As the new era of Impact Wrestling has begun, the era of D’Amore and Callis at the wheel we are beginning to see the small changes they were talking about. In a poor decision the company announced a few of those changes on social media. While spoilers are unavoidable when one is taping so far in advance it is a bad idea to spoil your own show, at least in my opinion. A few of those spoilers included the return of the four-sided ring, the signing of Brian Cage and the return of Austin Aries. Since I have been watching a lot of TNA Asylum years on GWN I have realised that the wrestling is better without the signature six sided ring. I know it is not a popular opinion, but as has been stated by many of the wrestlers; the four sides are better on their bodies and moves are easier to perform. The return of The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived is of course very welcome and one can hope he has been given the freedom and demands he said he needed if he would sign with the company again.
Brain Cage is of course a welcome surprise as the company direly needs stars to flesh out the roster. This once again made me think of who I would like to see come to the company, who would have those stellar matches or bring that certain flair to the ring. Back in 2011 I was on the WWN forum dedicated to TNA and I posed the question there; who would they like to see in the promotion? At that time I tried to make a case for Johnny Gargano, Bobby Fish, Sami Callihan, Jon Davis and others. Some, who have passed through the doors at some point, unfortunately TNA not especially in tune with the indie scene, missed the boat. The rub is also that one needs the right booker to make these guys stars. With the landscape of the company as it is now I thought the time might be right to revisit the question; Who would I like to see in Impact?
I have chosen five wrestlers I am familiar with, of course, not contracted by WWE and would likely join. It is not very likely that the Young Bucks or Will Ospreay would leave a cushy deal with New Japan to join Impact even if they might come for a visit if a deal were struck with the Japanese juggernaut. It is also pointless to name perfect fits like Adam Cole or Roderick Strong, who are tied up in NXT or CM Punk, who has vowed to never wrestle again. Here are my five picks I would like to see in Impact.
RJ City
- We have already seen RJ City once in the six sided ring when he faced Moose on Xplosion. On the surface The Midnight Special looks like most X-division wrestlers. He has a great move set and is a good worker. The strength of this Canadian grappler is his entertainment value. He is both funny and innovative, and if you don’t believe this, then follow him on Twitter. Like Rockstar Spud before him his value lies in more than just wrestling.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V46CVAZ71eY[/embedyt]
Tracy Williams
- “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams is in many ways a classic wrestler. Allegedly he has grappled under a mask in various promotion, but we won’t comment that. If it is true, he is one hell of an athlete and like Drew Gulak, also trained at the Wrestle Factory, he can switch up his game from technical to high flying with little effort. Currently lighting up the indies and the WWN Live shows he’s on it is his wrestling that speaks for itself. He might not be the most charismatic figure, but give him TV time and he might just shine.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrfbMSNBBKU[/embedyt]
AR Fox
- Recently featured on Lucha Underground and also on the recent EVOLVE shows Fox is an athlete like any other. Often he gets lost due to the acumen of wrestlers like Will Ospreay and Ricochet. Fox is every bit the wrestler they are. His style is innovative while at the same time within the limits of traditional grappling. He easily uses tremendous moves that the audience easily identifies with his persona. Fox has already claimed several titles in his career, many of them in Japan so he adapts and can get the crowd behind him. He might just be the one to revamp the X division.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfJLkYd3Ys8[/embedyt]
Darby Allin
- Of these five wrestlers Allin is the one I know the least about. Allin is also the least experienced of them. With the gimmick of a social outcast, maybe very close to his real life, Allen has made an impression in FIP and EVOLVE. With high flying innovative moves and a Jeff Hardy like ability to absorb power he may very well be the one to take the torch from Abyss and other hardcore wrestlers in the promotion. It is not unrealistic to think Allin might come to Impact because Dave Crist and Sami Callihan are already there. Together with AR Fox they make up the faction Uncle John’s Friends.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMvucFmx7kI[/embedyt]
Chris Dickinson
- Last, but not least on this list I have Chris Dickinson. The Dirty Daddy is part of the same group as Tracy Williams, Catchpoint, but has been around for a while. He is one of the more polarizing figures on this list, especially after his match with Kimber Lee, where he smashed her head with a chair then Pazuzu bombed her. With Brian Cage already in the promotion Dickinson would be a perfect fit for The Machine. They are both big brutish guys with a take no prisoners attitude. Dickinson always seems to teeter on the brink of the maniacal and that is the kind of personality that the company needs.Chris Dickinson
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enPNuI3OIzU[/embedyt]
So those are my five picks, who is on your wish list and what could they bring to the dance?
-C. Marry Hultman
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