Steve Maclin Crowned New Impact World Champion At Rebellion
A new Impact World Champion has been crowned.
Last night at Impact Wrestling's Rebellion pay-per-view, Steve Maclin defeated KUSHIDA to capture the vacant Impact World Championship via pinfall. After emerging triumphant from that title clash, Maclin called out the current President of Impact Wrestling Scott D'Amore to hand him the belt. After D'Amore appeared, Maclin grabbed the championship and hit the executive with it. That heinous move prompted former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis – who returned to Impact last night at Rebellion – to confront Maclin, which resulted in a staredown between the two wrestlers.
Maclin was originally scheduled to challenge Josh Alexander for the title at Rebellion after defeating Brian Myers, Heath, and PCO in a four-way match at No Surrender in February. However, the longest-reigning Impact World Champion in the promotion's history was forced to relinquish the belt after suffering a torn triceps. As a result, KUSHIDA, who was set to challenge Alexander for the strap at Multiverse United during WrestleMania 39 week in Los Angeles, California, was pitted against Maclin for the vacant Impact World Championship.
Maclin wasn't the only one celebrating in his household last night, as his wife Deonna Purrazzo defeated Jordynne Grace to win the vacant Impact Knockouts World Championship. "The Virtuosa" pinned Grace to capture the third Knockouts title of her career. Notably, Grace was slated to challenge Mickie James for the gold, but the veteran wrestler was forced to hand over the belt after sustaining an injury. Mirroring her husband's route to the pay-per-view, Purrazzo punched her ticket to Rebellion's Knockouts World Championship bout after defeating Miyu Yamashita, Gisele Shaw, and Masha Slamovich in a four-way clash at Multiverse United.