5 IMPACT Wrestling stars to watch in 2023
IMPACT Wrestling's roster has shifted quite a bit this year. We saw the arrival and departure of Honor No More, the farewell of the Good Brothers who were vital in the company's Pandemic Era, and several free agents popped up for short yet incredible runs.
IMPACT also managed to lock down some widely acclaimed talent in recent months, guaranteeing that 2023 will be another exciting year for the promotion. Today we'll be taking a look at competitors who are destined to reach the top of the mountain this year.
That means no Josh Alexander, no Jordynne Grace, and no Motor City Machine Guns. Setting our sights on the future, who on IMPACT Wrestling's roster is set to take the company by storm?
Honorable mentions:
- Joe Hendry: Captured the IMPACT Wrestling Digital Media Championship a month into his run. Already involved in a heated rivalry with former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Moose.
- Gisele Shaw: Notable wins over Rosemary and Madison Rayne. A strong loss against Mickie James at Victory Road.
- Killer Kelly: 5-0-1 in singles competition in 2022, including a victory over former IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Tasha Steelz. Took a leave of absence but is returning at Hard to Kill in a #1 contender's match.
We're starting the count off with a former X-Division Champion who has taken the world by storm since returning to the United States last year.
#5. Former IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion Mike Bailey
#ANDNEW @IMPACTWRESTLING X Division Champion!
@SpeedballBailey
#Slammiversary https://t.co/wt2IUqKT0L
"Speedball" Mike Bailey has been a man possessed since coming to IMPACT Wrestling in 2022. After being unable to travel to the United States for five years, Bailey has wasted absolutely no time in proving himself in multiple promotions.
Speedball made his debut for IMPACT in January last year at the Hard to Kill pay-per-view and has picked up wins over some of the best on the roster. Laredo Kid, Chris Bey, Trey Miguel, Alan Angels, and more have fallen to the speed and unorthodox style of Speedball.
Bailey's highlight came from the Ultimate X match at Slammiversary, where he captured his first IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Championship. Although he lost the belt to Frankie Kazarian later in the year, he went on to have a match of the year candidate with IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander that fans are still talking about today.
He may be on the rebound now, but someone of Mike Bailey's caliber will bounce right back in no time.
#4. Steve Maclin
In recent years, we've seen several former "Superstars" needing to rebrand themselves and fix their image. Some go to AEW, some wind up in the UK or Japan, and others hone their craft on the indies. In recent years, though, no company has been better at rebuilding someone's image and bringing out their star power than IMPACT.
Rich Swann, Deonna Purrazzo, and Matt Cardona are just a few names that managed to push their stocks to the moon after finding themselves in IMPACT. Steve Maclin is another to add to the list, and could very well end up being one of the best examples when all is said and done.
Maclin, formerly WWE's Steve Cutler, made his debut for IMPACT Wrestling in 2021 and decimated anyone that stood in front of him for the past 18 months. In 2022, Maclin defeated Eddie Edwards, Rhino, James Storm, PCO, Sami Callihan, Moose, Chris Sabin, Tommy Dreamer, and Jay White. That's a total of nine world champions across several promotions that have fallen to the Mercenary.
It's tough to really narrow down the greatest accomplishment for Steve Maclin this year. He never captured a title, though he was in multiple championship bouts throughout the year. Still, he defeated four of the named opponents above in two different triple-threat matches.
At Rebellion in April, he knocked off Jay White and Chris Sabin, which left many fans completely stunned. He'd later enter a feud with Moose and Sami Callihan, besting them both in a three-way Barbed Wire Massacre at Victory Road.
Maclin is a monster in the ring. He's a dangerous competitor that seems destined for glory in 2023, and the perfect example of how you can boost your stock higher following a departure from another major promotion.
#3. Bullet Club's Ace Austin & Chris Bey
Two former IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champions, Chris Bey and Ace Austin (Ace of Beyse as I call them) could wind up being one of the best tag teams to ever grace IMPACT Wrestling. Much like the Motor City Machine Guns years prior, we're seeing two of the best talents in IMPACT Wrestling join forces.
The duo recently journeyed to Japan to compete in the NJPW Super Jr Tag Team League. Prior to their departure, they had a phenomenal tag team bout against the Guns, with Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley pulling out the win over their young counterparts. The Guns told them that they'd come back from NJPW a far better team, and they'd be waiting for them when they return.
Congratulations to @The_Ace_Austin and @DashingChrisBey on their incredible run all the way to the finals of @njpwglobal's Super Jr Tag League! twitter.com/njpwworld/stat…
They were right, as Bey and Austin made it all the way to the finals of the tournament. Though they failed to defeat Lio Rush and YOH in the finals, they proved their worth as one of the best tag teams on the planet.
It cannot be stressed how incredible both of these young men are. If you haven't seen either of them compete, you're missing out on generational talent.
#2. Former ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham
Jonathan Gresham started 2022 off with IMPACT Wrestling by defending the ROH World Title against Steve Maclin and Chris Sabin. Gresham ended 2022 in IMPACT Wrestling with a 5-0 record.
After losing his championship to Claudio Castagnoli at Death Before Dishonor, Gresham wrestled a handful of times throughout the rest of the year but didn't return to IMPACT until December. At that point, Gresham saved longtime booker of ROH, Delirious, from a post-match beatdown by Eddie Edwards. Soon after, it was revealed that the Octopus had signed a deal with IMPACT Wrestling.
With one of the most talented in-ring competitors locked in with IMPACT, one can only assume it's a matter of time before he climbs the ranks and captures a championship. Wrestling fans would be salivating at a bout between him and Mike Bailey, Josh Alexander, or Rich Swann.
2023 looks like a great year for Jonathan Gresham.
#1. Masha Slamovich
It was tough not to put her at the very top when she was named in Sports Illustrated's Top 10 Wrestlers of 2022 list. Masha Slamovich broke into the list, landing at the number 10 spot, and she more than deserved that ranking.
From her second return to the promotion in January 2022 until October, Slamovich was undefeated. The 24-year-old beast ran through the likes of Tenille Dashwood, Gisele Shaw, Madison Rayne, and even multi-time Knockouts World Champion Deonna Purrazzo. She even picked up a victory over "Speedball" Mike Bailey at an indie event earlier in the year.
Slamovich's only losses in 2022 came at the hands of current IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace. The Juggernaut of the division bested the Russian Ripper in two of the best matches of the entire year.
Slamovich's aggressive style is fast-paced and sort of like watching a car crash, especially if the opponent doesn't have an answer for her. She's intense, has a unique look all her own, and has an aura that draws fans in.
BREAKING: The Knockouts #1 Contenders match at #HardToKill on January 13 just got bigger as @Kelly_WP will join @mashaslamovich, @DeonnaPurrazzo and @RealTaylorWilde all looking for a shot at gold!
Order on FITE: fite.tv/watch/impact-h… https://t.co/lhffyEAi6Z
Grace may have ended her undefeated streak in 2022, but it will surprise no one if Masha Slamovich finds herself on top of the Knockouts Division by the end of this year, if not sooner.
What wrestlers do you think will have a breakout year in 2023? Let us know in the comments below!