5 Failed TNA Impact Wrestlers That Should Have Worked (& 5 That Had No Chance)

Despite being the butt of the joke for many wrestling fans, Impact Wrestling has outlived all expectations, managing to make it over 20 years as a viable wrestling company. Having many different owners and bookers over the years, the company is finally finding itself once again under the leadership of Scott D'Amore.

While Impact Wrestling has developed a number of true wrestling superstars over the company's 20-year history, they have also dropped the ball with a number of wrestlers. Looking back over the past twenty years of TNA/Impact Wrestling, there have been a plethora of cases of wrestlers that should have been stars, as well as wrestlers that Impact signed, who never had a chance, either due to underwhelming performances, bad booking, or personal reasons.

10 Laredo Kid - Should Have Worked

This might be a stretch in terms of being a total failure, but as it would appear, Laredo Kid is just not meant for greatness within Impact Wrestling. First appearing for the company back in 2017, Laredo Kid has still yet to find any level of success within Impact Wrestling. A thrilling X Division star in his own right, Laredo Kid is one of the most exciting luchadors working today, and yet, he has lost every single big match that he has been put into during his time in Impact, while also never being featured in storylines.

While there is always time for Laredo Kid's run in Impact to turn itself around, for fans watching in real-time, it feels as if Laredo Kid is being totally wasted in Impact Wrestling when the company could use him to be a great babyface star for the X Division.

9 Micah - Never Had A Chance

Impact's The Rising: Eli Drake, Drew Galloway, and Micah

Known to most fans as Tonga Loa, one half of the G.O.D. tag-team in New Japan alongside his real-life brother Tama Tonga, the former IWGP Tag Team Champion has had a wrestling career that is much longer than most probably realize. At 40 years old, Loa's wrestling career first took off in 2009, as he was signed to WWE, where he would remain until 2014 under the name Camacho. After his release, he would land in TNA, joining The Rising faction alongside Drew Galloway and Eli Drake, though it would only last for a few months.

Wrestling as Micah and billed as the son of Haku, he would only last in Impact for a year, before making his exit from the company after regularly being booked as a loser and the fall guy for most of his matches. This would mainly be due to his ring skills as a singles star, with Micah underperforming in most outings. In 2016, he would join Tama Tonga in NJPW, debuting as Tonga Loa, where he has remained ever since, wrestling mostly as a tag wrestler and finding great success.

8 Andrew Everett - Should Have Worked

A former star of the X Division, and a star on the North American independent scene who can regularly be depended on to deliver fun bouts, Andrew Everett was never given a fair shake in Impact Wrestling. Being part of the Helms Dynasty, alongside Trevor Lee, the two appeared as if they would be breakout stars, though Andrew's time never came.

His best moment would see him capturing the Impact Tag Team Titles alongside DJZ, though the two would lose the belts in their first defense, days after winning. Everett would remain in Impact from 2015 until 2018, making a one-off date in 2022 during an Ultimate X Match.

7 SANADA - Never Had A Chance

The career trajectory of SANADA has been all over the place, with the man having spent the last several years as a failing, floundering babyface in New Japan, he finally would reach the top of the promotion in 2023, defeating Kazuchika Okada in shocking fashion to become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Years earlier however, SANADA would wrestle in TNA, where he would even become X Division Champion. However, the company never seemed to take him seriously, and during his run, SANADA often left a lot to be desired with his matches, failing to stand out in a division that was meant for thrilling, exciting superstars.

6 Rachael Ellering - Should Have Worked

A former Knockouts Tag Team Champion and the daughter of Paul Ellering, Rachael Ellering seemed to be on the upswing when she joined the Knockouts Division in Impact Wrestling. Things would never play out for her as a singles star however, with her eventually requesting her release from the company, ending her time with the company on a shorter stint than many fans wanted.

It remains to be seen how her time would have gone if she had stayed with the company, though Impact should have given her more of a chance to stand out as a singles star, rather than being relegated to the tag team scene.

5 Brandi Lauren - Never Had A Chance

It may seem tough, but Brandi Lauren's time in wrestling has proven that some companies just want a pretty face, as that would be the case for both Impact Wrestling and WWE. Joining Impact Wrestling in 2017, Brandi would join the Knockouts Division as a hot new prospect, eventually getting a new ring name as Ava Storie.

After underwhelming in her matches, she would be let go the following year, before signing with WWE in 2020. Wrestling in NXT, Brandi would have one match before being released months after. In short, she has never been a very good wrestler and both Impact & WWE seemed to realize that shortly after her signings.

4 Jake Something - Should Have Worked

One of the strangest cases in recent years, Jake Something is one of a few names that Scott D'Amore dropped the ball with. After breaking out from the Cousin Jake gimmick and becoming his own man as Jake Something, the sky looked like the limit for Jake, as he put in great performance after great performance in the X Division.

The company would never get fully behind him, and he would opt to not re-sign with Impact, taking AEW Dark and NJPW Strong dates instead, though neither company would latch onto nor sign Jake as well.

3 Kylie Rae - Never Had A Chance

Kylie Rae may be the most talented women's wrestler to be in the Knockouts Division without ever holding gold. Making waves in 2019 as she would sign with AEW, before quickly requesting her release, Kylie would eventually land in Impact.

Personal issues would derail her career, as she would disappear from Impact ahead of a Knockouts Championship Match against Deonna Purrazzo, where most fans assumed she would have won the belt. Kylie is the rare case where it was not due to her being a bad wrestler or the company overlooking her that led to her never having a chance to thrive, as it was her own demons that held her back.

2 Grado - Should Have Worked

A breakout star and internet sensation during the mid-2010s, Grado rose to fame through his work in the ICW Promotion in the United Kingdom. Thanks to his comedic chops, iconic Madonna Entrance, and great work as an underdog babyface, Grado became one of the most talked about indy stars during that period, which would eventually lead him to earning a contract with TNA.

Joining the company in 2014, Grado would pick up a spot in the company's midcard, though they would never truly capitalize on his popularity or what he was capable of. The most notable story during his time in TNA would be a deportation angle that saw him attempting to marry Laurel Van Ness, now Chelsea Green in WWE. Grado should have been a bigger deal in TNA, but the company just didn't know how to utilize him, leading to his official exit in 2018.

1 Garett Bischoff - Never Had A Chance

With all the talk about Nepo Babies in media, it would be hard to not talk about TNA's attempted push of Garett Bischoff, the son of Eric Bischoff. Debuting in 2010, Garett would join TNA alongside his father and Hulk Hogan, making it clear as to why he got the job, as he had never wrestled beforehand. From the jump, it was clear that Garett was only there because of his father, with all of his matches being panned by fans, as the man holds a whopping 2.37 rating on Cagematch.

Despite backlash from the fans and underperforming on a regular basis, Garett would remain with the company for years, being featured in a feud with his father as well as being a featured player in the Aces & Eights angle. Bischoff would last until 2015, and despite being given more chances than most, he never had a shot at being a star because he was rushed into the spotlight while being a terrible wrestler, rather than becoming a star organically.