Impact Wrestling is a company that always seems to be in transition. In their latest move, they will no longer be known as Impact and will be rebranded as Global Force Wrestling. Does Anthem Sports have the magic potion to bring this company back as a viable wrestling promotion in the United States? Can Jeff Jarrett take the 2 companies that he founded them and merge them into something the wrestling fans are checking for? Of course, I believe anything is possible and this company has more lives than any I have seen but there are still a mountain of challenges that face them going forward.
The key for Global Force is to just become a relevant wrestling company that can put butts in seats when come to a town in the United States. The idea of competing with the WWE and Ring of Honor for that matter is way off in the distance. The company will also have to do one of the hardest things in the current media climate and figure out to get eyes on their product. As of right now they are POP TV which is national television distribution but it’s also a channel a lot people don’t have or know how to find. It touts itself as being in available to 75,000,000 households but available is just like how HBO is available to me but I don’t subscribe. So that huge number is like having a million dollars in 3rd world currency.
Now I have POP TV under my new cable subscription but still don’t consume Impact on a regular basis. Why you ask? Because they must compete with an already full slate of wrestling related content and they don’t have too many alternative ways to get the product after it comes on television. Think about this the WWE has 8 hours a week of original wrestling content with four different shows that come on during a non-pay per view week. Now factor in an hour for Ring of Honor and whatever programming New Japan has to offer. If you get out to some of your local independent shows in your area and have literally any other interest where is there time for Global Force? One thing they don’t have is an alternative to stream such as how ROH comes on the FITE TV app, which is amazing since the company works with FITE offering the most recent Impact on the app might seem like a natural move.
Now get that straight and there is still that talent roster. There are some gems on the roster but this company has never been able to focus on upcoming homegrown talent has always relied on ex-WWE guys who flamed out. As much as we all want to dream no one has seem to find a way to make money with Bobby Lashley. They were banking on Champion Alberto El Patron but he is suspended now due to his incident with Paige at an airport. The guy also has an unhealthy obsession with the WWE that doesn’t do anybody any good. Talents like Magnus and EC3 that are more with their brand would be the way to push forward, we would think missing the boat with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles would have taught them that.
Not sure what the thought process is over that at Anthem or with Global considering this brain trust came up with a tag team like the Akbars. This has bad idea written all over it and I know people like bad guy heels but this angle hasn’t ever really worked. The Middle Eastern villain hasn’t really worked since the Iron Sheik and our sensibilities in this era will get you the wrong kind of heat. I have to remember these are the same group of minds who think it’s a good idea to be in a legal battle over a gimmick with former talent. I understand it’s a business but in a business sometimes you have to make concessions for the betterment of your own image. How does this look to talents who are thinking about signing with the company? Does this effect how the current stars in your locker room feel about your business practices? All things to consider when being petty over a gimmick that you can’t get any use out of with the guy working in another company. At the end of the day this company has always found a way to survive but never a way to thrive.
Written By
Keith B. Holt
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