It’s insane to think that were several years removed from a time in which professional wrestling took place in front of no fans and matches occurred in almost complete slience…It was a rough time for everybody.
Despite all of us doing are best to erase that period of time from our heads, there were some incredible moments and matches that took place around this time and IMPACT Wrestling certainly benefitted the most out of all the other promotions…As the following eleven entries are a prime example of that.
#11. Kylie Rae
Though she’s best known for her short time in All Elite Wrestling and her work on the independent scene, ‘Smiley’ Kylie Rae was looked as one of the most sought after free agents in pro wrestling when the Illinois native departed AEW in 2019.
Many who had expected her to sign with the WWE upon leaving Tony Khan’s promotion were probably shocked when Kylie turned up in IMPACT Wrestling as an entrants in the first ever Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at Bound For Glory 2019…It also helps that the event took place in her hometown.
While her debut was well received, she didn’t sign with the promotion as that would come in 2020 right at the start of the pandemic. After defeating a local talent in a wrestling match on an episode of IMPACT, Kylie Rae was interviewed by Jimmy Jacobs where she mentioned that she’d had signed a long term deal with IMPACT Wrestling.
From here, Kylie Rae would form a partnership with Susie (more on that later), wrestling the likes of Kiera Hogan and Kimber Lee, took part in IMPACT’s semi reality show meets pro wrestling experiment called WrestleHouse and was set to take on Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts Championship at Bound For Glory 2020.
Sadly concerns regarding her mental health prevented Kylie from competing at BFG and thus was replaced by a returning Su Yung; Kylie Rae wouldn’t appear for IMPACT Wrestling again as she announced her retirement from pro wrestling before shortly returning to the ring after Billy Corgan was able to bought out her contract with Kylie going on to wrestle for the NWA.
#10. Jazz
One of the most underrated female wrestlers of the 2000’s, Jazz debut right around the time the WWE Invasion storyline was wrapping up and outside of winning a few Women’s Titles, having Teddy Long as her manager and working with eventual husband and pro wrestler Rodney Mack, Jazz never really left a mark in the grand scheme of things…though be fair it’s not as if the women’s division in 2000’s WWE was booked all that great.
So when the announcement was made that IMPACT Wrestling would be bringing back the Knockouts Tag Team Titles and that a tournament was made to crown the new champions and that Jordynne Grace would be a part of it with a mystery opponent, absolutely no one excepted Jazz to be Grace’s partner.
While the duo were able to make it pass the first round, they were unable to make to the finals; Regardless Jazz continued on in IMPACT where she wrestled the likes Jordynne Grace, Fire ‘N Flava and Deonna Purrazzo with the latter seeing Jazz lose in a Title vs. Career match at Hardcore Justice 2021.
Before Jazz eventually left the promotion, she did help Jordynne Grace in her pursuit for the Knockouts Tag Titles when she indirectly brought back a returning Rachael Ellering to be Grace’s partner with the two winning the tag titles at that year’s Rebellion pay-per-view…Though the less said about the reign and Ellering’s departure from the company, the better.
#9. The Hilarious Misadventures of Johnny Swinger
There have been countless wrestlers known for their comedic presence and ability to make the audience and the locker bust out laughing; the most well known comedy character on the IMPACT roster would have to be former ECW star and former TNA World Tag Team Champion, Johnny Swinger.
Since his return to wrestling in 2019, the Swingman has become one the greatest comedy wrestlers of this generation: whether it’s his involvement in Wrestle House, being called up to Wrestler’s Court to defend himself over allegations of ‘shooting’ someone to his often forgotten feud with Willie Mack for the X Division Title which saw Swinger dressed up as the masked man of mystery, Suicide whilst hilariously failing to do anything resembling high flying.
Perhaps his great comedic contribution to wrestling during the pandemic era would have to be Swinger’s Palace which saw the eccentric wrestler running an unlicensed gambling operation unbeknowst to the higher ups in IMPACT which saw everyone from James Storm, Chris Sabin, Petey Williams and even Kenny Omega take part in these segments which included Hernandez as the bouncer, John E. Bravo as the card dealer and a number of females including Alisha Edwards as his assistants often refered to as his ‘Swingerellas’.
While he may not have won a championship since his return to the squared circle, Swinger’s moments of brilliance when it comes to comedy in and outside of the ring helped to make the pandemic era a bit more enjoyable for wrestling fans.
#8. The Three Faces of Su
It’s hard sometimes for a wrestler to get over with multiple gimmicks/alter egos never mind one, but the few do manage it are truly special; Whilst Mick Foley and his personas of Mankind, Dude Love and Cactus Jack are perhaps the most famous example of this, IMPACT Wrestling’s own Undead Bride manage to have similar success in having multiple personalities during the pandemic.
Around the same time Kylie Rae making her presence known in IMPACT, she formed a partnership with Susie, a pure and almost child like persona that stood in contrast to Su Yung’s face painted, demonic character. The two played off each other well with each with Susie further showing off her range whilst involved in angles like Wrestle House or competing against wrestlers like Alisha Edwards and Kimber Lee.
Some spectulated that the end goal would have seen Susie revert back to her Su Yung gimmick and turn on Kylie leading to a match between the two somewhere down the line…Of course Kylie’s stunning no show at Bound For Glory 2020 prevent those plans from happening.
Upon making her unexpected return to the ring and feuding with Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts Title for a little bit, Su Yung was choked out by the Virtusoa during a brawl but not before making a deal with Father James Mitchell to get rid of the Undead Bride.
IMPACT fans were soon greeted to Susan which not only was another alter ego of Su, but this one wore a business suit, glasses and had a habit of beating people with her shoes whilst annoying wrestlers or threatening to report them to their managers…Yes, this gimmick was the pro wrestling equivalent of a ‘Karen’.
The gimmicks were a rousing success and further showed the company’s ability to allow creative freedom within their wrestlers, while at the same time giving Vannarah Riggs (the woman behind the Su Yung character) the chance to show off her acting skills.
#7. The Eric Young/Rich Swann Feud
Slammiversary 2020 will be remembered for a few things: the debut/return of former WWE stars to IMPACT, the spectular Knockouts Title match and of course the main event which saw the crowning of a new IMPACT World Champion with the added bonus that one of the wrestlers involved was a mystery opponent who also was a former world champion.
After Eddie Edwards, Trey Miguel and Ace Austin made their entrances, the time came to introduce the mystery opponent and then out came Rich Swann, who had just returned from a serious leg…This left people confused as Swann wasn’t a former world champion until Eric Young (who was a former champion) came out and said that he (much like Swann) will be a part of this world title match with neither man coming out on top, but a feud between the two were set in motion as a result.
Following his return to IMPACT, Eric Young went on the run of his life as a revitalizes version of his World Class Maniac persona which led to him beating Eddie Edwards to become the new world champion but also saw him rountinely beat up Rich Swann leading to the former 205 Live star declaring his retirement from the sport…only to again be ambushed by EY before the show went off the air.
Swann would make his return and the feud continued on with a match finally being made between the two in the main event of that year’s Bound For Glory which saw Rich Swann win his first ever world championship.
Outside of a rematch on the following episode of IMPACT, the feud pretty much came to an end after BFG with the rivarly being the simplest yet entertaining ones during the pandemic.
#6. Rohit Raju’s X Division Title Run
The X Division certainly was a high point during the company’s pandemic phase with at least two title reigns in particular being the best in recent memory.
The first of these reigns saw Hakim Zane also known as Rohit Raju win his first X Division Championship in a three way match and from there things started to become interesting. From issuing open challenges aptly titled: ‘The Defeat Rohit Challenge’ to finding creative ways to escape with the title like a classic chicken shit heel to his feud with TJP/Manik to forming partnerships that quickly fall apart as the pursuit for championship gold was just too much.
In addition to having some entertaining matches for the title, Rohit also got to show off his ability to talk on the mic and if you listen back to these segments and backstage interviews, then you can make the case that Rohit was one of the best talkers in company history.
Of course all good things do come to an end, such was the case when Manik defeated Raju at that year’s Final Resolution event to become the new X Division Champion; While Roju’s reign may have lasted only 120 days it was still enjoyable nonetheless.
#5. Josh Alexander’s X Division Title Run
The other X Division title reign that stands out as one the best during the pandemic era goes to Josh Alexander, who at this point was just months into his singles push following the departure of his former tag team partner to All Elite Wrestling.
At Rebellion 2021, the show kicked off with Josh Alexander defeating Ace Austin and TJP to become the new X Division Champion and much like what WALTER did with the Intercontinental Championship in the WWE, ‘The Walking Weapon’ was having some of the most hard hitting and captivating matches as part of the company’s mid card division.
During Josh’s 151 day title reign, he defended the title in almost every promotion he competed for in 2021 with his most notably adversaries being the Bullet Club’s El Phantasmo, Jake Crist, Ace Austin, Black Taurus, Jake Something, Chris Sabin and TJP with that last one seeing Alexander retain the title following a 60 plus minute Iron Man match on Before The Impact (BTI).
It was at the 2021 Victory Road event where Alexander announced before the end of the show that he’ll be cashing in ‘Option C’ thus setting the stage for him to compete and win the world title in his first of many Bound For Glory main events.
#4. The Era of Free Agents
For as much as the pandemic era is remembered for having little to no fans in attendance for events, 2020 and 2021 are also known for the amount of talent that were released or suspended by WWE for “budgetary reasons”.
For more on this be sure to check out my article on WWE’s Black Wednesday: The Exodus That Affected Pro Wrestling for a more detailed insight on this matter.
Anyway, some of these talents like Heath, Brian Myers, Deonna Purrazzo, Eric Young, The Good Brothers and EC3 made their way to IMPACT with some them leaving a lasting mark in the company.
Outside of WWE talent showing up on IMPACT, a number of free agents also made their debuts like the previously discussed Kylie Rae, Chris Bey, Nevaeh, Kimber Lee and Tasha Steelz to name but a few.
While many of these wrestlers who make their way back to the WWE or other promotions like the NWA and AEW, the fact that IMPACT had so much new and returning stars showing up on their programming gave the product a sense of unpredictable in all the right ways.
#3. The Return of the Knockouts Tag Team Titles
Speaking of Tasha Steelz, ‘The Boricua Badass’ came into the company at just the right time as IMPACT decided to revive the Knockouts Tag Team Titles after being deactivated for almost seven years under the Hogan/Bischoff regime.
A tournament was made to crown the new champions with the tournament seeing the likes of Jazz and Jordynne Grace, Nevaeh and Havok, Renee Michelle and Killer Kelly and the pairing of Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz also known as Fire ‘N Flava, who went on to win the titles at Hard To Kill 2021.
Hogan and Steelz were the right ladies to be the inaugural champions for this iteration of the titles as their charisma and wrestling skills made them a popular act throughout their 162 days as champions.
Other teams like the Death Dollz, MK Ultra, The IInspiration and The Coven would also be able to come into their own during their times as champions and since then the Knockouts Tag Belts have truly become an integer part of the Knockouts Division.
#2. Kenny Omega & Christian Cage: IMPACT World Champion
Looking back at the IMPACT/AEW partnership of late 2020 through the fall of 2021, it’s safe the say that things were beyond one sided with the former TNA Wrestling having to do much of the heavy lifting.
From IMPACT stars not being able to invaded Daily’s Place (outside of Moose and Sami Callihan for one match) to AEW doing little to no promoting of up-and-coming matches involving their stars in the partnership and let’s not even get started with the horrendous “Paid Ads” involving Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone which pretty much boiled down to mocking IMPACT while repeating what trolls had been saying about the company on the internet for years…seriously it was terrible to watch.
Amongst all of that steaming pile of crap there was at least something good that came out of it and that’s Kenny Omega as IMPACT World Champion. Considering the idea of Omega showing up in the company seemed unlikely to some, Omega did indeed appear when needed and with the help of Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Don Callis helped to make Kenny’s time in IMPACT a major highlight especially after beating Rich Swann at Rebellion 2021 to become the first and only person to have held the TNA, IMPACT and AEW World Titles at the exact same time.
Omega’s reign saw him compete with Moose, Sami Callihan, Chris Sabin and Eddie Edwards in singles or tag team matches before injuries ended Kenny’s reign prematurely with plans hinting at Josh Alexander vs. Kenny Omega as the main event of Bound For Glory 2021.
Instead of just vacating the title, AEW allowed Christian Cage on the very first edition of AEW Rampage to beat Omega to become the new IMPACT World Champion.
Cage would make his return to IMPACT for the first time since Slammiversary 2012 and went on to defend the title against the likes of Brian Myers and Ace Austin before dropping the title to Josh Alexander at BFG 2021 thus ending the “partnership” almost a year after it began.
While some argue that IMPACT’s buyrates and viewership numbers increased as a result of this partnership and they got Kenny Omega to compete on their roster, many have also mentioned that the former NJPW star was looking to sign with IMPACT before AEW became a thing thus the uptick in viewership and buys would’ve happened regardless…Nevertheless Omega and Cage’s contributions were easily the best thing about AEW/IMPACT working relationship.
#1. Deonna Purrazzo: The Age of The Virtuosa
Easily the best thing about IMPACT’s pandemic era by a country mile, Deonna Purrazzo’s return to the promotion helped to usher in a new era in the Knockouts Division right as another one was coming to an end.
After ending Taya Valkyries’s 377 title reign, Jordynne Grace looked set to have one of the best Knockouts Title reigns since her predecessor until the Covid-19 pandemic put an end to that and she soon became the target for The Virtusoa who made her return to the company in the summer, despite many believing she would debut or return to AEW or Ring of Honor respectively.
Following her surprise title win over Grace in their fanastic one-on-one match at Slammiversary 2020, Deonna defeated everyone on the Knockouts Roster including Taya at Hard To Kill 2021 which all but signaled the end of Taya’s dominance over the division followed by her departure from the company.
Deonna’s three reigns as Knockouts World Champion would add up to a whopping 531 days combined which is the second longest amount of title a wrestler had held the Knockouts Title multiple times since Gail Kim who seven reigns as champion led her holding the title for 623 days combined.
Deonna’s matches are also some of the best in company history as her bouts with Su Yung, Mickie James, Gisele Shaw and of course Jordynne Grace have become the stuff of legend as her technical/submission style of wrestling has made her the Bret Hart of modern pro wrestling…Which is one hell of compliment and I look forward to see what she’ll be able to do as part of All Elite Wrestling.
So that’s my list, What do you think was the best to come from IMPACT Wrestling’s Pandemic Era?
Be sure to leave your thoughts down below in the comment section and be sure to follow Lace ‘Em Up on Twitter @laceemupoffice You can follow me also on Twitter @hakeemfullerton and I’ll see you in the next article.
