An additional title might provide inducement for non-TNA
wrestlers who might consider jumping. There are so few top spots in TNA that it
would be difficult to entice a free agent to come to TNA without a specific
guarantee of a World title run. It would be much easier for guys like Bryan
Danielson or Rob Van Dam to join TNA if they were promised a run with this
secondary title. TNA still needs this kind of big acquisition. (More on that
soon.)

 

This new title would really enhance house shows. People who
attend TNA house shows do so knowing nothing important will happen. Maybe
that’s okay when you have the celebrity/IT factor of WWE but it will continue
to hamper TNA house business if fans maintain the sense that they’re not going
to see anything special. Having this secondary title change hands occasionally
will up the ante for house shows. As TNA continues its expansion efforts, that
will be a critical element. House shows not only bring ticket and merchandise
sales but help encourage the development of new fans. What does the wrestling
business need more than that?

 

A secondary heavyweight championship title would further
distinguish the X Division from the Heavyweight Division. The last several
months have really helped the X Division (re)establish its identity nicely.  Guys like Eric Young and Kaz don’t need
to be wrestling in X Division matches, they need to be working with
heavyweights almost exclusively. Re-casting them as contending for the
secondary heavyweight belt will cement the X Division as a distinct entity,
important unto itself.

 

Part 3 soon. 

TP

My proposal is this: TNA needs a new secondary title.

 

This title would allow them to do lots of helpful things.
Hopefully some of you will tell me what additional possibilities there are but
here’s a start. Any new title would automatically increase the intrigue of
title defenses and changes (and all the attendant possibilities that come with
championships). Every championship enhance the resumés of talent. Titles are
the most important props in wrestling. Fans are conditioned to value titles and
use them as measuring sticks for wrestlers. Since so few of the TNA second
level guys have much experience as singles champs, having a new title can both
polish individual pedigrees and develop the experience of many as champions and
in championship matches.  

It makes
great sense for Kofi Kingston and Paul Burchill to be Intercontinental champ
and challenger for instance. It will always be helpful for Kingston to say that
he is a former Intercontinental champion. The same would be true for Burchill
if he won the belt. Since the World title is the element of such focus right
now, the secondary belt is wisely being used to build credibility for rising
talent. TNA needs to do the same thing. 

 

This new belt would provide a helpful, viable second tier for singles
wrestlers. There are guys like Rhino, Tomko, Matt Morgan and, for months on
end, James Storm and Robert Roode who are clearly not World title contenders
right now but can’t credibly compete in the X Division. Right now, there are too many guys that simply have to spin their wheels because there’s no clear goal for them. This second title would minimize that problem.

 

Even if accidently, adding a new belt will also help make
TNA seem more like a major player. With only one heavyweight belt, the
promotion still seems minor league. Having enough depth to maintain a secondary
title division will make TNA feel more substantial than the company has been up
to this point. Steps like this are necessary for TNA to be seen as a major company.

More soon.

TP 

Eric Young, Johnny Devine, Consequences Creed and Jimmy
Rave in a 4 Way X Division Match:

 

A nice recovery win for Consequences Creed but everyone
looked good in the match. The TNA staple of fast action with everyone hitting
finishers works especially well in X division matches like this one.

 

Abyss is being booked nicely as well. He looks heroic and
the fans are clearly behind him.

 

Brother Ray consistently disses Angle without Kurt ever
knowing it. That will make for a great transition whenever one or the other
turns. Ray will get a great rub from that program whenever it happens.

 

Nice Kaz video. Great use of matches to create some sense of
history and increased credibility. When he turns it will make much more sense
than it usually does.

 

Karen looks really shiny. In a good way.  Killer Kowalski and Bret Hart. Who
knew? I hope that next week Karen says something like, so in 6 months of
wrestling in WWE you were undefeated? A great way to raise eyebrows. Wow, what
a nice use of video packaging and the history of TNA. I’m looking forward to
seeing the next segment. Karen was reasonably unobtrusive.

 

Matt Morgan vs. Corey Chavis:

 

They are pushing Matt Morgan in a big giant way. And it’s
working. This is the first time I’ve ever heard the ‘Morgan’ chant. The Mile
High Club?!? That’s great. Don West comes through finally. Good t-shirt
material. ‘You’re About to Join the Mile High Club’ I really want to see TNA
put him in a feud with Kip James. Kip is athletic enough and built enough that
he looks like credible opposition. Morgan can also dominate without needing to
give up much offense. Then maybe they can bring back Andrew “Test” Martin to be
fodder for the Morgan mill. He’d be a good short-term partner to help Morgan
get to the next level. Now yes, that’s only because he’s so big and has
recently appeared in TNA, but it would still help.

 

Maybe Abyss would be next (perhaps Rhino) and that would
help push Morgan into main event conversations.

 

The MCMG really are hilarious. Some great great lines here.
Murder should never be fodder for wrestling humor.

 

Speaking of humor, I can’t believe how often I laugh at
Shark Boy. Super Eric annoys me to no end (just like Black Reign) due to the
absurdity of not knowing about their dual identities. Stupid is one thing; a
failure to be self-aware is unnecessary.

 

Will they please stop using Beer Money Inc.? Beer Money
works great. The Inc. is just dumb. TNA is finally listening. Intros then
commercial then match. Getting rid of the match breaks helps so much.

 

Beer Money vs. Motor City Machine Guns in a Strap Match:

 

Very fun match with great utilization of the straps. The
outcome of the match worked well too. Even though I’m not a fan of the TNA
tactic of always forcing heels to cheat, it made perfect sense in the context
of this match. This will also make more sense for the title rematch against
LAX. (I also noticed that Salinas needed to hook her leg around the post as she
leaned forward from the apron. She’s so top heavy she probably was worried that
gravity would give her the worst Implant Buster ever.)

 

I don’t particularly care which NFL players show up to watch
Impact but it will definitely help casual fans.

 

Taylor Wilde (c) vs. Velvet Sky in a Knockout title
match:

 

As I indicated in an outside blog, I’m extremely impressed
with how the Knockout division has been booked for the past few months. Don
West shows up again, reminding fans that Taylor Wilde is happy to be seeing
someone in the ring that’s not Awesome Kong. Great character development for
Velvet Sky. I feel badly for her credibility because it will be harder for fans
to take her seriously but she definitely made it work.  Taylor also played her role really
well. She looks like a really strong wrestler and a nicely developing hero
character. I also love that the crowd began chanting ‘ODB!’ Good stuff.

 

Abdul Bashir? Totally hating on the US? Wow, what a great
starting point. He’s gonna be a seriously good heel. What heat he’ll get. I
can’t wait to see him against AJ Styles or a face turned Kurt Angle maybe in a
few months. Actually, that may end up being the best way to turn Kurt. He can
demonstrate that although he’s an obsessed jerk, that’s only about people. His
country is actually the most important thing of all.

 

So Cal Val is clearly an idiot. This is now two straight
weeks that they’ve described Jay Lethal as an animal. Not so cool. I love that
Sonjay asked her about seeing the replay. ‘You know I hate violence.’ Wow,
whatta girl. Maybe she should date Eric Young.  And JB tries to smarten her up too. Finally, Jay cops the
ring.

 

Head drama, not head trauma? Iron Mike Tenay cracking the
jokes tonight.

 

It’s a great trend to see commercials before the match
again. With ½ hour left I’m curious to see if this could possibly be the last
match of the evening. I wonder if they really will go with 5 guys through
tables.

 

Team 3D and Kurt Angle vs. Rhino, AJ Styles and Christian
Cage in a 5 tables match:

 

Brother Devon leaves first. That makes sense. It’s a
pleasant surprise though as these matches almost always develop into a heel
advantage early on. Nice to go against type. Angle hits everyone with chairs
and they go to commercial. That makes perfect sense. Good choices today!

 

Is this Don West’s best work ever? Wow. He makes lots of
good points relative to STING. I’m so impressed.

Goodness, Christian Cage takes bumps that no other multiple
time former World champ (not named Foley or Styles division) ever takes. The
heel advantage in this match works helpfully as does the misdirection of Johnny
Devine’s entry into the match.

 

It’s nice to watch AJ Styles continue to be the 2^nd most
important face on the show. He’s sooooo over right now and TNA could do worse
than give him another (his first mainstream) World title run.  Joe and Booker don’t really need to
have the title to draw. Obviously Kurt doesn’t either. Perhaps AJ wins his feud
with Kurt in September and then goes after Booker or Joe (whoever the heel
champ is, and I think it could go both ways credibly).

 

Wow, I totally forgot about the title signing. Silly me. I
guess it’s just that the whole signing thing seems so overdone. I mean, six
months ago, it took three or four weeks for Joe to sign a contract to stay with
the company. Actually, that might be good fodder to be added as rationale for Joe’s
heel turn.

 

A couple good lines between Joe and Booker and fortunately,
Joe (finally!) seems to be on Booker’s level verbally. That’s really been
missing.

 

Of course no one expects STING to have turned but it does
intrigue me how they’ll explain it all away. Better intrigue than I
anticipated. Good stuff tonight. I’m curious to see if Angelina Love becomes
Taylor Wilde’s next opponent. That would be very nice by the way and would open
the door helpfully for ODB to become a champion (definitely what fans want),
perhaps Roxxi would win the belt (fans would get behind and she’d instantly be
raised a level) or maybe even a Gail Kim second run (I’d prefer to see her and
Angelina in non-title matches because TNA’s done such a good job prepping their
feud, the title may not be necessary to get it over big).

 

AJ, Christian and Rhino definitely need a big win but I
think that’ll have to wait until the PPV and perhaps something there will milk
these intertwined feuds even longer.

 

There’s not much clear about the X Division right now but
that may actually present a great opportunity to lift a couple guys. Johnny
Devine and Consequences Creed seem the most natural guys to push right now and
I’d probably choose Creed since it’s his first chance to show what he can do
near the top. Since Petey’s mentor is still out, this would actually be a great
time to give someone else the belt then put it back on him when Steiner can
back him up again.

 

I’d like to see Beer Money (not Inc.!) win another match
next week. Maybe they can beat R&R Infection just to solidify their claim
for another title shot against LAX. Speaking of which, I’d love to see them
actually wrestle next week. If one of them is hurt, the other can definitely
have a singles match.

 

Anyway, this was a really strong show that encouraged me to
watch next week’s Impact even if the PPV hype wasn’t exceptional. Primarily, I
suppose, that’s because this episode seemed committed to a logical pose that
isn’t particularly common. Nothing tonight made me cringe and most of it was
pleasing. Maybe this is an important transition episode. I’d like to think so
but that might a pipe dream.

 

 TP