When Austin Aries beat Robert Roode for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Sunday night at Destination X, he not only validated all the hard work he put into this sport for years, but the star may have given the company another lease on life.

Watching the former Ring of Honor star win the title was a true mark-out moment. As someone who has been watching wrestling my whole life, these moments don’t come as often as they once did.

It’s nice to feel that emotion again; for TNA Wrestling, that emotion could save their company.

While the company had been getting better over the past few months, this title change proves that there is a clear method to all this madness, and TNA is heading in the right direction.

Is Austin Aries enough to save TNA Wrestling?

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Aries is not the prototypical wrestling superstar you think of when talking about the greatest champions of all time, but just like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan broke the mold in WWE, A-Double has proved that he is TNA’s savior.

Just like Punk revitalized a stagnant WWE product, Aries has turned TNA on its ear and caught the attention of the entire wrestling world. Although, being the headliner of one of the best PPVs of 2012 and arguably one of the best shows in TNA history made it that much easier.

From top to bottom, TNA’s Destination X was an amazing card that had the crowd in the arena and at home whipped into a frenzy for the main event. After a great championship battle that saw both men look strong, it was the Greatest Man that Ever Lived that finally hit his brainbuster and went over.

With his win, Aries changed the way most of the wrestling fans that know about TNA perceive the company. In a matter of months, they went from a company that pushed Sting vs. Hulk Hogan with Ric Flair to having homegrown talent like Robert Roode and Austin Aries fighting for the title.

This is exactly what the fans were calling for; good job TNA.

Austin Aries foreshadowing
TNA is still not on the same level as WWE, but there is now a clear path to getting closer to contending like WCW did in its heyday. The hope now is that Aries can keep the fans interested and make the company look like geniuses for taking the risk of putting the gold around his waist.

This title win has already vindicated the X-Division belt because Aries cashed it in and won the World championship, so TNA may have also found the equivalent of their Money in the Bank PPV.

Everything that happened on this PPV was perfect for how it was done and TNA wrestling deserves credit. Going with A-Double was a test of faith, but it will be our job as fans who love what they are doing to support them.

Just like the fans of wrestling got behind Daniel Bryan after he was jobbed in 18 second at WrestleMania, we all must stand together and show that TNA made the right choice by giving the strap to Aries.

It’s a new age in TNA, and Austin Aries is ushering it in.

 

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