8 Ups & 3 Downs From IMPACT Wrestling (1 July)

4. Beale Stands Out

Unsurprisingly, Sam Beale took the fall from Satoshi Kojima as he and Brian Myers were felled by Kojima and Jake Something. By the end of the match, it didn't matter one bit because Beale looked like an actual IMPACT wrestler rather than an enhancement talent, as he has done before.

Myers' 'young boy' sold everything perfectly, most notably the match-ending Koji Cutter and Lariat from Kojima, as well as a forearm he took from Jake earlier on. He both took receipts and dished them out, though, clotheslining Something with such ferocity in the middle of the bout. This was a massive step up for Sam; he clearly does belong here, but he was yet to properly show it.

When critiquing his performance, however, you must commend Kojima, Myers, and Something for their efforts throughout the match. Satoshi and Jake's aforementioned onslaught that Sam sold beautifully allowed the youngster to shine, while Brian played the teacher role to utter perfection here. Again, it's something we were yet to actually see, but when it finally occurred, it was worth it. Keep this up.