Despite a high quality product, IMPACT Wrestling still doesn't get the recognition it deserves
You could probably write a series of books on all the times IMPACT Wrestling was supposed to meet its demise. Over the years, rumors of the company's impending doom have often been greatly exaggerated.
When IMPACT launched in 2002 under the Total Non-Stop Action (TNA) banner, they were a mere blip on the radar of sports entertainment. Broadcasts were originally beamed in from Birmingham, Alabama before settling into The Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee for a long stretch of time.
During those formative years, the phrase 'LOLTNA' became popular among internet trolls and WWE loyalists. And while it's true that the promotion did shoot itself in the foot many times over the past two decades, they've still never shot themselves in the head; the company lives on to this day.
At least in some form. The company has changed ownership and names more times than many could count. Gone are the days of Jeff Jarrett and Dixie Carter. Today, it's Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Leonard Asper and Scott D'Amore who shape the promotion and its programming.
Following a wild #UnderSiege event, the road to #Slammiversary heats up on an all-new #IMPACTonAXSTV TONIGHT at 8/7c on @AXSTV and 8:30pm ET on #YouTube for IMPACT Insiders!
Full Preview: impactwrestling.com/2022/05/11/imp…
#IMPACTWRESTLING https://t.co/XE4tUrsUDK
Let's also not get into the fiasco over the company's moniker. The promotion has been known over time as NWA: Total Non-Stop Action, TNA, Global Force Wrestling (briefly, through a failed merger), and now IMPACT Wrestling. In other words, they've had more personalities than Sybil.
They have experience in the J Sports, Panda Energy and Hulk Hogan Eras. They also went through their 'broke and broken' era, when they literally staged a special event at Matt Hardy's house.
Having said that, the company continues on. They even named one of their pay-per-views 'Hard to Kill' as a nod to the fact that they just won't die. If anything, they've shown better survival skills than most other promotions.
Around the same time that they launched, there was another upstart named Ring of Honor that was all the rage. If you had asked any wrestling fan, which one of those two companies will be out of business first? Nearly everyone would have said IMPACT.
Instead, ROH floundered and was eventually absorbed by Tony Khan and All Elite Wrestling.
IMPACT still lives on to this day, and is in a bit of a renaissance period right now.
They have a terrific fighting champion in Josh Alexander, who has really come into his own as a singles star and a cornerstone of the company. He's beloved by the fanbase and should be in for a long and productive title reign.
Tasha Steelz and "Walking Weapon" Josh Alexander https://t.co/TgzwWABuYQ
Their tag team division boasts The Briscoes as their current champions and a roster that includes The Good Brothers. After that? The quality drops off a bit, but their duos division is still solid.
The Knockouts have a special place in wrestling lore as they were the original 'women's revolution' of the modern era. Today, the division has seen the ROH, AAA and (of course) IMPACT Knockouts titles all defended on their shows.
Which brings us to a weakness that management has turned into a strength. The fact that they have budget constraints has forced them to be innovative and work with other promotions. It's translated into some great television and intriguing match-ups.
It's unfortunate that the company that has produced so much terrific talent, great matches and magical memories is often overlooked.
While they will never reach the high-rent district that AEW and WWE reside in, IMPACT Wrestling is producing some incredible content right now. It's just a shame that no one seems to notice.
Are you currently watching IMPACT Wrestling? If so, what do you think of their current product? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.