On February 16, 2013, the world of Impact Zone Wrestling
(IZW) was tossed on its head.
Violent Valentine was anchored by 3
championship matches.
3 titles were on
the line and 3 new champions were crowned. In the chaos and aftermath, one
thing is clear…IZW is always evolving.
If
you’re looking to keep the status quo and tread water, then you will be eaten
alive in the shark tank that is the Impact Arena.
IZW has provided opportunities for wrestlers
on the Independent scene to either make or break their careers.
A weekly television series, broadcast live
every Saturday night at 8pm EST and available on multiple platforms via GFL.tv
on a global scale, a monthly 2-hour show on The Comcast Network (TCN) and Comcast
SportsNet (CSN) reaching an audience of over 22 million homes and now IZW’s
coup de grace to all other Independent, regional promotions,
IZW Adrenaline, a one-hour, bi-weekly
television series on CSN that is set to reach millions and millions of households
scattered across the country starting in March.
With the IZW brand and footprint continuing to increase and
expand the opportunities for wrestlers on its roster, this article will serve as
the first of an unofficial power ranking for some of the more noteworthy
wrestlers. This article is definitely
not a be-all and end-all, but more a jumping off point for discussion. Fans are welcome to add their opinions,
through social media comments, while also supporting their IZW Superstar by
tuning into GFL.tv every Saturday night and watching IZW Adrenaline every
other week on Comcast. Without further
ado, here’s PART 1 of the TOP 10 IN IZW covering
1-5. PART 2 covering 6-10 will follow in
the weeks to come.
1. IZW
Champion, The Convict
What more can you say about a man then he
holds the most prestigious title in his company and a territory that covers the
vast region of the Southwest and Central States? If you are talking about The Convict, then
you can say a lot. The Convict has a
shady past to be sure, serving years in various prisons across the country for
committing multiple, violent acts. Once
The Convict got released from his latest stint in Oklahoma, he wasted little
time in making a name for himself in IZW, while gaining a reputation as a man
that seemingly has no weak spots. The
Convict has only been knocked down a few times in his entire wrestling career
and to make matters worse on his opponents, his recuperative power is second to
none as he doesn’t stay down for long.
No matter what or who you throw at The Convict, it’s hard to keep this
man down. The Convict became IZW
Champion less than month ago, and it will be telling to see now that the shiny,
hot lights are focused squarely on the man of mystery will he thrive or wilt
under the spotlight? It’s one thing to
be a world-beater and be so much more physically superior to everyone else as
you climb the ranks. But what happens
when get to the top and you are stuck in the pressure cooker with a giant
bullseye on your chest as the world’s most elite wrestlers are gunning for your
spot?
2. Double D
When talking about thriving in the midst of
adversity, that sums up the history and legacy of Double D. The biggest threat to The Convict’s title run
is none other than the man that previously held the title. The Captain of the Force has proven time and
time again that nobody in wrestling has a bigger heart. D has long been one of the most beloved
wrestlers in the Oklahoma territory and now worldwide thanks to the exposure
IZW has been able to garner over the past two years. Long and lean, Double D uses his body as a
weapon dropping sharp knees and flying through the air like no one in IZW’s
history. But what separates D from his
peers is his one-track mind surrounded by enough grit and determination to
accomplish anything he sets his mind to.
Even if the odds seemed stacked against him, Double D has never and will
never back down from a challenge in the ring.
Whether it’s running former NWA World Champion and WWE and ROH veteran
“Shooter” Brent Albright out of IZW after a hellish beating in a No Holds
Barred/No Disqualification Match, or bringing the fight to his current foe, The
Convict, Double D is a modern day gladiator cut from the same cloth as
Spartacus who will fight anyone at any time.
3. Impact Division Champion, Damien Morte
Few people in history have used their body
more effectively as a weapon than the reigning Impact Division Champion. A monster lurking in the shadows, Damien
Morte is a one-of-a-kind sociopath and a sadist in the strongest terms. Inflicting pain on others is his primary goal
and if he has to use his own body as a means to that end, he will do so each
and every time. Injuries are just
another day at the office for this human crash test dummy. It’s not just talk and hyperbole with
Morte. He’s broken a collar bone, broken
fingers, had surgery on his right shoulder, dislocated his arm and had dozens
of concussions all in the name of the sport he is driven to compete and excel
in. But it’s all been worth it as Morte
proved that he is “Impact” while carrying the visual evidence of that fact in
the form of the Impact Division Title for all to see. Even more amazing then Morte’s title run as
Impact Division Champion, is that he will literally risk his life to retain his
title. Morte has several of the more
jaw-dropping moments in wrestling history including jumping from the top of a
mezzanine into a Senton Bomb while crashing through a pair of tables onto his
opponent in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.
What kind of damage can you inflict on a man who doesn’t even care about
his own well-being? That is the question
opponents of Damien Morte have to answer for themselves.
4. Jermaine Johnson
Johnson is quite simply the total package;
an expert grappler, tremendous showman and all-around athlete. Johnson’s future is almost limitless as
recently shown by his tryout with WWE and one of several IZW competitors who
was involved in the TNA Gut Check program.
With a combination of raw
potential mixed with hard work, they sky is the limit for Johnson. Up until very recently, nobody in IZW could
touch Johnson in Specialty Matches, including an Impact Rules Match, Steel Cage
Match, TLC Match, Impact X Match, or any other type of twisted, special-rules
contest. Johnson is one of only two men
in history to be an IZW Triple Crown Winner.
Yet recently The Leader of the Hype Section has lost his crown as the
Impact Division Champion and has found himself in an all-out dog fight with
Damien Morte. Johnson has never shied
away from competition and his win/loss record against a who’s who of IZW’s
finest proves that if you’re looking for a fight, you better bring your A+ game
when squaring off against Johnson.
Johnson seems best suited for another run at the IZW Championship sooner
than later which is currently center stage in a deadly feud between The Convict
and Double D.
5. “The
Bronze Bull” Aaron Neil
Nobody in IZW history has built a more
meaningful legacy inside the ring than Neil. Neil has passed through tons of
territories in his storied career, from Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and
even Japan. But it is his time in
Oklahoma, specifically IZW, where Neil has grown into a living legend. A 6-time IZW Champion, with his first IZW
Title run in 2005 and his most recent title run in 2012, Neil has been a key
figure in IZW since its humble beginnings as a startup promotion to its current
contributions to the sport where the organization now has broadcast deals on
multiple platforms and is available to millions of people across the globe. Neil has conquered a host of talented
wrestlers inside an IZW ring ranging from Hall of Famers like Big Van Vader and
Dusty Rhodes to the rising Superstars of today like Double D and Jermaine
Johnson. Neil has over a decade of
experience in one of the most physically grueling professions in the world, yet
he is as good today as he’s ever been. Fans
can question some of his personal decisions inside of the ring, but no one can
question Neil’s results. Neil is the
measuring stick for every wrestler that steps foot into IZW and no other person
has done more for the company inside the squared circle than “The Bronze Bull”.
