The way for TNA to soothe my wrestle soul

I have to admit something.  I, a hardcore wrestling fanatic, have skipped TNA Impact for the last several weeks.  Part of that is because I enjoy the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, but the main reason is because there’s nothing on TNA that I have to see.  I’ll pop in and watch one or two matches if I hear they’re good, but otherwise I don’t miss it at all.

The Why is simple.  There’s no reason why I need to invest any time in it.  The World Championship doesn’t mean anything, the World Champion means even less, big matches can’t end in a way that makes any sense and I’m all Gimmick Matched Out.

I don’t like that.  I like to enjoy wrestling.  I like to tune in to a great television show that inspires me to suspend disbelief and invest in a character.  That’s why I like The Golden Girls – I like the characters and care what happens to them.  That should be the goal of any show.

There are a few things TNA could do to make me care again.  One, the X Division could be important instead of an ignored occasional sideshow.  The X Division is why I started watching TNA in the first place.  Two, the Knockouts (I hate that name but it’s too late now) need to avoid getting pushed into the same storylines the boys are in.  I want to see them wrestle, and I want them all to want the Knockout Title and be willing to do just about anything to get it.  Three, make the tag teams seem important and focus on TEAMS, not thrown-together factions.  Make that title a must have as well.

Mostly though, the World Title needs to mean something again.  Samoa Joe looks like a tool, plain and simple.  He’s the Samoan Submission Machine, he’s not supposed to be Uncle Kevin’s best bipolar buddy.  We don’t need Jeff Jarrett helping him win anything.  We need to give Joe a rest and build him back up out of the abyss they’ve drilled him into.  Let Angle get the belt back for now.  You can even have him feud with Jarrett for a short time and maybe even Sting and Christian (again, for a short time).  Make it obvious that the big guys want the belt and then have them feud with each other as we prepare for the TNA-bred champion.

Like AJ Styles.  He’s a former champion but you’d never know it if you were a new fan.  AJ is one of a few perfect guys to make the World Title really mean something again.  And he could do it with a promo similar to this:

You have Angle successfully defend the title on Impact.  He gets on the mic and reminds everyone that he is the TNA Champion and that gives him all the power in TNA.  After he’s sufficiently proven he’s an egomaniac who is in it for the money and stroke, AJ comes to the ring looking intense.  Angle is beaten up so he rolls out, talks a little trash, and AJ picks up the mic Angle dropped.  As Angle lets his face do his talking, AJ says:

“For too long now I’ve watched TNA devalue that belt you’ve got around your waist.  It doesn’t seem like anyone can win by themselves.  You’ve got people always running in, you’ve got to put it in King of the Mountain matches and cage matches and gauntlet matches.  You don’t just have one guy proving he’s better than the other guy.  But I can see why that is.  It’s all about power, right?  Money, fame, clout?  It’s not about the championship to you.  All that belt represents to YOU is a better contract and the power to throw your weight around.

Well let me tell you what THAT belt represents to ME.  That belt is the number one championship in TNA.  That’s the belt we should all be striving for.  It’s THE belt.  Having that belt is supposed to mean you’re the very best in this company, not that you’re the most devious.  That belt represents our company and all of the boys in the back, all of the guys on the crew, all the fans that come out to see us and pay money to watch us on pay per view.  That belt is OUR symbol of what we think of this business.

To ME, THAT BELT represents WRESTLING.  It represents all of the fans that gave their time and emotions to what we do.  It represents all of the endless hours and miles that we’ve ALL spent making this business what it is.  It represents all the greats I’ve wrestled, will wrestle and will never get to wrestle.  WRESTLERS like Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Ricky Steamboat, Eddie Guerrero, Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkle, the American Dreeeeeam, baby!  Chris Adams, Danny Hodge, YOU Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Ted Dibiase, Steve Williams, Barry Windham, Arn Anderson and WOOOO the NATURE BOY, Ric Flair!  It’s ALL of the places I’ve ever wrestled, will wrestle, and where I will never GET to wrestle.  It’s the Omni in Atlanta, Madison Square Garden, the Tokyo Dome, and the Sportatoreum in DALLAS, Texas!

That belt, to ME, stands for everything I have ever worked for in this business, and if it KILLS me, I will TAKE that title, I will WEAR that title, I will DEFEND that title, and I will HONOR that title.  THAT is what WRESTLING means to ME.”

I think the fans would eat it up.  It would certainly get MY blood boiling.  AJ and Angle could tear the house down on pay per view in a 45 minute classic that sees AJ go over, clean, with no help but his own talent and determination.  That could go a long way in establishing respect for the TNA Championship.  Especially if it was followed with defenses that made it look like the challengers really wanted it, and felt pain when they couldn’t get it.

Make it mean something, TNA.  That’s all I want.