8 Ups & 3 Downs From IMPACT Wrestling Emergence 2021

1. Cardona Vs. Raju Falls Short

The wrong match to begin the show, Matt Cardona vs. Rohit Raju didn't tick any of the necessary boxes to flourish.

It was hardly one of the night's more anticipated clashes, but it still could have been something great. They're both credible in-ring workers and a story was there in that Rohit could have focused on the lacerated back of the former Zack Ryder. Instead, they worked a tremendously basic match that achieved little.

Rohit relied too heavily on rolling to the outside. It's a shame, really, as when he did wrestle, he was a hoot. His tilt-a-whirl DDT into the rolling neckbreaker was genuinely neat, as was the spot where he caused Matt's knee to land awkwardly in the ring apron skirt. As for Cardona, he was fine throughout,. A Radio Silence ended the bout after the referee caught Raju using the ropes during a pinfall.

Shera's post-match beatdown that resulted in him being scared off by Chelsea Green didn't help matters. In reality, 'The Indian Lion' would never back down from the former Laurel Van Ness; he should have teased hitting her, at least. This means the feud is continuing, too. That's what's most frustrating.

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Can be found raving about the latest IMPACT Wrestling signing, the Saints Row franchise, and King Shark in The Suicide Squad.