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IMPACT Wrestling has felt a major resurgence in recent years thanks to their small yet stacked roster. Delivering excellent matchups with the X-Division, tag division, and Knockouts division, let alone their world title scene, it's no wonder that wrestling fans have started to take notice.
Many fans began checking out the promotion after Kenny Omega began working with IMPACT Wrestling at the beginning of the year. With AEW's World Champion soon capturing the IMPACT Wrestling World Title, fans of All Elite Wrestling have given a lot of attention to the Tennessee-based promotion.
Thankfully, they've noticed exactly what hardcore IMPACT fans have been saying for quite some time. Namely, IMPACT boasts some of the best wrestling around. With stars like Rich Swann, Moose, Deonna Purrazzo, Trey Miguel, Fire 'N Flava, Jordynne Grace, Josh Alexander, and more, it's hard to find a bad match in their recent catalog.
Today we'll be taking a look at the best men's matches from IMPACT Wrestling. We'll kick things off with an underappreciated match-up that saw a rising star take on Mr. IMPACT Wrestling himself.
#5 Moose vs Jake Something - IMPACT Wrestling February 23rd, 2021
IMPACT Wrestling has a roster full of wrestlers that any promotion would love to have. While Moose is, of course, at the top of the list, there's an underappreciated powerhouse that should be on anyone's radar. Formerly Cousin Jake as part of The Deaners, Jake Something has proven to be one of the most explosive men on the company's roster.
After laying him out at the beginning of the show, Moose was challenged to a match by the young, and hungry, Jake Something.
Ahead of the match, Something had already lost his tag partner, Cody Deaner, who turned on him and joined Violent By Design. Moose antagonizing him only riled him up more. Moose felt Jake's wrath early, even before they got to the ring.
Even after being beaten down by Moose earlier in the night, Something had Moose on the ropes at several points. It led many to believe that, had Jake come into that match healthy, he may have walked away with a win.
In the end, a brilliant hoss fight ended with Moose cutting Jake in half with the Lights Out spear. Jake's been hanging around in the mid-card since this match, but he's someone that IMPACT Wrestling will be able to rely on for years to come. As for Moose, he reportedly re-signed with IMPACT Wrestling earlier this year.
#4 Rohit Raju vs Trey Miguel - IMPACT Wrestling May 6th, 2021
If you don't watch IMPACT Wrestling, you truly don't know how great a wrestler Rohit Raju is. The Mocca Skin Manimal captured the X-Division Championship last year after his group, The Desi Hit Squad, left TV. Though the Hit Squad failed to pick up a lot of wins in their run, Rohit Raju has proven himself a top competitor for IMPACT Wrestling.
As far as his opponent goes, Trey Miguel was once part of one of the company's most exciting groups in The Rascalz. His partners, Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz moved on to become the NXT Tag Team Champions MSK. Miguel decided to stick around for IMPACT Wrestling and has been in and out of total contention ever since.
In a qualifying match to find Kenny Omega's number one contender, Miguel and Rohit seemed to have something to prove. Miguel had been told repeatedly by Sami Callihan that he was someone who would give up on IMPACT Wrestling when he failed. Rohit, on the other hand, was desperate to prove that his success in 2020 was not a fluke.
It was a great match-up that highlighted Trey's incredible speed and mat prowess vs Rohit Raju's veteran mindset. Though Trey was able to outwrestle Raju, he was often cut off by the former IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion before he could build up too much steam.
Raju has never been a slouch, though, and was able to hit the Divorce Court, a Michinoku Driver, and a twisting DDT on Trey. The Rascal failed to hit his Meteora finish, but focused on a new part of his game, locking in his Hourglass submission so synch in a win.
Rohit Raju is a proven hand with IMPACT Wrestling. The man will always deliver a great match-up. And when he's paired with someone like Trey Miguel? It becomes must-watch TV.
#3 TJP vs Ace Austin: IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Championship Match - March 23rd, 2021
IMPACT Wrestling has had one of the greatest high-flyers in the sport today on their roster for a few years now. Ace Austin, a two-time IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion, holds major victories over some of the best the company has had to offer. All of The Rascalz, Eddie Edwards, Chris Bey, and more have fallen to The Fold.
In the other corner, arguably the greatest technician the company has in TJP. This isn't the only time either of these men will appear on this list, and it's for good reason. TJP managed to lock three men into different submission holds at the same time this year, so anytime he's in a one-on-one match, his opponent never has a night off.
In all honesty, the only reason this isn't higher up on the list is because of Madman Fulton ruining the match. They were evenly matched, and one mistake could cost either man. TJP had a run in the early goings, but a wrecking ball dropkick missed Austin, sending him into Madman Fulton. It allowed Austin to hit the Fosbury Flop, aided by Fulton who kept him on his feet.
Austin stayed on the offensive, rocking TJP with a springboard roundhouse kick and a springboard Fameasser. TJP eventually managed to stun Austin with the Detonation Kick long enough to get up for the Mamba Splash. It would've earned him a pinfall had Madman Fulton not broken it up and caused a DQ.
Still, disqualification or not, this was a highlight for IMPACT Wrestling's X-Division, something that's been a major draw for the company for ages. Austin's game had improved since his debut with IMPACT Wrestling two years prior, to the point where he was outpacing the veteran. At Sacrifice the week before, Austin won the X-Division Championship.
In singles competition in IMPACT Wrestling, that put their series at 2-1 with TJP in the lead. Though TJP was now up 3-1, he didn't walk away with the gold.
#2 Ace Austin vs Chris Bey - IMPACT Wrestling March 9th, 2021
When it came to the X-Division of IMPACT Wrestling, no two wrestlers have caused more hassle for any other competitors than Ace Austin and Chris Bey. Both pegged as the future faces of, not only the division, but the brand, Fulton and Bey have been in and out of title contention since their debuts.
Both well-decorated X-Division stars, they've also made several attempts at the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship. It's only a matter of time before they win the big one. We got a chance to see what a main event scene with these two would look like back in March.
And you know what? It over-delivered. As great as these two were, fans expected it to end in disqualification or no contest. However, though both men did their best to steal a win, it was a relatively clean contest.
Austin controlled the first few minutes, thanks to Bey attempting to get himself disqualified. He tried to get Madman Fulton to strike him, but the big man declined, allowing Austin to land on him with a phenomenal dive.
It was a back-and-forth affair full of one-upmanship. While not exactly counter-for-counter, they instead traded shot-for-shot, hitting one another with some phenomenal maneuvers. Ace caught Bey with his various springboard kicks and springboard famouser. Bey responded with a slingshot DDT and a Vertebreaker, along with several attempts at the Art of Finesse.
In the end, it was the Art of Finesse that felled Ace Austin, giving Chris Bey a win in one of the greatest matches in IMPACT Wrestling TV history. Austin was distracted a bit by TJP prior to the finish, though, leaving this one open for a rematch. Chris Bey and Ace Austin are, without a doubt, the future of IMPACT Wrestling.
Now, as great as this was, there was one match that topped it in 2021, and it featured our current IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion.
#1 Josh Alexander vs TJP: IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Championship Ironman Match - June 3rd, 2021
IMPACT Wrestling had one of the greatest TV matches, not just in their company, but in the entire business this year when Josh Alexander faced TJP in an Ironman match this month. Reports came out in late May that they had filmed this stellar contest that was an hour-long featuring two of the best X-Division stars on the roster.
So when fans heard that The Walking Weapon, IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion Josh Alexander, would put his title on the line against TJP in an Ironman match, the anticipation hit an all-time high. There was a ton of hype surrounding this one, and it lived up to it all and then some.
Two master technicians, but somehow at the opposite end of the spectrum, Josh Alexander had the power game while TJP focused on the speed. In the first fifteen minutes or so, both men focused on the mat game. Breaking one another's submissions to transition into their own, it was clear that both of these competitors had a limitless repertoire of weaponry at their disposal.
That being said, Alexander had a pretty unique way to counter TJP's escape of the headscissors. When TJP went for a headstand, he was caught with a series of mini-piledrivers.
In the second quarter of the contest, Alexander caught TJP. The challenger went for a rear-naked choke, and Alexander managed to turn it into a quick pinfall. 22 minutes in, it was 1-0 in favor of the IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion.
Alexander used the ring to his advantage, slamming TJP against the apron and ring post. TJP trapped Alexander in an Octopus Stretch in between the ropes, and Alexander escaped, pulling TJP halfway between the ring and floor to synch in a surfboard stretch. Alexander hung onto TJP's limbs while gravity did the rest, and it was ingenious.
Around 47 minutes in, Alexander aimed to put his opponent away for good with a Divine Intervention on the stage. He'd been unable to get another fall on TJP and felt his title slipping away. IMPACT Wrestling's Chris Sabin, Trey Miguel, and Petey Williams stopped him, allowing TJP enough time to plant Alexander on the stage himself.
Alexander barely broke the ten-count, keeping himself ahead of his challenger. Cut to the last ten seconds of the match, and TJP stood out of Josh Alexander's grapevine ankle lock to counter into a pinfall. After an hour-long Ironman match, IMPACT Wrestling saw the match go into sudden death.
They were both dead tired, but it seemed Alexander had just a bit more in the tank. After a Kurt Angle-esque moonsault and a powerbomb backbreaker, Alexander finally hit Divine Intervention to put TJP away.
I would say go out of your way to watch this one, but you don't have to. IMPACT Wrestling posted the entire video to YouTube. It's that video at the top of the page. If you've got a little over an hour to spare, do yourself a favor and watch what IMPACT Wrestling has to offer.
This was a list of the best men's matches on TV so far from IMPACT Wrestling, but it wasn't an easy list to make. Hopefully after reading this, if you're not a regular viewer already, you'll be persuaded into giving them a chance.
