Scott D’Amore Admits He Never Cared Whether ‘Impact Wrestling’ Name Lived or Died

TNA Wrestling has made its return, and while fans have embraced the brand’s revival, the six-sided ring did not come back with it. Scott D’Amore played a significant role in bringing TNA back, and now he can speak openly about the process.

After seven years under the name Impact Wrestling, the Anthem-owned promotion, originally founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett, reverted to its original name, TNA Wrestling, at the start of 2024. Scott D’Amore was a key figure in advocating for this change.

During an interview on Busted Open Radio, D’Amore shared why he pushed so strongly for the return of the TNA name. After all, he always hated the Impact Wrestling name.

“Truthfully, for me, I couldn’t say this while I was there, [but] I always thought the name ‘Impact’ sucked. I hated it being ‘Impact Wrestling.’ The decision had been made, and I didn’t disagree at the time. We couldn’t change it when I first took over because it had been bounced around. It was TNA, it was Impact, it was TNA, it was GFW, it was Impact, but in my heart, the company where I made my bones and the company that I bled and sweated for was TNA Wrestling.”

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D’Amore highlighted the many changes the company underwent after being acquired by Anthem Sports & Entertainment in late 2016. The TNA Wrestling name was initially dropped in favor of “Impact Wrestling,” and later that year, Impact merged with Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling, adopting the GFW name. However, this merger lasted only four months, and the Impact Wrestling name was restored in October 2017 after the partnership with Jarrett ended. Scott D’Amore was more than open that he didn’t care about the Impact Wrestling branding, because he only cared about TNA.

“I never cared if Impact lived or died. I cared about TNA. I came there with a mission and a direction to revive it, to breathe life into it, and with a great team there, I think we did that.”

The partnership between TNA Wrestling and WWE’s NXT brand has attracted additional attention to the brand. Unfortunately, Scott D’Amore was not around to witness this development, as he was removed from the company shortly after the name change was set in motion.

Scott D’Amore now leads Maple Leaf Wrestling, his new company. It remains to be seen what impact he will have in this new venture, but fans are closely watching his next moves.

What’s your take on TNA Wrestling versus Impact Wrestling? Which incarnation had the better name? Let us know what you think in the comments section