10 Wrestlers Who Disappeared When TNA Became IMPACT

2. Aron Rex

Chris Melendez Mr. Anderson Bully Ray TNA Impact
Impact Wrestling

WWE's former 'Intellectual Saviour' had an unremarkable stay in TNA.

Like Tyrus before him, the promotion shouted from rooftops about how big an acquisition he was. That was standard practice for ex-WWE stars, to be fair, but wrestling fans did have some goodwill towards the artist formerly known as Damien Sandow - they wanted to see him succeed outside Vince McMahon's bubble.

TNA signed the re-dubbed Aron Rex in August 2016, but he was gone just one month after the Impact change in April 2017. A seven-day run as Impact Grand Champion remains the only thing he really has to look back on from his time under contract, and that's just sad.

Rex went on to take a two-year sabbatical from wrestling, and didn't appear again until the NWA brought him back in late-2019. What was billed as a big coup for TNA/Impact turned into a miserable failure of a run that did nothing for either company or wrestler.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.