10 Reasons Why Impact Wrestling's Latest Reboot Is Destined To Fail
Slammiversary was a fun show, but the GFW revolution will disappoint.
Change is once again in the air for Impact Wrestling. On June 28th, the company officially announced that they'd acquired Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling, and would be undergoing their second major rebranding of 2017. Less than four months removed from ditching TNA, Impact became GFW, and they presented their first big show on Sunday night.
Slammiversary XV was a solid pay-per-view headlined by two major title unification matches. Tellingly, the GFW World and Women's Champions emerged victorious over their Impact counterparts, with Alberto El Patron and Sienna leaving with the combined titles, and as Jarrett and his family celebrated alongside Alberto after the main event, it felt like they were trying to put this over as the birth of a new era.
Unfortunately, Impact have undergone so many reboots thgroughout the years that cynicism is inevitable, and Jarrett's re-emergence only compounds this. The company want you to believe that better days are on the horizon, but while their programming has certainly improved this year, all signs point towards another false down.
The circumstances surrounding the takeover aren't encouraging, and if you're hoping for a dramatic shift in Impact's fortunes, you'd best temper your expectations...
10. Lack Of Major Stars
WWE’s shortage of genuine star power is one of their biggest problems in 2017, but their issues are a drop in the ocean compared to Impact’s, whose main event scene is woefully thin.
Their lack of a true franchise player is the first major problem. GFW/Impact Champion Alberto El Patron is a fine wrestler, but a lightning rod for controversy. He has worn out the patience of many wrestling fans this year, and his quick ascension from ‘new signing’ to ‘top champion’ reeks of the old TNA practice of pushing ex-WWE guys to the moon without second though. Is he really the right guy to build a promotion around, and attract new fans to the product?
Ethan Carter III could have been the guy, but he has been unable to escape the midcard following a string of bad booking decisions. Bobby Lashley, meanwhile, has developed into an excellent all-round performer, but is better suited to playing antagonist than protagonist.
Impact’s main event scene is woefully thin, and they don’t exactly have a shining track record when it comes to building stars to take those spots. Until they address this, and find or develop a suitable ace to build the main event around, it’s hard to see them moving forward.