Impact Wrestling Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 3

On the road to Saturday's Sacrifice event, Impact Wrestling hit the AXS TV airwaves Thursday night for a broadcast highlighting the company's top stars, factions and storylines.

In his first match since betraying his Impact Wrestling brethren at No Surrender, Eddie Edwards battled Steve Maclin to kick off the show. What followed was a broadcast that cut a frenetic pace, jam-packed a considerable amount of in-ring action into its two hours and set the stage for a potentially noteworthy live event Saturday night on Impact Plus.

Who emerged with momentum on their side, and what did it mean for the feuds in question?

Find out with this recap of the March 3 broadcast.

The turncoat of Honor No More, Eddie Edwards, kicked off this week's show with a singles match against Steve Maclin.

The competitors did not wait for the bell to ring, with their fight beginning on the arena floor. Back inside the ring, with the bell having rung and the match officially underway, Maclin wasted little time throwing his body at Edwards. The former world champion answered with stunning chops to the chest and a Sky High for a two-count. 

Maclin absorbed and fired back at Edwards with chops of his own. A double-down spot allowed the former Marine to create some separation. A vile, angry Edwards resumed control, but Maclin fought out of a superplex attempt and delivered the Crosshairs, driving the air out of his opponent. 

With the antihero of Impact Wrestling building momentum, a desperate Edwards rocked his opponent with a kendo stick, drawing a disqualification. He uncorked several more shots about the body of his opponent with the weapon. Team Impact's Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath, Rhino and Chris Sabin rushed the ring to make the save before staring down Edwards and Honor No More. 

Maria Kanellis and Vincent each cut promos on the part of the heels before Heath issued a challenge for a match to the latter.

Result

Maclin defeated Edwards via disqualification

Grade

B+

Analysis

Impact has something in an antihero Maclin. He's a pitbull-like competitor, equal parts resilient and tenacious. He keeps fighting, shows guts and stands up for what is right, even when it may not be convenient. That he was able to hang in there with one of the most celebrated wrestlers in Impact history bodes well for his chances at more matches against world championship-caliber opponents.

The finish protected Maclin from a loss and put over Edwards' heel persona, proving to be equally beneficial. 

The post-match promo exchange and the impromptu battle between Heath and Vincent was a nice touch for a show that had already announced a stacked card.

Already seeking a world title match against Moose, Heath took the fight to Vincent in an impromptu, unadvertised contest.

The top contender to the Impact Championship was aggressive early and often, but Vincent downed the West Virginian ahead of the commercial break and controlled the pace of the match coming out of it. 

Heath fought back, firing off the hard rights and lefts that have defined his work over the years. The former Golden Gloves boxer mounted a comeback, and despite a last-second attempt by Vincent to put him away, he delivered the Wakeup Call for the pinfall victory.

After the match, a brawl between Team Impact and Honor No More broke out. Impact world champion Moose attempted an attack, but Heath dodged it and delivered another Wakeup Call, this one to his Sacrifice opponent. Swann counted the pin in a symbolic moment that teased a new champion Saturday night. 

Result

Heath defeated Vincent

Grade

B-

Analysis

This was a solid, physical match that spotlighted Heath while continuing the ongoing conflict between Team Impact and Honor No More.

Heath may not feel like a threat to dethrone Moose Saturday night, but Impact has certainly attempted to build him into one in the short period between No Surrender and the latest live event special. He earned a big win and left Moose lying, putting an exclamation point on the build to the championship match.

It was disappointing to see Vincent drop the match, if only because he appears to be the least protected of the Honor No More faction. He could use a strong, decisive victory sooner rather than later to avoid losing credibility with an audience that may be unfamiliar with his work in Ring of Honor.

Masha Slamovich returned to action this week, squaring off with Raychell Rose.

It was a one-sided contest that saw Slamovich earn the pinfall victory over her outmatched opponent.

Backstage, Violent By Design and Guerillas of Destiny discussed their main event match with Bullet Club and why it is important that they work together against the competition.

Result

Slamovich defeated Rose

Grade

C

Analysis

It is beyond time for Slamovich to move on to actual competition. The squash matches worked early on, but now, she feels like a competitor on a treadmill of sorts, waiting for something meaningful to do. That should come immediately after Sacrifice.

Violent By Design adopting the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" mentality ahead of the main event is a nice touch and shows the always-thinking nature of Eric Young.

The same EY who would absolutely drop Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa the moment they became an inconvenience. 

Saturday at Sacrifice, The IInspiration will defend the Knockouts Tag Team Championship against The Influence. Thursday, Cassie Lee, seconded by Jessie McKay, squared off with Madison Rayne, who was accompanied by partner Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb with a K.

The back and forth match culminated with Kaleb delicately setting down McKay, thus distracting Rayne. Seconds later, Lee delivered the IInspiral for the pinfall victory.

Result

Lee defeated Rayne

Grade

C+

Analysis

Kaleb is the centerpiece of this rivalry, and despite The Influence's attempt to keep him out of the way backfiring, his honorable protection of McKay cost Rayne the win and further earned him the scorn of his charges.

Expect him to play into the finish of Saturday's match, especially as The IInspiration appears poised to retain their titles.

The question then becomes whether the on-screen partnership between Kaleb and Dashwood comes to an end or if his place in The Influence can be salvaged.

A shot at Mickie James' Knockouts Championship fueled Chelsea Green and Tasha Steelz in a high-stakes contest.

Steelz, believing the title opportunity to be hers, controlled the action early and often as she dominated Green. The resilient babyface, and James' bestie, absorbed everything her opponent threw at her and mounted a comeback late.

She tried for the I'm Prettier, but Steelz stunned her with a chop to the chest. Green fought out of a suplex and flattened The Boricua Badass for a near-fall as the crowd came alive. Steelz recovered and, playing mind games with James at ringside, delivered the Stratusfaction bulldog, reminiscent of the champ's former foe Trish Stratus.

At ringside, Savannah Evans wiped Green out with a big boot as the commentary team reminded James that she promised her friend she would not get involved. Steelz benefited from the interference, delivering a frog splash and earning another title shot.

Result

Steelz defeated Green

Grade

B

Analysis

There was some really strong work from Green and Steelz here. Steelz continuously shows the skills of a future champion and potential centerpiece of the division. Green has been great for a long time, even when other promotions failed to see what they had in her. Together, they delivered a really fun, competitive match with Sacrifice implications.

The biggest takeaway is the involvement of Evans, the lack thereof from James, and what consequences that will have on the storyline moving forward.

Yes, Green did not want James to get involved, but in the moment, she likely would have appreciated the champion standing up for her and giving her a chance to beat Steelz one-on-one. Whether the disappointment and frustration of this loss forces a heel turn by Green will bear watching moving forward.

Jonah will square off with PCO of Honor No More Saturday at Sacrifice, but he competed against Johnny Swinger Thursday.

As expected, it was a one-sided affair that saw Jonah score the victory following his Tsunami splash finisher.

When he teased another to Swinger, PCO made his way to the ring, coming face-to-face with The Top Dog in a preview of their colossal confrontation. 

Jonah got the best of his opponent, delivering the Tsunami to the half-man, half-monster. PCO sat up, reanimated, and cleared the Aussie from the ring. The Frankenstein's monster of Honor No More fired up, then stood tall before staring down Jonah. 

Result

Jonah squashed Swinger

Grade

B

Analysis

The match itself was a one-sided squash, but that was not intended to be the biggest takeaway of this. Instead, it was the physicality between PCO and Jonah, a preview of things to come Saturday night. The crowd reacted favorably to the back-and-forth between them, and the heavyweight contest could prove to be one of the show-stealers during the Sacrifice live event.

As long as Jonah is protected as a potential world championship contender, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which the match does not meet expectations.

The tensions between Bullet Club and the makeshift team of Violent By Design and Guerillas of Destiny boiled over early in Thursday's main event, forcing Scott D'Amore to emerge from the backstage area and announce it would now be contested under No Disqualification rules.

The action was nonstop and physical, with both teams unloading on each other with a hard-hitting offense. Joe Doering of VBD shook off a chain-assisted choke from Jay White and slammed him on a trash can. Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson battled on the floor while White recovered and sought to deliver the Blade Runner to Deaner.

Later, White found himself in the unenviable position of being alone with Doering, who flattened him. Deaner added a headbutt for two before Bey broke up the pin. Backstage, the Good Brothers and G.o.D brawled backstage.

Doering produced an actual door, but White prevented him from putting Bey through it. King Switch sent the big man to the floor then delivered Blade Runner to Deaner, on to a chair, for the pinfall victory.

Result

Bullet Club defeated Violent By Design and Guerillas of Destiny

Grade

B

Analysis

This was good, old-fashioned, chaotic fun.

It was all brawling, nothing else, and it did not need to be. The match, the tone and everything in between perfectly reflected the dislike between the teams. It was exactly what it needed to be, with the right team going over to help further establish the reign of dominance Bullet Club has over Impact Wrestling—especially following the big betrayal back at Sacrifice, perpetrated by Jay White on G.o.D.

The feud does not feel like it is over, and another one of these wild, chaotic contests would be a hell of a way to intensify things between the teams before wrapping things up.