Former World Champion Signs Extension With Impact Wrestling
Since ditching the infamous Total Nonstop Action label, Impact Wrestling has been a quiet hit among the professional wrestling landscape. The promotion has turned independent veterans into bonafide main event stars, with the likes of Eddie Edwards, Deonna Purrazzo, Sami Callihan, Impact World Champion Josh Alexander and Impact Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace emerging as standout performers. Impact got a significant attention boost in 2021 as well, as a working relationship with AEW allowed for Kenny Omega to migrate to AXS TV for a number of appearances, with the Best Bout Machine even reigning as Impact World Champion for a number of months before dropping the title to fellow AEW star Christian Cage.
With Impact being a smaller company, the promotion has lost a couple of its blossoming stars in free agency, like Ethan Page opting for AEW and Wes Lee (fka Dezmond Xavier of the Rascalz) inking a deal with WWE. That said, one former world champion is sticking around.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Rich Swann revealed that he's signed an extension with Impact Wrestling.
"I've signed a two-year deal with Impact Wrestling. They have done nothing but treat me with the utmost respect," Swann explained. "It's been a place to where I've been able to grow, I've been able to watch other competitors grow and I've been able to watch the company grow into a spot to where it should be."
While Swann would have no shortage of options if he elected to explore free agency, he emphasized that he's happy helping Impact grow.
"Right now, there is so much of everything in all forms of entertainment. Wrestling, right now, is prospering. AEW is doing great, WWE has turned around and doing great. Impact Wrestling, the experience I've had, ever since I started in 2018, has been nothing but love, nothing but proposing and watching the company grow into what it is today," Swann continued. "To be part of that and helping that after all the years of people saying, 'Impact is going to die, TNA is dead,' to be part of that and helping the company to where it is today, that makes me feel good and lets me know that I'm doing something right in this industry."
As he alluded to, Swann signed with Impact in 2018 after being released from WWE, where he was a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Swann rapidly ascended the Impact ranks, capturing the X Division Title just six months after his debut. He rode that momentum to a Impact World Championship victory in Fall 2020 and reigned with the company's top prize until April 2021, when he lost it to Omega.