TNA Is Ignoring Talent and Championship Matches Are Paying the Price

Mr. Anderson in a world title match is a sight that TNA fans know too well.

He had a title shot at Victory Road in July that he lost. He got his shot at Genesis in which he was victorious. Naturally, that was followed by a defense at Against All Odds this past February, which he lost. At Last Impact, he defeated Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam—both former champions—to set himself in line for another shot at the title.

Even when he doesn't get the title match, Mr. Anderson comes very close, as was the case at 2010's Against All Odds pay-per-view where he lost to The Pope for a title shot.

The X Division also has a wrestler who constantly steals the spotlight in Robbie E. Robbie E had a title shot at Turning Point, less than two months after his debut. Just like Mr. Anderson, at the last pay-per-view Against All Odds, Robbie was in the ring wrestling for a TNA championship. Although he lost, TNA continues to push him and Cookie by having stars from MTV's Jersey Shore appear on Impact.

TNA's very hyped March 3rd Impact continues this trend by giving former security guards Gunner and Murphy shots at the tag team titles. Gunner and Murphy have not been wrestling long in TNA and have no right to get a shot before talented teams like Ink Inc.

Instead of giving title shots to WWE castoffs and newly acquired talent, TNA needs to look to the wrestlers who have been loyal to the company for a long time.

First and foremost is the face of the TNA Originals, AJ Styles. AJ was a great champion who put on spectacular matches. Once he lost his heavyweight title though, he was cast aside for new wrestlers like Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy.

Several other heavyweights are always overlooked as well. Hernandez and Matt Morgan are two of the strongest and most athletic wrestlers TNA has to offer; neither of them have ever held the heavyweight championship belt. Samoa Joe has been a victim of botched angles, leaving him out of the title picture for now—something that is not good for TNA.

All three of those wrestlers have the ability to put on better matches than what TNA has offered during most of the Hogan-Bischoff era. All three of those wrestlers continue to get limited opportunities to hold a belt.

The X Division's title matches have fallen off considerably in terms of quality.

While Kazarian is a homegrown TNA talent, his competition hasn't been. Christopher Daniels is currently playing Suicide, and he has the ability to put on amazing matches. So why is he eliminated in the first round of the X Division No. 1 contenders tournament held recently on Impact? Why is Amazing Red almost never on despite being a former champion? Why is Jay Lethal not getting chances anymore when he received a major push just last year?

Only the tag team championship has continued to utilize its strong foundation of wrestlers, but now that is in jeopardy too. Gunner and Murphy are a threat to the titles, which could lower the standards for title matches in the tag team division as well. This problem might be avoided with the return of the Motor City Machine Guns, but you can never be sure with TNA.

If TNA wants to compete with WWE, it needs to build their superstars—not borrow them from other companies.