Impact Wrestling Discussion Thread

[Dominator83]

Not sure if anybody here watches impact on thursdays, but i was on throughout the show last week and will be this week too. Sat where the camera hits during matches. White hat and ECW shirt can't miss me!

[Knightfall]

So later today TNA is going to be showing their new championship belts for their rebrand.

[Dr Positivity]

Watching Hard to Kill from January and enjoying it. Maybe it's the gold and black and small room but kind of reminds me of watching old school NXT PPV.

Edit - Just finished it and the main event is ok overall as Moose is pretty raw, but I popped when Dolph showed up, I didn't know since I'm behind and avoid spoilers for WWE.

[Dominator83]

Watching Hard to Kill from January and enjoying it. Maybe it's the gold and black and small room but kind of reminds me of watching old school NXT PPV.

Edit - Just finished it and the main event is ok overall as Moose is pretty raw, but I popped when Dolph showed up, I didn't know since I'm behind and avoid spoilers for WWE.

If moose is raw that's not good considering he's been there almost 8 years now

[Dr Positivity]

Ospraey was definitely a TNA watching AJ mark growing up. It's like Derozan-Kobe.

[Dr Positivity]

This one wasn't booked right with Kushida being an idiot, but the other companies should copy the "No Surrender" match where the only way to lose is your partners throwing in the towel. It is a nice dramatic touch for stable feuds and completely protects the guy losing. I also like the touch that if they interfere it counts as throwing in the towel.

[Dr Positivity]

TNA wrestlers I would go after if I was WWE/AEW in order

1. Jordynne Grace - I'm pretty surprised TNA still has her, she is WWE main roster bait all the way, and has already dipped her toe in.

2. Speedball Mountain (Trent Sven and Mike Bailey) - Sven is already recognizable to the NXT/AEW type audience and Mike Bailey is the perfect little guy partner who can work and has a look. Maybe on WWE main roster he would be a mascot, but could definitely be NXT tag champions.

3. Jake Something - Pretty nice big man. Needs a new name.

4. Joe Hendry - Yeah might be more of a Miz in the ring but he has the type of entertaining character the internet likes.

5. The ABC (Ace Austin and Chris Bey) - two under 30 wrestlers who seem pretty solid, I was impressed by Austin's match against Ali.

Josh Alexander strikes me as Quadruple A guy as probably TNA's #1 guy but would be like CAW in other places, same with Steve Maclin, Eddie Edwards, MCMG. Moose I guess could be tried as a muscle on WWE main roster but at 40 it's getting pretty late.

[Dr Positivity]

I haven't watched main roster WWE for years because my brain is fugged (so take everything in this post with a grain of salt I guess) and my plan was to stop watching and catch up one day with russian torrents, so I try to keep up with AEW but I started watching TNA a year ago and have seem every Impact episode and PLE since and I think they did a pretty good job considering small roster and overall less talent.

Hendry was a nice booked babyface rise to the title after his lightning in a bottle, getting through Alexander then making him lose at first at Bound for Glory but win at their next major PPV Genesis few months later. Only thing is I'm surprised they didn't turn Nemeth heel for the second one especially with the JBL usage that hasn't been explained yet. Yeah he could end up a flash in the pan like a lot of guys who get over due to entrance type of stuff but he does at least have a strength skillset and if he goes to WWE the model is pretty clear of try to wrestle like Cena and be guy the kids like.

The women's division has always been thin and leans on NXT to help them but Grace vs Masha was a nice rivalry and Tessa's X-pac heat just makes me want to watch her more, and she backed it up with great match with Grace at Genesis that showed the full would be a WWE women's champ package if she wasn't toxic. It's crazy they actually have a women's tag title since they have 2 regular teams currently (and frankly their current champ should be broken up after they lose it to Dana's team since I like Dani Luna and they obviously need more singles womens wrestlers)

X division usually had guys like Bailey or Ali having MOTN on the PLE in 2024, currently it's on Moose.

I've enjoyed the old Hardys tag title run and the ABC before Bey's injury and Rascalz are solid enough, the former Curt Hawkins and Eddie Edwards is the most good hands-y tag team ever but I guess they did their job well enough, also at least with the latter he has a nice looking wife mouthpiece.

There is something comfy about the small roster especially in direct comparison to AEW, you can guess who they're feuding next half the time because there's only so many face/heel. And even dudes like Eric Young and Frankie Kazarian yeah they're 45+ and not really that fun to watch wrestle, but they still use them in storylines. Mike Santana has been pretty cool and is set up as future champ for them and I like this military Steve Maclin guy's acting, he will probably be on TNA forever since his look is just generic enough to not have a chance anywhere else. Leon Slater is a pretty nice springy athlete prospect. It looks like they will be walking with Elias Elijah.

Not saying it's the best wrestling product ever or some of the TV episodes can't get dry, but the difference between it and AEW/NXT's viewership is not justified and mostly based on exposure. Not that I'm watching NXT nowadays for the reasons listed above but if their main eventers have been Trick Williams and Ethan Page and they're crossing over with TNA like this how much stronger can they be?

[Dominator83]

There's a ton of criticism that the partnership only serves WWE and TNA gets the shaft. While that is mostly true with the booking, TNA tonight drew their biggest house. They're benefitting via getting more interest in their product