Impact Wrestling and All In: This is the Changing Face of Professional Wrestling

All In may just be the most important wrestling event since the death of WCW in 2001. The Cody/Bucks-fronted event is the changing face of modern-day professional wrestling. Impact Wrestling can only benefit from the positive fallout of The Elite’s vision.

The excitement for All In, amongst wrestling fans, cannot be underestimated. A sold out, arena show with 10,000 in attendance, must surely register on Vince McMahon’s radar. This. Is. Important. At least for fans of the art form that is wrasslin’.

All In represents what happens when the wider wrestling community and the entrepreneurial vision of Cody and The Young Bucks hone their skills, talents for promotion and pure force of will, to achieve the (seemingly) impossible. The success of The Biggest Independent Wrestling Event in the World, is not just beneficial to the coffers of The Elite, this is a seismic shift for any wrestling company not under the WWE banner.

All In is built on the spirit of collaboration. New Japan, Ring of Honor, AAA, the NWA and Impact Wrestling, will all be represented. But this will be no ego-fuelled, inter-promotional battering orchestrated by a companies promoter (a la WWE vs WCW/ECW circa 2001), this event will be a showcase presentation for the featured performers. And this is where Impact can benefit tremendously.

Pentagon Jr, while in no way exclusive to Impact Wrestling, has been a highlight of 2018 for the company. Chosen to take on Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s number one pick, Kenny Omega, this match could steal the entire All In card. Impact has introduced me to Penta this year. All In, can introduce a different audience to the mythic luchadour and by proxy, to the new Impact Wrestling.

Tessa Blanchard represents Impact Wrestling in the 4-way women’s match. Madison Rayne vs. Britt Baker vs. Chelsea Green vs. Tessa Blanchard.  

The women have a unique opportunity to shine on this night. Former Impact alumni, Rayne and Green give the brand further visibility. Green was a hoot for Impact in 2016/17. Rayne has been a mainstay of the Knockouts division since its inception. All In might just put eyes on the current KO champ and her forebearers.

Fenix, an unsung hero of Impact this year features in the All In main event. Alongside the legendary, Rey Mysterio and Bandido, they face the Bucks and Kota Ibushi. Chosen to end All In based on the phenomenal work each performer has showcased this year, this should leave jaws on the floor. Fenix will be Goggled and YouTube’d and could well be trending worldwide following the conclusion of this match.

Impact stars, repping a re-energised product and promotion, can only be a boon for the company. Pentagon, Fenix and Blanchard are key components of Impact ’18. Watch them all turn heads during All In weekend. And with confirmed appearances from Moose, Brian Cage and Don Callis (on commentary), the Impact brand has a strong presence with which to put its best foot forward.

The NWA’s, Dave Lagana, has been documenting the build towards Cody vs Nick Aldis at All In. A title that, one year ago, people were oblivious to, the NWA Championship, is going to be defended in front of 10,000 people. As All In has evolved, so has the NWA and the excellent Ten Pounds of Gold YouTube series.

Both have shown what creative vision, collaboration and the spirit of wrestling community can do for brands, performers and organisations. The NWA is better for its involvement at All In. All In is better for its association with the re-birthed NWA. It’s win/win for all involved.

All In creates visibility. It opens up a whole new audience to other brands. The good will that is encapsulated in this event is something Impact can ride the wave of, and emulate.

In 2018, Impact have collaborated with numerous, small, independent companies. To a lesser extent, they have fostered relationships with the big guns (ROH, AAA, NJPW, The Cruise of Jericho). All In and its overwhelming success (prior to the event) has created a template on which Impact management can build.

Ed Nordholm, Don Callis and Scott D’Amore have shown patience in building the brand of Impact in 2018. Selling out small buildings and rebuilding their base, one fan at a time, has been their modus operandi. Impact has years of damage to repair, they won’t be drawing 10,000 any time soon. But, All In shows that the improbable dream can become a positive reality.

2019 needs to be another step forward. Bigger buildings. Fresh faces. New ideas. Rebuild that Impact community. Reach out. Collaborate.

The wrestling economy is thriving due to the daring do of All In and those associated with it. Impact Wrestling can ride that wave created by Cody and The Bucks. Wrestling as a whole, will be better for the existence of this event. Here’s hoping that Impact and, for that matter, all companies, use All In as the springboard to evolve, develop and continue to change the landscape of Professional Wrestling.