OfficialEGO and @Walking_Weapon are here to beat the very best IMPACT has to offer. #IMPACT

WATCH NOW – https://t.co/jyZYT6QL46 pic.twitter.com/6ffrpU3ZcZ

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) April 13, 2019

– Rosemary/Su Yung
This is a feud that has never found an end. On May 3, 2018, “Yung nailed a Panic Switch from the ramp through a table off the side of the ramp. Yung summoned her Brides to drag Rosemary to the coffin and put her inside. Yung did it. She slammed the top shut while Allie was looking on in disbelief.” Rosemary then disappeared to take care of a torn ACL. But the fact is Rosemary is back and this feud can reignite now. I can’t wait to see where it brings us… because it will be scary, nasty and devilish…

To be eNYGMAtic…

What to say of this week’s episode… Baby steps again, with good action but nothing very new, Rebellion wise. The referee screwjob was so easy to see it coming but, as I said, you’ll soon understand why Impact chose that angle. I couldn’t be more happy to see Rosemary and Su feuding again. The North proved they’re made for success.
We’re two weeks away from Rebellion, 2 Impact weekly shows remaining, 3 slots still available, match wise. What to expect? My crystal ball is unavailable for the moment… Come back later…
On this very fuzzy note, until next week, never EVER forget to stay #eNYGMAtic…

Impact Wrestling “Rebellion” Card (as of Saturday, April 13th):

• Impact World Championship match: Johnny Impact (c) vs. Brian Cage
• Impact Knockouts Championship match: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
• Impact X-Division Championship match: Rich Swann (c) vs. Sami Callihan
• Full Metal Mayhem match for the Impact World Tag Team Championship: The Lucha Brothers (c) vs. LAX w/ Konnan
• Knockouts Match: Tessa Blanchard vs. Gail Kim

All pics, videos, and screenshots courtesy of Impact Wrestling. Photomontage custom-made by @frenchnygma exclusively for @vulturehoundmag and @steelchairmag.