Posted By James Walsh on 12/21/18


The year 2018 has been such an up and down one for Impact Wrestling. Last year, 2017, I said it was the best year the company had since 2013 after the atrophy they endured in 2014, 2015, and 2016. I stand by that assessment but believe points of 2018 were better for the company than 2017 making it a positive year.

The highest point of Impact's year had to be Slammiversary. With a stacked card that was built so well featuring so many new faces to the promotion such as Tessa Blanchard, Brian Cage Button, Sami Callihan, Pentagon Jr, Su Young, and more in high profile positions, it exemplified the forward thinking and direction of the newest, most stable management the promotion has had in years. That event might well be the event of the year for all of wrestling with only the expected WrestleMania, the underdog All In, and Ring of Honor Wrestling Final Battle being able to compare.

But, there were set backs this year as well. TV ratings struggled at times after Slammiversary and a time slot change on Pop-TV moving the program to 10 p.m. was a definite negative for the brand.

So, as is usually the case, the new year begins with a new beginning for Impact Wrestling. A new TV home, temporary though it may be, could actually be a positive for the promotion.

Impact Wrestling's move to Pursuit is a move of convenience. With POP TV struggling to find its identity and Impact somehow being the "sore thumb" of the schedule, it makes sense for the product to leave. POP does not have the best reach ever and if they don't value the second highest rated program they have, second only to Schitt's Creek, maybe they will without those couple of hundred thousand people tuning in each week. After all, absense does make the heart grow fonder.

Pursuit is not the long-term answer. It is a network Anthem has ties to and that the show can air on until a larger deal is struck. I get it. But, I do fear what the numbers will be once it begins airing on that network exclusively in January. They could be shockingly low. That is OK as long as the company does have forward thinking plans. I believe they do. Management has been logical and steadfast making difficult but necessary decisions over the past 2 years. I have no reason to doubt that will continue.

I remember sitting here at Christmas time in 2009 talking about the "New Era" with Hulk Hogan joining the brand. That had high points and low points as well. The important thing is the company appears to be stable with logical management moving forward. I fail to see any cause for alarm. The Internet might be sounding the alarm on the company yet again. They've been wrong every single time before. I expect that trend to continue.

 

 

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