10 Ups & 1 Down From Impact Wrestling Slammiversary XVI

1. Finally, An Identity

Impact Wrestling has been a consistently enjoyable show for over a year now, but it has never felt like a unique product. Good matches and fun angles only go so far. Though they'd often outdo Raw and SmackDown in terms of quality, you weren't necessarily missing anything by skipping Impact on any given week, such was their lack of identity. It was very much Sports Entertainment Lite rather than a true alternative, and this made it difficult to invest.

At Slammiversary XVI, Impact found their identity.

This isn't Diet WWE: it's a balanced, well-written promotion that rewards your fandom rather than punishes it. Feuds and storylines are built and developed with logic and purpose. When they reach their conclusion, you feel gratified, not disappointed, which should be a given everywhere, yet it's something other American promotions regularly struggle with.

The variety is astounding, too. The X Division is blooming once more, with athletic marvels like Brian Cage, Johnny Impact, and Fenix taking the breath away. In Tessa Blanchard, Allie, and Su Yung, the Knockouts have an exciting young core to build around. Bouts like LAX vs. The OGz and Pentagon vs. Callihan prove Impact does hardcore better than any of their competitors. The list goes on.

For those looking for a true WWE alternative without leaving the continent, here it is. TNA is dead. Long live Impact Wrestling.