10 Reasons Why You Need To Watch IMPACT Wrestling Right Now
5. They Don't Rely On The Past
Famously, in 2010, Paul Heyman laid out his proposed philosophy for TNA, planning to release anyone over the age of 40 and build a Bryan Danielson-led promotion around the future.
That didn't happen and, naturally, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff did the opposite of what Heyman had dreamed, bringing in any feckless elder with a pulse, and promoting them over the flourishing talent that TNA had become known for. Name value doesn't always guarantee money, ratings, or popularity, and TNA certainly had none of the three throughout the decade.
Fast forward over a decade later and IMPACT Wrestling is the land of the future. History is rarely celebrated in the forward-thinking group and when it is, it doesn't overshadow the current product. Proof of this is Bully Ray's current stint, as he's aligned with Steve Maclin in a situation designed to establish Maclin as IMPACT's next franchise player. They bounce off each other wondrously, have already displayed more tag team chemistry than whichever two goobers WWE pairs together next, and perfectly counterbalance each other's style.
For context, Bully Ray is 51. Goldberg was 54 when he won his second WWE Universal Championship, defeating a once-red-hot talent in The Fiend to do so.
Big Bill's win was the final nail in the coffin for the character, whereas Bully Ray's work with Steve Maclin is the first step to the latter becoming a household talent.