10 Early Wrestling Predictions For 2018

1. Impact Wrestling Will Cease To Exist

Braun Strowman Wwe
ImpactWrestling.com

These are dark times for Impact Wrestling. The organisation is cursed. "Doomed" may be more apt, at this juncture.

Sunday's Bound For Glory pay-per-view failed to dent the online conversation. Quiet tales of its panned finish, which seemed to exist to generate interest in the subsequent TV tapings, evoked little more than sighs within a fandom gripped by Wrestle Kingdom 12 fever. News of the company paying punters to watch said tapings formally confirmed that Impact has literally taken backwards steps. Meanwhile, in parallel, the legend of New Japan grows with every glowingly-received match. Ring Of Honor is experiencing its most financially lucrative year ever. PWG, albeit a cult concern, still exists in a strong field of competition as the "cool" North American league of choice.

TNA, in spite of itself, existed for years on the fumes of star power and a raft of promises and exclusives. As Impact Wrestling, the stars have jumped ship as the company lurched from one disaster to the next. An association with Global Force Wrestling ended with a drunken domestic. Departures are a frequent occurrence, fuelling rumours of financial hardship.

Wrestling - even WWE - struggles uphill, blockaded by a mountain of sponsors that deem it a cancer. Though Impact, remarkably, still maintains a commendable TV presence, it doesn't guarantee security. You suspect it's the last domino to fall.

What's IRS doing in the Impact Zone?!

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!