Tag: impact wrestling hall of fame

Impact reveals Hall of Fame inductors for Don West & Mike Tenay, Traci Brooks

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Impact Wrestling has announced the inductors for their 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony. 

It was announced on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling episode that Impact president Scott D’Amore will induct the longtime broadcast team of Don West & Mike Tenay at the 2023 ceremony set for the Countdown to Bound for Glory pre-show on Saturday, October 21. 

In addition to his current role as company president, D’Amore has worked as on-screen talent as a manager and authority figure in Impact for much of its 20-plus year history. 

It was also revealed that Impact Hall of Famer Gail Kim will induct Traci Brooks at this year’s ceremony. Kim was inducted herself as the sole member of the Class of 2016. 

West is being inducted posthumously after passing away late last year. 

Brooks, Tenay, and West comprise the Class of 2023, bringing the total of Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees to 14.

The complete list of Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees:

  • 2012: Sting
  • 2013: Kurt Angle
  • 2014: Team 3D (Bully Ray & D-Von)
  • 2015: Jeff Jarrett, Earl Hebner
  • 2016: Gail Kim
  • 2018: Abyss
  • 2020: Ken Shamrock
  • 2021: Awesome Kong
  • 2022: Raven
  • 2023: Mike Tenay & Don West, Traci Brooks

Traci Brooks to be inducted into Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Traci Brooks will be inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

After returning to the ring at Impact Wrestling 1000 to team with husband Frankie Kazarian in mixed tag team action, Brooks was announced as the third member of the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2023, joining Mike Tenay and the late Don West. 

This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at the Bound For Glory pay-per-view set for Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois, on Saturday, October 21.

Brooks was active in the TNA/Impact Knockouts division from 2003 to 2012, and served as an on-screen “Knockout Law” authority figure during her time with the company. 

After being released by TNA in early 2012, Brooks has made sporadic special appearances for the promotion, including seconding Kazarian at both 2022 and 2023’s Slammiversary events. 

Brooks will be the 14th entrant into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

Past inductees:

  • 2012: Sting
  • 2013: Kurt Angle
  • 2014: Team 3D (Bully Ray & D-Von)
  • 2015: Jeff Jarrett, Earl Hebner
  • 2016: Gail Kim
  • 2018: Abyss
  • 2020: Ken Shamrock
  • 2021: Awesome Kong
  • 2022: Raven
  • 2023: Mike Tenay & Don West, Traci Brooks

Awesome Kong to be inducted into Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame

Posted on by Skylar Russell

Awesome Kong is set to be the newest member of the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made on tonight’s Knockouts Knockdown special. Her induction will take place at the Bound For Glory pay-per-view on Saturday, October 23. Kong will join Gail Kim as the only women to be inducted into Impact’s Hall of Fame.

Kong, real name Kia Stevens, spent over over six years with the company over two separate runs. During her time with the company she was a two-time Knockouts Champion, as well as notching a Knockouts Tag Team Championship reign with Hamada. 

Kong debuted with then-TNA in 2007. She would go on to win the Knockouts Championship from Kim within four months of her debut. Her first reign would last 169 days, before dropping the title to long-time rival Taylor Wilde. Later that year, Kong regained the title from Wilde and began her second reign, which lasted 178 days. 

She was released from the company in early 2010, but would return in early 2015. Kong’s last official match with the promotion was on January 9, 2016.

In between Impact runs, Kong had a stint in WWE as Kharma, including an appearance in the 2012 men’s Royal Rumble match. 

Post-Impact, Kong had a run with AEW. She joined the company at the Double or Nothing PPV in May 2019 and appeared sporadically for the remainder of the year. Her final match with the company aired on the January 7, 2020 edition of AEW Dark. 

Kong also found success in Hollywood after her full-time wrestling career ended. She was a series regular on Netflix’s GLOW, appearing as Tamme Dawson in 30 episodes.

Former Impact and WWE talent Christy Hemme appeared at Knockouts Knockdown to make the announcement of Kong’s induction.