#Impact X Division Championship

[wrestlingmgc]

Impact X Division Champion Chris Sabin

[spanishannouncetablepodcast]

May 30, 2017 - The TV tapings for IMPACT! Wrestling were held in Mumbai, India.

In the main event of the show Sonjay Dutt defeated Low Ki to win the Impact Wrestling X Division Title.

This was Dutt’s 35th title shot for the X Division Title and his only successful attempt.

The match would air on television on June 15th.

Start each day off right with a trip in The Spanish Announce Time Machine as Tim and Tom discuss something that happened ON THIS DAY in Pro Wrestling history.

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[honestlychiefbanana]

Highlights of Mike Bailey vs Zachary Wentz TNA Victory Road 2024

[could-they-be-a-pro-wrestler]

This is a poll blog that asks the question…could your favorite fictional character be a pro wrestler? Would you like to submit a character? Click this link if you do!

[orangebapecamoprint]

[blowflyfag]

Inside Wrestling: Volume 26, 2009

wrestling timeline 

Samoa Joe

Inside Wrestling journeys back in time to examine the career of a superstar who has left a major imprint on the sport

MARCH 17, 1979: The future “Samoa Submission Machine,” Nuufolau Joel Seanoa, is born in Orange County, California.

DECEMBER 18, 1999: After only a few months of formal training, 20-year-old Joe competes in his first professional match for UIWA. 

MARCH 3, 2001: Under a developmental deal with WWF, Joe loses to Essa Rios on the company’s Jakked program.

MARCH 14, 2001: Joe wins first singles championship–the UPW heavyweight title–by defeating Christopher Daniels.

JUNE 14, 2001: Joe and Keiji Sakoda win the first-ever NWA Intercontinental tag team championship in Pro Wrestling ZERO1. 

OCTOBER 5, 2002: Joe returns to the United States and begins wrestling for Ring of Honor. He loses his first official match to Low Ki. 

JANUARY 11, 2003: In the first of what would be many epic battles, Joe defeats “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson.

MARCH 22, 2003: Joe captures the Ring of Honor heavyweight title by defeating Xavier.

NOVEMBER 29, 2003: One-time partners A.J. Styles and Joe square off with the ROH champion getting the best of the “Phenomenal One.”

FEBRUARY 14, 2004: At ROH’s second anniversary show, Joe retains the promotion’s championship by defeating Low KI. Dan Maff, and B.J. Whitmer in a “Fatal Four-Way” match.” 

APRIL 23, 2004: When he can’t defeat Joe in the ring during an ROH event, Homicide attempts to end the big Samoan’s career by hitting the champ with a fireball.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2004: In the final round of the IWA: Mid-South Ted Petty Invitational tournament, Joe and Bryan Danielson fall to A.J. Styles. 

DECEMBER 4, 2004: Joe finishes his trilogy of matches against C.M. Punk as the victor. These bouts would go down in ROH history as some of the best the promotion has ever seen. 

DECEMBER 26, 2004: The longest ROH title reign in the promotion’s history comes to an end as Austin Aries beats Joe to win the gold. 

JANUARY 15, 2005: A bitter Joe receives a chairshot to the head and a DDT for good measure from a visiting Mick Foley during a special appearance for ROH.

APRIL 1, 2005: Joe’s downward slide on the indy circuit continues when he loses a number-one contender’s match to A.J. Styles in Pro Wrestling Guerilla. 

MAY 7, 2005: In a fitting change of pace, Joe captures the ROH Pure title when he defeats Jay Lethal. 

JUNE 11, 2005: Joe is victorious in a fiercely intense and physically destructive match against Necro Butcher in IAW: Mid-South. 

JUNE 19, 2005: Only eight days after his match with Necro Butcher, Joe makes his TNA debut at Slammiversary, defeating Sonjay Dutt.

JULY 8, 2005: A very active Joe chokes out Chris Sabin for fun and defeats Shark Boy and Elix Skipper in a three-way match in his Impact debut. 

JULY 17, 2005: Moving to 2-0 at TNA pay-per-views, Joe handily defeats Chris Sabin. 

AUGUST 12, 2005: In another shot at capturing the ROH title, a surprisingly opportunistic James Gibson defeats Joe, C.M. Punk, and Christopher Daniels. 

AUGUST 27, 2005: Two weeks after failing in his attempt to win the ROH title, Joe drops the Pure championship to Nigel McGuinness.

OCTOBER 1, 2005: In a critically acclaimed match, Joe is defeated by a visiting Kenta Kobashi during an ROH event. 

NOVEMBER 13, 2005: At TNAs Genesis pay-per-view, Joe breaks the code of the X division by attacking Christopher Daniels with a chair. He appears in the months that follow with a towel stained with Daniels’ blood. 

DECEMBER 11, 2005: Joe captures his first X division championship by defeating A.J Styles at TNA’s Turning Point pay-per-view, still carrying the blood-stained towel.

FEBRUARY 12, 2006: In a three-way match with A.J.. Styles and Christopher Daniels, Joe retained the X division championship at TNA’s Against All Odds pay-per-view.

MARCH 22, 2006: In the culmination to their long-running three-way feud, Joe loses the X division title to Christopher Daniels as A.J. Styles looks on in an Ultimate X match at Destination X.

APRIL 22, 2006: Joe takes part in the interpromotional feud between ROH and Combat Zone Wrestling. Joe’s ROH squad is defeated in a six-man match. 

OCTOBER 12, 2006: A no-decision is the result of an unsanctioned ladder match for the NWA World championship between Joe and Christian Cage on Impact. 

JANUARY 14, 2007: After struggling with TNA acquisition Kurt Angle for several weeks, Joe loses to the former Olympian at Final Resolution. 

JANUARY 31, 2007: Joe announces he will no longer work for ROH full-time and embarks on a “Samoa Joe Farewell Tour.”

MARCH 4, 2007: In his final appearance for ROH, Joe defeats long-time nemesis Homicide.

MARCH 11, 2007: Another shot at the NWA World championship proves to be in vain as Joe loses to CHristian Cage at TNA’s Destination X pay-per-view. 

JULY 15, 2007: Joe gains the pinfall at TNA’s Victory Road pay-per-view and becomes TNA World tag team champion while simultaneously holding the X division title as well. 

AUGUST 12, 2007: Putting up his X division and TNA World tag team titles against the TNA World title and IWGP championship, Joe loses to Kurt Angle at TNA’s Hard Justice. 

DECEMBER 2, 2007: When Scott Hall no-shows Turning Point, Joe delivers an intense promo aimed at TNA management and his would-be-partner.

FEBRUARY 14, 2008: An unlikely partnership forms on Impact when Joe teams with Christian Cage and Kevin Nash in an ongoing effort to eliminate Kurt Angle’s Alliance from TNA. 

APRIL 13, 2008: Upon eliminating the Angle Alliance, Joe captures his first TNA World Championship by defeating Kurt Angle at Lockdown in a “Six Sides of Steel” match.

OCTOBER 12, 2008: Sting defeats Joe for the TNA World championship at Bound For Glory IV.

OCTOBER 30, 2008: Along with A.J., Styles, The Motor City Machine Guns, Jay Lethal, and Consequences Creed, Joe helps lead the team of the Frontline against the Main Event Mafia.

NOVEMBER 9, 2008: In a grudge match against former mentor Kevin Nash, Joe loses in a controversial finish that sees his opponent use the ropes for leverage.

[openshanklygates]

Never Ashamed

Whumpril 2024 April 3, 2024 SHAME Alex Shelley/Chris Sabin Main Verse

Two hundred and eighteen days.

Alex Shelley had been the Impact World Champion for two hundred and eighteen days. For most people that would be a title reign to be proud of. He had faced off against and beaten some of the best in the world. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Josh Alexander, even Jonathan Gresham had stepped up to the plate and all had been sent back to the back of the line. He had led the Impact roster all the way into the new era of TNA. They were all honorable moments.

So losing to a cheat and a bully like Moose brought him so much shame.

The sun was rising against the Las Vegas skyline, but Alex had yet to go to sleep. His mind raced with the events of the night before. What if he had been just a little more aggressive? What if he had put just a little more of himself into the match? Would the championship still be sitting next to the hotel room television, reflecting the hotel room bed where he and Chris Sabin currently laid, his partner pressed into his side snoring peacefully.

Chris.

In his loss, Alex had almost forgotten to congratulate Chris on his historic win. It was officially the longest reign that Chris had ever had, his tenth as X-Division Champion. El Hijo del Vikingo was no joke for such a young talent and Kushida, well, Alex felt like it would be cheating to say anything more about this best friend. Alex was certain that Chris would have preferred meeting up with some of the other roster members for drinks and a laugh. instead, Chris had stayed behind to hold Alex until he fell asleep.

"You could do so much better than me," Alex murmured to his sleeping companion, pressing a kiss to the top of Chris's head. He attempted to get up, but Chris snuggled in closer and tossed a leg over both of Alex's to trap him there.

"Shuttup," Chris tiredly murmured, burying his head in the crook of Alex's neck, "'stoo early for this."

Alex gave a small laugh, "Go back to sleep. I'm just gonna-"

"You are gonna do nothing but sleep," Chris protested, raising his head to scowl at Alex. It would have been much more intimidating if he didn't have to squint at Alex to properly see him. "I don't wanna get up. I don't wanna have you get up. I think I earned it. Ch-"

Chris cut himself off, closing his eyes before Alex spoke up, "No! No, you're right! Champ's privilege. You earned it. You did so good."

"Yeah, but you-"

"Let you down, that much I know," Alex admitted, "I should-"

"Shut up and kiss me," Chris nuzzled the back of Alex's neck, "we are gonna lay in this bed til you go to sleep."

"I don't need sl-"

"I said we are gonna lay here til you get some sleep," Chris groaned a little more forcefully. He tightened his grip on Alex, who sank further into the mattress. He may have felt shame, but at least he knew Chris was here to love him through it.

[mrawkweird]

In case you missed it Alex Shelley is the new Impact World Champion and Chris Sabin is the record breaking 9 time X Division Champion! As a huge Motor City Machine Guns fan I couldn’t be more prouder.😌

It's a sight to see because there was a moment in time where it really felt like the days of the Motor City Machine Guns were winding down and not just as a team but in general. I was glad to see them have a resurgence and now here they are on top of the division with the inevitable one-on-one for the Impact World Championship staring us dead in the face.

[renee-ckstrong]

THIS MATCH MAKES ME VERY EXITED, HERE'S WHY

I can't wait for Bound For Glory, the main event is set. The Challenger is, The Walking Weapon Josh Alexander Vs one half of the Motor City Machine Guns and current IMPACT World Champion Alex Shelley. Let's talk about it.

Now I'm not that big of an impact girlie. I was, when I was younger in the UK I couldn't get WWE on TV but I had access to TNA/IMPACT so that was the wrestling I watched in my youth and actually kept watching it for a while. In fact I'm going to go to see IMPACT live in the UK with my dad soon, which is brilliant remembering the time we spent watching IMPACT before. We're going to have such a good time.

This doesn't stop me from being VERY excited about this match. I've still been aware of the product even while I haven't been watching and I watched IMPACT 1000, saw their segment and WOW it was good.

Let's start with Alex Shelley, my little Motor City Blorbo, Shelley was brought into IMPACT using their old business strategy of 'Sign ultra talented ROH guys' that got them Styles, Sabin, Joe and Daniels. From 2004 to 2007 he would be a exciting feature of the X Division winning said title once. His true success would come between 2007 and 2012 in the team known as 'The Motor City Machine Guns' Shelley and partner Chris Sabin became on of the most influential and defining teams in IMPACT history before Shelley left IMPACT to work for ROH and NJPW.

On the other hand Josh Alexander came into IMPACT in 2019 (annoying just after I stopped watching so I missed out) also in the tag division having a lengthy singles run with Ethan Page as 'The North' who, despite being in a company that doesn't usually get considered for being the best, were considered to be one of the best tag teams in the world. And to stress, this was at the same time as The New Day, The Usos, The Young Bucks and FTR so being considered one of the best teams in this time is saying something. When Page departed the company Alexander got the big push, winning the X Division title then cashing in option C to become IMPACT World Champion. Then Moose beat him and ran him out of impact. But upon Alexander's return he reclaimed the title and became the longest reigning IMPACT World Champion of all time. A near year long reign that ended with Alexander having to relinquish the title because of a triceps tear.

Here in lies our conflict. Alexander wants to reclaim his title but he is also exited to wrestle Alex Shelley as he says "No one is a bigger fan of Alex Shelley than I am." or something like that. But Shelley wants to keep this belt at all costs. That's why he belittled Alexander at IMPACT 1000, because Alexander is trying to take away the biggest achievement of his life. An achievement that Alexander has had twice, but in his long career this is Shelley's first IMPACT World Championship reign. And one more detail in this story, that I only realised while writing this, is that while Alex Shelley is the tag partner who left (and then came back) out of him and Chris Sabin, Josh Alexander is the tag partner who stayed out of him and Ethan Page. As much of and IMPACT guy as Shelley wants to claim he is, Josh Alexander stayed and became one of the faces of IMPACT during it's resurgence and continued to be a defining 'IMPACT guy' during the pandemic. As much as I personally love Alex Shelley, there are lots of reasons to cheer Josh Alexander come the 21st.

And I think that's a large part of it. I used to watch IMPACT. I am nostalgic for IMPACT's past, people like Alex Shelley. But presently Josh Alexander is the guy. Alexander doesn't want this to be personal, but Shelley desperately wants to be the guy.

They are the past and present of IMPACT fighting for it's future.

Goddamn I deserve a job backstage working on hype packages.

And I have no idea who's going to win. Maybe people who watch more IMPACT have an idea but I don't. And that's exciting. I am so hyped for this match thank you for listening. I'm so excited to be an IMPACT fan again.

[pepsi-maxwell]

waking up at 5:45am and my brain immediately telling me "hey. remember corset title belt series. remember when chris sabin became the nine time (nine time...) x division champion and alex shelley won the impact world championship."

just rotate that image in your mind for a bit

[could-they-be-a-pro-wrestler]

This is a poll blog that asks the question…could your favorite fictional character be a pro wrestler? Would you like to submit a character? Click this link if you do!

[galaxy-brain-rasslin]

Just some quick thoughts on All In. There will be spoilers.

Zero Hour

I, 100% did not expect Adam and MJF to win, at all. I expected there to be the initial start of a betrayal or something. I was pleasantly surprised, since I love the two of them.

Aussie Open seems really good. I should probably check out ROH.

Hook is one of my favorite anime protagonists, and Jack Perry has improved so much by being a complete piece of shit.

Also, Taz being hyped up for everything Hook does will literally never get old. Dude just sounds so proud every damn time.

CM Punk vs Samoa Joe

I don't really care a whole lot about CM Punk. I've seen a few of his pre-AEW matches, and I think he cuts a fun promo. I also think he's clearly enjoying himself, which makes watching his matches more enjoyable, in their own way.

That said, watching Samoa Joe just beat the absolute fuck out of Punk for most of the match was beautiful. I missed Joe in the original ROH and TNA/Impact, but his NXT and WWE stuff was so fun. Joe works at such a great pace, too. He literally always feels like a threat.

Seeing "real world championship" in quotes every time they mention CM Punk’s belt always reminds me of when AJ Styles was being announced in WWE as "The Man Who Would Like to be Announced as 'The Face that Runs the Place'"

Golden Elite vs Bullet Club Gold w/ Takeshita

Juice Robinson is my favorite feral little gremlin in pro wrestling.

Jay White is a beautiful piece of shit and I love him for it. He's also so fucking good in the ring.

Takeshita is also fantastic and has been consistently great.

I love how much everyone hates Don Callis.

Golden☆Lovers OTP

Hangman Adam Page is one of all-time favorite wrestlers. Just always happy to see him out there.

Ibushi tried to murder people with his kicks and it was fantastic shit.

A shitty surprise pin on Kenny Omega is absolutely on brand. I was peeved in a good way.

FTR vs Young Bucks

Fuck the Revival. I also like FTR a lot. Been a fan of theirs since NXT, and I loved seeing them draped in gold not that long ago.

I don't always feel like watching a Young Bucks match, but I always enjoy the match when it's done.

FTR and the Bucks were top-tier tag team wrestling today.

I legitimately expected FTR to lose, given the legal troubles that Cash could be facing. Seeing FTR win was a nice surprise.

FTR having arm bands for Brodie Lee, Bray Wyatt, and Jay Briscoe was so sweet, and so sad.

Stadium Stampede

Find someone who loves you as much as Eddie Kingston hates Claudi Castagnoli.

Mox looked so fucking cool walking out.

Oh my god, Trent, why, what the fuck. Please stop.

Someone getting skewers stabbed into their heads will always make me wince and laugh simultaneously.

Penta being walked backstage by medics only to return as Penta Oscuro was amazing shit. Penta is great.

Wheeler Yuta is the perfect person in BCC to be a bloodthirsty little goblin that you want to see eat the pin. He does his job well.

Also Best Friends hugging Yuta only to beat him up was gold.

I lost track of what was happening at least 400 times during the match and I don't care. I was thoroughly entertained.

Dr. Britt Baker, DMD v. Toni Storm v. Saraya v. Hikaru Shida

I assumed Saraya was going to win as soon as I saw her come out to Queen with her entire goddamn family walking out.

Toni Storm is a beautiful disaster.

In the event that Saraya wouldn't be winning, I didn't want Britt to win.

But that's also primarily because I *wanted* Shida to retain. Also, I love that Shida's theme has big 90s X-Men vibes.

Shida in general is just great. She should win every match.

I also just had no real investment in Brit for this match. She just kinda felt like she could have been nearly any other woman from the women's division. She wasn't *bad* by any means, just not someone I was pulling for or against.

I'm curious to see what happens with this implosion of the Outcasts now that Saraya and Toni aren't on good terms.

I dislike Ronnie Radke musically and as a person, so I'm not really thrilled at the idea of hearing Saraya's music more now that she's the champ.

At the same time, given all the shit she's been through, I can't be too mad about them giving her a run.

I still want Shida to have an actual good, long run though. I love her matches.

Christian Cage & Swerve vs. Darby Allin and Sting

Schiavone shouting "IT'S STING" is one of my favorite things in wrestling.

Joker Sting is fun as hell.

Swerve is actually the coolest motherfucker on the entire roster, and it is a literal crime that he doesn't have a belt.

Christian Cage is a menace and I can't get over that he wrestles in a sleeveless turtleneck now.

Darby is here for a good time, not a long time.

Sting is SIXTY-FOUR GODDAMN YEARS OLD AND SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS STUFF.

Darby shouldn't either, but I'm fairly certain he's not even human anymore.

I love Swerve.

I also love Prince Nana.

Getting all of Wembly to shout "Swerve's house" probably felt cool.

This was fun as hell.

Will Ospreay vs Chris Jericho

bruv

Ospreay is so fucking good, dude. Like he's absolutely up there as one of the best to do this. Every match I've seen of his just blows me away.

Jericho is also absolutely one of the most versatile wrestlers of all time. I've seen this man reinvent himself like a dozen times, and every time feels just as natural as the one before it.

If they had Jericho win, there was going to be a riot.

Plz give me more Ospreay matches. Dude can fucking go.

I'm curious to know what happens with Jericho and Sammy now

House of Black vs The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

HOB walking out with a lantern 😭

The Fireflies 😭

HOB looks so cool in white, holy shit.

I love Julia's hats.

I am not a cop, so obviously I love The Acclaimed.

Billy Gunn coming out in full-on Badd Ass Billy Gunn trunks made me feel like I was 12 again.

I love HOB, but if The Acclaimed didn't win this, after their whole mini arc of Gunn retiring, and Gunn bringing back BABG, I was gonna be mad.

Is there a rule that someone has to wreck Julia's shit every match, because lmao

A lot of fun.

Brody King scares the hell out of me.

Adam Cole vs. MJF

I went into this expecting heartbreak

Adam Cole, who took character inspiration from Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2, comes out sporting some definite Broderlands-vibe gear.

MJF is still wearing BTYBB gear.

MJF as this babyface-leaning thing is actually some of the greatest shit I've ever seen. The whole turmoil over using a weapon feels like Roddy Piper vs Bret Hart.

Cole being a desperate POS to the confused, hurt, and mad MJF was wonderful.

The tombstone onto the announce desk with metal reinforcement was brutal on my knees as a viewer.

lol Roddy. lmao.

MJF and Cole almost having a total falling out after the match was amazing.

Cole opting not to slam the AEW belt into MJF's head after the match, and they hug instead? Cinema.

Was I still deeply concerned that there was going to be a betrayal literally up until the PPV feed stopped? Oh hell yes. I watched Ciampa turn on Gargano after the little copyright stuff showed up in NXT. I will *still* be concerned about that until the moment it happens.

That said, I genuinely don't want it to happen because these dudes work so well together. They're just so fucking dorky in the best way.

Misc. Other Thoughts

I missed whatever happened with Miro and Hobbs, because I just missed the whole first hour of Zero Hour.

Apparently there was Drama involving Punk and Jack Perry-- I guess related to the use of actual glass in the windshield of the car that Hook and Perry wrestled on? Whatever. Punk isn't why I watch this stuff, but I would rather Perry not get screwed.

Why did they keep panning over to Mercedes Moné if she wasn't gonna do anything other than vibe to The Acclaimed's theme?

That being said, I was loving the wig she had on. I've been liking the shorter-cut wigs compared to the long-ass stuff she was wearing as Sasha Banks

A lot of people kept expecting Edge to show up at some point. I'm pretty sure I saw somewhere that his contract was extended.

Overall, this was, in all honesty, probably the best wrestling PPV I've ever watched. And, thanks to the invention of VHS tapes in my youth and the WWE Network as an adult, I have seen a *lot* of PPVs. This felt bigger than any Wrestlemania I've watched. I can't compare it to Wrestle Kingdom because I've never actually seen one of those all the way through. But it had numerous people who have been in Wrestle Kingdom matches, which were great.

I'm just annoyed that All Out is next goddamn week, because I don't want to shell out $100 in two weeks for this stuff.

Regardless. I love wrestling. We are in one of the greatest eras of pro wrestling, if not *the* greatest. What a time to be a fan.

[orangebapecamoprint]

[wrestlingisfake]

Hard to Kill preview

Alex Shelley vs. Moose - Shelley won the Impact men's world title in June; as of this week it's been rebranded as the TNA men's world title. Moose earned this title shot in September in a "feast or fired" match.

I'm honestly not sure there's any backstory to this match. The promotion basically went dark after December 9, and the weekly TV has been little more than clip shows and hype for the big rebranding from Impact back to TNA.

The match works without much context, though. Shelley was a mainstay with TNA from 2004 to 2012, as one of the young indy-riffic guys stuck in the midcard; since returning in 2020, he's been exalted as a veteran and a symbol of everything great about the promotion's history. Moose started with the company in 2016, a few months before Dixie Carter sold it to Anthem; he's been a mainstay ever since as they've gradually climbed out of a deep hole. In many respects, either of these men would make sense as the standard-bearer in this new era.

I don't see a title change happening here. When Shelley first won the title I figured it was a short-term thing until they could get it back on Josh Alexander, but they've seemed pretty committed to this run. My guess is that Moose is just here to give Shelley a statement win, so he can be standing tall at the end of the show when some hotter name debuts as a more serious contender. I don't know that TNA has anybody major coming in, but they made serious offers for CM Punk and Will Ospreay and didn't get either of them, so they probably spent that money on somebody...

Trinity vs. Jordynne Grace - Trinity is the defending TNA women's world champion. Grace won a "call your shot" battle royale in October to earn this match.

It's been exactly one year since Grace lost the title to Mickie James. When Mickie had to forfeit the belt due to injury, Deonna Purrazzo beat Grace to win the vacant title. Purrazzo then dropped the chammpionship to Trinity in July.

Trinity debuted with Impact/TNA back in April, almost a year after an acrimonious departure from WWE. Nevertheless, there's been a lot of rumblings about her returning to WWE very soon. Whether or not you put any stock in that, it's going to be the elephant in the room for this match.

Of course, even if Trinity is headed for the Royal Rumble in two weeks, that doesn't mean she has to lose this match. She could easily retain here and finish up at tomorrow's TV tapings. Or she could just stay in TNA. Or she could leave, but go to AEW or who-knows-where. But if I had to put money on it, I think the safest bet is on Grace winning the title.

Chris Sabin vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. KUSHIDA - This is a three-way bout for Sabin's TNA X division championship. Vikingo's AAA mega title is not at stake.

Originally, the X division was TNA's concept for showcasing smaller, flippier wrestlers without calling them "cruiserweights" or "junior heavyweights." De-emphasizing the weight classes worked out well for bringing in Samoa Joe, but eventually led to dopey storylines where Kevin Nash and Bully Ray wanted the belt because there was no rule that said they couldn't win it. At one point a weight limit was imposed to cut that shit out. Of late there's no sense that you have to be a particular size or work a particular style to be in contention for the X title. This match, though, is clearly about getting back to the tradition of flippy shit.

Sabin, who's been with the promotion for most of its 22 years, has held the X title ten times. Kushida was a six-time junior heavyweight champion in New Japan, but he's through being pigeonholed in that weight class so he's made TNA his new home. Vikingo is one of the flippiest flippy guys I've ever seen, which is saying a lot in an X division match. I'd say Vikingo would make a good titleholder for the new era, but he's signed to AEW and I'm not confident he'll be sticking around. I'm thinking Sabin retains.

Josh Alexander vs. Alex Hammerstone - Hammersone, who looks like Brock Lesnar and Pat McAfee had a baby, just entered free agency after a five-year run in MLW. Josh Alexander hasn't held a title for nearly a year, but at 36 he's clearly the guy you want to build the company around, since most of the other top acts are hitting 40. I assume Josh wins unless TNA thinks they can sign Hammerstone, or at least get him to commit to another match.

Ace Austin & Chris Bey vs. Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel vs. Mike Bailey & Trent Seven vs. Zack Gibson & James Drake - ABC (Austin & Bey) are defending the TNA men's tag team belts in a four-way. They won the belts from Wentz and Miguel (of the Rascalz). Seven debuted last month to team with Bailey in a winning effort against the Rascalz. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Gibson and Drake) are making their debut with the promotion after a lengthy run in NXT.

This is probably going to be a lot of action, but it probably won't matter how it turns out. No matter who wins, I expect these teams to see a lot of each other in the next couple of months. If I have to pick a winner, I guess I'll go with Gibson and Drake.

Alisha Edwards vs. Dani Luna vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Jody Threat vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside - This is a six-woman "ultimate X" match. The ring will have poles or scaffolding attached to the ring posts, so that two cables can be hung up, criss-crossing about ten feet above the mat. A prize is hung where the cables meet--it could be a briefcase, but it's typically a giant red "X". The first woman to recover the prize wins the match--other than that, there are no rules. The winner will earn a future women's world title match.

The women's division feels a little weak with Mickie James, Deonna Purrazzo, and (perhaps?) Trinity leaving. Masha Slamovich, Killer Kelly, Jessicka Havok, and Courtney Rush aren't booked for this show (so far) and I haven't seen TNA make a big deal out of re-signing any of them (yet). So it's probably time for one or two of the women in this match to step up as a top contender. Luna and Brookside, who came over after the shutdown of NXT UK, probably have the most long-term potential. I wouldn't sleep on Steelz, though.

Anyone could win this, really. It could be someone they're building up for a big push heading into the April PPV, or it could be someone they're just feeding to the champion next week on TV.

Dirty Dango vs. PCO - Dango is the wrestler formerly known as Fandango in WWE, but of late he's reinvented himself as a bitter veteran heel, because heaven knows we don't have enough of those in wrestling. PCO is the wrestler formerly known as Quebecer Pierre in WWE, but a few years back he reinvented himself as a Frankenstein monster, which is a much cooler idea. I'm pretty sure PCO wins, unless he's leaving the promotion soon.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Crazzy Steve - This is scheduled for the pre-show. Dreamer's TNA digital media title is on the line. I think I heard Steve turned on Black Taurus and got more edgelord-y than usual, but I haven't actually seen him in a long time. Dreamer probably still has value as an old-timer wrestler, but not as a champion. I'd give the belt to Steve, but I'm not counting on a title change.

Eric Young & Frankie Kazarian vs. Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers - Another pre-show match. Edwards used to lead the "entitled journeymen" stable Honor No More, and Myers used to be in an "entitled journeymen" tag team with Matt Cardona, and somewhere along the line they just got thrown together to complain about how the promotion doesn't appreciate them enough. EY and Kaz have been in and out of this company for twenty years; I feel like they used to be in a faction together but I don't care enough to look it up. This one could go either way.

Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin - Still another pre-show match. Both of these guys have been Impact world champions, so I'm not sure what they're doing so far down the card. I'm guessing that only the winner of this match will get a chance to do something about that. I'm thinking Maclin wins.

[blowflyfag]

the Wrestler: Volume 26, 2009

LEGENDS TITLE FIASCO

It’s Not Too Late For TNA To Do It Right

As Booker T opened his mysterious briefcase on October 8, the Impact Zone crowd was shocked to find out he was unveiling a brand new title, the Legends championship. Booker proclaimed himself the champion, but what does the belt really represent, and what does it mean for the future of TNA?

BY GERRY STRAUSS

FOR SIX YEARS, Total Nonstop Action has cultivated a dirty little secret: It has a split personality.

On one hand, the company that introduced many of us to the likes of A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Jay Lethal, and other new-generation dynamos has gone out of its way to promote the youth of the sport. Using the no-restrictions X division as the ultimate showcase for these amazing athletes, fans have enjoyed the chance to watch future superstars build their legacies, one match at a time. 

On the other hand, name value sells, and TNA knows it. So, along with the upstarts, TNA has also made a point of bringing in established veterans. Big-name superstars like Larry Zbyszko, Bob Backlund, and Roddy Piper have graced six-sided ring with their presence, and still-active stars like Sting and Kevin Nash add multi-generational appeal to the active roster. 

But when passionate, hardworking young stars-in-the-making are forced to share the spotlight with demanding, proven veterans, tension is inevitable. But, instead of taking steps to settle this increasingly prevalent issue, TNA made it the focal point of Impact, and created the Legends championship.

Introduced on Impact by Booker T, the Legends title signifies… well, we aren't exactly sure. There was no tournament (or even a match) to crown a champion. Instead, it merely appeared, signifying Booker’s self-proclaimed status as a legend worthy of favor over his younger counterparts.

Certainly, the precedence of creating a new championship out of thin air is there. When Ted DiBiase failed to win the WWF World championship in the ‘80’s, he created his Million-Dollar championship. When Taz was unable to take the ECW heavyweight championship in the ‘90s, the “FTW” title was born.

Why is this different? For one, Booker T has had a distinguished career, but he should not be considered a legend… not yet, anyway. If anything, recent successes alongside his Main Event Mafia partners Sting, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, and Kurt Angle have proven that it is too early to celebrate his past when he should be living in the now.

Plus, what qualifies someone to contend for this championship? Booker’s first two challengers for the strap were Christian Cage and Eric Young, neither of whom is more than 40 years old. How can anyone take this championship seriously if the only seemingly legitimate contenders are fellow members of the Main Event Mafia?

TNA has already upset many of its fans by de-emphasizing the X division championship. By adding another meaningless strap to the mix, TNA could be in danger of alienating even more fans. 

[Booker T laid claim to the Legends championship, a point that did not sit well with Christian Cage (above). Although Cage himself shouldn’t be considered a legend, he still challenged Booker–unsuccessfully–for the title at Turning Point 2008 (right). 

The Main Event Mafia has taken control of TNA, even to the point that it now has come up with its own championship. Even if Booker T is one day considered a legend, it’s inappropriate that a wrestler still in the prime of his career holds such a title.]

Here’s the good news: If it acts now, TNA has an opportunity to not only fix this mess, but make the Legends title a huge hit. 

Think about it: People love legends. Fans pay big bucks to hobnob with them at autograph signings and meet and greets, and everything from the NBA to the PGA holds events dedicated specifically to them. Older fans want to relive their memories and younger fans are always interested to see first hand just how great these individuals were. The world wants to see these stars do their thing in their element. So why on earth would TNA encourage a war between the veterans and the younger wrestlers? Suddenly, 20-year veterans like Sting are forced to clumsily adapt to an entirely new style of wrestling while the younger talents, like A.J. Styles, must slow down their pace to match their older counterparts. The results can be ugly, and in the end, nobody truly wins… least of all the fans.

[It’s not unheard of for organizations to bring back legends to compete; TNA itself has done it before. In a guest appearance back in 2004, Roddy Piper showed up and taught some of the young stars of TNA that he can still land a punch when need be.]

The solution is simple: Establish a defined roster of legends, and let them compete against each other as they strive to contend for the Legends championship. Since legends are typically designated as such at the twilight of their careers or later, stipulate an age minimum, say 45 years old. In addition, to qualify, wrestlers must have won at least one world championship (singles or tag). These stipulations would, at least for now, eliminate men like Booker T and Kurt Angle. Both are still vital members of the present-day wrestling scene and should not be competing in a division that would be best-suited for wrestlers who are not. 

Want to see your favorites from days gone by return to the ring? This division would be the place to do it. The possibilities are endless. Bring back Terry Funk for one last hurrah. Let Bob Backland have his final shot at glory. Plus, there are always those rumblings of a certain “Nature Boy’s” hankering to jump out of retirement. (One suggestion to TNA: Enforce strict pre-match physicals and have EMTs on hand!)

[Bob Backlund is yet another legend TNA has used in recent years and could bring back to compete in a Legends division. Backlund could show off submission holds like the crossface chicken wing, giving fans a glimpse at the skills that made him a Hall of Fame Wrestler.]

The bottom line is that the Legends championships could be a win-win situation for TNA. Greatness never dies, and having some of the greatest competitors in wrestling history in the mix could be a moneymaker for the company. Let them bring the best out of each other, just like they’ve done throughout their careers. Let them compete in dream matches as they look for one last crack at glory.

Let the more youthful divisions of TNA be like a NASCAR race, while the Legends division can be a parade, allowing the fans a chance to slow down and see exactly why these men have earned the right to call themselves legends in the first place. They don't need to be forced into the main event. Instead, let them be an event unto themselves with their own special place on the card. Instead of giving them this unnecessary war with TNA’s future stars, give them the spotlight they’ve earned.

[ijustthinkevilunoisneat]

What's your dream champions for each promotion you watch?

I do watch other promotions here and there but I'm just gonna stick to Impact, AEW and ROH

Impact World Championship: Maclin. I'd love Josh eventually become champion again when he is healthy but I thought Maclin was the perfect person to dethrone Josh and I feel like he will become champion, just not in the way once believed.

Impact X Division Championship: Mike Bailey. Just can't say enough wonderful things about his first reign. Him against Gresham for the Championship would be god tier.

Impact Digital Media Championship: Leave it on Hendry. He is the perfect person for that championship right now.

Impact World Tag Team Championship: Leave it on Ace and Bey. They are just getting started and they are having such a fun reign already.

Impact Knockouts World Championship: Gisele Shaw. She is so talented and imagine her against Deonna for the Knockouts Championship, that would also be god tier, I really believe she is ready to take that next step.

Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship: The Coven just got it and honestly looking forward to seeing more of them. Death Dollz will always own my heart tho.

AEW World Championship: Basically feels impossible but I really want Uno as World Champion. He is amazing and I feel like we've only scratched the surface of what he can do in AEW.

AEW International Championship: Realistically this is the championship I've been hoping Uno can get a reign with as I don't trust TK to let Uno become World Heavyweight Champion but this is my dream and with Uno on top of the company, Kip Sabian would be perfect for the International Championship.

AEW TNT Championship: Keith Lee. There isn't really much to say other than it would be nice to see him with a championship.

FTW Championship: Leave it on Hook, you can't really take it off him, he is the perfect for the championship.

AEW World Tag Team Championship: John Silver and Alex Reynolds. I hope they get a run with championships someday soon, it's not that unrealistic.

AEW World Trios Championship: Dark Order. Would love to see them finally win the Trios Championship and use the Freebirds rule so all of them can defend the championships.

AEW Women's World Championship: The Bunny. Bun Bun has been there from the beginning and really deserves a championship run someday.

AEW TBS Championship: Taya Valkyrie. I feel like this might be the most realistic out of all the ones I've mentioned on the AEW side, go Tay Tay.

ROH World Championship: Stu Grayson. Imagine Uno as AEW World Heavyweight Champion and Stu as ROH World Heavyweight Champion 🥹

ROH World Television Championship: Eddie Kingston. Would love to see him with a championship, he deserves it so much.

ROH Pure Championship: Angelico. He is so underrated, would be awesome to see him with a championship.

ROH World Tag Team Championship: Top Flight. I don't mind any of the teams in the Reach For The Sky ladder match but they are the future and it would be a great start for them.

ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Adam Cole and The Kingdom. Adam on ROH would bring eyes to ROH which is really needed and be cool to see him back with The Kingdom.

ROH Women's World Championship: Leave it on Athena, she is amazing and deserves a lengthy run with it.