On Point

I’ve said before that TNA needs to come up with its own identity and approach in order to stay in business and ultimately become a successful and profitable company, should they stay in business next year. Last time I touched on the subject (which was only a couple of months ago, clearly I have some sort of complex when it comes to directionless wrestling promotions) my suggestion was for TNA to channel the Attitude Era with a greater use of swerve turns, adult language and strong, well-defined characters. Today I’m going to suggest what could be considered the complete opposite of that approach.

A points system.

If you’re like me those words are probably some of the least inspiring you can see in relation to wrestling programming. When I hear a points system mentioned it conjures up images of seeing old WCW footage where they talked at length about a rankings system. It makes me think of ROH’s ill-fated (and stupidly-named) Pick Six. It makes me think of EVOLVE’s recent, indecipherable, overhaul. It makes me think of TNA’s previous foray into the area with the top ten contenders system. It makes me think of Jim Cornette.

None of these approaches (or the person) have ever appealed to me because I feel that wrestling has progressed beyond the league tables and associated analysis these approaches bring. That Ring of Honor dropped the Pick Six backs this thought up: it’s one of the few promotions in the world that has a fan base that would be accepting of a points system and yet they still opted not to use one.

Eddie and Davey could benefit from a structured show.
But then so could everyone on the roster.

So why am I suggesting TNA go with the approach? There are several reasons, but before I get to them I’ll propose the specifics of the system. For singles wrestlers it would run from the beginning to the end of the month, with every match on Impact earning them points. Three for a win by pinfall or submission; two for a win by disqualification, count out, knock out or referee decision; and nothing for a loss. Matches on house shows and Xplosion would not contribute to the tally, for booking simplicity and because by limiting points matches to Impact it makes things easier to follow for viewers. The inevitable points ties could be broken by a number one contenders match or, if the points thing really caught on (which it wouldn’t to the extent needed), a variety of criteria decided on by TNA, but it should probably include an overall points history, the points history of their various opponents, and perhaps match times. Mentioning “the quality of opposition” just reminds everyone (or me at least) that wrestling’s predetermined.

Meanwhile the tag division could lift its approach straight from CHIKARA. Any tandem is awarded a tag title match after they’ve gained three consecutive victories without suffering a loss. The Knockouts and X Divisions should remain unaffected because incorporating rules there would verge on overload. Plus too many points systems would devalue the world title system and be too much trouble to follow.

On the first episode of every month a management figure could announce the totals from the previous month, with the winner getting a world championship match the following week. They could also announce any tag title matches that are due. Sounds dry but it would only be one segment every month, and it could easily bleed into the traditional storyline-developing talky segment.

There are, as I’ve already said, several reasons this approach would be beneficial to TNA. It would be free to implement and would immediately separate TNA from both of their main competitors. It would make the majority of matches on their weekly flagship show mean something. It would create structure for their programming. It would fit nicely with the current practice of recording a block of TV shows in one go. It would provide an uncomplicated way of drawing people in with real sports-tinged plots. That’s going to appeal to people who want their wrestling to be closer to wrestling than entertainment without driving off those who like the latter.

Monthly defences. Get it done.

It would provide a simple way to get storylines started too. For example, Wrestler A loses to Wrestler B but wins every other match that month while Wrestler B loses every other one of their matches. Wrestler A is awarded a world title shot and wins. Wrestler B can then logically say they are deserving of a world title shot because they’ve pinned Wrestler A while nobody else has. It sets up a storyline for Wrestler B, trying to earn the title match he is logically entitled to, and a rivalry between Wrestlers A and B.

That’s just one example. There are other, better options. The point is that TNA would have a simple, logical structure that’s easy to pick up and generates angles, rivalries and stories.

There are drawbacks of course. It’s not going to be for everyone, and risks isolating some of the company’s existing viewers. It may bring in more to replace them, but that would take time and TNA’s viewing figures are not strong enough to risk a big dip. It’s also an approach that would require the creative team to plan things out ahead of time. If there’s a monthly title shot going to the guy with the most wins then they have to plan out who’s going to win, when, and how. They’d have to ensure guys they’re just filling air time with don’t win too often.

But necessitating added scrutiny to Impact scripts is a good thing. It would make the product better if it was accomplished and could make the show a far more compelling watch. Sadly this idea, like all the others I’ve proposed for TNA, is never going to happen. They’re happy being a knock off sports entertainment brand. That attitude is what’s gotten them into the trouble they’re currently in. But they’re not going to change, because change is too much effort for them.

The Latest First TNA World Title Reign

On the June 19 episode of Impact it was Bobby Lashley’s turn to win the TNA world championship. After overcoming interference from Kenny King and distractions from MVP, Eric Young missed his top rope elbow drop. Lashley sprang up to his feet and ran through the champion with a spear, giving him his first world championship not just in TNA but in wrestling as a whole.

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.

Missed Opportunities

Over the last several years TNA have had a number of guys under contract that they could have turned into something special. Wrestlers who could have helped TNA grow and expand if they’d been married to an extended period of good booking and decisive wins in enjoyable matches. In fact I think they’ve had more of these names than I think they’re usually given credit for.

If you want to go back years then they had Samoa Joe, Chris Daniels and AJ Styles. They mixed with one another for years and put on a variety of cracking matches amongst themselves and with others. Joe and Styles in particular were on the cusp of becoming ‘The Man’ in TNA on several occasions each. They were always standout guys wherever they worked, but if TNA had set their minds to it and worked at presenting them as the best wrestlers in the world, as opposed to second tier talent not on the level of former WWE names, they could have helped the promotion find greater meaning. Neither became the leading man they deserved to be.

It’s not just those three guys though. The end of 2011 saw Beer Money split and feud over the world championship. At the time I felt both men could contribute to expanding the company. In hindsight I was wrong about James Storm. His physique, promo style and plastic cowboy hat all scream mid-card. I remember a particularly excruciating advert airing on Challenge hyping an Impact tour that featured one of the worst vocal performances I’ve ever heard from a wrestler. ‘The Cowboy’ is suitable only for the mid-card even in TNA.

Not enough faith was placed in this man.

But Bobby Roode is a different story. He looks like an athlete, carries himself like a champion, gives very good verbal performances and can excel in a wide range of match types. He had a lengthy reign as TNA champion as a result of that 2011 split and headline run and he looked the part. A main event built around him would have been one of the best things TNA could have done over the last few years. Instead they dropped Roode down into the mid-card after he lost the title and structured their major storylines around Jeff hardy, Chris Sabin and Eric Young. Had TNA stuck with Roode for another year things could have been very different.

Then there was Austin Aries. He’s another guy who has a good look, fits the bill as a good guy or a bad guy and can wrestle a fantastic match when given the chance to. TNA did the right thing in putting the title on him when it became clear that fans wanted to see it, but they didn’t know what to do next. ‘A Double’ flip-flopped between face and heel during his reign and has crossed the line so many times since that it’s practically impossible to make sense of his character’s motivations anymore.

Bully Ray surprised most long-term wrestling fans by getting into the best shape he’s ever been in and transforming himself into a singles act. He was never going to morph into a top guy, age and length of time spent working as a mid-card and tag guy made sure of that, but more could have been done with him. Before he was swerve turned to head up Aces and Eights TNA audiences were really into him. He knows how to keep his character consistent and can put on a pretty wild match with the right opponent and stipulation.

‘Calfzilla’s’ heel turn may not have destroyed TNA and brought them to their current undesirable situation but it didn’t help. People liked Bully in early 2013 and they wanted to continue supporting him. A plan being concocted for when Aces disbanded wouldn’t have hurt either. For that matter the group’s split coming sooner would’ve been a blessing. Heading up a terrible faction didn’t do the former Dudley Boy any favours.

And most recently they’ve had Magnus. No, he’s not the best wrestler in the world. But he’s not bad. His slightly above average in-ring ability is nicely complemented by his good looks and proficiency with promos. The Magnus package is not stellar but it is solid. If he’d had the TNA world title for a few months longer and lost it to someone who fans had been primed to be desperate to see topple him his reign would have been closer to a success than it was.

TNA could still try a recapture what they had with Magnus. He’s still the sort of heel who could be booked to retain his belt via tricks and cheats and work good or great matches with a variety of wrestlers. A short, convincing victory over Eric Young would help establish him as dominant champ and could be used to explain that he “lost his focus” when he originally lost the gold. Having him end a few more careers wouldn’t hurt either. He already has the bragging rights to Sting and Styles beign gone. Angle could be next. It could be a good way of writing people off TV as their contracts expire and would build Magnus up.

Ultimately all thinking and writing about this subject does is frustrate. If TNA had tried harder, planned better, and realised when they were on to something good they could have built themselves a compelling main event roster. With that they could have presented very good matches and storylines and provided people with reasons to watch every week.

Eric Young's Turn

How do you combat the most popular wrestler in WWE closing the year's biggest wrestling show as the world champion? Well, if you're TNA, you find someone who looks vaguely like Bryan and switch your own world title on to him at the first televised opportunity. The man deemed most suitable was long-time comedy performer and mid-card mid-roader Eric Young.

Eric Young is not a bad wrestler. Nor is he an especially good one. His sole previous foray into main events (as part of the heel World Elite faction) was utterly unmemorable and saw Young busted back down to his natural role as comedy face soon after it ended. It’s that role he's been known for throughout his TNA career. He’s the comedy guy who goes out and makes the punters laugh. He’s also, for the record, a former Knockouts tag team champion, hardly something you look for on the CV of a prospective world champ.

Eric Young is the TNA champion

The title change, which aired live on Thursday 10 April and has been made available through TNA’s YouTube account, came about after EY survived a Michinoku driver and a low blow and drilled Magnus with a piledriver. But really, how it came about is irrelevant. What matters is that a longstanding comedy performer has been awarded TNA’s top prize.

Eric Young does not have the aura of a world champion. Nor do I believe he has the ability to cut it as an underdog champion who flukes his way to successful title defences (a viable way of turning someone into a legitimate main event act over time). He has been promoted far too quickly to the role of champion and his win has harmed the prestige of the title and, by extension, the promotion.

The TNA championship is once again looking like something that everyone gets a turn with if they stay under contract long enough. That simply shouldn't be. A promotion’s world title should be its top prize, something only the elite win. It's not as important as it was in the days of kayfabe but a world title is still a significant part of a promotion's success. The champion’s credibility (or lack of it) will help to form people's opinions of the company as a whole (especially a smaller outfit like TNA). A meaningful championship is needed for a lead babyface to chase and hold. If the title means nothing then what has that top star (or anyone else) accomplished by winning it? Any athlete needs a prize worth competing for.

Bobby Roode or Austin Aries would have been a better choice for the role of relieving Magnus of his title. For starters both already have title reigns notched up, which would have avoided giving yet another member of the roster their go with the belt. More importantly they are both more credible than EY. They both look, talk, wrestle and carry themselves like main eventers and have histories at the top of the card. There was an obvious storyline to present in having a heel ally of Magnus gradually turn on him before taking the title from him, and either ‘A Double’ or ‘The It Factor’ would have been a perfect fit.

And let's spare a thought for Magnus. He had what should have been a career defining reign curtailed to reward a mid-carder's loyalty and-or to give the audience a Shock Moment™ (this more than anything else has convinced me that Vince Russo has indeed returned to TNA¹). He is not the most talented man in TNA but he looked and acted the part, and was growing into the role of both champion and faction centrepiece. Of the talent at TNA's disposal he was one of their best choices for a fresh start champ. Perhaps he'll get the strap back in a few weeks. Perhaps he'll go on to have a longer, more impressive reign in the future. But the damage is done. He is now the man whose first reign ended at the hands of ‘Showtime’ Eric Young.

This is another example of TNA floundering around aimlessly, desperately searching for something that will click with viewers and ignite their popularity. It's not something that will cause the downfall of a company. At this point it barely registers above the background hum of absurdity they present on a weekly basis. When the story of TNA's downfall comes to be written this will simply be another point on the graph. But it’s one that could, and should, have been avoided.

***

¹ I've defended him in the past and will defend him in the future but I disagree (as talked about above) with Russo’s belief that wrestling championships are simply props that embellish the drama of the stories he's telling. They can enhance the perception of a wrestler or feud and lend credibility to a company. Think of how Daniel Bryan’s recent journey to the top of WWE would have been affected if there were no meaningful championship for him to win in the main of WrestleMania.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 46

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 46 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

Last Monday’s RAW saw Triple H forced into agreeing to face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania. There was an additional stipulation added that will see D-Bry added to the WWE championship match between champ Randy Orton and Royal Rumble winner Batista. Someone feeling generous could say this is the culmination of months of storyline development that began with ‘The Game’ costing Bryan the championship at SummerSlam.

Personally I think that’s a bit tenuous. Bryan has been at odds with The Authority only on-and-off since last August and has spent less than a month petitioning for a ‘Mania showdown with ‘The King of Kings’. Not only that but his request for a title match came from nowhere. It’s promising that WWE are doing Bryan v Triple H, and more than likely Bryan v Batista v Orton, and indicates that Bryan’s going to be an important part of the company after WrestleMania XXX but you have to overlook a fair bit to see this as something that’s been built to for months.

Magnus is checking a cage, not hanging around in a school playground

The night before RAW TNA presented their first pay-per-view of 2014, the all cage extravaganza that is Lockdown. The most significant things to happen on that show were Magnus retaining his world championship and Bobby Lashley returning to the company. Why TNA have re-signed Lashers is anybody’s guess. He’s never been popular, has very little crossover appeal, and doesn’t seem dedicated to wrestling in general or TNA in particular. It comes across as a company clutching at straws and a wrestler making a return to make some cash.

These subjects form the bulk of this episode of That Wrestling Podcast, but they’re not all we discuss. There’s also some Buff Bagwell news to kick things off. Specifically we discuss what he’s up to these days, how he could help TNA, and his views on two WWE superstars.

Magnus Opus

I think we're currently seeing the peak of Magnus's wrestling career. He's riding high as TNA world champion and lead heel, allied with villainous company (joint-)owner Dixiebelle Carter, and is a month away from facing one of the company's most popular and accomplished performers, Samoa Joseph, in a pay-per-view main event. Basically there's nowhere for him to go but down.

Yes, TNA could theoretically become a bigger company while Maggers is still working there and yes such expansion would present him with fresh challengers in and out of the ring and on and off the mic, but that expansion isn't likely. TNA has taken such a hammering in so many different areas that it seems impossible that they'll regain ground. I'd like to see it happen, for the good of the wrestlers and improvement in quality it would spur in WWE, but too much has happened and too much would need to be done. TNA is not a brand name that can generate sufficient excitement in 2014.

Back to Magnus’s career. If he made the jump to WWE I think he’d make it through NXT and on to the main roster. He’s got the size, look and verbal skills the promotion likes. Similar, or even slightly lesser, treatment in WWE would be far more meaningful than being TNA’s lead bad guy but I think he’d be unlikely to get high enough on the roster.

A TNA success story

I would like to congratulate TNA on what they've accomplished with Magnus though. This is a man they introduced as a Roman gladiator, seemingly based on the fact that he’d been on the ITV Gladiators revival, who went through a variety of different tag partners and gimmicks, and still managed to become a legitimate singles star. And he is legitimate. Within TNA Magnus is seen as a genuine headliner. That's important as it means existing fans accept him and take him, and by extension his championship, seriously. If current fans accept him as a big name then newcomers are likely to as well. Perception, as they say, is reality.

He's also one of TNA's more experienced wrestlers. He may wrestle something resembling the much maligned sports entertainment style but as that's not the dominant approach in TNA it helps him stand out. It also helps him be a more effective heel as he’s able to remind viewers of WWE simply by wrestling a match.

His success is a credit to him and to those involved in booking him over the years. It shows that when they set their sights on something TNA can achieve positive things. Had they gotten their act together and concentrated on other wrestlers four years ago maybe they'd be doing better now.

Stylin' Worldwide

During the Summer of Punk II CM Punk “left” WWE as champion and a new champion was crowned in his absence. That set up a champion versus champion unification match. The entire thing was horribly rushed (Punk was gone less than a month) but the objective was achieved: Punk gained another win over John Cena and became not only the company’s undisputed champ but its number two star.

TNA has been aping this storyline for a while now. AJ Styles revealed that his contract had expired and won the TNA world championship as a free agent, after cutting a number of worked shoot promos (all of which were stilted and awkward) on or about Dixie Carter and her regime. In order to make the comparison even more emphatic the TNA hive mind is now holding a tournament for the “vacant” TNA world championship.

Involved in this eight man series are Jeff Hardy, Magnus, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Bobby Roode, James Storm, Austin Aries, and everybody’s favourite former world champ Chris Sabin. The brackets could provide us with some nice matches but there’s nothing fresh or exciting about the direction. Nor is this going to lead to the creation of new headline stars. The only man whose standing could conceivably be significantly bettered by this is Magnus. That seems unlikely to happen.

The champion versus champion idea is not, in and of itself, a bad idea. Had WWE not done it two years ago it’s likely many fans, myself among them, would acknowledge that it’s the sort of thing TNA should be doing to set themselves apart from the competitor. But the only reason it’s happening is because the competitor has already done it. There’s no point writing at length about how TNA needs new ideas over WWE rehashes because I’ve done it before. TNA has been a tribute act for years now.

While TNA is busy crowning a new kingpin TNA ‘The Phenomenal One’ will appear in other wrestling companies to defend the “real” championship. Already announced is a defence against Seiya Sanada for the new Wrestle-1 promotion. The idea of a champion taking a world title around to other promotions and even other countries isn’t a bad one. TNA just didn’t have it in time to do it justice.

 

The champ is here... for now. He'll be in Japan soon

Who’ll win the tournament? It could be Jeff Hardy or Austin Aries because they have good combinations of name value and wrestling ability. They’d make the inevitable programme with a returning Styles work. But I think the likeliest man to win is Magnus. The former Gladiator seems destined for a heel turn and it’s looking like he’ll get there via the tried and tested smarmy and disingenuous route.

It’s easy to imagine Magnus winning and becoming linked with heel company head Dixie Carter on-screen (assuming she retains ownership of the company long enough for this to play out as planned). That link is what’s needed to make the AJ aspect work. The prospect of AJ Styles versus Magnus for the title of undisputed TNA champion doesn’t fill me with joy but it would at least make sense and be something new.

I’ll be interested to see how long Styles is absent for. As mentioned above a key problem with the Summer of Punk II was that WWE rushed Punk back to TV to try to get a tasty SummerSlam number (and because they had Kevin Nash waiting in the wings and you don’t keep that level of talent hanging around). TNA having a reduced PPV schedule could actually work to their advantage. The promotion hasn’t yet announced a return to pay-per-view but if we take this year as an example they’ll give us Genesis in January. That would be a good amount of time to establish AJ as a separate entity with a rogue, if more legitimate, championship and Magnus as a “paper champion” and pawn of the heinous Dixie McMahon.

AJ could be built up for a return on the first Impact of 2014 and have his unification bout with Maggers announced then for the end of the month. It’s not a thrilling idea but I think it would make the best of an unimaginative situation.

What I really want TNA to do is use the time between now and the payoff to devise some new, original plots and new characters that will help to expand their audience and allow the company to promote something fresh. It’s the only way they can become relevant and attain any degree of success.

Hail Sabin

Tonight Chris Sabin will make his first (televised) defence of the TNA world championship. Bully Ray is the challenger, getting his contractually obligated rematch after losing the title to Sabin on last month's X Division themed episode of Impact Wrestling (where wrestling and slogans matter). The rematch will be fought inside a steel cage so as to stop Bully's Aces and Eights gang interfering. Finally, if Bully loses he will (allegedly) never get another shot at the title.

Let's point out the obvious logic flaw first of all. The cage stip will not nullify A&E. Cast your minds back to Lockdown in March. In the main event of that show Bully Ray defeated Jeff Hardy for the TNA title with help from the Aces. The steel didn't stop them then so why should we believe it will stop them now?

The other big problem this match has is that everyone expects Bully Ray to win. That was the case the moment the rematch was announced and adding the no more title shots stipulation has only added to that.

There’s good reason to expect ‘Calfzilla’ to win. The Bully v Sabin feud has very clearly been a time killer from the very beginning. It's the drawback of the Bound For Glory series. Western wrestling fans expect world titles defended roughly once a month. With the BFG series running from June to September and involving TNA's most credible challengers it makes booking world title programmes hard: the champ can’t defend against someone in the series because that negates the purpose of the series, so he has to kill time with mid-card talent.

TNA's answer, as we've seen with Sabin and last year with Austin Aries, has been to allow the X Division champion to vacate their title and step into the main event. But this is not a solution because anyone familiar with the way wrestling works can see that they're not going to become a headline mainstay unless they have the required qualities. 'A Double' did. Chris Sabin does not.

This is not to belittle Sabin. He's a talented wrestler, he's just not cut from the main event cloth. He looks, wrestles and carries himself like a mid-carder. He can’t cut a half-decent promo, let alone a promo befitting a world title feud. He looks like he belongs in the X scene. He does not look like he should be at the top of the card.

 

Chris Sabin: lacking in main event aura

 

I'd feel this way no matter how his reign had come about but I will say that TNA didn't do Sabin any favours when laying out his victory last month. After selling for ten minutes Sabin got hold of the rubber hammer Aces member Mr Anderson had introduced to proceedings, clobbered his foe with it and then fluked a rollup.

The rollup was inoffensive enough. Considering the size difference in the match it was a logical move for the match to finish on. But coupled with the hammer blow and selling it made Sabin look weak. He should have entered a spirited, gutsy performance in which he peppered Bully with high flying moves and just survived all of his big moves.

Using the hammer, even in a turning the tables scenario, was the move of a heel and only served to underline that Sabin could not win a fair fight. If the hammer had to come into play (and there's an argument for its use because TNA need to keep Bully looking strong for his presumed Bound For Glory title match) it should have been an Aces member smashing Bully by accident and then Sabin following up with a move or a rollup to score the win.

The poor presentation has continued since Destination X. Sabin has been presented as a fluke champion and played second fiddle to the endless crushing boredom that is the Aces and Eights v TNA-slash-Main Event Mafia feud. Reducing a first time champion to the role of bit part player in a feud involving several big names does him no favours. It doesn't do the title any good either.

Some people have suggested that Sabin has been given the title reign as a reward for his years of loyalty and dedication. I couldn't hope that's not the case more. World titles shouldn't be handed out based on terms of service. They should be awarded based on how credible a wrestler will be in the role of champion. If TNA want to award Sabin's loyalty and hard work great, they should. But it shouldn't come in the form of a reign with what is supposed to be their most prestigious prize. Give him a cash bonus or a lengthy run with the X Division belt. Don't present him as the number one man in the promotion unless you're willing and able to fully get behind him in the role.

Adding to the frustration is that TNA had alternatives. They could have had Jeff Jarrett return to work the summer feud with Bully. The storyline there is obvious: ‘Double J’ has returned from exile to save the company he built from Aces and Eights.

They could have done something interesting with James Storm and Bully. Storm’s the only former world champ under the age of forty not to be involved in the BFG series, his omission coming because of his tag title reign alongside Gunner. He has the status within TNA to be involved in a world title feud. He and Bully could have had some great matches and Gunner could have been used for some interesting tag team matches and evening odds. There would have been a natural Gunner and Storm v Team 3D match to book as well.

There were plenty of things TNA could have done that would have been just as good, if not better, than slinging the belt on Sabin for a few weeks. In the long run I think the title reign is going to do Sabin more harm than good. He's unlikely to ever have a second reign, and if he does happen across one it will in all likelihood come about under circumstances similar to his first. Once he loses the title back to Bully and the feud wraps up Sabin is destined to slip back down the card.

That's only going to degrade the world championship because it will have been worn by a mid-carder. Meanwhile Sabin himself will look like he was out of his league and has been sent packing to his rightful spot. TNA really needs to get a grasp on the star building process before they bungle a main event push for everyone on the roster.