On most levels this isn’t a problem. Lashley has been
built up as one of the company’s lead heels. His status within TNA coupled with
his MMA background make him a perfectly satisfactory heel champ. The fact that
he cheated to win (benefiting from MVP and King shenanigans) didn’t hurt his
image either. He is being presented as a heel who’s happy to take an unfair
advantage after all. It’s not ideal for a guy who looks like him but it’s fine,
and at least it’s consistent.
Lashley being a limited wrestler isn’t the problem it could
be either. Although they tend to use it poorly the TNA writing team has a
talented roster at their disposal. There are enough face wrestlers around capable
of getting good or better matches out of the new champion that his limitations
can be overlooked. He can at least throw a solid-looking belly-to-belly suplex.
That’s better than nothing.
 |
| Less or more prestigious than the WWE United States championship? |
But I still think Lashley’s title victory is still a poor
move. It comes across as another decision made at the last minute, once again
casting TNA as a promotion that has no long term plans. Lashley won the
championship from nowhere. Before MVP was injured there had been no indication
that Lashley was going to be anything more than an enforcer-type character. It’s
also puzzling that he didn’t win the title at Slammiversary four days earlier,
where he earned his way into the main event alongside Austin Aries and
challenged for the title.
People paid to see that show. It would have been a good
move for TNA to switch the title there. It would have rewarded those who’d paid
to watch and sent the message that important things can happen on TNA pay-per-views.
There was no logic to holding the switch back for a rematch on television.
The change is also disappointing for Eric Young. He won
the world title while still in the shadow of his career as a comedy wrestler. I
don’t think he managed to shake that image during his two month reign but he
was making progress with it. More time as champion could have helped his
credibility. He’s never going to be a major draw for TNA but he could be a
credible title contender.
It’s possible EY will get the title back in a rematch as
part of this credibility-enhancement process but I don’t think that’s likely. The
closing moments of Impact made it clear that the biggest threat to Lashley’s
gold is now Bobby Roode, who returned after a month-long suspension (the real reason
for it is probably pay-related, knowing TNA) to save Young from a three-on-one
beating at the hands of MVP, King and the new champion.
I’ve said for a while that Roode should be used as a
face, be booked as a title contender and champion, and be protected as much as
possible, so I’m hopeful for this direction. At the very least it looks as
though Roode’s going to get a clean title win over one of the company’s top two
heels, and he’ll probably drag a compelling match out of Lashley as he does so.
I’m less confident about him being booked well as a babyface champion but the
next title programme looks promising. With TNA you have to take the positives
you can get.
this is the best article I've read about the situation. professional, fair, looks from all perspectives, and considers all possibilities. great job as usual, man.
ReplyDeleteI can't hide my frustration upon hearing these news. and it's not only because I spoiled myself on the title change, on who won it and on who returned to become the seeming next challenger for the belt, instead of watching the show live...
it's because I was only just starting to acknowledge lashley's run in TNA as something acceptable and giving him props for his performance in his two matches at slammiversary vs joe and vs aries & EY, where I didn't think he was totally carried to 2 of the my 3 favourite matches on the show, but instead thought he held his side of it and played as much of a part in making me enjoy those matches with his big man power style (which most of TNA's roster lacks big time). but now, this guy who I thought was nothing more than a "D" player at best, whom TNA used in a way that hid his weaknesses and showed his strengths (never allowing him to talk, and always pairing him with opponents that can carry a match) and made him almost look like a "B-" player (similar to NJPW's booking with bad luck fale sometimes, like his matches with naito or nakamura) has just been booked in a position that should be reserved for "A+" players (like how the crowd was reacting to aries's close win over EY on slammiversary before it) and is now going to be the receiving end of the backlash from the fans.
I can only hope/wish for this decision/risk that TNA took to not result in a more of a slump for their ratings...
Thanks buddy.
DeleteI think getting the belt from EY on to a guy like Lashley is a step in the right direction. As is the decision to introduce Roode to the title picture as a face.
I like the comparison of Lashley to Bad Luck Fale, but honestly Fale is way worse than Lashley.