Quantitatively there is no comparison at all. WWE is the largest promotion in the world when it comes to profitability, magnitude, scale of operations and even their legacy. However, WWE is far from perfect.scale of operations and even their legacy. However, WWE is far from perfect scale of operations and even their legacy. However, WWE is far from perfect.scale of operations and even their legacy. However, WWE is far from perfect.
A company that peaked a long time ago, it is still a massive enterprise but the content is often jaded, watered-down to suit advertisers and to be quite honest, somewhat out of touch.
Impact Wrestling is hardly the paragon of sports entertainment, but in its current avatar as well as when it was known as TNA, it did some things right, in a manner that often showed WWE how things are done. We pick 5 things that Impact Wrestling does better than WWE, and present them to you, dear reader, for your consideration.
#5 No overload of content
Three hours of Raw, two hours of SmackDown Live, one hour of 205 Live, half an hour of Talking Smack, one hour of Total Divas and another hour of NXT, not to mention other Network Specials, and two pay-per-views a month.
This is the content released by WWE on a weekly basis, and if you are a fan, this is the volume you need to keep up with, to not ‘miss out’. Not only does this become tiresome for the fans, it also reflects in how ‘tired’ the product looks, more often than not.
As opposed to this, one show from Impact Wrestling is more palatable, easier to digest and keep pace with. Quality control is much easier when the output is limited, and Impact Wrestling fans need not necessarily devote their entire week to keeping up with the product.
#4 The X-Division vs. The Cruiserweights
Jeff Jarrett came up with the idea of the X-Division based on the X-Games that were so popular at the time and said that it wasn’t a division determined by weight limits in any sense. It was a division that was all about ‘no limits’.
The X-Division changed the work-style of wrestling, taking forward the insanity associated with the Cruiserweights in WCW. They made wrestling more exciting, faster-paced, nail-biting and ultimately carved out a distinct identity for the promotion formerly titled TNA.
Some of the top stars in the Heavyweight division of WWE right now, such as AJ Styles and Samoa Joe were part of this legendary division. Even today, the X-Division is something that gives Impact Wrestling a unique identity.
On the other hand, while the Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Network was a success, the subsequent show- 205 Live, was a disaster. The crowds are often dead, and the purple ropes suck out the excitement from any venue. Impact Wrestling definitely did a better job with their division.
#3 Taking bigger chances
How predictable are most episodes of Raw!
There’s a half-an-hour long promo at the beginning (with variations of The Authority stable), leading into a variety of segments with little change, on a weekly basis, ultimately culminating in a long main event. Such has been the story of Raw for many years now.
On the other hand, Impact Wrestling tries to freshen the product by taking chances. Be it with the stuff that The Broken Hardyz did, The TNA Grand Championship (where matches are contested across three different rounds), or even the recent rivalry between Josh Mathews and Jeremy Borash, one must admit that TNA believes in ‘disruption’.
At least, more so than WWE does, regularly.
#2 Fewer restrictions
We recently interviewed Josh Mathews, the lead play-by-play announcer of Impact Wrestling, and he spoke about the freedom he enjoys at the promotion, as compared to WWE. Ever since WWE went PG, they have been careful, censoring segments that may cause outrage, banning moves that may appear dangerous and as a consequence, offering a watered-down show to the fans.
Impact Wrestling is bound by fewer restrictions, and while their talent isn’t free to do as they please, they are not as shackled as WWE Superstars. Case in point, while Eric Young was known for the 'Piledriver' in his TNA days, he had to come up with a new finisher in NXT.
#1 Livelier crowds
While the live attendance at Impact Tapings is only a fraction of the number that appears at WWE shows, they are devoted to the product and cheer like they care about it.
WWE crowds, while much larger in sheer volume, are often tepid, quiet and rather lukewarm. Impact Wrestling audiences also hardly ever try to hijack the show with chants of ‘What?’ or ‘Boring!’
They seem far more respectful to the talent in the ring, and whether or not their response is doctored because the episodes are pre-taped, they just seem livelier.
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