Every wrestling promotion should want Scarlett Bordeaux’s signature

Impact Wrestling have granted Scarlett Bordeaux her release and every other wrestling promotion has undoubtedly taken notice.

When Scarlett Bordeaux first debuted on Impact Wrestling as “The Smoke Show,” she immediately captured the audience’s attention with her vignettes, interruptions and commanding presence. Bordeaux quickly established herself as one of Impact’s best talkers and a rising star.

Now, Impact have come to terms with Bordeaux’s release and pulled a line out of WWE’s playbook by wishing the AAA star the best in her future endeavors.

It’s safe to say that Bordeaux’s future endeavors will be quite grandiose, given the level of talent she displayed at Impact over the past year.

Bordeaux’s exit comes after she and Killer Kross requested their releases from Impact, as first reported by PWInsider’s Mike Johnson. Impact wrestlers have, apparently, received little pay for their work and Kross went into more detail on the situation with a thoughtful appearance on the Wrestling Perspective podcast.

Undoubtedly, Bordeaux met similar creative issues and likely wasn’t compensated sufficiently for her strong work in Impact. She did, however, make the most out of her platform at Impact, showcasing excellent heel work and had a thoughtful character.

Bordeaux used her attractiveness in an empowering manner, subverting the dialogue around her looks into an overarching theme of confidence. For example, she’d refer to others as “5s”, since, in her eyes, everyone else is only half as good as her. The idea of being a “10” wasn’t just about physical looks, even if that interpretation was overplayed by an audience that often focuses on looks (that’s how hot-shaming works).

This ability to portray a nuanced character that can break new ground will make Scarlett Bordeaux a star at any promotion she chooses to work for. Based on the first tweet she made after retweeting Impact’s notice of her release, it looks like Bordeaux will make the most out of her time as a free agent.

However, it won’t be long before every other promotion comes calling. Bordeaux would be a fit anywhere, but it’d be for the best if she could sign with a promotion that values her creativity and is willing to give her intergender spots. Since AAA and AEW have a working relationship, the latter could be the best fit for Bordeaux. They need more women for their growing division, especially since they are reportedly looking into a women’s tag team division.

But that’s all speculation. What’s not speculation is that the Chicago-based star can go in the ring against any type of opponent and she deftly balances comedy and gravity. Capable of shining as a heel or face, Bordeaux’s arrogant, early segments were just as brilliant as her hilarious segments where she coached KM and Fallah Bahh.

Hopefully, Bordeaux gets a chance to make waves across the wrestling world for several months before settling on a promotion, as it’ll be crucial for her to find the right fit.

Bordeaux has a lot of potential as a complex character in wrestling who is able to push boundaries both inside and outside the ring. Beyond making wrestling “sexy” again, Bordeaux can increase the spotlight on women as central characters in major promotions, including by showing wrestling fans that intergender wrestling can be popular to a more widespread audience.

Bordeaux’s versatility and star potential would make any promotion lucky to have her and surely they’d also be interested in signing a 28-year-old who has immense experience globally. The former ROH star has wrestled since 2012 and she has entered her best years as an all-around performer.

It says something that Bordeaux’s release has become a major topic in wrestling and fans will be monitoring her free agency closely; they know how big of a star she can be for a promotion that values her talent appropriately.