Fixing the X Division: Remove the Glass Ceiling

[It's Damn Real!]

KB and I were doing our weekly catch up in the generally sparsely populated LD thread and got to talking about the X Division following tonight's Ultimate X match. As much as I enjoyed the wrestling and found the finish in particular pretty great, the general theme with the X Division for the last few years now is actually exactly what's wrong with it. The wrestlers in it, no matter how individually talented, are given little to no reason for fans to invest in. They're repeatedly asked to take part in spotty gimmick matches and energy bouts to crown a champion after Option C is cashed in (don't get me started on this) or a to crown a new contender to the title, but rarely, if ever, are individual feuds developed and saw through. Even rarer are the one-on-one matches, period. Even after TNA did away with that silly divisional stipulation requiring all X Division matches be triple threats, everything is still a triple threat or a battle royal. This is a major problem because it creates two compounded complications:

1. It never allows any one particular performer to truly stand out. Take Trevor Lee as an example. How great was he for a few months this past year where it seemed TNA might finally be building up a young new dominant X Division heel? He had Shane Helms managing him and doing the talking for him and he was putting on great matches as champion. But that slowly dissolved and he's back to being just another guy.

2. Because of no one, in particular, stands out, no one is graduating. And that's actually the bigger problem, here. AJ Styles. Samoa Joe. Austin Aries. Chris Sabin. Samoa Joe. Daniels. Kaz. Hell, even Petey Williams worked a program with Scott Steiner once. All of these legendary X Division performers helped to define the division, not only on the body of their work in it but because of their ability to graduate beyond it and become bigger stars in the company when the time was right. Who is the last guy in TNA to do that — Rockstar Spud, maybe? It should have been Kenny King. It should have been Sanada. It should have been Low Ki or Tigre Uno (who has completely disappeared since losing the title) or DJ Z. But it’s been none of them because they keep getting lost in the shuffle when they end up losing the title. No matter how often they win it or how entertained the crowd is when they capture the gold. That glass ceiling has to shatter if TNA is to get back to allowing these performers to graduate properly when the opportunity is ripe. The X Division has been a source of lifeblood for TNA in the past because of this, and it can be again going forward.

This needs to be a central focus for Billy Corgan if he believes in the X Division and what it's meant to the company, historically speaking. Because it's not just the X Division matches that matter. It's what those matches can offer as a foundation and as a graduation program in helping to create future stars. that matters.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

I agree with everything you said to an extent and I can add to that. We live in the 21st century, we've seen time and time again the underdog defeat the big bad wolf for entertainment purposes. It's not unreal or far-fatched to think that a lightweight could put up a fight against an heavyweight. The whole deal is that quickness, agility and bigger brains helps David defeat Goliath.

It's all about the build of a character/wrestler. Let's make an example: You put the X-Division title on Trevor Lee. Good wrestler, good presence and a lot of potential as we all can agree. What does that mean? It means he's the absolute best lightweight in the company. Does that mean he should only fight other lightweights? No. It means that he can have a rivalry against someone like Bram and put up a fight and win. He's the best of a certain division, of a certain style and that means that he can outsmart his opponent and be a better fighter. Should that rivalry be for the title? No. It can be for whatever reason they want and not a championship, and while that happens, they have a slot to build up a new contender.

MMA has proved that weight as nothing to do with money. The best characters get the attention, the best fighters have the bigger buyrate and in wrestling it should be the same thing. Every division should get attention and they have the TV time to do it, in order to build up for their PPV's or TV Specials. It's really rare to see an X-Division match be the main event, and why is that? They have talented lightweight talents and even if they hadn't, it would make them look like a bigger deal and people would care for it, even if they weren't particularly enjoying the program.

TNA needs to be different than WWE and that's their opportunity. They should really have someone to give them a simple SWOT analysis. They could easily be a mix of New Japan and WWE and at the very least, they would look organized.

All in all just to say that the X-Division could mean as much as the Heavyweight Division if they marketed it the same way. The glass ceiling shouldn't be about one graduating, but about being the most popular wrestler in the company, even if they are the X-Division Champion and not the World Champions. It's called giving all of the guys (and girls) the same opportunities. They have a good roster and a weekly two hour program and if NXT can build the stronger wrestling brand in America with one hour, you better believe TNA has the same potential.

Jesus, NXT is getting more people to attend their shows than TNA and that's fucking sad. I blame management more so than creative or talent (by a landslide). Do a wrestling show for wrestling fans and it will get you new viewers! Lucha Underground does that and they got tons of media outlets following them, they have people talking about it. I got a casual viewer interested in it because and I quote "the action is so awesome and that Mil Muertes guy looks like a fucking star."

 

[Gavschenko]

I agree the x-division needs to be improved but really op trevor lee hes terrible looks like your regular fella and his promos are just as bad as his look, he belongs on the independents same as his partner.

 

[TDFG]

The X-Division has been an after thought of TNA's for a while now, it just isn't what it was a few years back.

Eddie Edwards was the right guy to have the strap before he challenged Lashley, an Edwards v Richards feud for the X-Division title would be great, but the tag-division needs The Wolves back soon as well.

Sylvester LeFort could surprise a few people and be a great addition to the X-Division.

I'd like to see Doug Williams back in TNA and the X-Division as well as Alex Shelley (unlikely).

As for the rest of the guys in the X-Division:-
Trevor Lee & Zema Ion are fine workers and deserve their place in the Division.
Tigre Uno isn't great, the guy has at least one botch per match & I haven't seen him in a while, I don't know if his shoulder injury is serious.
Braxton Sutter, I haven't really seen enough of this guy to comment on.
Andrew Everett has been unlucky with injuries.
Mandrews, could get cut tomorrow and nobody would bat an eyelid.

 

[ShinChan]

The thing is that X-Division guys like Lee, Spud, DJZ haven't shown much personality. Either they don't have it or they aren't allowed to showcase it.

The title's credibility has been too low. It has been hot potatoed this year itself. 8 months have passed and we have already had 6 different champions throughput this period.

The X-Division was what made me tune into TNA initially when there were great performers like Amazing Red, Shelley, Suicide, Sabin etc. Even Joe who is logically a heavyweight had 5 reigns. Aries showcased great personality as an X-Division champ. Not to forget AJ Styles.

It's like if the whole X-Division roster is lackluster. These guys just do flippy moves and engage in multi-man matches every then and now. I can understand that lightweights do flippy moves but these guys are boring.

Why not let Bram win this title and have it for a while? It's not like if he's getting better booking in midcard. X-Division champion needs to be a credible one and have a credible reign. My hopes are on the new signings aka the likes of Konley and Rockett.