The WWE and Impact Wrestling were once the two most famous wrestling brands on television. In the years after the demise of WCW, the only semi-war that happened in the world of wrestling happened between the two companies, although Impact was never a true competitor.
Numerous wrestlers have gotten their start at either the WWE or Impact and later became big-name stars at the other company. Wrestling careers between the two brands are also often compared. Was Jeff Hardy better at WWE where he was a huge star or Impact where he was also a big star? This list will examine ten wrestlers who competed at both TNA and WWE and argue where the wrestler was better.
10/10 Samoa Joe – TNA/Impact Wrestling
Samoa Joe not only rose to fame at Impact Wrestling, but he was also a huge star at the company. His debut was massive with an undefeated streak that helped launch his career. Joe was a world champion, TV Champion, two-time tag team champion, and five-time X-Division Champion at Impact.
His career in the WWE was very up and down. The heights didn’t come anywhere near his heights at Impact, and he was never a world champion despite some great work at the WWE.
9/10 Xavier Woods/Austin Creed – WWE
Although he got his first major television time in the world of wrestling at Impact, Xavier Woods has excelled lightyears beyond his “Consequences Creed” character at the company. He and Jay Lethal did once win the tag team titles, but that was the extent of his success at Impact.
At the WWE, Xavier Woods has helped form one of the greatest tag team trios in the history of the WWE. With Big E and Kofi Kingston, The New Day have etched a place in wrestling history that will never be forgotten. They are future WWE Hall of Famers and comparing Woods to his Impact self is nonsensical.
8/10 Bobby Roode/ Robert Roode – TNA/Impact Wrestling
Although he’s had his great moments in the WWE, it’s hard to argue that Bobby Roode has surpassed his Impact Wrestling legacy. He was a two-time world champion and, at one point, the biggest name at Impact Wrestling.
His mid-card usage in the WWE has mostly been a ton of forgettable feuds and a US Title run that didn’t even last two months. Roode was much more glorious at Impact.
7/10 Kurt Angle – WWE
Kurt Angle is arguably the best wrestler to ever compete at Impact. He was once the face of the organization and even held every title the company had to offer by himself. He was a generational talent at the company and his WWE career was still better than his Impact career.
Although Angle wasn’t as dominant in the WWE as he was at Impact, he was a huge star. He was a constant main event attraction that succeeded both inside and outside the ring. Angle is one of the biggest names to ever compete at the WWE and his endless iconic feuds give him the edge over his Impact career.
6/10 Scott Steiner – TNA/Impact Wrestling
Scott Steiner was one of the biggest WCW stars when the company was purchased by Vince McMahon. His much-anticipated arrival in the WWE was met with a lackluster creative approach. Overall, his time in the WWE was awful.
At Impact, Steiner has written a few interesting chapters on his post-WCW career. He was a great asset to The Main Event Mafia and had some memorable feuds.
5/10 Booker T – WWE
Booker T made a big splash when he debuted at Impact in 2007. By that point, he was already a future WWE Hall of Famer and had accomplished everything that could be done in the WWE (except winning the WWE Championship).
His time at Impact was fun, but not special. His time in the WWE was extremely influential. Despite his questionable gimmicks, like King Booker, he had a solid WWE career that was miles ahead of his years at Impact.
4/10 Mr. Anderson/Mr. Kennedy – TNA/Impact Wrestling
Fans will never know how big of a star “Mr. Kennedy” could have been if he didn’t suffer an injury that caused him to lose his Money in the Bank Contract. Although he competed with main event stars in the WWE, like John Cena and Undertaker, his time in the main event scene was short-lived.
At Impact, “Mr. Anderson” was given a huge platform. He became a two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and even spent some time as “the guy.” His time at Impact was far more successful than his entire WWE run.
3/10 Rob Van Dam – WWE
Rob Van Dam is often considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He rose to fame at ECW, but he became a world-renowned star at the WWE. His WWE Championship run was far too short-lived, but he’s a WWE Hall of Famer, because of his iconic body of work that was much bigger than his title run.
Although RVD was an instant main eventer at Impact, his time there showed many of the flaws that plagued Impact. He was forced to bury a ton of homegrown talent and, overall, he was even seen as a “WWE guy” at Impact.
2/10 Sting – TNA/Impact Wrestling
Some fans waited decades to see Sting arrive at the WWE. Instead of having an iconic run at the company worthy of his nickname “the Icon,” Sting’s WWE run was a huge letdown. He wasn’t even booked to defeat Triple H at his one and only WrestleMania.
Sting was able to continue his wrestling career after WCW collapsed at Impact Wrestling. He helped relaunched his career and became a consistent draw at the company. It also represented great evolutions to his character. His time at Impact was definitely iconic.
1/10 AJ Styles – TNA/Impact Wrestling
AJ Styles is one of the biggest names in the WWE today. His two title runs in the WWE are not only record-breaking events, but also add to the “Phenomenal One’s” tremendous legacy. Despite everything he accomplishes in the WWE, it’ll never surpass his time at Impact.
At Impact, AJ Styles started as a wrestler with a ton of potential and ended up being one of the biggest building blocks in the company’s history. He helped raise the profile of Impact across the world and was also one of the best wrestlers in the ring. He accomplished everything that could be achieved at Impact and is also their best homegrown talent ever.
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