When TNA was invented by Jeff Jarrett in 2002, they had a division in the company named the X-Division. Like the Cruiserweight Division, there were lots of small wrestlers, crazy spots, innovative moves, and high-paced/jammed packed matches. Unlike the Crusierweight Division, there were no weight limits, meaning any wrestler could wrestle in this division.
TNA came around in a tough time. WCW and ECW just went out of business and WWE went public and watered down their product. In other words, the wrestling business was cooling off from the hot days of the Monday Night Wars. Many critics didn't give TNA a chance. Most hated Jeff Jarrett and thought he'd use this company just so he could be on top. They were right by saying that to some degree as Jarrett constantly stayed in the title picture and main-event scene.
TNA started to grow slowly. They had stars from the past they caught people's eye, but what stayed in people's eyes was the X-Division. With WWE being mainly focused on big guys and with them also limiting their wrestlers in the ring, the X-Division was an alternative to the WWE, one that helped TNA grow.
Because of the X-Division, TNA went from doing weekly PPVS to actually having a TV deal on FSN. While it wasn't the greatest broadcasting station, they got their name out there and averaged about a .5ish rating, which wasn't too bad.
Around 2005, people were getting sick of Jeff Jarrett's title runs and all the overbooked smoke and mirror matches. However, people dealt with it because of the other good things in the company, mainly the X-Division. Just when people thought the X-Division could not possibly get better, it did once TNA hired Samoa Joe. Looking at Joe, you'd think he'd be methodical and not agile because of his weight. But that's far from the case. Joe could beat on you like Vader but also bumped, fly, and move like, oh, let's say Eddie Guerrero. He showed that he was a versatile wrestler, one who was very unique and profitable. Since TNA wasn't booked by complete idiots at the time, instead by Dusty Rhodes and Scott D'amoore, they realized they could do something big with Joe, so they gave him a Goldberg push where he didn't lose.
At Unbreakable 2005 (a TNA PPV), Jeff Jarrett was in a match that was booked before to be a DQ finish. So instead of making the fans upset of that finish, they did something that they never did before, gave the X-Division the main event slot as Samoa Joe faced AJ Styles and Daniels in a triple threat. And even the snarkiest fans realized on that day that they were seeing something special. Since that match was so incredible, Spike TV knew they had to give TNA a timeslot on their station.
In 2006, Dusty Rhodes didn't renew his contract and instead went back to the WWE. So Jeff Jarrett decided to take over the booking job alongside some other people. Then TNA was able to sign Sting to a contract and therefore Spike TV realized there was something very special going on with TNA so they put them on prime time television.
Ever since that day, TNA became obsessed with signing ex-talent to the point where they were trying to sign people who didn't really make a huge impact on the wrestling business and weren't going to draw a dime in 2006. As time went on, the focus was starting to slowly slip away from the X-Division. Things got worse once the company decided to hire Vince Russo in late 2006.
As some might know, Russo has never been big on the wrestling aspect of wrestling. His focus has been always on the entertainment side. So instead of the X-Division wrestlers just being wrestlers, Russo thought they needed characters to get them over. So he started giving them wacky, silly and unrealistic characters that people just rolled their eyes at.
Around late 2000s, TNA realized that they were treating the X-Division poorly so they decided to create an angle out of it with 3D as they tried to once and for all get rid of the division. It seemed like a decent plan but as the story went on, 3D just ended up burying the division more and more into the grave to the point where finally the x-division prevailed, it lost more of its merit than before. Since that time, things have only gotten worse. Currently, the Monster Abyss, a non-flying, garbage wrestler who is above-average at best in speed and agility for his size, is the X-Division champion in another let's get rid of this division once and for all angle.
Out of the blue, however, TNA named an all X-Division PPV and brought back some old faces like Austin Starr (aka Austin Aries), Senshi (aka Low-Ki) and Jerry Lynn and some well-known indy wrestlers like Jay Evans. They even booked a match between Lynn and RVD (a match that was suppose to happen last year until Lynn got hurt) and went retro by naming Daniels vs. AJ Styles. They also booked a Ultimate X match where wrestlers had to win matches to get in the match and at stake in the Ultimate X match was a contract.
Things were looking good for this PPV to the point where I wanted to watch it. I kept reading spoilers and results seeing how this PPV was developing and then I even watched a show where Daniels, Joe and Styles came out which led to Daniels asking AJ to face him. It also had two backstage segments where Joe smashed Kaz's head into the wall and Lynn walking in on a RVD promo in what was an anti-dramatic re-debut for Lynn. Nonetheless, I still wanted to see this PPV.
Just a few days ago someone posted TNA spoilers for the next two shows before the PPV. I won't spoil them but let's just say the shows lacked build for the PPV and made some decisions that have been proven in years past to hurt your buyrate numbers. For example, they gave away a four-way on TV for free between AJ Styles, Daniels, Lynn and RVD and they named the main-event for the show: Abyss vs. Brian Kendrick for the X-Division title. By no means am I bashing Kendrick, but he's not nearly half as over as the other X-Division wrestlers, he hasn't been really impressive in TNA, and he was just in a match against Abyss and Kaz as well. On top of all of that, they are more focused on the Impact afterwards where Anderson gets his rematch against Sting as its been the focal point of recent and upcoming Impacts.
For years TNA fans wanted to see the X-Division come alive and be one of the focal points of the show. When this PPV was announced, it seemed like it would be (even if the division is already dead). But now it seems like they are putting little-to-no effort in this PPV whatsoever. And yes, I realize TNA's booking is abysmal. But for the most part it becomes abysmal because they actually try.
So, what am I getting at right now? Well, we all know Vince Russo hates the X-Division when its about wrestling and he and Bischoff also hate Internet fans. Bischoff went on a limb and said that the 10 percent audience of TNA fans on the Internet is meaningless and it doesn't matter what they want. Although Bischoff is clueless at thinking only 10 percent of wrestling fans are part of IWC (stupid saying to be honest but only one to get the point across), he believes that and loves to express it. Bischoff would love to shut the IWC up once and for all one would think.
In other words, Bischoff and Russo want this PPV to do poorly so they can show that the X-Division on itself does not draw as much as a regular PPV with all the major stars on it; therefore, Bischoff, Russo and others can once prove that the X-Division isn't the draw people on the Internet think it is, proving they were right all along. Or what also could happen is even worse than that - the X-Division will eventually be gone from TNA.
Kyle Fitta - My name is Kyle Fitta, and I am a College student, seeking my ultimate goal by being a sports radio broadcaster. I've written for sites ...
Join the Conversation