Devon is the *NEW* TNA Television Champion

[Jack-Hammer]

Last night on IW, with some outside interference, Devon defeated Samoa Joe to become the TNA Television Champion for the 2nd time in his career.

When this match was announced last Thursday, you had to see this coming a mile off. The match itself was ok, nothing overly special, but it just never really felt like it got started. For me, I was too busy wondering when Doc was going to come out and how exactly he was going to cost Joe the match. The blonde bimbo in the Daisy Dukes jumping up onto the apron to distract the ref was a little unexpected but referee incompetence has become pretty standard in TNA, especially when it comes to anything involving women.

While I can't say that I'm exactly excited by Devon winning the title, I suppose, storyline wise, having a title does give Aces & Eights a certain degree of credibility that they may not have had before. In most of their actual matches against wrestlers, rather than "lawyers" or jumping someone from behind, they've come up short so, all in all, Devon probably needed the win more than Joe.

 

[jrush1978]

I dont really have a huge issue with Devon being champion, but not a big fan of how it went down. I'm always a mark for longer title reigns and Devon had a relatively long one in his prior (even though id ont believe he was ever pinned, dont watch TNA religiously so i could be wrong on that) reign. I thought that they might let Joe make the TV title his playtoy and have a long dominate reign, sadly such was not the case. IMO if they were going to put it right back on Devon they should have just let him have a massively long run with the belt originally.

 

[Spinebreaker]

Shame. Joe was actually bringing some creddibility to the title. It was starting to mean something and gaining some prestige.

 

[King Patrick Star]

Devon should never have been stripped of the Title to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Samoa Joe held the Title, became the 3rd TNA Grand Slam Champion, and had a pretty damn great run with the Red Strap, but again, Devon should have never been stripped of the Title. He should have just worn his mask with the Title around his waist, with people speculating if that is in fact Devon or if a member of A&8 stole the TV Title from Devon.

Next SuperStar I want to see challenge Devon for the TV Title is Kurt Angle!!

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Shame. Joe was actually bringing some creddibility to the title. It was starting to mean something and gaining some prestige.

No, it wasn't. Titles gain "prestige" and "credibility" when they are defended in high profile feuds, not in random matches. Just because a title is seen, or even fought over, does not make it "credible" or "prestigious". Joe was a shit champion for the fact that he had one meaningful feud during his entire run as TV Champ, and that was with Magnus, and TNA dropped the ball hard on that whole feud left-and-right.

That's not to say Devon will make it any better, but his being champion serves the title a lot more purpose than it just being carried around by some angry Samoan who fights anyone. In fact, it's better suited this way, because now Joe can actually feud with Devon over it, and Aces and Eights — a story much more interesting than "Who is Joe going to fight this week?"

 

[Dagger Dias]

While I would rather have seen Joe's reign continue, I can see why they would make Devon win the title. Now a member of Aces & Eights holds a championship in TNA. He's certainly not someone I'd ever want to see holding a championship although with him having more credibility than someone like Doc it's better than Devon be the one in the stable to be holding the Television Championship. At least this time around him being champion makes sense. I hope it's a lot better than his last reign which was completely pointless.

I do think that Joe should have remained champion and gone through a long list of good feuds over the belt which would have helped raise its importance. It's obviously too late for that now. With the belt being part of the Aces & Eights storyline that can still be used somewhat to make it seem more important. If the other wrestlers make a big deal about how Aces & Eights hold one of the titles and how they have to win it back, it will make the belt appear to be more worthy of fighting for. They should have Devon retain against several wrestlers while building up someone to defeat him since that would give the person who defeats him a lot more momentum going into their own title reign.

 

[Spinebreaker]

No, it wasn't. Titles gain "prestige" and "credibility" when they are defended in high profile feuds, not in random matches.

No. There are dozens upon dozens of myriad reasons that anything can be assigned prestige or credibility. Myself and the half dozen people I know in real life that are wrestling fans found joe a more realistic and more credible champion than Devon. I doubt sincerely that we are alone in this.

How is 'Who's joe facing this week' any different to what Devon was doing before he dropped the belt?

I think the TV title is a better title, with more reason for people to go for it that it had 4 months ago, I think that's ALL joe's doing.

I hate that they dropped the X title to Van Dam, but I can't deny he INSTANTLY made the title seem like something to be achieved, more worthy. Without Fueds, Without any high profile matches.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

No. There are dozens upon dozens of myriad reasons that anything can be assigned prestige or credibility. Myself and the half dozen people I know in real life that are wrestling fans found joe a more realistic and more credible champion than Devon. I doubt sincerely that we are alone in this.

How is 'Who's joe facing this week' any different to what Devon was doing before he dropped the belt?

I think the TV title is a better title, with more reason for people to go for it that it had 4 months ago, I think that's ALL joe's doing.

I hate that they dropped the X title to Van Dam, but I can't deny he INSTANTLY made the title seem like something to be achieved, more worthy. Without Fueds, Without any high profile matches.

It's not. I never said Devon was a good champion, son, read back. What I'm saying is that Devon as champion now serves multiple purposes, including giving Joe a reason to exist again, other than carrying a meaningless title to the ring each week cutting a promo against random opponents over nothing but the fact he was TV champ. The belt meant nothing with Devon, just as it meant nothing with Joe. It might mean something if the Aces and Eights storyline can heighten it's profile and Joe/Devon can feud over it for a while.

Again, rivalries are what make championships worth it, not just the fact that they are being fought over.

 

[Spinebreaker]

It's not. I never said Devon was a good champion, son, read back.

Never claimed you did, I asked how Joe's weekly matches against random opponents were any different to Devon's... You 'read back'. And calling people 'son' in an attempt to be patronising sounds REALLY weird when you're younger than the person you're talking to.

Again, rivalries are what make championships worth it, not just the fact that they are being fought over.

I disagree. I realise I'm not going to change your mind. I believe that certain wrestlers attach credibility to titles simply because they are more credible talents. I believe that Joe's defenses of the title made him a more credible wrestler than Devon, ergo attached that to the title he held. Devon beat Robbie E and Robbie T every week for 3 months. Whooop!

To suggest that Joes matches were just as purposeless as Devon's defests of the Robbies, or fighting the AWESOME Garrett Bischoff to a stadstill is just asinine.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Never claimed you did, I asked how Joe's weekly matches against random opponents were any different to Devon's... You 'read back'. And calling people 'son' in an attempt to be patronising sounds REALLY weird when you're younger than the person you're talking to.

I don't call people 'son' in an attempt to be patronizing, I say it in my every day life, same as guy, or champ. It's just a term of endearment.

As I noted just before this, neither Devon nor Joe's reigns were any different (or any good). They both did the exact same thing, week-after-week — randomly defended the title against Generic Challenger A, B or C with minor feuds dashed in the middle against Robbie E (Devon) and Magnus (Joe). They did absolutely nothing to make the belt credible or prestigious, because simply involving a title in a match does not in and of itself make it credible or prestigious. This is the plight the Legends title suffered from from it's inception. People care about titles in feuds when the feud calls for it, not simply because the title is there.

I disagree. I realise I'm not going to change your mind. I believe that certain wrestlers attach credibility to titles simply because they are more credible talents. I believe that Joe's defenses of the title made him a more credible wrestler than Devon, ergo attached that to the title he held. Devon beat Robbie E and Robbie T every week for 3 months. Whooop!

To suggest that Joes matches were just as purposeless as Devon's defests of the Robbies, or fighting the AWESOME Garrett Bischoff to a stadstill is just asinine.

Think of the most famous and successful feuds in wrestling history — what is the common link among nearly every single one of them? I'll give you a hint — it's not the fact that a championship was involved. It boils down to convincing the viewing audience that the good guy was finally going to beat the shit out of the bad guy who's dastardly ways were finally going to face the judge and jury. Bret/Owen, Bret/Shawn, Hogan/Sting or more recently with stuff like Roode/Storm, Styles/Daniels, etc.

You believe that certain wrestlers attach credibility to titles simply because they are more credible talents. How does that make the title itself credible? If RVD makes the TV title credible, and RVD leaves TNA tomorrow, does the title retain it's credibility? Hell no, because again, it's not the wrestler that makes a title credible – it's the feud it's involved in.

 

[Spinebreaker]

I don't call people 'son' in an attempt to be patronizing, I say it in my every day life, same as guy, or champ. It's just a term of endearment.

No probs, I wasn't having a go, it just hits my ears as weird. Probably a cultural thing.

Think of the most famous and successful feuds in wrestling history — what is the common link among nearly every single one of them? I'll give you a hint — it's not the fact that a championship was involved.

I agree. The massive fueds always seem to eclipse title shots at PPVs... If done right that is...

WWE have a problem with the percieved 'credibility' of the WWE title. It's been involved in some good storylines and fueds, but it's still seen as a 'lesser' title than the heavyweight belt. One of the 'greatest' champions ever was the Honky Tonk man, who was only ever supposed to be transitional... He lost the belt to Warrior, arguably one of the greatest IC champions ever in 30 seconds, utterly fuedless, utterly random, but still 2 people who bough great prestige to the belt...

 

[It's Damn Real!]

No probs, I wasn't having a go, it just hits my ears as weird. Probably a cultural thing.

Nah, I read back — it def. came across combative. Wasn't intended that way, but it was too easy to misconstrue. My fault there.

I agree. The massive fueds always seem to eclipse title shots at PPVs... If done right that is...

WWE have a problem with the percieved 'credibility' of the WWE title. It's been involved in some good storylines and fueds, but it's still seen as a 'lesser' title than the heavyweight belt. One of the 'greatest' champions ever was the Honky Tonk man, who was only ever supposed to be transitional... He lost the belt to Warrior, arguably one of the greatest IC champions ever in 30 seconds, utterly fuedless, utterly random, but still 2 people who bough great prestige to the belt...

Well I can't really speak to the WWE title v. the Heavyweight in WWE as I don't watch, but I can say that there's likely something to be said of the fact that they are both on equal footing on different brands, so it stands to reason why one competes with the other. Two objects can't occupy the same space, and all that jazz.

There are certainly going to be examples of a particular performer raising the profile of a title on his own, but I'm speaking in terms of the majority here, and the majority of the time it's the feud that makes the title worth a damn. Remember the European title? Can you recall a moment of it's existence where it actually meant anything? Probably not, because at the very same time, you're just as unlikely to recall a single feud over it.

 

[awb25mn]

I don't have a problem with Devon winning the TV title. My question is, why the TV title? I think he should have cheated to win the TNA heavyweight title. I mean if he is going to win a belt with "the numbers game", then why not the biggest title in the company.

How about a three way match with Hardy/Roode/Devon and Roode pays off Ace's and 8's not to attack him. Hardy hits his finisher on Devon and Roode hits his on Hardy and is about to pin Hardy but Ace's and 8's hits the ring and destroys Roode and Devon pins Roode to win the belt. I know that's Heel on Heel but it would still be interesting to see. Also Hardy would still have beef because he lost his belt without getting pinned. Your thoughts?

 

[Lowdown]

I'm cool with Devon getting the title back as it adds a little more meat to the A&8's. Yeah the TV title is second tier, but this could build to someone like Bully Ray being with them all along and finally getting the heavyweight title. From a storyline stance, this makes sense.

 

[ABMorales787]

JESUS CHRIST, WHAT THE HELL DO PEOPLE SEE ON THAT BLOATED MIKE TYSON LOOKALIKE!? I would've far preferred Doc winning it than Devon. At least he can wrestle like a big guy. Just what is the infatuation with Devon? He cuts bland promos, he wrestles bland matches, he has a bland look, he's been the same damn thing since the 90's. They go with him instead of this more relatively new big guy who has at least a somewhat interesting gimmick of being a raging nut with a hammer. But nah. Let's go with Devon. Why? Because the Impact Zone is full idiots who cheer for him because they like to hear their own voices. Fuck establishing a midcard title. We need to establish Devon. It worked so well last time after all.

 

[Piss Bucket]

IMO Devon was always the better half of the Dudleys/Team 3D anyway, until WWE gave hom that ******ed "Reverend Devon" gimmick, which also brought us everyone's precious Bore-Tista., the man who knows 2 moves but got pushed to the moon cos he was friends with HHH.

 

[HBsam31]

I would have been happy to see joe keep the title longer, but in this case I agree that Devon being champion will serve a purpose. Aces and eights have a Tna title now, and a furious Joe can continue feuding with champion Devon. The feud over the title will have a purpose. Not only is Joe fighting the group he is now fighting to bring back the TV title. I agree with IDR in that Joe was just having a bunch of random matches with the title on the line, and now he actually has a decent feud with Devon over the title.

 

[SteelX]

I can totally see Magnus coming back and taking the belt from Devon on the UK tour next month.

 

[klunderbunker]

This is rearranging deck chairs on a non-sinking Titanic.

The TV Title, much like every other title in TNA other than the world title, means more or less nothing right now. Whoever holds it doesn't matter, because no one has a feud that lasts more than a month or so for it. D-Von is now TV Champion and Joe wants to beat him to get the title back. Think that'll last to February? I'd be shocked if it did. Joe was never doing anything with the belt other than a feud with Magnus that went nowhere.

The title has never meant anything and it likely never will no matter who holds it. Think back to the night D-Von first won the title. it was in an open challenge from Robbie E. Do you remember that night? Robbie issued the challenge and NO ONE came out from the back to accept it. D-Von came out of the crowd for some reason and won the title. You had a comedy jobber in the ring holding up a belt saying COME FIGHT ME FOR THIS and NO ONE was interested in coming through the curtain and getting a free shot at a championship. If the roster didn't care about the belt, why should the fans?

D-Von winning the title doesn't change a thing.

 

[SteelX]

The TV Title, much like every other title in TNA other than the world title, means more or less nothing right now.

I would disagree with you on this. The majority of the people on the roster want to be a champion. They want to get a title shot at one of the belts. So I do feel that gives the belts more meaning when almost everyone wants one. Almost every match in TNA has title implications involved. Either people fighting each other in the same division or #1 contender shots. To them arguing with Hogan on Championship Thursday about why they deserve a title shot over the other guys.

I forgot to ask, do you guys think the chicks that helped Devon win the belt this past Thursday are a one time thing with The Aces and Eights or what? I'm getting kinda bored seeing The Aces and Eights members sitting around a table in the clubhouse.

 

[klunderbunker]

I would disagree with you on this. The majority of the people on the roster want to be a champion. They want to get a title shot at one of the belts. So I do feel that gives the belts more meaning when almost everyone wants one. Almost every match in TNA has title implications involved. Either people fighting each other in the same division or #1 contender shots. To them arguing with Hogan on Championship Thursday about why they deserve a title shot over the other guys.

You're missing the point.

Look at the title matches other than the world title at the PPV this past Sunday.

X-Division Title: added three days before the PPV
Tag Titles: a team that has never teamed before on TNA TV gets a title shot
Knockouts Title: a feud we've seen I can't count how many times

Simply wanting a title shot doesn't mean the titles mean anything. RVD is X-Division Champion. How does this enhance him at all? He's not getting on TV more, he's not having higher profile matches, he's not having better matches. The same is true of the tag belts and the TV Title. The titles don't add anything and aren't treated as anything important. Look at what Aries said on Impact a few weeks ago: "I want the X Title back so I can get my world title shot." He doesn't want to be X Champion. He wants to use it as a way to get to be WORLD Champion, because apparently that's all the X Title is good for.

 

[SteelX]

You're missing the point.

Look at the title matches other than the world title at the PPV this past Sunday.

X-Division Title: added three days before the PPV
Tag Titles: a team that has never teamed before on TNA TV gets a title shot
Knockouts Title: a feud we've seen I can't count how many times

Simply wanting a title shot doesn't mean the titles mean anything. RVD is X-Division Champion. How does this enhance him at all? He's not getting on TV more, he's not having higher profile matches, he's not having better matches. The same is true of the tag belts and the TV Title. The titles don't add anything and aren't treated as anything important. Look at what Aries said on Impact a few weeks ago: "I want the X Title back so I can get my world title shot." He doesn't want to be X Champion. He wants to use it as a way to get to be WORLD Champion, because apparently that's all the X Title is good for.

Those three guys in the #1 contender match last week were the people that didn't get the shot two weeks ago. The one Aries got. That's why we got a #1 contender match with them.

You're acting like they just put that tag team match together. Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan spent the past couple weeks beating up Chavo and Super Mex.

I'm pretty sure we haven't seen a heel champion Tara vs. babyface challenger Mickie.

RVD isn't X Division Champion to enhance himself. It's to enhance the guy he is going to lose it too. The guy who has been out for about a year with a broken neck. It would mean a lot more for him to beat RVD for it then Ion. Also a X Division title match main evented Impact two weeks ago. Of course the World title is more important then the X Division title. Just like it should be.