D'Amore D'Merrier - Great Scott And The Resurrection Of Impact/TNA
Impact Wrestling's on a roll. And the people responsible include a guy whose been part of the setup whenever the company's been at its best. Take a bow, Scott D'Amore.
So when did you stop watching Impact Wrestling? Was it when Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff climbed aboard in 2010? The interminable Aces & Eights angle perhaps? Or was it when then-owner Dixie Carter reinvented herself as an on-screen heel authority figure in the mould of Vince McMahon, albeit without his presence of heat-attaining capabilities?
Even if you’ve stuck with the company through thick and thin, you’ll be able to attest to the fact that there was a period when the number of people leaving Impact Wrestling appeared to be on a par with the number that had stopped watching. Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, Ken Anderson, Bobby Lashley, EC3, Mia Yim, Mike Bennett, Christy Hemme, Nick Aldis: even the most myopic of fans could spy that the not-so-good-ship Impact had sprung a leak.
However, as you may well have noticed, Impact is still very much with us, and it’s fair to say that the company is in its rudest health since the great days of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels. A revived Knockouts scene, a thriving X-Division, the elevation of Josh Alexander, the arrival of Steve Maclin, the former (and future) TNA isn’t just surviving but - in critical terms, at least - it’s positively thriving.
And while the talent must take plenty of the credit, there’s one person in particular who deserves special recognition for bringing the company back from the brink.
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