Building Knockouts Tag Teams
While other companies struggle to support one championship for a small group of women, Impact Wrestling is going one further yet again. Much like when it introduced the Knockouts Division in 2007, while others were still in the age of booking stripping contests, they have proven crucial in moving women’s wrestling in a positive direction in 2020. It’s where everyone wants to be, because even if you’re not challenging for the Knockouts Championship, they are reintroducing the Tag Team titles soon.
A tag team tournament is currently ongoing and has already attracted names like Jazz, Killer Kelly and Renee Michelle to make the jump. It didn’t quite work out the first time, but back then it was bogged down with poor planning and very little teams to challenge. Management has learned from previous owner’s mistakes and has spent much of 2020 building a tag team division long before the announcement was made. Major kudos. Women’s tag team wrestling has never truly gotten off the ground, but this could be the start of something special.
Deonna Purrazzo Arrives
This is a girl who spent much of her young adult life bouncing around from promotion to promotion and not being allowed to settle. She appeared in almost every company you can think of til she was given time to showcase her talent in NXT. However, earlier this year, she was let go when the coronavirus pandemic hit to save money. Since she first appeared for WWE in 2014, she worked only 16 matches on TV in five years. The reason for this is because management didn’t think she was ready for TV.
Madison Rayne contacted her after being released, and a month later she was being hyped up as a big acquisition for Impact Wrestling. And boy, has she done a lot since then! A two-time Impact Knockouts Champion, seeing off Jordynne Grace and Su Yung to become one of the most promising wrestlers on the roster at 26 years old. One company’s loss is another’s gain. AEW really should have picked her up when they had the chance.
Banned By Twitch Over Rob Van Dam’s Sex Scene
Ok, so there was a negative consequence as a result, but to me and the company it was laughable. Rob Van Dam, Katie Forbes and Jennifer Lawrence got a touch too raunchy in the bedroom on one episode of Impact. And much to their surprise, this led to them being banned from Twitch for about a month? I can’t remember how long exactly.
It was a double standard because other channels have featured worse. Rob Van Dam could do nothing but make fun of it on Twitter. Melissa Santos thought it was funny as well. It became a running joke on future episodes of Impact. From what I’ve seen, it became one of the most infamous moments of the year of any company. What’s wrong with ’em having a bit of fun? Depending on who you ask, nothing or everything. Can’t find the video of it anywhere, but here’s a much tamer moment when RVD & Katie Forbes interrupted an interview with Brian Cage.
Johnny Swinger
Well, let me tell you something daddy. Johnny Swinger is here and all the mizarks are going crazy for him. And I can’t blame them daddy, look at his guns. He’s bigger than Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior in their primes. Johnny Swinger may be the single biggest draw in the history of wrestling. And the ladies clearly love him. Look at all the moments he’s had this year… they can’t get enough.
In all seriousness though, Swinger has been on fire in 2020. He may be a sleazy, out-of-date character, but that’s the point. It’s a huge piss take out of how wrestling was. He takes all the negative characteristics from the carny, ye olden days, and rolls ’em up in to one nice bundle of entertainment. He’s so far in to the role I wouldn’t be surprised if he dresses and talks like that off camera. And when you have someone who can bring out so many non-politically correct lines and get away with it? You’ve found gold.
If anyone else came out with the one liners Swinger’s been coming up with there would be uproar. But because he’s such a cartoon, no one takes notice. He’s like a time capsule in living form. It’s like The Doctor (Who) or Bill & Ted ripped him out of time and dumped him in Impact Wrestling just for our amusement.
MCMG, Eric Young and Brian Myers Returns
I’m so happy to see these guys return and be used how they should. The Motor City Machine Guns is still one of the best tag teams in the world, and it was an injustice for them to be separated. As for Eric Young… wow! I’ve always been a massive fan of EY since his TNA days. So much untapped potential being wasted in WWE, and the “World Class Maniac” took no time getting his foot in the door of the main event scene. I’d prefer him to still be the Impact World Champ because he’s one of the best heels in the game.
No one has done beat downs or promos like Eric Young in 2020. I dare you to find anyone who has been as brutal in his delivery. It’s not possible because the world belongs to him. And lastly, I’d like to say that Brian Myers has endured a slow build since returning to Impact, but something tells me he’s on the edge. He has had to deal with Tommy Dreamer & Swoggle, but the jokes are ending soon. The main thing from my perspective is he’s getting used and is winning! Which is damn sure more than what he had before. The only way is up for the “Most Professional Wrestler in the World”.
Moose Transforms
He has had a breakout year. Moose was almost a comedy act earlier in early 2020, as he dressed up as legends like ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, but could never win when it mattered. He also started calling his spear ‘No Jackhammer Needed’ as a dig at Goldberg. Continuing his respectful and disrespectful tributes toward legends, he set his on sights on Ken Shamrock. And beating Shamrock was the turn of the corner that he needed.
Something twigged in his head. He was getting it, and from that point he targeted ‘TNA’. There was supposed to be a big angle where he would eventually win the TNA World Title, but due to circumstances it couldn’t happen. So instead, he picked up the title one day and decided… ‘I’m the REAL World Champion’. His delusional frame of mind continued for months, as no one else, including the company and his peers, took him seriously as a champion despite defending it in matches.
When Ethan Carter III returned, he took it to a whole other level. No one had seen EC3 but Moose, and everyone thought he was a figment of his imagination. EC3 tormented Moose’s psyche for months, til they eventually met in a ring at Bound For Glory in a random warehouse to decide who would be the champion. This is when Moose transformed in to what we see today. He has become a monster who is still obsessed with the fact he is the real World Champ, but in the ring he’s more dangerous than ever.
Who Attacked Trey? Who Shot Bravo?
Remember the ‘Higher Power’ of the Attitude Era? Some of the best angles in wrestling are those that have you wondering… “Who Is It?”, “Do You Think He/She Did It?”, “Who Is The Mastermind?”, and that’s what Impact has been doing better than anyone in 2020. It’s really simple stuff, but they do it in such a way that it’s cartoon-y with a seasoning of corny.
The best ones are when there’s an obvious suspect, but it ends up being someone else entirely… but they were the more obvious if you think about it. For example, with the latest “Who Shot Bravo?” storyline, one of the most obvious was Rosemary; she’s a death dealer, and it’s something she would do even if she’s marrying him. Taya Valkyrie was a big suspect too, because she could’ve been jealous of the fact that Rosemary was “stealing” Bravo away from her.
It could’ve been 4 or 5 other people, which is how well they built this story up around Bravo. It turned out to be Larry D’s alter ego “Lawrence D”, who Rosemary created in Wrestle House to get Bravo to notice her. Lawrence was madly in love with her, but no one guessed it was him because he was an afterthought in the scheme of things. It made total sense though! And this is why Impact’s writing works.
Recognizing TNA
When Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff got to TNA in 2010, they didn’t want TNA to be who they are anymore. Over the years they stripped things away and renamed it ‘Impact Wrestling’, largely in part because they associated TNA with the acronym “Tits N’ Ass”. They apparently couldn’t sell it to sponsors because they were as dirty-minded as them. Yes, it’s that simple.
And I always found it to be dumb, but I eventually accepted the fact it’s called Impact Wrestling. So when Dixie Carter was bought out by Anthem Sports, and they later put guys like Scott D’Amore and Don Callis in charge, I noticed a difference. The company was no longer ashamed of their history. And this year we were meant to see the revival of TNA. There was going to be a big PPV and many originals returning to pay tribute to the golden age.
We got a glimpse and it looked good, so here’s to hoping that when things die down they’ll give it another chance. Because it shouldn’t be a bad thing to remember TNA. Especially the days before Hogan & Bischoff came along with their ‘brilliant’ ideas. It used to be a great alternative. Sting. AJ Styles. Samoa Joe. Kurt Angle. The X-Division. Knockouts. Quality tag team wrestling. So much more. It should be remembered fondly.
Rohit Raju
Another breakout star of 2020. This guy was a jobber in an Indian stable only a year ago. Rohit Raju was at the bottom of the barrel. He was one of the best at being embarrassed. And he stood out in the Desi Hit Squad because he was by far the most entertaining. Shera & the other guy… Raj Singh (always forget his name), they were meant to be the stars.
There’s Shera… a heavyweight beast who is pretty useless after so many pushes. Raj is the real son of Gama Singh (their manager), but he’s got so little charisma I’m not surprised they stopped using him. So Raju went from carrying the Desi Hit Squad to doing it on his own. Not only that, but he trained super hard and got in great shape. Since winning the X-Division title he has made it mean something again. Sure, he might not be a bouncy, flippy, spotfest kind of athlete, but in terms of storytelling and working he’s no slouch. Raju is low key one of the best heels in Impact today. And to me, that’s one of the biggest surprises of 2020.
Slammiversary Saves The Day
I won’t get in to the intricacies of why Slammiversary’s booking turned out to be a complete mess (maybe another day), but I will say this: they saved it from being a disaster. With no World Champion or Michael Elgin, management had to find other ways to sell the PPV and rework the main event. Leading up to Slammiversary, many names were teased to be making an appearance, including Sting, Kurt Angle, EC3, Eric Young, Rusev, Heath, The Good Brothers, Aces N’ Eights, and so much more.
With WWE letting go of so many talents, it was logical that at least a few talents would make the jump. And the buy rate was huge, as wrestling fans around the world wanted to know who would cross over. In the end, EC3, Heath, Brian Myers and The Good Brothers made it. And in the main event for the vacant World Championship, Eric Young made his return challenging for the title. Rich Swann returned too, after being shelved with an injury for many months. A solid card and a five-way elimination match for the World title as its main event, combined with all the hype over who would appear, saved what was originally a very different-looking PPV.
Taya Valkyrie, Rosemary & Wrestle House
Wrestle House is a mixed bag depending on who you ask, but there’s one enormous reason it existed: to share their talent’s personalities. Naturally, Rosemary, Tommy Dreamer, Johnny Swinger and Alisha Edwards already had plenty of character progression, but the house needed them to carry the others. It was a way of putting some of the less (or newer) charismatic individuals in situations where they could learn from mentors and have fun in the process.
For example, Acey Romero and Larry D were nothing but two super heavyweights before this. Crazzy Steve had been back a little while but hadn’t done much, so teaming with Swinger was healthy. The dynamic between Susie, Kylie Rae, The Deaners and XXXL gave us a new side to her character. And speaking of Kylie, she was able to get time to work with Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie before her title match with Deonna Purrazzo. Had they not put her in there, would the fans have been as accepting if she won?
And then there’s Taya, who spent much of her record title reign being a closet champ while stood next to her man Johnny Impact (Morrison). Wrestle House helped her so much as a character. And while yes, Wrestle House was often mega cheesy, corny, and sometimes annoying, it did the job. Luckily, management put an end to it before it got too ridiculous.
Tessa Blanchard & Sami Callihan Storytelling
As much as some fans hate intergender wrestling and how Tessa Blanchard left the company, the storytelling leading in to their World title match at Hard To Kill was some of the best all year. Callihan/Blanchard had worked the year before, but this time it was for the title and they had to make it believable. It’s a testament to not only Sami Callihan’s promo skills, but the way management sees women’s wrestling.
I know some wouldn’t have bought in to the fact that Impact had a woman as World Champion, but I think they managed it as well as they could. There’s a lot of negative things I could say about the situation which followed, but I’d rather leave it for another piece. I just wanted to reserve a space to show my respect to the work they did, and especially for Sami Callihan, who is one of the best talkers in the business.
The North Carry Tag Team Division
After LAX and The Lucha Brothers left Impact for AEW, it left the tag team division in shambles. The North got together and carried it on their shoulders for much of 2020. And it’s this team which attracted other’s like the Motor City Machine Guns and The Good Brothers.
Before this, it looked like The Rascalz, Fallah Bahh & TJP and The Deaners were working hard to match them, but the difference was too huge. The North has kept the division afloat and is continuing to make it one of the focal points of the show. Ethan Page is the talker. Josh Alexander is the muscle. Together, they are as good as anyone else. And to me, despite losing the tag team titles again, it still feels like they are the team to beat.
The Rock, Mick Foley, Bret Hart Cameos
With Ken Shamrock working for Impact Wrestling, it was only a matter of time til they inducted him in to the Hall of Fame. He was the company’s first-ever World Champion, and his achievements in wrestling and fighting were enough to consider his induction. While Mick Foley has worked for Impact before, many would not have believed that Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, or The Rock, would take the time to share their tributes to the career of Ken Shamrock at Bound For Glory.
They were pre-taped, but Impact has never had these legends anywhere near the show in its 18 year existence. The fact they were respectful enough to show their faces on an Impact produced show is one of the promotion’s highlights of 2020. It helped to give them a ton of added exposure, and perhaps a little more respect from the business as a whole.
Tommy Dreamer, Father James Mitchell, John E. Bravo, Glenn Gilberti & more
Something Impact has been doing well with is incorporating other on-air personalities. Tommy Dreamer and Glenn Gilberti for example, are part-time wrestlers with their own ways of dealing with things. Dreamer is one of the best at cutting promos, and while he’s always losing feuds, he helps to get over the next generation. Gilberti is a foul, racist creature, and I’m not sure why Impact stopped using him, but I think his extremely sexist remarks helped us to cheer on the women he targeted.
John E. Bravo is different because he transitioned from being a referee to a manager of Taya Valkyrie. And now he’s more than that, he’s become one of the show’s main characters despite only wrestling six matches in his career. Father James Mitchell pops in on the rare occasion to share some knowledge from the ‘Undead Realm’. With Rosemary, Su Yung and Havok, he’s helped to form a strange alternative universe away from our own. He has always been an interesting character, which only ECW and TNA have made something of. Mitchell did a lot for Abyss’ career, but has more recently helped the Knockouts Division with a darker side to the programming.
All these guys and others have helped to add spice to Impact in 2020, and doing so in a way which isn’t about getting themselves over, but to work with the talent and do everything they can to support them.
Conclusion
Impact Wrestling has managed the pandemic extremely well. They don’t have a Thunder Dome concept, crazy lights, or any fans in attendance, yet it doesn’t look drab or feel empty. And that’s because they have focused heavily on keeping the show flowing from one thing to the next. It’s not perfect and I’ll tell you why in my next piece. If you think I love every second of the show you’re wrong, because there are things I’ve shaken my head at. But I will tell you that Impact has had a hell of a year, and probably a touch better than 2019. Since they made some changes the atmosphere is unique and it comes across on TV.
And this is where I hand it off to you. I’d like to know what you enjoyed the most about Impact Wrestling in 2020. Who were your favourite wrestlers? Was Wrestle House any good? And is Moose the ‘real’ World Heavyweight Champion? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!
Also Read: Has AEW Under Delivered With Its Women’s Division This Year?
