Remembering the TNA Television Championship

A look back at the life and times of TNA's "illustrious" championship.

A history lesson for those of you unfamiliar with how TNA works.

10/23/08 - As part of the Main Event Mafia takeover of TNA, Booker T. debuts the TNA Legends' Championship and declares himself the first champion. MEM was a collection of wrestlers who had been top champions in WWE and/or WCW. Angle was the youngest member, a few months shy of 40 when this took place. MEM feuded with a group called Frontline. This was primarily a group of TNA originals, but they were no match for the older stars despite a numbers advantage. So, they eventually started teaming with Team 3D, Rhino and Mick Foley, all of whom also were better known for their work elsewhere.

3/15/09 - AJ Styles wins what until this point was just a novelty championship unsanctioned by TNA to become the first Grand Slam Champion of TNA. In theory, the MEM angle and the title itself would elevate younger stars as being on the same level as guys like Booker, Nash, etc..

7/19/09 - At a show widely considered one of the worst TNA has ever done, Kevin Nash beats Styles clean. Nash is closing in on 50 at this point, with a long history of injuries and surgeries. One of TNA's top homegrown talents drops to a guy who had been considered old news for nearly a decade. What did being Legends' Champion really do for Nash's career?

7/22/09 (aired 7/30/09) - In typical Russo clustermess fashion, Mick Foley wins a singles title in a tag match. Foley's 44 at this point and had retired from WWE years ago.

8/16/09 - The title lives up to its name of being with older wrestlers as Kevin Nash wins the title back.

10/18/09 - Eric Young cons Kevin Nash to win the title in a triple threat. Young wins after surprising Nash following Nash powerbombing Hernandez. Nash and Young had worked together all match as per a pre-match agreement. So, Nash would have had Hernandez beaten clean and Young only won by a double-cross. Way to put over the TNA originals.

Eric Young goes on to rename the title the TNA Global Championship, only to be defended outside the United States. Young's given a chance to lead a faction as a serious heel. As you might imagine, it ore or less flops.

1/27/10 - Rob Terry wins the title at a live event. Terry's rather green and only has a few moves in his repertoire, but TNA sees something in him and pushes him as a monster face.

7/13/10  (aired 7/22/10) - AJ Styles gets the title back and has a pretty good reign.

AJ renames the title the TNA Television Championship, harkening back to titles WCW and ECW had.

12/5/10 - Douglas Williams wins the title. He's an older wrestler, but a solid hand. The TV Title seems to finally be in a good place.

1/9/11 - Abyss wins the title due to interference by AJ. They've done worse with the title at this point, so it's not as upsetting as Nash or Foley as champ.

3/14/11 (aired 3/17/11) - Abyss has a fictional injury and the title is vacated. Again, they've done worse.

3/14/11 (aired 3/17/11) - Gunner defeats Rob Terry and Murphy to become the new champion. All three are incredibly green. Gunner and Murphy are initially just used as security guards.

5/17/11 (aired 5/26/11) - Eric Young becomes champion again. The title is used as fodder for Young's comedy gimmick, including mock matches with D'Lo Brown (whom EY thinks is Cee-Lo Green) in a convenience store and Scott Baio on a golf course. Pretty terrible stuff, much like Young's work with ODB as KO Tag Team Champions.

11/13/11 - Robbie E continues his Jersey Shore impression as the new TV Champion.

3/18/12 - Devon, closing in on 40, is your new champion. The idea was for the title to be defended every week on TV. This didn't last too long, but I give TNA credit for trying the gimmick. Devon works short matches as champ.

9/26/12 - The title is vacated again after Devon's contract expires while he's still champion. TNA could have easily had him lose it on a live event or something, but instead he leaves as champion.

9/27/12 - Samoa Joe beats Mr. Anderson to become the new champion. A TNA original restores prestige to the title.

12/6/12 - Devon returns and wins it again as part of the insipid Aces and Eights angle.

6/2/13 - Abyss, after having disappeared for a number of months in the Joseph Park angle, randomly returns and wins the title before disappearing again. Even when he returns, the title is more or less invisible and unmentioned. He holds the title for 399 days without once defending it.

7/3/14 - TNA finally vacates a title that hasn't been on TV in God knows how long.

The TV Title is a metaphor for TNA's existence over the years: sometimes they'll have good stories and focus on good talents, but other times they completely lose focus, push older acts from other promotions and/or just stop caring altogether. The title was technically around for six years, but was renamed twice and vacated twice as TNA struggled to figure out what to do with it. It could have been TNA's "Intercontinental" title, but ultimately seems like something of a wash given how little it did in the long run.

More wrestling later.