13 Ups & 4 Downs For Impact Wrestling In 2019

3. The Draw

Say what you want about the man, you can't argue that Sami Callihan hasn't ushered in a breath of fresh air for Impact Wrestling throughout 2019. The current World Champion has made 2019 his year during his time in the company, calling himself 'The Draw' for a damn good reason.

Take into consideration the list of World Champions we had leading up to Sami lifting the gold - Brian Cage, Johnny Impact, Austin Aries, Pentagon Jr. They each brought something unique to the table, as does Callihan. Cage was a no-nonsense powerhouse, Impact was a flashy showoff, Aries was a cocky tw*t, and Pentagon just liked to chop the living hell out of anyone and everyone. As for Callihan, he's one of the most sadistic men on the roster, and has the numbers advantage in the form of oVe. Having different types of people hold the championship makes it feel that extra bit more important because there's less chance you'll be tired of seeing unique individuals as opposed to the same old, same old.

In terms of his in-ring work and storytelling, you can always go to 'The Callihan Death Machine' for the best delivery in both of those categories. His pay-per-view matches throughout 2019 against Rich Swann, Tessa Blanchard, and Brian Cage were all incredible. While you could argue Sami not winning the World Championship from Cage at Bound For Glory was a poor booking choice, having him finally lift the gold on Impact's debut on AXS TV will forever leave a lasting impact (no pun intended) from the company's entire time on the network.