On TNA Genesis, TNA crowned a new champion for every single male title and debuted a major former WWE star. With these four new champions and debut, today will be grading out each major moment in terms of how smart a move and future prospects.
Kazarian as X-Division Champion: C. The X-Division barely exists anymore. At any given time, the only consistent X-Division wrestler to receive anything approaching a push is Jay Lethal. Unfortunately, the talented Lethal spent the past year on top of a dead division. TNA has been strangely unwilling to let the X-Division be about wrestling and good matches. Kazarian simply isn’t the guy to change that. He’s talented, but inconsistent, weak on the mic, and not exactly a charisma machine. The only way this isn’t a dead weight shift is if Low Ki turns up to kill Kaz and put on a bunch of classics with Lethal.
Beer Money as Tag Champions: B. Beer Money taking the titles off MCMG makes sense after the back and forth of their Best of 5. The next encounter should have been taken by Beer Money, but shouldn’t have been anywhere near this soon. I’m a huge Beer Money fan, however, and their only real problem now is that thanks to being “cool heels” under the Hogan/Bischoff regime, they’ve forgotten to actually work like heels. Still, they’re at least over and capable of great matches, so this can’t really be too bad. I’m hoping for a face turn so they can feud with Generation Me and have what should be very good matches.
Abyss as TV Champion: F. Okay, this is a harsh grade, I know, but I feel it’s really deserved. TNA was on the verge of making Doug Williams title run and the wrestler himself feel really special and get over. They instead took the belt off him, no for AJ Styles in what could have been an excellent match, but for Abyss, who has been for all intents and purposes a black hole of heat for the past year. I know they wanted to change all the titles and AJ was hurt, but they really should have went in another direction- really, any other direction- here. This is what they get for gutting the X-Division- a lack of compelling characters to put in this spot.
Ken Anderson as TNA World Champion: F. This one I will get heat on and I can understand why. Anderson has, at every stop in his career, convinced people that he is a main event talent. Those people fail to realize he’s not actually a good talker, he just has a cool gimmick with the falling of the mic and re-saying his name (a gimmick he didn’t come up with, mind you). Few have noticed he’s got nothing more than that because he curses a lot and we all want to believe someone is the second coming of Austin and Rock. Well, that someone isn’t Anderson. He’s also actively bad in the ring to the point he’s constantly hurting himself or opponents. Kurt Angle carrying him to a good match or two doesn’t change that.
And worst of all, this is how they did the title change? Jeff Hardy is a big fucking deal. Yes, the title had to come off him due to the court issues, but this is how you do it? The match wasn’t even announced! Yes, I get they want to be shocking, but it’s more important to, you know, make money. Jeff Hardy announced for a World Title match on a PPV will get more money from people than a #1 Contender’s Main Event! And good god was that match horrible! How do you reward a guy with the top belt after that?
Matt Hardy Debuts: F. Again, what the hell? Matt Hardy, who I’m on record as hating, didn’t even get promoted as being on the show. The dude has a big, hardcore following of marks that eat up everything he does. Advertising him, especially after all his antics, means attention. Attention means more people being curious and buying. Instead he shows up unannounced to face RVD looking like Cletus the slack-jawed yokel back from a Jamaican resort. And god help TNA, Cletus would be a better promo.
The only way TNA could have frustrated me further last night was to go with Matt Hardy vs. Ken Anderson for the TNA Title in the Battle to Make Glazer’s Head Explode. But that’s coming. Rest assured, dear reader, that’s coming.
