7 Ups & 3 Downs From This Week's Impact Wrestling (Mar 22)

2. Johnny's Explanation

The antics of Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie have been superb as of late, particularly in the case of the World Champion. The Shaman of Sexy has played every trick in the book in order to escape a championship defence against Brian Cage, and it’s been absolutely excellent to watch. This proves Johnny is more than just a guy who can do some cool flips – he’s able to tell a great story when given the opportunity.

He stated his reason behind his heinous attack on Cage last week was due to the fans (more specifically, the smart marks) turning their back on him during the pair’s match at Homecoming. The champ’s got a point here – the audience have turned their heads at him ever since the January event, wanting nothing from Impact other than flashy moves. They don’t care about the stories he’s able to tell.

Impact ended the segment by saying Cage will receive his championship match at the upcoming pay-per-view, Rebellion, on 28 April. We’ve heard this statement from the champ in recent weeks, and he’s always had a plan in mind to get out of the match. No doubt, The Machine will ensure he actually gets his hands on Impact this time around.