DDT Divas Exclusive
Reviews by Dave
Show air date: March 13, 2021
Impact Wrestling continued their extremely strong run of pay-per-view and Impact Plus specials with the excellent Sacrifice on Saturday night. You could not ask for a better-structured show that had every match be unique and tell individual stories.
Decay defeated Reno Scum
Decay–Black Taurus and Crazzy Steve–defeated Reno Scum–Luster the Legend and Adam Thornstone–in a good opening tag team match with Rosemary spraying Luster with green mist, setting up a pin by Taurus. Both teams looked good with Decay looking like they’re now top contenders.
Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb defeated Havok and Nevaeh
Havok and Nevaeh were upset by Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb With a K in a intergender match (where there can be women vs men interaction), furthering the story of Nevaeh’s confidence issues as again, she took the fall. Another good tag match with an element of comedy, giving it a light touch.
Violent By Design defeated James Storm and Chris Sabin
After a great video package, Violent By Design (Deaner and Joe Doering with Eric Young ringside) got a win over James Storm and Chris Sabin. Considering the talent involved, this should have been expected to be good and it delivered. Just as VBD were taking advantage of their superior numbers and tactics (and Doering’s impressive size and power), Rhino made his surprise return…and joined VBD. Extremely well done as they didn’t telegraph the turn by teasing it out too long. Good match, great turn.
Eddie Edwards defeated Brian Myers
in a Hold Harmless Match
In a Hold Harmless match (practically an old school “lights out” unsanctioned match), Eddie Edwards got a win his long-time rival, “The Most Professional Wrestler” (and winner of the Jean Pierre Lafitte Look a Like contest) Brian Myers. Great physical match that told a great story of Myers outsmarting Edwards but not being able to overcome Edwards’ brawling. There’s a brutal Backpack Stunner by Edwards to Myers through a table on the floor. Myers’ associate Hernandez came out to help him but was cut off by Myer’s best friend, Matt Cardona. That has got to be a Rebellion match now: Myers vs Cardona. Another good match with the last two picking up the intensity and leaving the second half of the show to the title matches.
Fire N Flava defeated Jordynne Grace and Jazz
for the Knockouts Tag Team Championship
Fighting back their toughest challenge to date, Fire N Flava–Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz–got a huge win over Jordynne Grace and Jazz in their best performance as a team to date. All four women looked great with FnF relying on speed and strikes–like a modern day Bobby Eaton and Koko B. Ware from 1982 Memphis–while Grace and Jazz used superior power and experience. The close came when FnF hit a series of big moves to set up a Hogan Fisherman Neckbreaker for the clean win on Grace.
Ace Austin defeated TJP
for the X Division Championship
Ace Austin (with Madman Fulton) earned his newly christened nickname “The Inevitable” winning his second X Division championship, beating TJP in a very good match with Austin winning via his The Fold flying neckbreaker finish.
Deonna Purrazzo (c) defeated ODB
for the Knockouts Championship
Knockouts champion “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo beat ODB in a good match where ODB was working hard and delivering some hard strikes, making Purrazzo earn it. The champ dodged a middle rope shoulder block and locked in her Venus Di Milo double armbar submission. That’s three heels winning their title matches clean. Revolutionary!!!
FinJuice defeated The Good Brother
for the IMPACT World Tag Team Championship
In an upset, FinJuice–David Finlay and Juice Robinson–captured the Impact World tag titles over their former New Japan mentors, the Good Brothers, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows. Great story of the younger men having to fight from underneath as the veterans still saw them as their “young boys” from the New Japan dojo. Juice Robinson in particular looked good in the closing moments as he was able to take out Gallows, isolating Anderson with himself and Finlay. They finished him with the classic Doomsday Device clothesline.
Rich Swann defeated Moose
for the TNA World Championship and the IMPACT World Championship
In the historic main event where the Impact World title was on the line alongside the newly revived TNA world title with the winner facing AEW world champion Kenny Omega, in another title vs title match, Rich Swann got the biggest win of his title run over Moose, his most persistent challenger.
They saved their best match for last. I’ve called Swann a “Bob Backlund WWF” style babyface champion but this match put me in the mind of Sting in 92 against Big Van Vader, the Starrcade 92 match in particular as Moose controlled the pace of the match with his obvious size and power advantage. Swann never stopped fighting back until it seemed Moose was frustrated and ended up costing himself the match and Swann showing true grit and determination, pinning Moose with a crucifix after Moose missed four Lights Out spears, including running into a chair Moose set up earlier.
A simply excellent wrestling show.
Thanks for reading!
