It feels so good to be back home where it all started for yours truly at TNAStars.com, I have truly missed you all! Although I am grateful for the open arms and the “Welcome Back Welcome Wagon”, I have never been one for over emotional hysterics, so lets just leave it at, “thanks for having me back and I missed you too.” Now onto better business.
TNA has changed drastically since my much needed vacation, some for the good and some for the bad. We have been introduced to the Aces and Eights, we are now seeing the return of the Main Event Mafia and the Knockouts Division is abysmal at best. These are a few things that have been the driving force and in some cases, running amuck throughout TNA as of late. All are formidable topics for my first column back, but its the crowning of new TNA World Champion Chris Sabin that has my mouth bubbling over with the presence of burdening and conflicting opinions.
Chris Sabin stepped back into a TNA ring, after suffering an injury to his ACL, on May 2nd of this year, facing both Sonjay Dutt and Zema Ion for a number one contender spot at the X-Division Title. Although he claimed the victory in his return match, it was short lived as he went on to lose his title match against Kenny King and Petey Williams, putting an obvious bump in the road on his way to a world title. On June 2, at Slammiversary XI, Sabin would get his chance once again and would claim the X-Division Title in an Ultimate X Match against Suicide and Kenny King. Skip forward through some drama that involved Austin Aries and we come to Sabin cashing in the Aries born "Option C" for a chance to defeat the then champion Bully Ray for the TNA World Title. A little recap to get you up to speed.
Obviously, as you probably already know, Chris Sabin did in fact defeat Bully Ray on that fateful night to capture his very first TNA World Title. Chris Sabin, in my opinion, has always been a pillar in the brand for TNA, by defining his skills and talents each week, live on Impact Wrestling for all to see. He has clawed his way to the top of the X-Division, a record tying, six times and redefined tag team wrestling with his former partner Alex Shelley in the Motor City Machine Guns. With all of the accolades and championships under his waist, is Sabin really ready for the world title?
Night after night I have racked my brain to come up with a definitive answer to my looming question, is he really ready? The man undoubtedly has the experience and championship genetics, but do you see him as a world champion? When you are sitting around the living room, talking about whatever it is you may like to talk about with your friends and you begin discussing pro wrestling world champions, as we all obviously do. Does the thought Chris Sabin being TNA's Champion of the World cross your mind? Honestly?
Chris Sabin in all his honored glory still doesn't come across to me as the World Champion yet and maybe that has a lot to do with his recent return. For almost a year, Chris Sabin has been missing in action inside of a TNA ring due to a previously stated injury. When making his return, he was given a push of a lifetime and captured two title within two months. Maybe it just hasn't sunken in yet! For years we have pictured the name Sabin being synonymous with the name Shelley and the Motor City Machine Guns. Unarguably one of the most talented and gifted tag teams of this generation and we all know that. We know that he is one of the greatest tag team champions to ever step into a squared circle. But World Champion? Eeh?
The Internet has been a buzz with all kinds of theories on why or even how long Sabin may hold the title. Some writers are suggesting that Sabin doesn't deserve to be champion yet because he hasn't done anything within the past year, obviously due to his injury, but still yet absent from competition. Others are stating that Sabin just isn't world champion material. Justifying their opinions with claims of his lacking charisma and connection with the audience when speaking or cutting promos.
Either way you want to look at it, whether you may believe he deserves to be champion or not, the fact remains that Chris Sabin IS the new TNA World Champion and in my crazy, chaotic opinion, he DESERVES it. Chris Sabin has performed on every level at TNA and has been successfully doing it. He is one of only a handful of wrestlers that can claim a TNA Triple Crown Championship winner by winning all the major TNA Championships. He clearly helped pave the way for the X-Division, which is now a staple in TNA television and event programming. He reinvented tag team wrestling with his partner Alex Shelley and made us all wake up and pay attention to a dying division. So yeah, Chris Sabin does deserve to be world champion! It may not have been on the timeline that you may have had in mind or it may not have been the way you had hoped, but he did and he does.
TNA is truly beginning to grow its talent by pushing those with true skills to the front of the line where they deserve to be. By giving the opportunities to the talented wrestlers who helped shape the TNA brand, TNA is bringing more validity to its World Title picture. Taking guys like Booby Roode, AJ Styles, Austin Aries and even Chris Sabin to the top of their game and creating true TNA World Champions creates a separation from other organizations and a clear definition of the TNA brand. Chris Sabin has just begun his new quest as the world champion, although it may not be something your quite used to just yet, it's a moment in TNA history and its happening, whether you like it or not! Then again, that's just my Chaotic Theory….
I agree that Chris Sabin deserves it … the question is: are they presenting his championship status in the right way?
Not too long ago, I would have said that Chris Sabin doesn’t deserve it. There was one crucial element that I think all champions should have that Sabin didn’t seem to possess: excellent mic skills. Don’t get me wrong, some guys are very popular even though they’re not good talkers–I would include Jeff Hardy on this list (except when he was a heel). But Hardy is another story.
Then Sabin did his promo on Bully Ray, that first one where they were face to face in the ring and hadn’t wrestled yet, and I thought to myself: “wow, that sounded great.”
So I think he’s vastly improved in this area.
But look at how he won the championship, and what he did the following week.
His match with Bully consisted of a one-sided beatdown. Bully kicked the crap out of him, and then Sabin used a hammer to win the match. While this seemed like sweet justice, it also made Sabin seem less credible. He was a smaller wrestler who needed to cheat to win.
Then, the next week, he’s wrestling Manik. This is a “champion versus champion” match, but it happened too soon. Way too soon. We just saw Sabin wrestling Manik and guys like Manik. He needs to immediately distance himself from the X-Division. He should have been wrestling a guy like Devon or Knux, and he should have won clean.
While the match was great, it also wasn’t featured as the main event, and was overshadowed by A. J. Styles vs. Austin Aries in the BFG Series, who came off seeming like true championship material.
So it’s not that Sabin isn’t great. It’s not that Sabin hasn’t worked his ass off to get to where he is. It’s not that he doesn’t deserve it–it’s that he is being made to seem as if he doesn’t deserve it.
Dylan,
Again, I have thought about the mechanics of Sabin’s championship acquisition and like you have concluded this much. He does deserve it, he has worked hard to get where he is and yes, his mic skills are lacking. I think, like you, that it’s now TNA’s job to confirm and build their own champion and as you stated, it starts with his separation from the X-Division completely. Allow him to move into a new category, one better suited for world champions. The home office has to take the time to calculate their decisions very effectively for the thought of Sabin as a world champion remains in our minds.
Great Comments! Thanks so much for your wonderful insight, hope to hear from you more when new columns come out!
A midget with the title. Bryan is getting the push because fans are dreaming for it, and as always Vince listens because he is super smart. Now DUmb Dix thinks she will do the same when nobody cares. Wow. It must feel weirded having never heard or seen a smart person around her. She must live in a weirded world.
I think your comment is weirded.