8 Concepts That IMPACT Wrestling Needs To Bring Back By Hakeem Fullerton

Intro: Happy New Year's everyone, a new year and new decade has finally arrived and with the all of the pro wrestling promotions across the globe looking to start off new and fresh, many companies are looking towards the future with the hopes of increasing or improving their reputation and stock in the world of wrestling, but in my opinion the best way to do that is to look back at the previous years and see what was and wasn't successful and see how they could be incorporated into the current product.

For this list I'll focusing in on the positive concepts and gimmick matches that occurred in Impact Wrestling in the 2010's and how I think they could be brought back to help increase storylines, character development, improve future shows and even provide must see matches for the general and die-hard public.

8. Faction Warfare

During it's days as TNA Wrestling, the company saw factions like the Main Event Mafia, Aces and Eights, Immortal, Team Canada and Fortune populating their ranks.

These groups are well remembered for creating havoc and anarchy on a colossal scale and making storylines interesting with the promise of factions battling for control within the locker room.

This is an arc that sadly hasn’t been done justice in a long time as factions like OvE, The Rascalz or Desi Hit Squad have failed to live up to the standards of previous factions that were mentioned while groups like the Undisputed Era in NXT have proven that the usage and existence of factions in wrestling can still be done right.

The new regime of Don Callis, Scott D’Amore and Jimmy Jacobs should consider bringing this concept back to a new generation of Impact fans as the roster already has factions that could be used to create more interesting storytelling the midcard as well as within the tag team and X division.

For Example, The Rascalz vs. OvE could be the two factions perfect for this idea as through a series of promos, segments, backstage brawls, matches and the right motivation for this feud to happen in the first place could lead to more character development for guys like Dezmond Xavier, Zachery Wentz, Dave Crist and Madman Fulton while at the same time building up future stars who could challenge for the world championship somewhere down the line.

7. Talk Show Segments

While the talk show format has been bastardized by the WWE lately with their talk show segments failing to leave any kind of impression that feels like a story has been elevated or a wrestlers character has developed after the segment is finished.

Impact, meanwhile manage to do this back in 2016-17 when former world champion, Eli Drake hosted his own talk show call "The Fact of Life" in which he bragged about how great he was whilst berating the fans by pushing his red button that would say his catchphrase "Dummy Yeah", he would also have guest on the show like James Storm, EC3 and the entire X division locker room and it helped to enhance future or current storylines that were going on at the time whilst showing off the microphone skill of the host and his guests.

It's unclear at this point who on the Impact roster could bring back the talk show format and make it there own but considering the format helped to make stars out of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Chris Jericho and Eli Drake not mention all of the memorable moments that were made in the process, you can see why the talk show format is a concept that not only needs to come back on Impact but needs to be done right as well.

6. Knockouts Tag Team Titles

The first run for the Knockouts Tag Team Championships in the company was a mixed bag, on the one hand you hand teams like Taylor Wilde and Sarita, Tara and Brooke Tessmacher and The Beautiful People fighting for the title while also showing the importance of tag team wrestling in the knockouts division .

However, on the other hand you had a number of forgettable at best or botch riddled at worse matches from teams like Sarita and Rosita and Angelina Love and Winter not to mention that the last group to hold the belt was kayfabe couple ODB and Eric Young before the belts got deactivated because it took management way too long to realize that EY was in possession of women's title.

Now that Impact Wrestling is embracing intergender wrestling and the knockouts division is probably the best it's every been in regards to in ring action, the company could get away with doing stuff like this if it was taken seriously and not played for laughs like how it was under the other regimes.

A way Impact could bring back the KO tag team titles could be an invitational tournament which sees female wrestlers from promotions that are partnered with Impact as well as any available teams on the Impact roster competing in tag team matches in order to determine the new champions. The winners if not under the Impact banner could get temporary contracts to appear and defend the belts on TV, PPV and live events.

These matches could be used as exclusive footage that Impact could use for any flashback moments on Impact TV or Xplosion these matches could be exclusive to the Impact Plus App giving fans new material that they could watch and subscribe to the app for.

Let's not forget that these matches could be a great way for Don Callis and Scott D'Amore to scope out new talent for the knockouts roster thus helping to make new stars and increase the quantity on knockouts roster in the process.

5. TNA Reaction

For those who don't remember TNA Reaction, it was a one hour show which aired immediately after an episode of TNA Impact.

The show was used to provide behind-the-scenes moments and interviews with wrestlers following a match or segment where they express their thoughts and opinions about the person their feuding with as well as to help establish or fill in the blanks on future matches or storylines.

This concept should be back as the company could use this one hour to help make the matches and feuds that many aren't completely invested in more rounded.

And when you considering that Impact and their parent company, Anthem Sports and Entertainment own AXS TV, this could be the perfect time for the show to come back most likely under the new name "Impact Reaction".

4. Knockouts Knockdown

From 2013-17 TNA/Impact aired some one night only all female PPV's called Knockouts Knockdown which introduce the world to names like Ivelisse, Jessicka Havok, Veda Scott, Alisha Edwards, Allysin Kay, Reby Sky, Allie and Mia Yim; names that would become future stars in the world of women's wrestling.

It's been quite some time since the company aired an all female PPV and when you look at the company's current roster of women and the possibility that future knockouts could get signed to the Impact roster if their performance is good enough makes it all the reason to bring back knockouts knockdown.

Plus, this PPV could be a good place to air a tournament to crowd new Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions as previously mentioned so it's a win/win.

3. A Midcard Title

Much like the Knockouts Tag Titles, the concept of the midcard title has also seen mixed results as the Legends/Global/TV/King of The Mountain title and the Grand Championship from 2008-15 and 2016-18 has seen a few memorable championship reigns that helped to boost the wrestlers standing in the company.

Unfortunately the multiple name changes, the terrible champions like Abyss, Rob Terry and Jeff Jarrett and the fact they've been discontinued due to the multiple regime changes over the years, it's become a running joke and not the good kind.

Although Don Callis has been less than interested in having a secondary title, the wrestlers they have like Michael Elgin, Fallah Bahh, Moose, Daga and others desperately need a title like that to exist.

Many of these names wouldn't be world champions (yet) but a mid card title could be used to build up future contenders for the world title while also being a war course belt for any up-and-coming wrestlers whose looking to prove themselves and produce great matches outside of the world title picture.

Plus, having a mid card title to build a feud or two around could save the people in charge of creative a lot trouble from having to find new ways or reasons for wrestlers to fight one another.

2. Lethal Lockdown

The Callis/D'Amore Regime have brought back old PPV's like Unbreakable, Victory Road, No Surrender and Sacrifice as Twitch shows or Impact Plus Specials which is all well and good but, there is one classic TNA PPV that should come back...well at least the gimmick match that shares it's name should make a comeback.

Lethal Lockdown, one the most violent and bloodiest matches in company history (and considering the matches that have taken place in this company that's saying something) a match that's sees two teams battle it out for dominance and usually is seen as the closure or highpoint in any feud involving wrestlers and factions on the roster.

This is a concept that serious needs to come back as the company does have groups like OvE would be at home in a match like this, not to mention that many stars shine in this match mostly do iconic moments like leaping off the structure to shocking returns to the brutal violence that's shown throughout.

Considering the company is still working on it's multitude of issues on the taped episodes as well as the Twitch and Impact Plus shows, this concept might not see a return just yet but let's hope the new regime embraces their past and bring back Lethal Lockdown so the fans (die-hard and new) can be able to experience to madness that is this match.

1. The Bound For Glory Series

These days Slammiversary is seen as the most must see PPV Impact Wrestling proves on a yearly basis with Bound For Glory sadly taking a back seat, but there is one possible way to make Bound For Glory must see in future events and that's return of the Bound For Glory series.

The rules are a number of wrestlers on the impact roster take part in this tournament which will determine who will become the #1 contender to face the world champion for the title in the main event of Bound For Glory, a points system is created which reveals the amount of points a wrestler gets from a pinfall or submission victory as well as a DQ or countout win with the final four facing off in the semi finals and then later the finals of a PPV in order crown the new #1 contender.

That description alone should be enough of a reason to bring back this concept but when you add in the possibility of creating new stars out the work rate seen in the tournament, plus the chances of creating new feuds that could lead to BFG, the opportunity of including some of these matches on Twitch and Impact Plus shows could make future events worth watching is why I think the Bound For Glory Series like all of the other entries on this list should make a comeback in the near future on Impact Programming.

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8 Concepts That IMPACT Wrestling Needs To Bring Back By Hakeem Fullerton

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