Impact 1000 Features Multiple TNA Surprises, Honours Company Legends
Historic episode welcomes back several favourites, and surprises one with a Hall Of Fame induction.
Impact Wrestling warmly folded in its past with its present for the 1000th edition of Impact by featuring a host of company favourites in multiple segments and matches.
Across the two-hour broadcast (part of a double taping that will conclude next week), there were promos featuring Gail Kim, Scott D'Amore, The Beautiful People, Awesome Kong, Raisha Saeed, Mickie James, Eric Young, America's Most Wanted and Shark Boy, who all appeared for angles and skits setting up matches for next week's episode.
Elsewhere, Team 3D reunited to defeat Desi Hit Squad, and following Kazarian and Traci Brooks' victory over Eddie and Alisha Edwards, Kaz surprised his wife by revealing that she would be inducted in the Impact Wrestling Hall Of Fame at Bound For Glory in October. Finally, multi-time former Tag and World Champion Chris Sabin dethroned Champion Lio Rush to score 10th X-Division Title in the evening's headliner in a callback to the very first edition of the show. Sabin headlined there too, working a four-way dance with Elix Skipper, Michael Shane and eventual winner AJ Styles. In more symmetry with the inaugural edition, Scott D'Amore (then a heel boss of the Team Canada stable) opened things up that night too.
Impact Wrestling launched as NWA: TNA in 2002, and initially operated under a weekly pay-per-view model until Impact launched as a one-hour weekly on June 4th 2004. Impact has since moved networks, days of the weeks and time slots multiple times, but has endured, remaining part of the North American scene despite some seismic changes within it over the time.