Impact Wrestling Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 21

The final episode Impact Wrestling ahead of the company's Rebellion pay-per-view promised a faction battle between Bullet Club and Honor No More, a preview of Saturday tag team title match as Violent By Design squared off with Decay and the latest in Ace Austin's attempts to sway "Speedball" Mike Bailey to his side.

What went down in each of those matches and, more importantly, was Josh Alexander able to contain himself as Impact world champion Moose promised to apologize for his actions of late?

Find out now with this recap of Thursday's broadcast.

Ahead of a tag team title defense in a massive eight-team match at Rebellion, Violent By Design's Eric Young and Deaner battled Decay's Black Taurus and Crazzy Steve in non-title action.

Overconfidence on the part of the heels allowed Steve and Taurus to mount a comeback. Unfortunately, interference from Joe Doering on the outside in the form of an attack on the masked luchador allowed Young to break a flag over Steve's back and pick up the tainted victory.

This was an energetic opener that hyped the high-stakes tag title match Saturday night at Rebellion. The crowd in Philadelphia was into it and wanted to see Decay earn the win. And therein lies the one issue with the match: why book Young and Deaner to go over when the best option would have been to create the impression that the titles are in jeopardy by having the opposition gain momentum?

That complaint aside, this was a fun, inoffensive opener that gave the match the added story of Taurus overcoming injury if Decay is to win.

Grade

C+

Top Moments

• Young's top-rope elbow from out of nowhere to break up a pinfall was a great spot.
• A great video package hyping Josh Alexander and Moose followed the match.
• Backstage, Rosemary and Havok checked on the hobbled Taurus when Knockouts champion Tasha Steelz attacked the former ahead of their title clash Sunday.

The Major Players were overly proud of themselves following their debut as a faction a week ago and their powerbomb of W. Morrissey through a table. Their introductory promo was interrupted, though, by ECW Originals, the Full-Blooded Italians, Little Guido Maritato and Tony Mamaluke.

A verbal back and forth gave way to a match between Maritato and Cardona for the Impact Wrestling Digital Media Championship. Maritato out-wrestled Cardona early and often but a distraction by Green allowed the heel to gain control of the match and, ultimately, put Guido away with Radio Silence.

Morrissey hit the ring after the match, made the save for the FBI and with the help of Jordynne Grace, drove Cardona through a table with a chokeslam.

The Major Players got a ton of time to introduce their heel act to the Impact audience. Maritato and Mamaluke were the perfect, fiery babyface opposition for them with a strong bond to the Philly audience. Maritato is still in excellent shape and showed out in his first opportunity on national television in quite some time.

Morrissey getting one over on the heels with his chokeslam to Cardona popped the crowd but probably could have been saved for another week. Keep the fans wanting more, after all.

Grade

C+

Top Moments

• "It's fitting that I'm standing in the ECW Arena because I am the Deathmatch King!" Cardona said to the dismay of hardcore Philly fans.
• Cardona: "I'm all about buzz, money and gold."
• The FBI interrupting Cardona and Myers was a great moment and a nod to the extreme history of the 2300 Arena.
• "You haven't been relevant since ECW died 20 years ago!" Cardona said, insulting Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke.
• Cardona nearly accidentally striking Chelsea Green was a nice callback a few months back, when the Long Island Broski accidentally struck his bride in the build to Hard to Kill.

Shera returned to Impact Wrestling in-ring action this week for an enhancement match with Gabriel Rodriguez, which he won in short order with a powerbomb. Backstage, Bhupinder Gujjar cut a promo on Shera and Raj Singh to continue that feud.

Back in the 2300 Arena, Bullet Club (Good Brothers, Chris Bey and "Switchblade" Jay White) and Honor No More (Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Vincent and Kenny King) met in a huge 8-man tag team match.

The teams cut a breakneck pace, the action building steadily before crescendoing with Bey launching himself over the top rope and wiping out Vincent and Taven. Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson put Bennett away with the Magic Killer for the win.

The match was red-hot and had the fans invested from the opening bell. This felt like somewhat of an abbreviated version of a bigger, longer match but it was all action and boatloads of fun. Honor No More really could not afford another loss but their lackluster win-loss record of late may be a red herring to disguise a tag team title win Saturday night.

With Eddie Edwards also battling Ring of Honor world champion Jonathan Gresham, Rebellion may be the turnaround the faction badly needs.

Grade

B+

Top Moments

• The first-time showdown between Jay White and Matt Taven was a cool moment and the latter's fans erupted for him as he gained the upper hand.
• Bey was fired up after his late-match dive and the crowd fed off of his energy.
• As The Good Brothers scored the win over Bennett, White forced a reeling Taven to watch from ringside, a cool spot that adds insult to injury.

More than a spotlight for the X-Division featuring four of its top stars, the tag match pitting champion Trey Miguel and Laredo Kid against Ace Austin and "Speedball" Mike Bailey was the culmination of weeks of "will he or won't he."

Before we could find out if Bailey had Austin's back or not, The Inevitable One sought to pin Miguel and send a message loudly and clearly ahead of Rebellion this Saturday. Unfortunately for him, an ill-fated attempt at The Fold failed as Miguel countered and scored the win rollup.

After the match, Bailey finally answered weeks of questions with a kick to the head of Austin, severing any relationship they may have had.

A match with four wrestlers like Bailey, Austin, Miguel and Laredo Kid is going to be good, if for no reason other than willpower. This certainly was and probably even better than that. The action was fluid, the high spots popped the crowd and all four men shined.

The outcome was probably the right one, especially as it set up the post-match antics that concluded Bailey and Austin's teased partnership. The crowd erupted for Speedball's betrayal of Austin, proof that his booking to this point has been perfect and fans genuinely wanted to see him stick it to the cocky, arrogant lead heel of the X-Division.

Grade

B

Top Moments

• Austin interrupting Bailey's entrance, presumptive that Speedball would have his back was great, smug heel work from The Inevitable One.
• Miguel's hot tag was fantastic and his work is as smooth as anyone in the business.
• The champion countering Austin's Fold finisher to score the win was a strong finish.

Impact world champion Moose to the squared circle for a public apology to Josh Alexander and his family for his vile actions in recent weeks. In true heel fashion, he apologized only for exposing what he called Alexander's shortcomings as a father and husband.

This brought out the No. 1 contender, who brawled with Moose before putting him through a table with the C-4, sending an emphatic message ahead of their pay-per-view main event.

The segment was great. Moose is a fantastic old-school heel who talks a big game but can also back it up. He is not a prototypical cowardly heel but, rather, someone who will try to throw fists and overwhelm his foe with his size and strength advantage.

None of that mattered when confronted by a vengeful Alexander, who put an exclamation point on the build to their match this Saturday.

Impact may not have the viewership of a WWE or AEW, but it has one of the best, most personal feuds in all of professional wrestling and it will be interesting to see if the company does the right thing and puts the title back on Alexander.

Grade

A

Top Moments

• Any appearance by R.D. Evans is welcome. Formerly Archibald Peck of CHIKARA, he is an underrated performer who really should have been a star on a major wrestling show. 

• "I'm sorry for exposing you for not being a protector to your wife. I'm sorry for exposing you for not being a provider for your kids," Moose said, insuring the escalation of the hatred between the two of them. 

• Moose vowing to show Alexander's "pitiful wife and pitiful kids what a real man looks like" was a great heel line.

• Scott D'Amore stepping aside so The Walking Weapon could finally get his hands on Moose was a fantastic moment in a feud in which the Impact EVP has been instrumental.