TNA Bound for Glory 2013: Why the Time Isn't Right for a Magnus Heel Turn

This Sunday, October 20, TNA will present its biggest show of the year, Bound for Glory, live from the Viejas Arena in San Diego. Among the many matches scheduled for the card is Sting vs. Magnus in a battle of the members of the Main Event Mafia.

Sting enlisted Magnus to join the second coming of The Main Event Mafia on the July 4 edition of Impact Wrestling, but the history between the two goes back even further. Sting has stated in past interviews that he is high on the tremendous talents of Magnus and that he would be willing to face him before his TNA tenure came to end.

Well, there is no better place for the match to be held than on TNA's grandest stage at Bound for Glory.

Following his loss to AJ Styles in the finals of the Bound for Glory series last month, Magnus suddenly became obsessed with proving to Sting and others that he is indeed the future face of the company. His shortcomings against EGO didn't help matters, but his upcoming match with Sting will undoubtedly either make or break his career, depending on the outcome.

I am still partially torn on the idea of having this match happen in the first place, as I am not confident that Magnus will be booked properly starting on Sunday. He has been gaining a great deal of momentum since returning to the ring in January and there is no denying the fact that a loss to Sting at Bound for Glory would certainly hinder that.

On the flip side, some may argue that if Magnus manages to look strong in defeat, it won't matter whether he wins or loses. However, I fail to see what a win for Sting would do to benefit him at this stage in his career, so why not allow Magnus to go over cleanly instead?

In recent weeks on Impact Wrestling, TNA has teased turning Magnus heel on several occasions. This has led me to believe that Magnus might cheat in order to defeat Sting on Sunday, which is something I desperately hope doesn't occur.

From Dixie Carter to Kurt Angle, Magnus has been praised by a number of notable names in TNA and has been seen as the future of the company. That may still be possible for him to accomplish as a villain, but I think turning him heel while he is still over with the audience would be a major mistake.

While I understand there is already a plethora of babyfaces (Austin Aries, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe come to mind) in TNA at the moment, none of them have been as close to the prestigious prize as Magnus has been these past few months. He still has a lot left to accomplish as a babyface, and prematurely turning him heel would be a step backward for the England native.

Sting is nearing the end of his current contract and has exhausted almost every possible feud there is. Remember, he can't even contend for the world title anymore, so Sting doesn't serve much of a purpose in TNA at the age of 54.

That being said, what better way for him to go out than to put over one of the up-and-coming talents in TNA?

Their match may not be as monumental as Sting vs. Ric Flair from 1988, but it will be crucial in the development of Magnus as a top-tier star in TNA. With a win over Sting, the former World Tag Team champion would be seen as a bona fide main event player in the eyes of the Impact audience.

The bout between these two is destined to be great, but I fear how the creative team might handle Magnus' character. They haven't had the best record with turning people face/heel in the past, but I have my fingers crossed that this time they have come to their senses.

Regardless, I am extremely excited for this marquee matchup as well as for the rest of the stacked card. This event could very well end up being fantastic, so here's hoping it lives up to the lofty expectations of many.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to drop a comment below with your thoughts on a potential Magnus heel turn and if the timing is right for it happen. As always, your thoughts and criticism are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

GSM out.

Graham Mirmina, a.k.a. Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.