Which of the "big three" American wrestling promotions is right for you?

Impact Wrestling (formerly TNA)

Originally known as Total NonStop Action wrestling, Impact wrestling has always been a federation with a split personality.

On the one hand, they created a showcase for smaller, lighter, faster wrestling talent like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Sonjay Dutt with their X Division.

On the other, Impact seems to push older, veteran talent at the expense of the up and comers. Middle-aged men like Jeff Jarrett, Sting, and Bully Ray have made up the bulk of their world champions and main event action, though this has changed somewhat over the years.

Impact was founded by Jeff Jarrett after the buyout of WCW by Vince McMahon. The buyout left many former WCW employees, most notably cameramen and backstage engineers, without a source of income. Jarrett founded the company as an alternative to the WWE, putting on three-hour pay per views on a sometimes weekly basis.

Impact has never quite grown large enough to seriously challenge the WWE's market share, but many credit them for starting the evolution of women's wrestling with their Knockouts division, and many former TNA stars are now at the top of the card in WWE.

What makes them distinct: While Impact may not have as big a budget as the WWE, their shows are still fairly polished and professional looking.

Also, while the WWE has moved away from showing blood or adult themes, Impact continues to court the vaunted 18-36 year old male demographic. This results in a product that is a little edgier and gimmick-laden than the WWE.

Impact wrestling also gives their talent more freedom to book themselves in other promotions as long as they don't compete with the federation directly on the same night, meaning fans get the opportunity to see stars who don't like being tied down to WWE-type exclusive contracts.

What might make Impact the right wrestling for you: If you like your wrestling product edgier, with more adult themes, then Impact is for you.

Impact could also be seen as the 'middle of the road' promotion among the Big Three. They put on both technical wrestling matches and hardcore 'monster's ball' contests where every weapon is legal.

Unfortunately, Impact often tries to imitate the WWE, with mixed results. They are at their best when they try to be unique and offer their own perspective on pro wrestling.