Chris Sabin defeated Bully Ray to become TNA World Heavyweight Champion on the Destination X episode of Impact this past Thursday. Initially I was disappointed when Hulk Hogan refused to allow Austin Aries to face Bully Ray for the belt after Aries (disguised as a phony Suicide) defeated Sabin and Kenny King to become the new X-Division Champion. With Aries cashing in the belt for an opportunity to face Bully Ray, I thought TNA was heading back in the right direction. I not only consider Aries to be one of the best on TNA's roster, but in the business period. I still believe he was one of the company's better world champions in recent memory, along with Bobby Roode and deserved a title that lasted longer than three months.
Now that I've had time to digest the circumstances that have lead to Sabin getting a shot at the title and his subsequent victory for it, I realized that this isn't the worst thing that could happen for the company, but the best. Chris Sabin is exactly the shot in the arm that TNA needs. Sabin, now a Triple Crown Champion, is the ideal wrestler for a company that always seems in flux.
On top of all of his accomplishments, too numerous to list here, Sabin is a TNA guy. Yes, along the way he has worked for other promotions including Ring Of Honor, New Japan and Pro Wrestling Zero, but at his heart he is TNA, just like Aries, Roode and a number of other stars.
TNA has made a decision that will either make or break the company. In order for Sabin to truly succeed as champion, TNA will have to give him an opportunity to succeed. A title reign that lasts for only a few months isn't good enough; Sabin deserves better than that. Imagine the possibilities as he defends the title against Aries, Roode, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe and Bully Ray, just to name a few. For once, the company needs to stand behind a decision long enough to see whether or not the gamble was worth it.
For now, I'm going to watch how TNA handles Sabin's title reign with great scrutiny. You better believe that if it isn't handled the right way, I will definitely have something to rant about. In the meantime, hats off to Chris Sabin!
