10 Best Pieces Of Entrance Gear In Impact Wrestling History

2022-06-25 07:19:39 By : Mr. Wade Lee

Impact Wrestling has had a lot of wrestlers make their entrances while wearing special pieces of gear, but these were the best.

In wrestling, fans often focus highly on what goes in the ring more than anything else. More often than not, when fans talk about a wrestler's appearance, the conversation is pointed toward their ring gear. A wrestler's ring gear is a way for the fans to grasp an understanding of an aspect of their character, especially if it's done well.

RELATED: 10 Wrestlers With The Worst Ring Gear Today

However, the lead-up to the match through the wrestler's entrance gear is a large piece of the overall puzzle. The WWE is known for iconic pieces of wrestling entrance gear, but Impact Wrestling is no slouch in that department either. When a wrestler's entrance gear is especially captivating, it can maintain a memorable place in history as a part of their brand.

Austin Aries has become known for being a center of controversy, but in TNA he was best known for his phenomenal heel work. The self-proclaimed Greatest Man That Ever Lived was a persona that turned Aries into the most obnoxious villain possible.

Capes are often associated with superheroes and have often been used for superhero gimmicks such as The Hurricane, Mighty Molly and Nikki A.S.H. When Austin Aries paraded around with a cape, it was just another example of how truly obnoxious his character was.

Samoa Joe is a wrestler with an imposing presence without any glitz or glamor. There's nothing particularly flashy about Samoa Joe's presentation, which shows how serious of a character he is by design. Normally in a Samoa Joe entrance, the only noticeable piece on him is his signature towel.

Though Samoa Joe wore his towel to the ring long before his days in Impact, it was there that he found prominence prior to his WWE run. It's a simple but effective piece, which has become an important facet of Joe's entrance before it's time for him to unleash in the ring.

When a wrestler's nickname is The Icon, it's a safe bet that they will likely have some kind of iconic wrestling gear. Sting's face paint is legendary in itself, but just as iconic is the coat he often wears during his entrance. Originally when Sting began his Eric Draven-inspired character in WCW, his coat was simply black.

RELATED: Sting's Final 10 WCW Matches, Ranked Worst To Best

During Sting's run in TNA, he continued on the use of his coat, but with a twist. The coat became more vibrant and colorful; more along the lines of his Surfer Sting days. The change helped to establish this new version of Sting as being different from his Crow era, and fans loved it.

There's been no shortage of wrestlers with cowboy gimmicks and nicknames in wrestling's history, and among one of the most recognizable is Cowboy James Storm. During his days in TNA, James Storm could always be found with his cowboy hat on.

What separated Storm's hat from others was its unique design. Instead of being a standard cowboy hat, it was spiked and airbrushed with a skull design. It was a look that helped to get Storm over with the fans apart from his in-ring skills and charisma.

There's a lot that can be said about Scott Steiner's time in TNA. By the time Steiner arrived, he'd already amassed an iconic look thanks to his chain mail headdress. It was a look that he introduced during his time in WCW, and one that he has retained ever since.

It's a unique piece to wear, especially for a wrestler. The headdress set Steiner apart from the rest, and there's an entire generation of wrestling fans who recognize it from his time in TNA, especially thanks to a promo about math.

Sometimes having a loud piece of entrance gear can do wonders for a wrestler's presence. Bobby Roode's career has seen many highs and lows through his time between TNA and WWE, and it's arguable that his highest of highs were in Impact Wrestling. RELATED: 10 Things About Bobby Roode's Career That Make No Sense Some fans may believe that Bobby Roode first began wearing sequined robes during his time in WWE as the Glorious One. However, Roode first began to wear his sparkling robes in TNA, during a time when he found success as the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. As shown by the likes of Ravishing Rick Rude and Ric Flair, a good sparkling robe can give a wrestler a sense of self-grandiosity. Though Roode's robes would get over in WWE, it's important to recognize where it began.

Inside the ring, there is nothing about Christian Cage's gear that particularly stands out. Even in his early days his in-ring gear was rather mundane, though his matches were anything but. His sequined jacket also helped him stand out as a star.

Though Christian first started wearing these types of jackets during the last days of his first WWE run, it was in TNA that he felt like a big deal when wearing them. When Christian climbed to the top in the ladder in TNA, the sequined jackets were a signifier of his main event status.

There are few who can match the creativity of Matt Hardy in wrestling history. Before the days of Broken Matt Hardy, Matt was best known for his time with his brother Jeff as the Hardy Boyz.

RELATED: Every Version of the Hardy Boyz, Ranked From Worst To Best

When he reinvented himself during his time in Impact as Broken Matt Hardy, a character unlike any other was born. Apart from Matt's Sweeny Todd-like hairstyle and unusual catchphrases, what made the Broken character stand out was his fashion style. During entrances, Matt would wear velvet and velour paisley print jackets and coats that firmly established him as a very different version of Matt Hardy.

Jay Lethal may be more synonymous with Ring of Honor, but there's no entrance gear of his that's made as much of an impact as his Black Machismo gear in TNA. It could be seen as cheating since Black Machismo is simply an imitation of Macho Man Randy Savage, but his gear was stunning nonetheless.

Not everyone can pull off the vibrant hat and jacket that the Macho Man wore, but Jay Lethal was able to do just that. If there was ever anyone who could be a worthy successor to the Macho Man, it was Jay Lethal.

There are some wrestlers who love to change their gear at different points through their career to stay fresh, but AJ Styles has managed to keep the base of his gear the same. During his time in TNA, AJ styles often wore a jacket with a hoodie attached to it which has become a staple of his entrance.

As the face of the TNA brand for so many years, Styles' jacket became the most recognizable aspect of his gear. He was able to get it over to the point that he brought it with him to NJPW and later WWE, where it's remained just as over with the fans.

NEXT: 12 Best Pieces Of Entrance Gear In Wrestling History

Le'Darius is a fan of professional wrestling, and has followed it since the later stages of the Ruthless Aggression Era. He's currently a Creative Writing major, with a love for the craft. With his love for both writing and wrestling at an all-time high, it was a no-brainer to combine the two. Now he's looking to exemplify his love for wrestling through his writing.