For the past twenty years, Impact Wrestling has remained a constant within the ever-changing world of professional wrestling. Coming closer than any other company since WCW to becoming real competition for WWE, TNA/Impact Wrestling once stood towards the top of the mountain, and while the company is on a much smaller scale than it once was, the talent within the Impact roster cannot be denied.
Once the home to names like AJ Styles, Robert Roode, and the Main Event Mafia, Impact has gone through quite the change over the past several years, though keeping its identity true with the likes of the Motor City Machine Guns and Eric Young still staples of the roster. In this new era of Impact, a number of true-to-life superstars have been born, with one of the best overall in-ring rosters the company has had in years.
10 Black Taurus
Debuting as the newest member of the Decay faction alongside Rosemary and Crazzy Steve in early 2021, AAA's Black Taurus is one of the coolest-looking Luchadors on the planet. Sporting an insanely detailed, unique Bull-like mask, the 200-pounder has become quite the staple of the Impact X Division over the past year, and while he has yet to win the big one, fans have taken to him in most of his outings.
Recently putting on one of the best pre-show matches Impact has ever seen against Laredo Kid, Black Taurus feels like a superstar just waiting to get to the next level. Should the company put the X Division Championship on the lucha star, his star could rise even further than it is now.
9 Eric Young
Returning to Impact Wrestling in 2020 and shocking the fanbase by capturing the World Championship upon arrival, Eric Young has been a name that has managed to surpass expectations after a less-than satisfying main roster run in WWE. Forming the Violent By Design faction alongside Deaner and Joe Doering, Young's latest run for Impact has been nothing short of great.
Delivering great matches against Josh Alexander and Jay White this past year, while also featuring in the tag team division alongside VBD, Eric Young has helped elevate the younger side of the roster, seemingly having no qualms about putting over the younger talent.
8 Moose
Crushing the hopes and dreams of Josh Alexander last October, Moose ascended the mountain and became Impact World Champion, while also taking his spot as the top heel in the company as he stole Alexander's coronation from him at Bound For Glory. In the year since, Moose has continued to thrive in the company's main event and midcard as one of the most complete acts.
Currently feuding with Steve Maclin and Sami Callihan, Moose's run post-championship has seen him fall down the card a bit, though in the process, he has put on some spectacle matches against Callihan, including an amazing Monster's Ball Match.
7 Eddie Edwards
After turning heel and becoming the leader of the Honor No More faction during the first half of 2022, Impact's Eddie Edwards went from a boring babyface that had lost most of his momentum, to a great heel faction leader that feels like world champion material. Likely defeating Josh Alexander this fall for the Impact World Championship, Edwards' current run seems to be on the up and up.
Even before this however, Eddie had been putting in some great in-ring work before his much-needed heel turn, though as a heel, he has only grown better, with his multi-man Honor No More matches and his big, marquee singles bout against Tomohiro Ishii being the highlights of his 2022.
6 Ace Austin
One of the best and brightest young stars in Impact Wrestling, Ace Austin had been on the verge of a breakout year for some time. Finally though, the time was now for him this past Spring, as he would take part in the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Tournament while holding the X Division Championship. In said tournament, Ace Austin would take Japan by storm, going down as one of the MVPs of the tournament before shocking fans by joining Bullet Club.
On top of making a splash overseas and joining one of the hottest factions around, back in Impact, Ace featured in a high profile X Division feud with Mike Bailey and Trey Miguel, while also forming a new tag-team for Bullet Club with one of his other talented peers, Chris Bey.
5 Sami Callihan
One of the most polarizing men's wrestlers around today, Sami Callihan seems to be the type of wrestler than fans either love or hate, with there often being no in-between for the former Impact World Champion. Having sat out the first half of 2022 with injury, Callihan returned at Under Siege 2022 and has since saw a fire lit under him during an extended feud between he, Moose, and Steve Maclin.
While his wrestling style and personality may leave some alienated, it is hard to deny that over the past few years, Callihan has remodeled himself into one of the top stars in Impact Wrestling. Putting on extremely exciting bouts against Kenny Omega, Moose, and Steve Maclin, Sami has connected with the Impact Faithful to a great degree and feels like one of the best around.
4 Chris Sabin
Another former Impact World Champion, Chris Sabin is one of the most decorated stars currently working in Impact Wrestling, as he is also a former Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champion and an 8-time X Division Champion. Still teaming with Alex Shelley as the Motor City Machine Guns, the two men remain key factors within the current Impact Wrestling roster.
Whether it be teaming with Shelley in a series against Chris Bey and Jay White, or tearing down the house against AEW's Frankie Kazarian in an instant classic TV Match, Chris Sabin is still one of the best wrestlers in Impact and remains one of the top stars in the company in 2022.
3 Mike Bailey
In the midst of his first reign with the Impact X Division Championship, Mike Bailey arrived on the scene at the very beginning of 2022 as one of the company's hot new signings. Since debuting, Bailey immediately dazzled fans with his high-octacne in-ring style, being a perfect fit for the X Division. After an on-again, off-again friendship with Ace Austin ended, Bailey would capture the X Division Championship during Ultimate X at Slammiversary 2022!
Since winning the belt, Bailey has regularly defended the belt against anyone and everyone, from Kenny King to Rocky Romero to Jack Evans, always somehow stealing the show in the process. Without a doubt, 2022 has been a true resurgence year for Mike Bailey and in 2023, he could become an even bigger star for Impact.
2 Alex Shelley
A true TNA/Impact Wrestling original, Alex Shelley's ties to the company stem back all the way to the beginning of the company. Now, 20 years on, Shelley is still one of the featured players in Impact alongside his tag-team partner Chris Sabin. While the two often feature at the top of the tag team division in Impact Wrestling, they do also regularly take part in singles action.
2022 has seen Alex Shelley rise up when called upon, putting on some of the best matches of his career against Josh Alexander, Mike Bailey, and Jay White, all within Impact, while also delivering some great tag-team bouts as part of the Motor City Machine Guns. At 39 years old, Shelley remains one of the most underrated wrestlers working today.
1 Josh Alexander
The current face of Impact Wrestling, Josh Alexander is in the midst of his second reign as Impact World Champion, though his first time around with the belt only lasted a matter of minutes. Since defeating his arch-nemesis, Moose, at Rebellion, Alexander has put the main event scene on his back, delivering some of the best World Championship Matches in all of wrestling this year.
Highlighted by his matches against Eric Young, Alex Shelley, and Tomohiro Ishii, Josh Alexander is the type of world champion that every company should strive to have, both being capable of delivering incredibly captivating stories and delivering amazing in-ring action.