Impact Wrestling Signs Major Free Agent Ahead of TNA Rebrand
Kushida has inked with TNA.
Impact Wrestling is returning to the three letters that made it famous. As announced earlier this fall by company president Scott D'Amore, January 2024 will mark Impact Wrestling's namesake rebrand to Total Nonstop Action, as the Impact name will return to being the monicker for the weekly television program. This rebrand has helped skyrocket Impact Wrestling's already white-hot momentum, as the promotion has redefined itself in recent years and had successfully washed away some of the woes that the "TNA" monicker was associated with. Fans have now embraced those three letters as being synonymous with some of wrestling's biggest moments, like Kurt Angle's feud with Samoa Joe and the high-octane action of the X-Division.
Impact has doubled down on making this relaunch special, as it has secured top talent like AEW's Will Ospreay and NJPW's Kazuchika Okada to wrestle one-off matches during its first few shows. While Ospreay and Okada will only be coming in for a cup of coffee, one top free agent is set to call TNA his new permanent home.
KUSHIDA Signs With TNA Wrestling
The Time Splitter is TNA bound.
As announced by Impact Wrestling on social media, KUSHIDA has signed with the company. His acquisition is being branded under the "TNA Wrestling" logos, indicating that he will be a central piece to the promotion upon the TNA relaunch in January.
KUSHIDA has wrestled 23 matches under the Impact Wrestling / TNA banner. He made his debut with the company in 2015 on a cross-promotional show with Global Force Wrestling. He became an occasional member of the roster in 2022, wrestling top stars like Rich Swann and Deaner, before becoming a much more regular competitor in 2023. KUSHIDA has tangoed in 18 Impact Wrestling matches this year.
2023 marks two decades in the business for KUSHIDA. He is most famous for his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling where he is a six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. He is also a frequent tag partner of Impact World Champion Alex Shelley. Collectively known as The Time-Splitters, KUSHIDA and Shelley are two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Outside of NJPW, KUSHIDA had a three-year run in WWE which was highlighted by him winning the NXT Cruiserweight Championship on one occasion. He wrestled one match for AEW this past January.
Impact Wrestling's TNA rebrand goes into effect in January 2024.
