X Division Back to One-On-One No More Mandatory Triple Threat Stipulation

[SpecialFNK]

BREAKING NEWS.
the X Division will be going back to 1 on 1 matches. no more triple threat.
tweet from Hulk Hogan.

Hulk Hogan ‏@HulkHogan

Dixie Carter and I have heard your feedback. @ImpactWrestling X-Division matches will be one-on-one. Tune in to @SpikeTV Thursday 9/8c HH

great step. now hopefully there can be some real feuds and story lines in the X Division.

 

[Alex]

People just flat out didn't give a shit about it always being a triple threat match.

Heck they injured Suicide/Manik just so it could be one on one between Sabin and Aries a few weeks ago.

There was no way you could have compelling storylines in a three on three setting (ok you could but not all the time) that and the X-Division is kind a depleted right now one guy would always be in the matches.

Hopefully this does mean a returned focus on X-Division storylines which would mean people would care.

Just hire Trent Barretta and some other talent and do something with Petey Williams.

 

[Perfected123]

Praise the lord. I can't believe how stupid that was in the first place. Another LOLTNA moment for sure. They always do this thing were the experiment things and end up reverting back to the original idea/plan, makes them look totally bush league in my opinion.

One can only hope that this is the spark the X Division needs. That division needs an engaging feud more than anything else. I hope they pick up some more talent. Greg Mara-... Trent Baretta was a good start.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Making every X Division match as a throwaway, triple threat match between three interchangeable cruiserweights only took the X Division down even further. Fans didn't give a shit because TNA didn't give fans a reason to give a shit. It was as if someone came up with the idea of "let's just put 3 random guys in the matches, let 'em do some flips, flops, spots, not develop any characters or personalities for them and maybe the action itself will be enough."

Most of the time, not all but most of it, the threeway format had three guys that nobody had any reason to care about or invest in trying to cram 15 minutes of action onto a 5 minute match. It didn't work. Surprise, surprise. But if it's going back to the one on one basis, then maybe the X Division wrestlers can actually be developed into more than interchangeable high flyers that people forget about the minute the matches are over.

 

[ABMorales787]

KB will rejoice. From the very beginning that "X Division Revolution" just looked like a very silly game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Glad someone finally slapped himself awake and got rid of it. Next move now would be to show off the X Division roster. They have Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, Harold and Greg Chulo on speed dial. Might as well use them.

 

[klunderbunker]

Let's flash back to 2005 and the greatest match TNA ever produced: Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels for the X Division Title. It's a classic match with all three guys working hard and having nonstop action for over twenty minutes. It was the perfect way to finish the three way feud before moving on to individual matches between the guys.

Now why did this match work so well? Among other reasons, it was the story that had been written for months. It wasn't a one off match which happened to be very good. It was a story that was built up to the point where it main evented the Unbreakable PPV. Yeah the action in the match is the reason it's great, but the story building up to the match makes it what it is.

In other words, if you have just the action and no backstory the match would be entertaining but it wouldn't have been as great. The three way match worked because there was a story built up where the match made sense. The 2013 rule was trying to get the great result without the build up. With no feud to get heat for the match, there was no point to it being a three way match.

In short, the rule was an attempt at taking a shortcut but it doesn't work without the foundation for the match to stand on.

 

[Chauncy Talon]

I barely post on here but why does TNA want to be AAA/CMLL wrestling? I just feel that TNA love to try what's working out in Mexico but it usually don't work in the states. Just give us wrestling matches!

 

[Second City Saint]

Finally now we can actually get some feuds! The three way thing was a decent test but for the feuds to flow naturally they had to ditch the three way rule!

 

[Whap Me Jungles]

Well, they certainly took a while to listen to the fans. Brother.

The three way rule is decent for the pure action matches, but when you want to build feuds you don't need a third man filling up an extra slot. I've always wondered why they didn't just keep the three ways to Number 1 Contender matches, leaving the championship matches to be one on one. Made a lot more sense to me.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I had no problem with the three ways. With the exception of Joe vs the X-Division, the X-Division has never really exceeded in terms of storylines in my eyes. To me it's always been about the matches, and the three ways did deliver IMO.

Well it is cheaper to pay two guys for a match instead of three... wait a second, cost cutting... TNA IS DYING

 

[Henry Hill]

The one thing about the triple threat rule that interested me was the possibility of showcasing a lot of talent at the same time. the execution, however, did not live up to the hype and the x division became the spot fest that so many of its critics have described in the past. I think one on one matches are a good move for not only storyline purposes, but also in the ring story telling purposes. The great triple threat matches in history have not been spot fests but great finishes to great stories, such as Joe/AJ/Daniels, and the Benoit/HHH/HBK feud. I hope tna creative invests more time into the division as a result.