James Storm is set to reach an incredible milestone in his career on IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV on Tuesday, 30th March when he faces Eric Young.
Storm will reach 1000 matches for the company when he squares off with the former IMPACT World Champion Young. This record encompasses all iterations of the company including TNA and NWA-TNA, which Storm began competing for in 2002.
James Storm had his first match in the company on the first-ever NWA TNA pay-per-view on the 19th of June 2002. Storm teamed up with Psychosis in a losing effort to The Johnsons. The next week Storm teamed up with Chris Harris to defeat The Rainbow Express and America’s Most Wanted was born. As part of this tag team Storm won the NWA World Tag Team Championships six times.
A New Tag Team And A World Title
After America’s Most Wanted split, Storm began a new tag team with Robert Roode that came to be known as Beer Money. This only increased Storm’s standing as a tag team wrestler as the two men have held the TNA Tag Team Championships five times.
In October 2011, James Storm won the big one in TNA and defeated Kurt Angle for the TNA Heavyweight Championship. Storm lost the belt only eight days later to long-time partner Roode. Roode hit Storm with a beer bottle, dissolving the Beer Money team. To date, that eight-day run is Storm’s only time as TNA or IMPACT Wrestling Champion.
Storm had a brief run in 2015 on NXT. ‘The Tennessee Cowboy’ defeated Danny Burch and Adam Rose in two appearances for the black and gold brand before deciding to return to TNA.
Upon his return to TNA, Storm immediately reformed Beer Money with Robert Roode after saving Roode from an attack by Eric Young and Bram. This stint as a team was short-lived as Roode now left the company, defecting to NXT.
5. Eric Young – 630 matches
4. Abyss – 633 matches
3. AJ Styles – 799 matches
2. Bobby Roode – 890 matches
1. James Storm – 999 matchesDon't miss @JamesStormBrand's 1000th IMPACT match against @TheEricYoung TUESDAY at 8/7c on @AXSTV! pic.twitter.com/yVXvx1Osug
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) March 25, 2021
Second Return To IMPACT Wrestling
Storm left what was now IMPACT Wrestling again at the beginning of 2018, before making his latest return in October 2020. Since that return, Storm has mainly teamed with Chris Sabin as Beer Guns. This partnership initially came about because of Sabin’s usual partner Alex Shelley being unable to compete during the pandemic.
IMPACT Wrestling accompanied the announcement of Storm’s 1000th match with a top-five list of stars with the most matches in the company. Second to Storm is his Beer Money partner Bobby Roode with 890 matches. Third on the list is ‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles with 799 matches. Styles is then followed by Abyss with 633 matches. The fifth man on the list is Storm’s next opponent, Eric Young with 630 matches in the company.
Incredibly, as well as being Storm’s 1000th match in IMPACT Wrestling. His upcoming bout will mark the 100th time he has faced Eric Young in a match for any company.
IMPACT Wrestling airs on Tuesday 30th March. This will be IMPACT’s last Tuesday broadcast before it returns to Thursday nights starting on the 8th of April.