Impact Wrestling Is The Company To Watch In 2023

There are so many options to watch in the pro-wrestling world. It is a great time to be a pro wrestling fan but arguably an even better time to be an Impact wrestling fan in 2023.

It has been over two decades since Impact Wrestling, formerly known as Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling, launched back in 2002. The company showed up as the young and fresh “new kid on the block” that had the chance of growing up to get in the ring with the top fighter in the world. Things started out red hot for the company with the innovative six-sided ring and the exciting X-Division that everybody was talking about.

They had some familiar faces from the business but the new faces were what got the buzz going about Impact Wrestling. People were especially buzzing in the early days about a kid named AJ Styles. Within the next few years, the company grew into a legitimate threat to the top competition – on paper. They had grown to hire legends of the business such as Kurt Angle, Sting, Team 3D and homegrown stars like Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, and the list can go on.

However, when the first shots of the war were fired, everything crashed down on the company. Impact ran from live Monday night shows as quickly as they got there. From that moment forward, many fans were declaring that Impact should close its doors and call it a day. It was everybody’s favorite rumor that the company would be sold and the running gag that the WWE would be the one to make the fatal blow.

Years later, one company is potentially up for sale and the other is thriving. Impact Wrestling is a true comeback story. Everything was skyrocketing for the company and they nearly crashed. However, the loyal and passionate talent that has joined and contributed to the company has kept the company shining year after year. Many people witnessed how good Impact Wrestling can be when Kenny Omega became the Impact World Champion in 2021.

For so many years it has been rumored that Impact Wrestling would be forced to submit and close its doors. Despite all the claims and rumors, Impact Wrestling is standing today perhaps stronger than it ever has.

For those that came for Omega’s run and stayed around when it was over were in store for some great action for the next year. While people were talking about the battle between megastar companies WWE and AEW, it was Impact Wrestling that was living its best life in 2022. The prime example of the year Impact had is the current world champion, Josh Alexander. I can admit that many fans were skeptical when Alexander first announced he would use his option C to fight for the championship.

However, Alexander went on to have a great match at Bound For Glory and defeated Christian Cage for the world championship. As soon as he won the title, Moose brutally took the title from him in front of his family. Impact didn’t immediately allow Alexander to get right back in the title picture and it was months until fans and Alexander finally got the match with Moose. By this time, Alexander had grown into one of, if not, the top face of the company. He won back the title and has since silenced all of his doubters with an impressive title reign.

A title reign that has most recently been tested by a wrestling legend. While it is a controversial statement for sure, Impact Wrestling has been the place where Bully Ray has shined the most in his notorious career. He has a different aura around him in the company and he does feel like the guy that you are tuning in to see like he claims to be. He has mastered the Bully Ray character and makes you actually despise the character. On a recent episode of Impact, he had an altercation with Mickie James, and you weren’t sure if Mickie was truly safe. We saw what happened to Mae Young and that wasn’t even him being a bully.

Speaking of Mickie James, you can’t speak about Impact Wrestling without talking about the Knockouts division. The company has long been commended for stellar women’s wrestling long before the WWE was starting the women’s evolution. It was women like current Knockouts Champion Mickie James that helped skyrocket Impact’s reputation and name for the division. Today, Mickie is currently atop a division that contains some of the top women in the business.

To just name a few, Deonna Purrazzo, Jordynne Grace, and the unsung soul of Impact, Rosemary have all been pinnacles of the company and have put on incredible showings match after match. It is no shock that Impact has a stacked women’s roster with names like Tasha Steelz, Masha Slamovich, and Killer Kelly to be threats to the title holder for the time to come. However, one reason that Impact Wrestling remains the company to watch for all these years is the X-Division. As exciting as ever before, the division is currently in the capable hands of Trey Miguel.

Miguel is currently on a character-changing running as champion and will have exciting matches to come with whoever comes his way. A name that could possibly be on the radar for Trey in the near future is Impact’s new signing and returning TNA original Frankie Kazarian. He is another name that feels different in Impact. This is the company that he helped build and he has come a long way for any long-time Impact Wrestling fan. He brings some heart to the company where Eric Young’s sad departure left a void.

Although, when one door closes, another door opens to arguably the most engaging storyline currently running in Impact. And no, while we are all waiting for PCO to destroy Eddie Edwards in the near future, we aren’t talking about that one. We are talking about the story between The Design and Sami Callihan. We are currently watching Callihan’s journey into his initiation into the group while Deaner is on the run of his career after “eliminating” Young. Callihan has been pushed to limits already and there are many steps to come.

It will be interesting to see if Callihan will become an actual member or if he will eventually stand his ground against the group once again. Impact is a place where creativity is pushed and allowed to be as creative as possible. While “Broken” Matt Hardy gained such a name, Impact is the company that allowed it. They aren’t afraid to push the limits and that is why they have shined time after time. They are still the home of some of the top wrestlers in the business and one look at the roster is enough for that to speak for itself.

The company is so full of contact that we have gotten to this point with just now mentioning the names Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, which is truly saying something. The Motor City Machine Guns are Impact Wrestling’s heart and soul and still are the team to beat as Impact Tag Team Champions. You can list the names of the talent one by one and explain why you should tune in to the show for that person but that could take all day. To summarize the long story, every star shines on the Impact Wrestling roster.

Everybody has a spot on the card and has a chance to be a star on their own. 2023 promises to be a great year for Impact with stars ready for their breakout run like Steve Maclin, who has been one of the best accusations that the company has ever got from the WWE, and Matt Cardona, who could become the Impact World Champion easily if he doesn’t find his way back to a certain company. With the new Director of Authority Santino Marrella on the job to keep law and order, he is the cherry on top of the Impact Wrestling sundae that is begging wrestling fans to dig in.

With the rights to the name and character, Santino is an amusing part of the company already and could be a fun authority figure while he is the man holding the badge. However, it is nearly positive Scott D’Amore will be back on Impact television before long. He just can’t seem to stay away. Impact is the company that keeps on giving and if you are a pro-wrestling fan, they are certainly at least watching one show and giving them a try.