Chris Sabin is the *NEW* TNA World Heavyweight Champion!

[It's Damn Real!]

I'd argue with so many of you who are complaining about the match itself. It was neither boring, nor dull, nor any other type of negative descriptor you can muster up. To the contrary, it was fantastic — dare I say classic. If you want to sell the underdog, you make him the underdog. This means that performer getting in very little offense and it also means numerous false finishes where the smaller, less likely to win wrestler continues to defy the odds. Mission accomplished on both feats. Fact is, TNA accomplished exactly that, and in such a profound way with having Ray spend nearly the entirety of the match focusing only on Sabin's knees — the same knees that nearly ended his career following two back-to-back injuries. Do I really need to explain in great detail how this fits the David v. Goliath story line?

Look, I agree that Sabin probably isn't the one to start raking in the cash and ratings, but I'll tell you this much about him — the same has been said of every under-sized champion since the Titans era ended where the only guys carrying "heavyweight" championships were 300+ pounders, and while Sabin is certainly a smaller competitor, realistically he's not that much smaller than Aries or Styles — both of whom are now well respected main event former World Champions who so many of you would rather be the title holder at the moment. Before they both won the big one, I'm willing to bet a good portion of you were doubting their ability to carry the company too.

Really, it's as simple as this: Were you shocked? Check one for TNA booking. Did you actually react physically or vocally because of that shock? Check two for TNA booking. Are you on here talking about this having happened? Check three, and check mate.

 

[Darkshot77]

I have always been a proponent of Chris Sabin, and when he returned and won the X-Division title I was ecstatic. But then I realized that Destination X was approaching and he might have a world title shot and no matter how much I enjoyed Chris Sabin, he did not seem like a credible contender to Bully Ray, like at all. Now that Chris Sabin is the new world heavyweight champion looking back I am not sure TNA could have booked this any better given the time allotted.

First there was the problem of Option C. Other than Austin Aries is there an X-Division star that seemed like a credible main eventer, the answer is no. And with Aries in the BFG series, TNA was presented with a question on who would use Option C. Looking at all the X-Division stars, the returning Chris Sabin was the only choice. So they gave him the X-division title, now came the problem of making him look credible enough to face Bully Ray, In one month.

Then came the idea of bringing Austin Aries into the mix. When Aries snuck his way into option C I marked out. Aries is a credible contender to Bully Ray, he has beaten him, and he could win the world title. And then Sabin beats Aries in an amazing match and when he hit the Cradle Shock off the middle rope at that moment Sabin looked like a contender. Aries put him over hard. And the following week he cuts a promo against Ray that made him look even more credible than before. Even so I firmly believed that Sabin had NO chance of actually winning the title, as credible as he looked, he had no chance.

And then last Thursday Sabin won. I was shocked and that is what is important. Bully got what he deserved and now he has to deal with this shortcoming along with the MEM. What now, Sabin needs to beat Bully clean. And then he can hold the title till BFG and hopefully have a great match with AJ or Sabin.

I love what TNA did. Let's give them the chance to do something with it.

 

[harrythem]

I'd argue with so many of you who are complaining about the match itself. It was neither boring, nor dull, nor any other type of negative descriptor you can muster up. To the contrary, it was fantastic — dare I say classic. If you want to sell the underdog, you make him the underdog. This means that performer getting in very little offense and it also means numerous false finishes where the smaller, less likely to win wrestler continues to defy the odds. Mission accomplished on both feats. Fact is, TNA accomplished exactly that, and in such a profound way with having Ray spend nearly the entirety of the match focusing only on Sabin's knees — the same knees that nearly ended his career following two back-to-back injuries. Do I really need to explain in great detail how this fits the David v. Goliath story line?

Look, I agree that Sabin probably isn't the one to start raking in the cash and ratings, but I'll tell you this much about him — the same has been said of every under-sized champion since the Titans era ended where the only guys carrying "heavyweight" championships were 300+ pounders, and while Sabin is certainly a smaller competitor, realistically he's not that much smaller than Aries or Styles — both of whom are now well respected main event former World Champions who so many of you would rather be the title holder at the moment. Before they both won the big one, I'm willing to bet a good portion of you were doubting their ability to carry the company too.

Really, it's as simple as this: Were you shocked? Check one for TNA booking. Did you actually react physically or vocally because of that shock? Check two for TNA booking. Are you on here talking about this having happened? Check three, and check mate.

I'll agree with Aries being a good main event level talent because he's got charisma to spare. AJ, to me, is, like Benoit was before him, a great wrestler who should never have held a world title because they don't have it in them to carry their end of the main event storylines. All the great undersize champs have had that (and it's something Ziggler needs to do a fair bit of work on if he's going to move up as well).

Sabin's return story was a good one but, to me (again), it just seemed so...rushed. If this had been built up longer then it would've been the perfect end to an emotional storyline I could invest in. As it is the stupid X Division Triple Threat matches diluted the quality of the Sabins story against King (which was good enough on it's own, didn't need that extra man weighing it down) and really could've done without that Austin Aries detour over the last few weeks. It should've all been about Sabin and how he was coming to take down Bully. Admittedly my main hope is that using the hammer is the catalyst for some sort of character development as if Sabin turning brings out his personality for a worldwide audience (as it worked for Daniel Bryan) then I'll quite happily say everything was for the best but, at present, it just seems like TNA sped through 6 months of storyline that could've been brilliant (as they've ironically spent far too long on the "bully ray aside" majorly useless Aces & 8s thingy).

 

[Ding_Dong_#2]

I don't see it as too much of a problem, but TNA has reached its limit on "surprise" world champions; there are many who have served the company well and for a very long time but there has to be some reasoning behind it - Chris Sabin can't carry the company, but he will provide some quality and give people something to think and talk about.

But no more please. TNA will always be second fiddle to the WWE, but the belt as earned some prestige, so it needs to be protected; WWE made a mistake by diluting the title's prestige by playing pass the parcel with the strap a few years ago; they don't make many mistakes but when they do, TNA need to capitalize on them, not follow suit.

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

Still scratching my head as to why D.O.C., Matt Morgan, Crimson were released yet Garett Bischoff, Brooke Hogan and Christy Hemme have a job. Disgusting.

Well, two of those are children of people with some power in the company and the other is a pretty hot ring announcer. What's wrong with Hemme as a ring announcer? Crimson shouldn't have been released after just returning to TNA and the explanation for DOC's departure last night was kind of week, but there wasn't much else they could do.

As for Sabin, I never really saw him as World Heavyweight Champion material before and I am surprised. I would've preferred Bully Ray remain champion as I think this was a bit premature and I hope Aces N' Eights doesn't disband. (I'm probably in the minority when I say that I've liked the Aces N' Eights angle form the beginning.) Where TNA goes with this has me interested. Will Bully Ray win it back in a couple of weeks or will Sabin hold onto it until BFG? Will Bully Ray blame Aces N' Eights for this loss leading to the group disbanding? The last two years, we've had a heel champion heading into BFG, so if Sabin is still champion then, will he be a heel? (If history is any indication.) Maybe, just maybe, (And I would mark out for this.) Mr. Anderson will win the series and beat Sabin for the title at BFG. This leads to tension between him and Bully Ray and they feud over the title. A lot of ways TNA can take this.

 

[Weems2k]

Punk, Bryan, and Aries all can wrestle, talk the talk and are exciting to watch, Sabin is a bore who looks like the David Spade of wrestling (ie. a 10 year old boy). "YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!!!"

on a side note, it would actually be great if they went back to Roode as champion.

As I said before. Bryan is nothing but another Dean Malenko, yet even more boring. Because The E fans are complete morons, he has to go the stupid catchphrase route just to get over finally. Yes Yes Yes is about as worst as What?.

To say that Sabin can't wrestle too? You do know he was doing the whole underdog, rehabbed knee bit with Bully. The whole story of the match was Bully wearing down his knee to where there would be no chance at all for Sabin to win. Then the twist comes. Classic wrestling storytelling 101. Ya Fatso.

 

[neildittmar]

Chris Sabin winning the World Heavyweight Championship last night was the wrong move in my opinion.

Look, I understand what TNA was trying to do here. They've been building Sabin up as the comeback kid in promos and vignettes as of late. He's been in TNA for 10 years, he battled back from 2 major injuries, etc. It's the feel good story that wrestling fans typically love and I'm sure quite a few TNA viewers do.

Can't say I outright hate the decision, but I certainly don't love it either. Bully Ray was just starting to get his hooks in as the despicable champion that no one can seem to beat. There's always something that keeps the belt on him (A's & 8's, illegal object, a match technicality, etc.). Ric Flair built a good portion of his career (and other guys as well) with that formula. It works, and would've worked great here the longer it went on. People will pay money in hopes of being there when a despised heel champion is finally beaten.

This isn't about Sabin deserving a title run, which I think is a pretty silly barometer of someones championship worthiness to begin with. This is about taking an incredibly strong heel who was just starting to get that "can't be beaten clean" vibe going and effectively squandering it.

Even if TNA simply wanted the moment and Sabin drops the title next week/month back to Bully Ray, the damage has already been done to a certain extent. I suppose it's possible for Bully Ray to recover from this... maybe play the "fluke" card like Bobby Rood did but really make good on it in a dominating performance where Sabin is essentially squashed and put back on the shelf.

I've got to say that I'm pretty sour on the whole thing though... the way Sabin won is just a detail. Knocking one of the strongest heels currently in the business down several pegs was not worth "rewarding" Sabin or preserving the aura of "option C" in my opinion.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

It's not a very good move to have your top heel and possibly the best guy in the fed lose to Sabin. It makes no sense. There are other ways you can reward Sabin besides putting him over Bully. A bad move that will be fixe3d quickly.

As I said before. Bryan is nothing but another Dean Malenko, yet even more boring.

Even IF that was true he is still ten times better than Sabin. If you think Bryan is boring than you are just as stupid as you claim WWE fans are.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I enjoyed Sabin's win last night as a feel good moment of the undersized underdog beating the big, mean bully, and the match was fantastic. A good shock, because I honestly thought Sabin had ZERO chances of winning the title.

But with all that said, I'm more worried about how TNA will treat Sabin as champion moving forward. You have to consider the very realistic possibility of Sabin being shoved into the background, so TNA can push more Aces & Eights VS Main Event Mafia stuff and the Hogan family drama.

There's also the chance Sabin's win was just for shock value, so the fans and people watching at home could have a nice payoff for the pay per view quality show on free television. Hopefully, Sabin's win will actually have some kind of worthwhile title run attached to it, but it wouldn't shock me if TNA decided to throw the title back on Bully before Bound For Glory.

 

[D-Man]

I am very disappointed with Sabin's win. This is nothing more than a move to feed the marks and it's another example for a short-term solution to a long term problem.

Now, before I get pounced for saying all of this, let me state that I think Sabin is a great wrestler. I've been to a TNA house show and he tore the house down with Homicide. And he's not the worst talker I've seen on the stick but he can definitely hold his own. However, that doesn't make him world champion material for the 2nd most watched wrestling company in the United States.

Sure, he's put in his years with TNA and deserves some notoriety. But they want to give him the world strap when their previous champion was such a failure?? The next champion should be a surefire ticket seller; not a risky move to satisfy hardcore fans (which is a smaller percentage of their viewers.) Not to mention the fact that he just came off a TWO YEAR sideline from back-to-back injuries. That not only makes him a liability but he's been out of touch with the fans who watch each week. And they want to take a gamble by putting their top title around his waist?

This is some of the most asinine booking I've seen out of TNA for quite some time. Once again, I'm not trying to take away from Sabin because he's worked hard for this win. But he's definitely not the right guy for the job.

 

[BrianFNPillman]

My main issue with Sabins win was with how cheap it came across. Don't get me wrong I love the dude, I think he's done fantastic things for the company (not in terms of ratings, but in solid performance) and if anyone deserves a token "thank you for your service title run" then Sabin deserves it.

That being said, did he really have to hit Ray with the hammer? I mean really? How does that make sense? How does logically it set him up as a strong champion? The entire finish reeks of WCW screwjob finishes (not that I'm trying to flog the WCW/TNA horse to death)

But would it have been too much to ask for Sabin to hit him with the hammer THEN hit the finisher? Give him a clean win? Get him across as legit?

Still, HAIL SABIN, if he gets a few decent defenses behind him then brilliant. We've got a fresh face in the main even. He could be a fabulous underdog. He could main event BFG against Magnus, it'd be a hell of a showcase of TNA's home-grown talent and the whole Bully Ray/A.J. "Redemption" match could still go on.

Please. Just please. Don't job him to Hardy like they did Aries. Fans can argue all they want that Hardy "draws" but Impacts ratings never change. They are solid. Why shouldn't they throw shit at the wall and see what sticks?

 

[Galvatron]

I like that TNA gave Sabin the World Title. He deserves it for everything he has put into the company. The match reminded me of an old school 80s match and I thought it told the perfect story of the underdog overcoming the odds to defeat the larger champion. So what if he had to cheat with the hammer, much more people would be complaining about how unbelievable it would be if he beat Bully clean.

As much as I like Sabin being champion, I can only see it lasting as long as Storm's run with the title. I think Bully will win it back on one of the upcoming live shows.

 

[Greg4WWE]

I actually like it. The one thing Impact gives us that WWE never does is unpredictability. You can almost predict every WWE Match. Every big star HAS to hit their spot moves. Not that way in Impact. Guys actually win with small packages and other moves. I Like the wrestling better on Impact. And Saban winning the title is proof of why I like Impact better. Just to bad they can't stop getting in their own way financially. And nevermind my Screen name.. I made it in a hurry years ago but I like the unpredictability of Impact over WWE.

 

[Eyrothath]

I think they're gonna setup a Bully Ray vs Daddy match now and after that Bully will win it back during a re-match and keep it until Bound for Glory..

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I liked the title change, I liked the build up, I liked the atmosphere, I liked how they made it all work, I liked the story that was told through the promos, I liked the match they had. The one thing I didn't like was the guy who won the belt.

I'll give Sabin some credit. That was some of his best work so far, if not the best. The guy was fired up, he was emotional, he was passionate and you could see it and feel it. VERY RARE in pro wrestling these days. Good job there.

However, when title changes like these happen, I always thought that the guy who takes the belt needs to be able to have something over the guy who lost the belt in order for it t make sense for the smarks. The casual fans loved this shit. Us however? We have doubts.

Storm was a cool Champion (or could have been), but when Roode beat him it was alright. Roode has a better look, better wrestling (I think) and mic skills.

Roode was also an amazing Champion. However, when Aries beat him it made sense. Aries was and is much more charismatic, he's much more agile and exciting in the ring. I'll add that he even has better mic skills.

In the same fashion, Aries was a sweet Champion. However, Hardy had popularity on his side and it made sense.

Hardy was also pretty cool as a Champion but Bully was way too hot and way too talented. Aside from popularity, Bully won in ever department.

And then Bully became the best heel Champ TNA has had in years. This is almost a pure fact at this point. A guy who has something on Bully would be AJ Styles. AJ is faster, he's more exciting, he's TNA's hero. Another guy would be Magnus. Magnus is built up well, he's very young, he's got a good look and he has his position right now over Bully.

But, what does Sabin have? I think that nobody really complains about how it was done. It's just that there is such a huge talent gap between the winner an the loser. If someone says the match was bad - go check yourself. Everything was PERFECT. Except for Sabin. Sabin has nothing on Bully aside from agility. That's it and it's not enough.

Either way, I'm fine with it. I wanna see where this will go.

Personally, I was expecting Shelley to swoop from somewhere and screw Sabin out of a title win after the MEM has taken care of the Aces and Eights. Sadly, it never happened but this is alright too. It'll be weird seeing Sabin with a World Title.

 

[BrianFNPillman]

But, what does Sabin have? I think that nobody really complains about how it was done. It's just that there is such a huge talent gap between the winner an the loser. If someone says the match was bad - go check yourself. Everything was PERFECT. Except for Sabin. Sabin has nothing on Bully aside from agility. That's it and it's not enough.

I never looked at it from this point of view, but I see what you're saying.

Unfortunately, looking at it again I'm praying the title doesn't end up around Bully Rays waist and end up in the much rumored "one last run" match for Hogan. Because nobody in their right minds wants to see Hogan as champ again.

 

[scottyshowman82]

I'm really surprised by how much negative attention this is getting being that this is Chris Sabin. Someone who has been with TNA from the early days. Who has been is a staple in the X Division (which TNA fans love), who was part of the ultra popular Motor City Machine Guns (which TNA fans loved), and we are on the TNA wrestling board are we not?

Of course, as TNA fans we do not agree automatically agree with everything the company puts out, we can disagree. Also this board is open to all sorts of wrestlings fans who are free to express their opinions. It is true quite true that Sabin had little offense in the match and did win the title with the help of hammer brought into the ring by Bully Ray. All things considered I'm still surprised by the negative reaction.

It almost seems like some folks are clamouring for TNA to fail, just at the first chance of a decision that is controversial they're already rolling out the "TNA is going under Parade".Even if TNA is trotting out absolute garbage week after week, you would think just knowing that there is a #2 wrestling organization out is a positive thing for wrestling. Yes TNA is not the global juggernaut that the WWE is but some folks just won't even let them gain any steam or momentum. I really don't get that.

The Wrestlezone heading that compared Chris Sabin to Zack Gowen I don't really appreciate. Sabin may have add two torn ACL's but he's not a one legged man. At one time Chris Sabin was one of the most talented performers in all of TNA, some may say bell to bell better than AJ Styles. In his X Division matches Sabin has been on par with what what he used to do. The match with Bully was booked fine by me. Ray was the much bigger guy, he slowed the pace and pretty much dominated the match, Sabin had his moments but they played into ACL injuries and Ray took his legs apart. That doesn't mean Sabin's going to have beat up legs for his title defenses it just was part of that match.

Listen, TNA may not be WWE Attitude from 1996-2001 but seldom does any wrestling company reach that level. TNA has a plan, they've been building the Aces and Eights as this big bad group of guys that run the show and everything eles goes from there. It appears collision of Bully Ray vs Hulk Hogan is what they're building towards. Austin Aries made this Option C cashing in the X Division Title last year and it was a success. It's a great way for X Division athletes to be propelled into the elite of the company so they have to preserve that idea. Let Sabin have the title for a few months. The seeds have been planted that he may feud with Austin Aries, let them do that. As for Bully Ray, he's not gonna look weak, he can come out and get his point across clearly, it was a fluke victory, and Sabin used a hammer. Bully can now have two goals, feud with Hulk Hogan. Ray can say something like," Don't think I forgot about you Sabin, I'm coming for that belt and it's going to be back where it should be, in the Aces and Eights".

Sabin could hold the title until Bound for Glory while Bully fights Hogan or Bully Ray could win the belt back Sabin from in a few months. People say wrestling is fake but fan perception and reaction is a very real element in the pre-deteremined genre. TNA needs to see how this all pans out and pick the best possible option. Let's see what happens... personally I'm interested.

 

[Smoove730]

I too am shocked at the negativity at the end of the show. Especially at the Wz editorial guy that reviewed it. Its clear to me that the guy that reviewed the show does not understand in ring phsycology. The story that match told was amazing. Sabin injured his legs twice, the second time was right after the first one. So Bully Ray targetting the leg was genius even if it was for ten minutes. I dont understand how they made Sabin look like a weak baby face by him using the hammer to win. Bully Ray used that same hammer to beat Jeff Hardy and Sting respectively. Sabin using it at the end was poetic justice. Also some people complained about the win being on free tv as if there reviewing the show as a promoter instead of as a fan. The fact that they had Sabin stand up to Bully Ray and had Aces and Eigths come out first made Sabin look strong if you ask me because its like the Aces and 8s were worried that there world was title was in jeaopardy thus making Sabin look credible.

 

[MisterRob]

While some posters above me are surprised at the negative attention, I'm surprised at the positive feedback to this. I don't see how anyone can think putting the TNA World title on Chris Sabin is a positive. TNA has been running an angle with Aces & Eights for what feels like a decade, building up Bully Ray as their heel champion and struggling to find a foil to successfully end the angle by being the savior against Bully Ray, and they do something like this in having that heel champion drop the title to Chris Sabin, who seems rushed into this position based only on the fact he got injured TWICE and is now a returning star with a feel good story.

If Jesse Sorrenson (however the hell you spell his name) was able to return from his injury, would TNA had thrown that useless, generic wrestler into this angle instead because they think that returning story is such a great idea? Would he have been the next World champion? I see no reason Chris Sabin has deserved this push he's gotten, or any common sense reason to derail the Aces & Eights angle - after pushing it down people's throats for so long without conern about how flat and unsuccessful its been- by hot shotting this entire story with Sabin.

Sabin's been out for YEARS, and before he left he was no main event star or anything even remotely close to it. He had success as a tag team wrestler with Alex Shelley, then was up and down in tag team storylines, before an erratic few years of injury. And suddenly he comes back (I'm sure to an audience that in some degree barely remembers him as very much).. and is suddenly deserving of not only winning the X Division title, but of being given a shot at the World title and being the face of your company. Why? How in the hell can that be justified? How can anyone say he's more deserving of that spot, or that opportunity, then guys like Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, James Storm, right now. Or even guys like Samoa Joe whose been left out of the spotlight for far too long, but has been busting his ass for the past several years on the roster. Or Magnus whose been there all along, and has improved and built momentum and become a possible, credible main event star in the future. Or f'cking Christopher Daniels whose been one of the top performers on ALL LEVELS, from in ring matches, to entertaining on the mic and in segments, to reinventing his character.. no one deserves that opportunity more then Christopher Daniels.

What has Chris Sabin done to make anyone feel he's a credible contender, let alone champion? The entire storyline, and him being thrown the World title, is all because of one thing: Them trying to take advantage of a baby face returning from injury and overcoming the odds. Yet they forget that for that to be successful its all about booking, and TNA has failed to book this entire angle to BE a success.

Chris Sabin might have wrestling ability, but in every other aspect of the game he's average at best. He's smaller then everyone else. He's bland and has absolutely no charisma, certainly not when compared with anyone else whose in or around the main event scene. He's not good on the mic, and anyone who says he's barely passable is fooling themselves. He's the weaker link of Motor City Machine Guns.. and yet this guy is your World champion?

It's a terrible booking decision... especially when you look back and see how it was all done. Sabin wins the X Division title, and instead of steadily building him up from there to be a credible contender to cash that in and face Bully Ray, they instead involve Austin Aries and have HIM win the X Division title, only to scrap that entire twist the next week and have Sabin win the title back in a THREE WAY MATCH with the distraction of Manic involved in the whole thing. Then Sabin finally does get his chance and he ONLY wins because of outside interference and cheating with a weapon. This is your baby face returning to OVERCOME THE ODDS? That's your feel good story? The face has to rely on distraction and a weapon because he can't beat Bully Ray on his own..?

I will not be surprised at all if next week, or in the next month at least, Sabin is no longer the World champion because of some loop hole in him cheating and the title is given right back to Bully Ray, or a rematch has Bully Ray win and continue on as champion to Bound for Glory. Which makes the entire title changing hands pointless and just hot shot booking for shock value and surprise value.. something TNA has always been good about NOT doing with their World title. That alone disappoints me, because TNA has always done well at the list of World champions they've had and keeping prestige with their title, not tossing it around as much as WWE has at times.

This really is feeling like the last days of TNA to me, just like the last days of WCW were.

 

[RawIsJericho]

This was a great moment for a long term Sabin and TNA fan. Even if Sabin ends up dropping the belt in a month, this will still go down as one of my favourite feel good moments from the company.

 

[Starkist]

I like the move but was totally shocked when I saw the match unfold under my eyes. Sabin defiantly fought fire with fire in that match. I believe the match was well executed and was far from boring. It was great story telling and it made it seem like Sabin didn't stand a chance. Well done, TNA.

As for where this goes, I have no idea. I've always liked TNA because they give the smaller guys the biggest prize in wrestling. They don't seem to put it on the 365lb guys like WWE. It's the formal that they should stick with. Work with the smaller guys again and stick with it. The heavyweights can stay in the E.

I am happy on the win and at the same time disappointing. Bully actually looked good with the title. Now its a matter of time to see what happens. Hopefully this doesn't affect AJ and he can eventually win the title again. Again, good job, TNA.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

If Chris Sabin is the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion then it begs the question of just who will face Chris Sabin at Bound for Glory because if Bully goes for his rematch, Bully will want his rematch at Bound for Glory and then cue the Bound for Glory series winner whoever it is, Sabin then would have to defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a Triple-Threat Match and if that happens Sabin's title reign will be over before it even begins

 

[Smoove730]

While some posters above me are surprised at the negative attention, I'm surprised at the positive feedback to this. I don't see how anyone can think putting the TNA World title on Chris Sabin is a positive. TNA has been running an angle with Aces & Eights for what feels like a decade, building up Bully Ray as their heel champion and struggling to find a foil to successfully end the angle by being the savior against Bully Ray, and they do something like this in having that heel champion drop the title to Chris Sabin, who seems rushed into this position based only on the fact he got injured TWICE and is now a returning star with a feel good story.

If Jesse Sorrenson (however the hell you spell his name) was able to return from his injury, would TNA had thrown that useless, generic wrestler into this angle instead because they think that returning story is such a great idea? Would he have been the next World champion? I see no reason Chris Sabin has deserved this push he's gotten, or any common sense reason to derail the Aces & Eights angle - after pushing it down people's throats for so long without conern about how flat and unsuccessful its been- by hot shotting this entire story with Sabin.

Sabin's been out for YEARS, and before he left he was no main event star or anything even remotely close to it. He had success as a tag team wrestler with Alex Shelley, then was up and down in tag team storylines, before an erratic few years of injury. And suddenly he comes back (I'm sure to an audience that in some degree barely remembers him as very much).. and is suddenly deserving of not only winning the X Division title, but of being given a shot at the World title and being the face of your company. Why? How in the hell can that be justified? How can anyone say he's more deserving of that spot, or that opportunity, then guys like Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, James Storm, right now. Or even guys like Samoa Joe whose been left out of the spotlight for far too long, but has been busting his ass for the past several years on the roster. Or Magnus whose been there all along, and has improved and built momentum and become a possible, credible main event star in the future. Or f'cking Christopher Daniels whose been one of the top performers on ALL LEVELS, from in ring matches, to entertaining on the mic and in segments, to reinventing his character.. no one deserves that opportunity more then Christopher Daniels.

What has Chris Sabin done to make anyone feel he's a credible contender, let alone champion? The entire storyline, and him being thrown the World title, is all because of one thing: Them trying to take advantage of a baby face returning from injury and overcoming the odds. Yet they forget that for that to be successful its all about booking, and TNA has failed to book this entire angle to BE a success.



Chris Sabin might have wrestling ability, but in every other aspect of the game he's average at best. He's smaller then everyone else. He's bland and has absolutely no charisma, certainly not when compared with anyone else whose in or around the main event scene. He's not good on the mic, and anyone who says he's barely passable is fooling themselves. He's the weaker link of Motor City Machine Guns.. and yet this guy is your World champion?

It's a terrible booking decision... especially when you look back and see how it was all done. Sabin wins the X Division title, and instead of steadily building him up from there to be a credible contender to cash that in and face Bully Ray, they instead involve Austin Aries and have HIM win the X Division title, only to scrap that entire twist the next week and have Sabin win the title back in a THREE WAY MATCH with the distraction of Manic involved in the whole thing. Then Sabin finally does get his chance and he ONLY wins because of outside interference and cheating with a weapon. This is your baby face returning to OVERCOME THE ODDS? That's your feel good story? The face has to rely on distraction and a weapon because he can't beat Bully Ray on his own..?

I will not be surprised at all if next week, or in the next month at least, Sabin is no longer the World champion because of some loop hole in him cheating and the title is given right back to Bully Ray, or a rematch has Bully Ray win and continue on as champion to Bound for Glory. Which makes the entire title changing hands pointless and just hot shot booking for shock value and surprise value.. something TNA has always been good about NOT doing with their World title. That alone disappoints me, because TNA has always done well at the list of World champions they've had and keeping prestige with their title, not tossing it around as much as WWE has at times.

This really is feeling like the last days of TNA to me, just like the last days of WCW were.

They had Bully Ray drop the title because the feud isn't about the world title anymore. Its about a bitter rivalry now and with Sabin as champion they can focus on a different direction with the title. The difference between Sabin and Jesse Sorenson is 10 years of hard work and dedication. He been with the company since its beginning years and like Austin Aries and Aj Styles he was one of the popular champions in his time in the division. Back to those incredible matches with low ki. Also if Chris Sabin were to lose it would take credibility to the people that chose to cssh in the title. It makes the X division wrestlers that get the opurtnity to use option C credible enough to win on that given night. Obviously him beating Aries in that match, that alone made him credible as Aries is a former champion and can be a main eventer at any time needed or given. I don't think its fair to judge the decision based on things that you think might happen. Those reasons just give me the idea your not giving it a chance from the start.

 

[biffanorich]

I am not understanding why TNA gave the belt to Sabin before Christopher Daniels. Can someone please explain this to me?

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I am not understanding why TNA gave the belt to Sabin before Christopher Daniels. Can someone please explain this to me?

Daniels is too old and from having heard and read a lot of interviews of his I don't think the TNA World title or any World title for the matter is a goal of his, especially if him winning it were to keep a younger guy whose put in more years and came back from more adversities than he has like Sabin from winning the title.