Hey everyone! Welcome to Part 2 of my series Impact Profiles! Last time, we looked at the four divisional champions, and if you missed it, check it out here!
Today, let’s take a look at the group I like to call Headliners. These folks may or may not be former Impact champions, but they are certainly title contenders. They’re the talents responsible for carrying at least half the load in any main event, and are a threat to take the title whenever they get a chance. In some cases they might even eclipse some of the divisional champs in terms of importance to the company.
I’m going to change it up a little bit this time. Instead of going division by division, I’m going to rank them in terms of importance to the company from 1-6 (again, excluding champs). So without further ado, let’s begin with our #1 Impact Profile!
#1: Tessa Blanchard
What can I say about Tessa Blanchard that I haven’t already? Simply put, she is the best female wrestler in North America. Period. I don’t care what PWI says, or contract numbers, or TV ratings at this time, Tessa Blanchard can work better than any woman outside of Japan, and outwork 3/4 of the men, too.
Then again, when you’ve got a wrestling DNA like Tessa, it’s pretty hard to go wrong. The Rock and Randy Orton can be third generation wrestlers, and Charlotte Flair can talk all she wants about being Slick Ric’s daughter. Tessa has them all beat.
She’s a third generation talent.
She’s the daughter of Tully Blanchard, so she’s got Horseman blood in her.
Oh, and she’s the stepdaughter of Magnum T.A.
Frankly, about the only way she could have stronger wrestling DNA is if Mariko Yoshida was her mother.
At 24, Tessa’s just entering her prime, but already moves with the confidence and skill of someone far beyond her five years of experience. Athletic, she can go power for power with women much larger than her (Tessa’s about 135 pounds), but can also go step for step with speedsters, fly high, use lucha stylings… in-ring she’s the complete package. And whether it’s with a Buzzsaw DDT or her flying top rope Codebreaker she calls Magnum, she can have anyone counting the lights 1…2…3.
Best of all, Tessa’s got charisma. From her hair swinging and wink on her entrance onward, the fans pay attention. Every move she makes, she pulls your eyes towards her.
When she talks on the mic, people listen. She puts so much passion into what she says and does, either as an intense face or as a vicious heel, you believe it.
She’s so believable, in fact, that not only has she been a champ nearly everywhere she’s been (current WoW champ, former AAA Reina de Reinas champ, former Knockouts champ), but Impact has had her cross the line into intergender wrestling. Her rivalry with Sami Callihan has been, quite honestly, the best feud in Impact over the past 6 months.
But Tessa’s strength is also Impact’s biggest problem. While her performances against smaller X-Division wrestlers such as Dave Crist are believable, and her first match against Callihan made everyone suspend disbelief about her hanging with a man literally 100 pounds bigger than her, how far can that line go? Sure, I can believe her even winning the Impact World Championship against Sami.
But then what? Two of the other names on today’s list are men more than twice her size, and all muscle. Some fans will have problems with her ‘hanging’ with men so large (a debate for another time).
If there is a size limit to Tessa’s intergender endeavors, what then? Have her go after the Knockouts title again, when she’s shown she can beat the crap outta men much larger than her? And if she does get the Knockouts title, how do you believably write such a superior athlete losing to someone like Madison Rayne or Kiera Hogan? Or does she transition to the X-Division title? There’s not as much size difference there, but then you run the risk of your World Championship being overshadowed by the X-Division.
Worst of all, how much longer can Impact keep Tessa before her star power is so Undeniable that a big money contract from WWE or AEW has her saying goodbye?
#2: Brian Cage
I’m a machine!
Brian Cage is another wrestler in Impact with a strong foundation in lucha libre. A fifteen year vet, many people’s introduction to Cage came in Lucha Underground when he was announced by his now wife Melissa Santos with plenty of stank on her voice as being from the ‘five-five-nine.’ For a complete retrospective on his career, check this out!
A mountain of muscle, Cage is highly athletic and can do things that you just don’t think a man 270 pounds should be able to pull off, which makes sense for a man who started his career as a high flyer during brief stints in DSW and the old FCW before it became NXT.
When you watch Cage, don’t blink, because just about every move this man does can end a match. F-5? Easy. Drillclaw? Done it. Weapon X? Nailed it. Using his unique blend of power, speed, and athleticism, Cage won the X-Division belt soon after signing with Impact in 2018. He then won the World Championship in April 2019 before dropping it to Sami Callihan just weeks ago.
But Brian Cage has some weaknesses. The biggest is that the former high flyer seems to be on the path of The Dynamite Kid, packing about 50-60 pounds of muscle on his body that he probably shouldn’t be carrying. A walking needle cushion, his impressive physique and desire to pull off Cruiserweight moves means a lot of wear and tear on his body. His World title reign was literally Lesnar-esque, with just two defenses over a 6 month reign. The reason? He screwed his back up so badly taking a standing Spanish Fly that it’s a small miracle he finished the match that won him the title. How good is your champion if he’s sitting at home rehabbing all the time?
Cage’s other weakness is his promo work. He’s intense, sure. And he’s got a great physical presence. But outside of that he could benefit from a manager. Dishing out ass kickings is his forte, but he needs help when there’s another reason for creating mayhem.
#3: Moose
Moose (real name Quinn Ojinnaka) is the second Impact Profile of a trio we’re going to look at today with similar strengths and weaknesses. Namely, they’re all athletic as hell, but seem to be lacking in the charisma department or some other key ingredient.
In Moose’s case, the former NFL offensive lineman just hasn’t yet, in my opinion, come off as quite believable. His in-ring work is good for a man with his experience (effectively 5 years full-time). He’s athletic as hell, and seeing a man six foot five, three hundred pounds hit a standing drop kick to someone on the top rope is nothing to laugh at. He’s more than just a brawler, and while he’s not the kind to put on a technical submission clinic, he has enough moves in his arsenal that he can make you stand up and take notice.
But that’s where Moose seems to stop so far. Perhaps it was at the behest of Impact management, maybe it’s that the former NFL lineman wants to be known as more than just a physical presence. But since an August 2018 heel turn, Moose has been sampling a lot of character traits without quite settling on any of them. Whether it’s ridiculous pink outfits, Nature Boy-esque robes, or looking like he’s trying out for a Shaw Brothers kung fu movie, Moose has thrown a lot of stuff at the wall… and so far not very much of it has stuck. Personally, I was hoping for an expansion of the kung fu schtick. Moose calling himself ‘The Shogun of Impact’ and telling people to ‘kiss his Converse’ would have had me rolling in the aisles.
Still, management has faith in him, considering Impact recently had him go over on Ken Shamrock. And he can work a good match provided the right opponent. My biggest feeling is that right now Moose seems to be circling in that main event scene, just looking for that right feud to come in and capture the Impact World Championship. Whoever the champ is, they need to keep one eye out for the big man.
#4: Rosemary
It’s hard enough to have a character get over in wrestling. It’s a mark of a good performer when they can get over with more than one character.
Holly Lektemann’s not only done that, she currently juggles multiple separate incarnations of the same character. Seriously. If you’ve got a few hours to just sit back and enjoy YouTube craziness, check out her web series “Masters of the Multiverse” with former Impact and current AEW star Allie. Note, this is a series best enjoyed while pharmaceutically enhanced.
Maybe it’s because she’s from Winnipeg and she just keeps a List? Whatever it is maaaan, Rosemary’s got it in spades. A supernatural character who started off in Impact as a valet for Decay, Rosemary’s stepped out on her own, and Impact fans are glad she has. As The Demon Assassin, she’s one of the most entertaining personalities on the Knockouts roster and a former Knockouts champion. Some would even argue that she saved the Knockouts Division a few years ago, keeping attention on it in a bad situation.
Now to be honest, Rosemary isn’t going to raise eyebrows with her in-ring work. There’s nothing to write home about when it comes to her move set, your basic combination of kicks, punches, suplexes, finished with either a spear or the Red Wedding (F-5). She’ll also use Mist from time to time, especially when she’s a heel.
But it’s how Rosemary presents herself that makes the difference. From the first scream of her awesome theme song, she has your attention. Her in-ring mannerisms, her promo style (liberally flavored with first person plural references to herself as ‘we’ and giving her opponents nicknames that tend to stick), and even her ability to change up her ring attire and still keep true to the Demon Assassin persona have allowed Rosemary to keep our eyes glued on the screen.
And, business wise for Impact, she’s a rock. Even when Impact was going through some major problems, Rosemary re-signed with the promotion back in February 2019, and I suspect that as soon as there’s a chance, management’s going to reward her with another run with the Knockouts Championship.
For all her strengths however, Rosemary has some challenges. Firstly, she seems to still be recovering from ACL surgery in 2018, and sometimes can seem a half step off. This is especially true against greener talents. And there are plenty in the Knockouts division right now. For great matches, Rosemary needs comfort with her opponent.
The bigger problem Rosemary has though is that right now, Impact’s got A LOT of ‘supernatural’ characters. Between her, Su Yung, and Jessicka Havok, there’s been a lot of undead supernatural shenanigans. While interesting television, getting Rosemary back on track and focused on the title is essential. There’s a limit to how much Twilight Zone Impact can handle.
#5: Michael Elgin
The third Impact Profile today of a big man, Unbreakable Mike Elgin is one of those guys a lot of fans hate. Not all of it has to do with his in-ring work, either. A few years ago, there were rumors floating around that Elgin, then a top guy in ROH, wanted to quit wrestling to do professional softball.
And there were claims involving a former student and sexual assault. While the story, like many in wrestling seems to have been overblown, it turned even more fans off.
Then there was the story on Kevin Steen’s podcast that’s… disgustingly wet.
This guy ain’t qualifying for humanitarian awards.
Either way, Big Mike is polarizing in the wrestling business. A stiff, powerful worker, Elgin enjoyed success of a sort and rejuvenation of his career after spending time in NJPW. When Brian Cage was on the shelf with a back injury, Elgin seems to have been brought in as an insurance ‘heavy’ for the promotion.
The difference between Cage and Elgin though is that Elgin knows he’s a heel. After his previously mentioned controversies, he’s happy to be a heel. He’s quite happy beating people up and slamming them around in a hundred different ways. He’ll beat you, he’ll kick you, then finish you with a Burning Hammer or Elgin Bomb.
It’s just what he does. He’s brutal. He’s powerful. He looks like he’s out there legit hurting people. In-ring, he’s that kind of power based throwback.
But that’s also Michael Elgin’s biggest problem. Everything about him is in-ring. On his wrestling attire, he’s got dumbbells, and honestly he has all the charisma of those same iron lumps. In Japan it was okay, NJPW fans were attracted to his physical presence. In ROH, they could hide it well. But in Impact, especially as a heel, he needs to have more. Great, he’s beating people up, but why? Why should I care about his beatings over what Sami Callihan or Moose does? Why, when there are other heels who give me a reason to watch, should I care about him?
He’s a man seriously in need of a mouthpiece, but I don’t see one coming his way. Still, watching him beat the hell out of people, you can’t help but appreciate his skill.
Just don’t invite him to use your bathroom.
#6: oVe
Ohio Versus Everything is nearly omnipresent in Impact. Starting off as just the Crist brothers (Dave & Jake) in 2017, the brothers quickly added Sami Callihan to turn into a full on heel stable.
With every member being portrayed as do-anything psychotic disgusting heels, the stable’s been primarily portrayed as half meth-head street gang, half Callihan-led cult. The addition of Madman Fulton in 2019 added a monster to the group that’s made them even stronger.
oVe has held plenty of gold over their two years in Impact. In addition to Callihan’s current World Title reign, the Crist brothers have held the Impact Tag Team Championship, and Jake Crist just recently lost the X Division belt.
Regardless of the match, regardless of the situation, oVe’s a threat.
But in any four man stable, there’s bound to be a few weak links, and oVe’s got them. First off, during Jake’s X Division reign, brother Dave Crist pretty much disappeared. Other than escorting his brother to the ring or doing video vignettes with the rest of oVe, he was a total non factor. Recently, his main occupation seems to be taking Madman Fulton out for fast food.
It’ll be helpful for both oVe and the Impact Tag Team division for the Crists to reform and pursue the belts. They’re established, they’re cohesive, and after not being in the mix for awhile they can come in refreshed.
Madman Fulton as well has a lot of potential. As an unhinged monster, he’s different from a lot of the other power wrestlers in Impact. Whether it’s his size, his style, or the dreadlocked hair, he’s a massive threat in any match. How Fulton is developed, and what feuds he gets himself into, will be key. It’d be a waste of talent to keep him in little more than multi-man matches or as outside interference.
The reason I have oVe as the #6 Impact Profile is that currently they’re a one man show, charisma wise. Now, when that one man is Sami Callihan, things are pretty good. But when not in Callihan’s spotlight, the Crists in particular suffer. Together they can be a good tag team. Who’s to say Impact won’t do a ‘oVe Golden Era’ of Sami with the World Championship, the Crists with the Tag Team belt, and Fulton… well, big men have held the X Division belt before.
But Sami can do good business without oVe. I’m not sure oVe can do good business without Sami.
So there you go! Six different Impact Profiles, Headliners and main event players you’ll see nearly every week.
But there are a lot more names to go. Whether it’s tag teams, the X-Division, or Knockouts, Impact’s got a lot more talent to look at.
Up next, the Impact Profiles Tag Teams. Whether stables, friends, frenemies, or what have you, let’s look at the division that Impact’s currently rebuilding the most!
