"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness."
- Napoleon Hill
Every professional wrestler makes a personal choice the second he or she makes their way down the aisle, enter the squared circle and prepare for battle. They will, no matter what, sacrifice. They will give of their body. They will face mental anguish. They, indeed, may part with a piece of their soul. This is the blessing and the curse of a great athlete - they have to plunge themselves through damnation - physical, emotional, spiritual hell - in order to achieve the greatness of victory, a sacrifice well worth what they have endured, if indeed the ends justify the means.
For the men and women of Impact Wrestling, the week to week toll of battle has never been more intense. As 2021 melted away and gave way to 2022, the rivalries have grown more heated, the championships have become more coveted and the hatred between factions has never been more fierce.
FITE will present Impact Wrestling's Sacrifice this Saturday live from historic Louisville, Kentucky but to truly bring the global FITE audience deep inside the mind, hearts and soul of Impact's competitors, FITE once again evolves the game, providing a special alternative live commentary featuring three Impact alumni who intimately know and understand every aspect of what it truly means to compete and to sacrifice for professional wrestling - Lisa Marie Varon, Traci Brooks and So Cal Val
"I am thrilled to be representing Impact Wrestling again, a company which I made so many memories in, having worked there for 9 years," So Cal Val, who over-achieved in every Impact role on camera and behind the scenes during her tenure there, told FITE. "Lisa Marie Varon and Traci Brooks are the perfect choice to provide commentary as they're Impact Wrestling Knockout originals!"
As FITE streams all of Impact Wrestling's Sacrifice 2022 as it happens live, Val, Brooks and Varon will be diving deep into their shared experiences in Impact while taking FITE fans deep into the mindset and strategies of Impact's competitors.
"Our favorite part about providing alternative commentary is sharing our behind the scenes stories of our collective careers in the company and finding new favorites from their stellar current roster, " Val explained. "We all share a passion for this new, evolved version of impact wrestling that holds so much talent and is proving to be the best era that we've seen yet."
Indeed, the current ensemble that populates the Impact Wrestling locker room has changed the narrative and the trajectory of the promotion for the better, bringing the focus back to clashes of champions, youthful performers who push the envelope of great physicality in the ring and wars that settle the scores.
In recent months, the interlopers known as Honor No More have attempted to drive a stake into the heart of Impact Wrestling and its fans, seeking to reshape the promotion in their own image after losing their former home of Ring of Honor. At No Surrender, it appeared Impact was about to turn the tide of battle, only to see Honor No More shockingly secure their place in Impact. Even worse, Impact Wrestling fans had to stand witness in disgust as Eddie Edwards turned his heart on the promotion, blaming Impact's competitors, management and fans for overlooking him as they all attempted to wrest the Impact Wrestling World Championship from AEW's Kenny Omega.
Now, Edwards has his own army and seeks to destroy everything that he once represented as the heart and soul of Impact. In his mind, his sacrifices were for nothing, so now he seeks to sacrifice the entire company on his own personal altar in order to celebrate and relish his own greatness. At Sacrifice 2022 in Louisville, Edwards looks to break down Impact's spirit even more, but to do so he'll have to face and defeat a rampaging, enraged Rhino, as the former ECW and NWA World Champion is leading the charge to gore Honor No More in half. With Edwards' true intentions now revealed, FITE fans worldwide will see the next chapter in this blood-feud play out before their eyes.
One competitor who has shockingly chosen to step out of the way of the Impact Wrestling vs. Honor No More war is Impact Wrestling World Champion Moose, who sacrificed Josh Alexander's happiness in order to ascend to the throne. Moose has publicly stated he doesn't care about anything transpiring between the two warring factions, as long as no one steps up to challenge him for his championship. Moose's dismissive attitude towards the promotion he represents as champion has led to Heath Miller, a man who has always fought for the betterment of his family, stepping up to call Moose out, earning a championship bout at Sacrifice in the process. For Miller, this is a chance to step up and earn his first World Championship, but also bring a little more power to Impact's side as they prepare their arsenal against Honor No More.
Over the last several years, Impact Wrestling's Knockouts division continues to turn heads and shock the world as it continues to spotlight and showcase the best women's professional wrestlers in the world, with Mickie James leading the charge as the reigning and defending Knockouts Champion.
"We are all cheerleaders for our GAW TV sister Mickie James who is breaking down forbidden doors left and right," said So Cal Val. "We're so proud of her and for all of the new emerging stars that Impact is giving a platform to."
This Saturday at Sacrifice, James will be facing Chelsea Green or Tasha Steelz, with the final determination being made this Thursday on Impact on AXS TV. In Green, James has found an ally as well as a worthy rival. In Steelz, James has found a rivalry that has become more embittered over time. In either challenge, James will have to once again raise her game in order to maintain her role as the most important woman in Impact Wrestling,
Paristown Hall in Louisville has a ton of history that radiates off its walls but this Saturday, a true dream match will add to that time capsule as Alex Shelley, one of the most celebrated in-ring competitors today, renowned for his technical prowess steps into the ring against the leader of Bullet Club, Jay White in a bout that has oddsmakers, no pun intended, at odds over who the favorite will be, much less the winner. White's attitude has empowered Bullet Club through several tumultuous years and now he seeks to ruin the homecoming of one-half of Impact's most celebrated tag team, The Motor City Machineguns.
Bullet Club continues to scorch the Earth no matter where they stand and they continue to throw everyone in their path into an uproar. The shocking betrayal of The Guerrillas of Destiny, a team that would have gone through fire in the name of Bullet Club has continued to elicit disgust and disbelief in all corners of professional wrestling. At Sacrifice this Saturday, Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson return to the ring for the first time since resuming their membership in the Bullet Club, aligning with the Ultimate Finesser Chris Bey as they battle the G.O.D. and Violence by Design's Eric Young in a war that is likely to leave paths of destruction all across Louisville and beyond. Professional wrestling's rivalries are always heated but when the competitors involved have zero respect for the rules of engagement, chaos theory will follow. This chaos theory will be magnified an infinite number of times, because no one involved has any reason to care about anyone in their path, not even the referee or the fans. FITE may be the only safe haven this Saturday.
Of course, multiple championships will be on the line this Saturday. X-Division Champion Trey Miguel, who has carried the title with respect and pride, faces one of his most daunting challenges to date as Jake Something lands the biggest championship opportunity of his life. Something's mesh of power and aerial ability will be a big test for Miguel and this clash will set the stage for the X-Division as we dive deeper into 2022.
After months of teases and delays, The Influence, Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood finally get their opportunity to challenge The IInspiration. Cassie Lee and Jesse McKay for the Knockouts Tag Team Championships. The reigning champions have been playing mind games for some time, seeking to curry the favor of The Influence's Kaleb with A K. The time has finally come for this rivalry to be settled, if such a thing is ever possible in the world of Impact Wrestling.
Impact is a place where fighters fight and battle soon commence and there may be no greater example of that than PCO, Honor No More's French Frankenstein battle the Australian Super Heavyweight, Jonah, this Saturday at Sacrifice. Jonah has been mauling opposition since invading Impact but may have met his match in the former ROH Champion, PCO. If there was ever a battle that would inspire the next Godzilla vs. Kong movie, this would be it - and it's going to emanate live on FITE from Louisville, with the Richter scale recording the damage - and the aftershocks - for many weeks to come.
With eight stellar confrontations announced, FITE fans worldwide can join the conversation in the live FITE chat room as Impact Wrestling's greatest competitors do what they do best - Sacrifice themselves and their opposition in pursuit of victory, gold and revenge. Witness it live this Saturday!
Mike Johnson is the lead reporter for PWInsider.com and has been writing about professional wrestling since 1996. He can be found on Twitter @MikePWInsider and MikeJohnsonWrites.com.
