No Time Like the Present to Reinstitute the TNA Television Championship?

[It's Damn Real!]

Despite heavy losses with guys like Sting, Hogan, Styles and Bully Ray (is this one confirmed-confirmed yet?), something TNA can still hold claim to is actually have a substantially deep roster full of talents who can slide in and out of its World Heavyweight title scene and back without much damage. We've seen guys like Roode, Aries, Storm, Hardy and so many others make the climb up and down and come out relatively unscathed, yet there's been one constant since Kurt Angle put the Television title into remission back in July — the guys who do end up back in that mid-card shuffle tend not to have much to fight over, at least championship-wise.

When you couple this with the rise of EC3, who is probably one of the top-5 best-built homegrown stars the company has ever had, I'd argue there's no time like today to reactivate the title, even if it means another tournament to crown a new champion.

Carter, specifically, is exactly who I'd pin it on, especially with this undefeated streak still going strong. I'm not big on undefeated streaks normally, at least now with faces, but Carter isn't one — he's probably the best heel in the company at the moment, and certainly garners the most heat. Who better than a guy who knows how to play the coward like Carter to re-legitimize the currently defunct title? Imagine the same feuds you see him in now, except with the TV title back on TV.

The depth is there, and with Carter specifically as the return champion, there is a wealth of options to have him work with in continuing to build him to the World Title picture, as well as to keep momentum with the TV title — something it suffered from greatly in the past.

 

[Rayne]

I think it'd be a great idea when/if TNA signs their new TV deal- they'll be looking for high-pizazz style moments in order to keep/build their audience as they transition to a new station. The title's been retired long enough now that people have largely forgotten the mess that it was in its last iteration, and it being the Legends title, then the Global title, then the Television title really cemented the idea in people's minds that it was a meaningless belt.

It does pretty much mean yet another tournament in TNA to put the belt on someone (there being no main authority figure who can just 'appoint' a champion right now, and NO, DIXIE, STAY THE FUCK OFF CAMERA), but that's not the worst thing in the world.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I think it'd be a great idea when/if TNA signs their new TV deal- they'll be looking for high-pizazz style moments in order to keep/build their audience as they transition to a new station. The title's been retired long enough now that people have largely forgotten the mess that it was in its last iteration, and it being the Legends title, then the Global title, then the Television title really cemented the idea in people's minds that it was a meaningless belt.

It does pretty much mean yet another tournament in TNA to put the belt on someone (there being no main authority figure who can just 'appoint' a champion right now, and NO, DIXIE, STAY THE FUCK OFF CAMERA), but that's not the worst thing in the world.

Right. I mean, you'll get decent matches out of the tourney, which is good television filler, and if it's put on the right guy (cough*Carter*cough), it's worth the time spent getting to that point anyway.

I actually wrote years back that one of the things they really should have done was simply replaced the leather strap backer on the title with a new color. It'd have been enough of a visual change to allow everyone to forget the fact it was the Legends/Global/Television title remade twice over in the span of a few years. The belt design itself is actually quite good, so if you just move it to a new strap color, it should be enough to further pull it away from its' tumultuous past.

There's just such a wealth of talent who could feud with the would-be champion (seriously*cough*Carter*cough) to make it worth while. It's certainly more interesting to watch guys like Anderson, Gunner, and Shaw, for example, if they're out of that stupid love triangle and gunning for a title.

 

[ABMorales787]

Now you pitch this? How long was I saying it was time to capitalize on the deep midcard? I'd much rather they make a new title though. There's always gonna be the stigma that Robbie E and fucking Devon held the same thing. Maybe an "Americas" Championship like WWL or European Championship since TNA is bigger in the UK than the US.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Now you pitch this? How long was I saying it was time to capitalize on the deep midcard? I'd much rather they make a new title though. There's always gonna be the stigma that Robbie E and fucking Devon held the same thing. Maybe an "Americas" Championship like WWL or European Championship since TNA is bigger in the UK than the US.

Don't be jealous. It's so unflattering.

A new title would be fine as well. That's what I was getting at with changing the actual leather backer color before. Just one more small addition to disguise it's rocky history. I really don't care what it's called all that much. So long as it's not absurd, the title is mostly meaningless.

But come to think of it, a new title might be best anyway, seeing as the old one also features the old company logo as it is. So just go the X Division route and give it an updated look. Problem solved.

Either way, we agree that the depth of TNA's mid card can not only sustain another championship (provided it's booked accordingly), but can actually thrive on it.

 

[jpickens]

Bringing back the TV championship or simply creating a new mid card belt is a brilliant idea although ECIII isn't my first choice I see him as world champion material my choice would be either Bram, Magnus, Gunner, Samuel Shaw, Kenny King, or Ken Anderson those guys are the ones that will benefit the most from having it rather than a potential main eventer.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Good thread IDR, following on from what we mentioned yesterday regarding EC III.

TNA desperately need a mid-card title for non-X Division wrestlers, and it seems bizarre to me that they've shown so little interest in the TV title for the majority of it's existance, and the numerous names it's gone by. There are plenty of wrestlers on TNA's roster who aren't going to be in the World Title picture in the immediate future, and plenty who will never be at that level so it's good to have a belt that the mid-carders can compete for.

Also, with a talent like Carter who is maybe not quite ready yet to become the World Champion, the TV title is perfect for him. His winning streak could continue legitimising the title again and making it mean something and would prepare him to move up to Main Event status. Plus, as you mentioned there are wrestlers like Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries and others who can move up and down the card without it damaging them so EC III beating guys like that would be a good way of making the TV belt important again and when you add in Anderson, Kenny King, Magnus, Abyss, Robbie E, Gunner, Matt Hardy etc, you have the makings of a strong mid-card division.

 

[Lowdown]

It's funny, I was thinking about this at work yesterday. I'm not a huge fan of EC3, but the guy knows how to work the crowd. He would definitely be my first choice as a mid-card champion. I'm definitely in agreement that a new belt is needed, regardless of the name it would carry. EC3 would make any title worth going after; I'd watch just about any title defense.

 

[Reflection]

If the idea is to bring back the Television championship, then I'm against it because just one more title to the mix will not be advantageous to the product or the wrestlers in the long run. If anything, the wrestler will have to carry the title on his shoulder (both literally and figuratively) rather than the title enhancing the wrestler. The best example of this phenomenon can be observed in the WWE, where the IC and US titles have been a burden on the champions (to bring back the titles' old value) for a long time now. Even the TV championship itself, before being dropped suffered from the same fate despite the company having no shortage of talent.

I am, however, in favour of the idea of a personalized championship belt for EC-III, something reminiscent of Ted Dibiase's Million Dollar Championship. Even this idea depends a lot on the superstar concerned in order to be a success (Dibiase Jr. couldn't pull it off), but EC-III is someone that has the capability to make this idea a success. He can defend the regular basis, maybe lose it eventually, only to steal it back- lots of scenarios. But it shouldn't be named something generic like Television, Global, or Legends; it should be such that just by looking at the title, one would be able to tell that its EC-III's title.

That raises two questions- (a) Can TNA come up with a good name and design or will they simply go with "EC-III Championship" and have his name written in big letters over a simple-looking title as design?
(b)Does EC-III even have a distinct-enough character to carry a personalized title for a couple of years?

 

[Lowdown]

If the idea is to bring back the Television championship, then I'm against it because just one more title to the mix will not be advantageous to the product or the wrestlers in the long run. If anything, the wrestler will have to carry the title on his shoulder (both literally and figuratively) rather than the title enhancing the wrestler. The best example of this phenomenon can be observed in the WWE, where the IC and US titles have been a burden on the champions (to bring back the titles' old value) for a long time now. Even the TV championship itself, before being dropped suffered from the same fate despite the company having no shortage of talent.

I am, however, in favour of the idea of a personalized championship belt for EC-III, something reminiscent of Ted Dibiase's Million Dollar Championship. Even this idea depends a lot on the superstar concerned in order to be a success (Dibiase Jr. couldn't pull it off), but EC-III is someone that has the capability to make this idea a success. He can defend the regular basis, maybe lose it eventually, only to steal it back- lots of scenarios. But it shouldn't be named something generic like Television, Global, or Legends; it should be such that just by looking at the title, one would be able to tell that its EC-III's title.

That raises two questions- (a) Can TNA come up with a good name and design or will they simply go with "EC-III Championship" and have his name written in big letters over a simple-looking title as design?
(b)Does EC-III even have a distinct-enough character to carry a personalized title for a couple of years?

I'm not sure. While he's the best heel TNA has right now, I doubt he could pull off a personalized title like DiBiase did. But I do agree that a new belt is needed, and a new name would be the best course, especially since the "TV" title want defended on a regular basis since Devon held it in his first run. Perhaps something like the junior heavyweight title, or another US title, though I don't know if WWE owns that name. Anything but a new TV title.

 

[TDFG]

It's something that they could look at down the line. Once TNA confirms the new TV deal they need to have a look at the roster.

They've depth in the mid-card, but they aren't exactly top heavy with talent and they concentrate on the X-Division and Tag-Division before they think of including another title.