Ringside
"HAVE WE USHERED a brand-new era in the world of pro wrestling, or have we just opened Pandora’s box?!” Guest commentator Mauro Ranallo posed that pointed question at the end of a very consequential pay-per-view, Rebellion, as Kenny Omega—the champion of AEW, AAA, and now Impact Wrestling—celebrated in the ring with AEW President Tony Khan, Impact Executive Vice President Don Callis, and former Bullet Club running buddies Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows.
Meanwhile, an obviously shaken Impact VP Scott D’Amore, like the rest of the industry, absorbed the new reality and tried to process the ramifications. Perhaps Khan and Callis have an idea where this compelling storyline full of real-life interpromotional intrigue is going, but the rest of us aren’t clued in yet.
The main event of the April 25 pay-per-view, live from Skyway Studios in Nashville, was an instant classic reminiscent of a big match at the Tokyo Dome. AEW World champion Omega tried to impose his international stature immediately, dictating a slower pace and taking some arrogant shots, including cavalierly stepping on Rich Swann’s back after an exchange.
The trajectory of the bout was typical Omega, steadily warming up the tempo to a boiling crescendo by the 15-minute mark … and the Impact champion met and AEW official struggled to work together and maintain order. Then, Omega went into trademark overdrive, nailing Swann with a total of four V-Triggers before finally catching him with a One-Winged Angel to win the Impact World title.
