 Kentucky Fried Rasslin' By Scott Bowden 2006-02-15 YOU GOTTA LIKE THESE ODDS You gotta like these Odds: TNA scores another PPV hit, highlighted by born-again Christian Cage’s NWA World title win over Jeff Jarrett. Oh, yeah: Samoa Joe continues to kick ass As TNA gears up for its primetime debut Thursday, April 13, the company took strides in taking the booking into a fresh direction with Sunday’s PPV effort, AGAINST ALL ODDS. Most notably, Christian Cage (Jay Reso) replaced Jeff Jarrett as NWA World champion, perhaps ending Double J’s chokehold on TNA’s top spot. Christian, who shined for years despite being a WWE mid-carder, defeated Jarrett in a decent bout Sunday to win the 10-pounds-of-gold belt made famous by “Nature Boy” Ric Flair in the ’80s. If they were going to tease the Montreal screwjob, they should have been far, far more subtle with it early and let it build toward the end of the bout. Still, except for a few mistimed spots, it was an entertaining bout most of the way. (Had Christian ever attempted a figure-four leglock before? Sure didn’t look like it. Reminded me of the time Flair called for Jerry Lawler to apply the hold during their ill-fated ’85 bout—I think it took the King five minutes to get it cinched in.) 
Most agree that somebody—anybody—had to replace Jarrett as World champion as TNA potentially becomes a national player, but the debate’s raging whether or not Christian was the right choice. My biggest problem with the scenario is that it was rushed, as Christian, fresh off countless TV jobs on WWE TV, enters the company and within six weeks is the new World champion. But TNA tends to rush things, given the group’s lack of depth. Christian is a talented performer who consistently had outstanding bouts with partner Edge as the bend-but-but-don’t-break WWE World tag champions in 1999 and 2000. By that time during their reign, Edge and Christian had thankfully abandoned the Brood gimmick and developed a unique charisma, morphing into two geeks who think they’re “awesome” because of their championship gold. Those close to Christian have said it’s no act—that Reso is at his funniest when he acts cool because he’s such an admitted dork in reality. These two wannabe teen idols took their promos to a new level, while having innovative bouts with the Hardy Boyz and the Dudleyz at a time when the WWE tag scene was red hot. But while Edge was slotted for a major heel singles spot on WWE cards last year, Christian was relegated to mid-card status despite getting over as Capt. Charisma. Some have speculated that because WWE Creative didn’t invent the Capt. persona, they refused to acknowledge the fans’ ever-increasing reactions to Christian—instead Reso found himself doing regular jobs on RAW. Still, Christian continued to get over, as his TV jobs were often the best match on the show, as were his promos directed toward the Peeps in his “Christian Collation.” Here’s what I wrote about the situation in my May 5, 2005, column: Just when you thought perhaps Christian was about to receive a much-deserved singles push, he’s beaten by Kane in the first round of the Gold Rush tournament. Judging from his rap performance at Backlash, it appeared as if he might be leaving for SMACKDOWN! to challenge Cena for the WWE title. At this point, that’d be a mistake to rush that program as no one would believe he’d stand a chance—Christian’s done too many jobs. Granted, he’s looked fantastic doing it, but the fans won’t buy him as a main-eventer without a strong six-month push. Hell, even with all the jobs he’s done, the fans—his peeps—are really into his gimmick as Capt. Charisma. Don’t see him getting a break on the RAW side, so perhaps a move to the “other brand” would be best for everyone. Like Benjamin, the guy’s got a bright future as heel or babyface down the road. I think this illustrates the problem with Christian’s NWA title win. Most casual fans remember Christian as the goofy—though entertaining—loser on WWE RAW. With the proper buildup, Christian’s World title win would have meant more, but the company has a couple of months to push the new champ to the moon before the primetime debut on Spike TV. An impressive NWA title defense against Monty Brown on the next PPV would be a step in the right direction. Another dilemma with Christian’s push: He seems to have lost something in his current babyface persona. Again, his stuff was entertaining mostly because his character thought he was cool when in reality he wasn’t. I know Reso and the company want “Christian Cage” to be more than a “mid-card comedy act.” And yes, his pre-match promo Sunday was pretty solid, combining a little comedy (Jarrett’s white jeans) while maintaining the seriousness that the moment demanded. I guess I just like the heel Christian better. But take a look at this pre-match photo: It’s a little hard to take the guy seriously as the determined babyface challenger in the Capt. Charisma getup. 
Ah, but maybe TNA really is playing it smart. Perhaps this babyface buildup is a ruse for a forthcoming Christian heel turn and eventual feud with Sting over the belt. The comment Sting made to Christian when the Stinger was “retiring” on TNA IMPACT! planted the seeds in my mind: “You’re like a brother to me.” Uh-oh. That’s a relationship that’s destined to end in carnage. Perhaps Christian turns his back on TNA and the Peeps who made him, forcing Sting to return to challenge him for the belt. Perhaps the program between the two builds slowly before finally Sting triumphs near year’s end to take the championship clean in the middle. (Sting’s got a shot, given that former WCW ref Nick Patrick doesn’t work for the company.) Then perhaps Sting faces his toughest test yet: a title vs. title bout with win-streaking X-Division champion Samoa Joe. Sting drops the title and helps further create a monster star as his one-year deal with the company ends. See…it’s not that complicated, is it? Samoa Joe also came up big Sunday, with another stellar X-Division title defense against A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels. I know some old-school fans don’t appreciate spot-fests; however, these three performers are some of the best at stringing together high spots that today’s fans expect and executing them brilliantly. Notice I didn’t say “flawlessly”—there’s a slightly wicked imperfection that makes you wince at times. Joe’s work is so tight (when he’s not blown up, which happened toward the end of Sunday’s bout) that you always feel he’s centimeters away from really hurting someone—it’s thrilling to watch. Credit TNA for fueling Joe’s win streak, as he’s truly getting over as the unbeatable Submission Machine—it’s the best win streak angle since Goldberg. (Note to WWE: Legit, committed win streaks help get a guy over—losing streaks don’t work.) I know he’s an integral part of the X-Division, but Styles would be a strong challenger for a heel Christian down the road. (The Styles/Jarrett feud for the belt had everything but a strong, charismatic heel.) I’m almost over this feeling, but you can’t help but think if Daniels had a little more size, he would have been a huge star. Ah, well. The Fallen Angel turned in another strong effort, as he’s one of the most fluid performers around. One fan on the WRESTLING OBSERVER site commented that Styles and Daniels are a modern-day Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair. That’s probably the most spot-on compliment I’ve heard in a while. Email the Author |
