Impact Wrestling Under Pressure 2018 Results, Highlights, and Grades

Tessa Blanchard vs. Madison Rayne

Result: Madison Rayne rolls up Tessa Blanchard for a surprise win

I am beyond excited for this match, and it goes beyond the fact that this is a huge return match for Madison Rayne. Tessa Blanchard has been on fire in promos since joining Impact Wrestling at Redemption, and the way this match has been built is exceptional. There’s no title on the line and nothing on the line besides pride, but that’s all we need here. These two will likely put on a show.

The opening exchanges and pinning sequences from Rayne were fantastic, and she really hasn’t missed a beat. Sometimes I forget how good Rayne is in the ring, and these two were on absolute fire from the get-go.

This match was violent as hell. All of Blanchard’s strikes and clotheslines looked super legit, so, naturally, I absolutely loved it. Rayne wasn’t going easy either, which made this match all the more heated.

Blanchard sinks a savage chinlock on Madison, who gets raucous cheers from the crowd, as they are desperately hoping for the five-time Knockouts Champion to make a big comeback against the dastardly former Mae Young Classic competitor.

Rayne showed incredible resiliency to kick out of a big Flatliner in the corner, getting out of a deep cover in the process. Blanchard was absolutely livid, and she completely lost her focus while arguing with the referee. So Rayne showed veteran savvy rolled Blanchard up for the win, scoring a nifty upset. As Josh Mathews noted on commentary, the fact that a five-time champ winning in an upset speaks volumes to how highly we all think of Blanchard.

Grade: A, great match, cool finish, and it’s definitely worth checking out.