10 Reasons Why Impact Wrestling's Latest Reboot Is Destined To Fail

6. Running From Their History

Jeff Jarrett GFW
Twitter, @IMPACTWRESTLING

The Global Force Wrestling takeover is Impact’s second major rebranding of 2017. The company finally ditched the troublesome ‘TNA’ moniker in March, which was a smart move. Those initials’ negative connotations were insurmountable, and after years of failure, ridicule, and embarrassment, TNA was unsalvageable, regardless of whether the product improved or not.

Switching to ‘Impact’ was a smart move, as it partially detached the company from its murky past while maintaining a sense of familiarity. Doing this allowed them to shed their unwanted memories, without completely separating themselves from the things that made them such a fun promotion to following in their heyday. Changing to GFW completely undoes this, and now, it feels like they’re running away from their history, and not just the unfavourable parts.

No promotion should ever be built solely on nostalgia, particularly if they want to progress, but these moves suggest they don’t want fans to remember great feuds like AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle, or the X Division Title’s high octane legacy. We’ll likely find out more as this week’s tapings continue, but at this stage, it seems as though Jarrett is set on replacing Impact’s history with GFW’s.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.