5 WWE Superstars who excelled at IMPACT Wrestling
WWE has never felt legitimate competition from another wrestling promotion since they acquired WCW and ECW. While the Tony Khan-led AEW is attempting to fill the gap, another promotion tried to rival WWE. It was TNA, known as IMPACT Wrestling these days.
IMPACT was known for excellent matches, storylines, and the famed X-Division. When WWE failed to promote women's wrestling and promoted divas instead, the female wrestlers of TNA were performing at an amazing level.
Throwback Photo of the Day: Gail Kim throws everything she has at Awesome Kong in the middle of their iconic rivalry. (Final Resolution, 2008) https://t.co/EnidNAWSmf
However, the company couldn't become a legitimate competition for WWE. Nevertheless, TNA is still known as a hotbed for rising stars, and the destruction of the forbidden door has seen their talents appear in AEW and vice versa.
Several TNA/IMPACT Wrestling talents eventually moved to WWE and succeeded in becoming star attractions. They include current champions in both the WWE main roster and NXT.
Here's a list of five current WWE Superstars who were once in IMPACT Wrestling.
#5. Former WWE NXT Champion Robert Roode
One of my all-time favorite TNA tag teams,James Storm and Robert Roode:Beer Money,Inc. https://t.co/iPr5EHBCZB
Robert Roode is currently part of a tag team with Dolph Ziggler, where they act as handy veterans putting over younger stars. Roode is still a competent in-ring talent, and his skills are appreciated by WWE, although he will most certainly never reach the top of the mountain.
In TNA, Roode formed the successful tag team Beer Money with James Storm and, as a singles competitor, won the company's World Championship twice.
In 2013, a Tournament of Champions was organized to decide the greatest World Champion in TNA history. Roode defeated another future WWE NXT Champion in the finals to win the tournament.