The Benefits of the World Title Series

As we head towards the semifinals and finals of the World Title Series, I’ve wondered about the good that this tournament has done. Featuring nearly everyone on the roster, we’ve seen some surprisingly early eliminations, as well as some big time performances from people a bit lower on the card. As a longtime fan of TNA, but one who has really disagreed with some of their moves over 2015, I have to say that what I considered to be a desperate ploy to fill up weeks of television since there were no more tapings on the schedule has turned out to be a very entertaining tournament for me personally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGuE3iOZraY

When the World Title Series first started, I assumed that Matt Hardy, Drew Galloway, and MY BOY EC3 were locks to make it to the Final Four. I figured someone like Lashley or maybe Bobby Roode would fill in that fourth spot, leading to a Hardy/EC3 final, and then who knows. Instead, I watched as Lashley quickly eliminated Galloway in the Round of 16, while Hardy and EC3 held their end of the bargain, with Eric Young sneaking into that final spot.

So, with three of the four hardly being something I’d consider surprising (and honestly, Eric Young isn’t much of a stretch in his spot, either), I can’t get too excited as far as The World Title Series as a Springboard for a New Main Event Talent is concerned. Still, many of the TNA talents should hopefully have upped their stock a bit with the performances, regardless of the when and the why for the matches themselves.

For me, the biggest surprise of the Series has to be someone I spoke of last week, that being Mr. Pectacular, Jessie Godderz. An easy pick to make it out of Group Future 4 (along with Eli Drake), I figured he’d immediately lose in the Round of 16. That opinion didn’t change when his opponent for that round was Awesome Kong. In fact, my “surprise pick” of the World Title Series was Awesome Kong making it to the Round of 8 before finally succumbing to someone a little higher on the totem pole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaJklHQsnzg

Instead, Godderz scored the “upset,” toppling the most dominant of the Knockouts, and doing so in a match that allowed him to showcase his character a bit, while also bumping around like a madman before finally squeaking out the win.

Showcasing a bit more of his character, I feel, was the biggest thing in this tournament for Godderz. Since splitting off from The Bro-Mans, all we’ve really seen was that he likes nicknames, as he uses Mr. Pectacular, The Adonis, and The Man all at the same time. Through the Group Roundtables and his interaction with Kong, we were able to see that there’s more than just a guy with a bunch of nicknames. Sure, it’s not the most in-depth character, but it’s more than what we were getting, and it’s something that they can use as a springboard off which to build. That extra screen time for Godderz really let the fans see what he could say, as well as what he could do, and all on his own without being overshadowed by his partner or his manager.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMj_wMJ4dyA

Though it was his only win, I really think that Robbie E’s performance against Eddie Edwards was a huge benefit to the former Tag, TV, and X Division champion. Robbie has always been entirely more gimmick than anything else, and when that gimmick is of a goofball Jersey Shore ripoff, it’s hard for the fans to really take someone seriously.

When this tournament started, Robbie E more or less guaranteed that we’d be surprised by him, and that we’d be getting a “new” Robbie E. It sounded like empty posturing, but that opening contest with Eddie immediately put everyone else on notice that he wasn’t just joking around. Sure, he came up short in his subsequent contests with Matt Hardy and Davey Richards, but I’d argue that his one win may have been the single most important result in the entire tournament thus far, at least as far as getting the fans to change their perspectives goes.

Of course, what happens from here is the most important thing, and when TNA picks up in 2016 on the Pop network, one should really keep eyes on Robbie E, as it appears that TNA may actually have some substantive plans for the man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4X_R7PPp5w

Next up, as far as someone who got a much needed boost from the World Title Series is concerned, I’d go with Eli Drake. The quiet man in The Rising, Drake utilized the Group Roundtables to sound off on just how great he is, showcasing his mic skills time and time again. I said it before, but it bears repeating: he may very well be the best mic guy that TNA has, and that’s not an insult – that’s just a fact of life.

Drake has shown that he can go, can talk, and has a good heel character that is easily hated. He may not end up with the TNA World Title, but his spot going forward should definitely be moved up the card in comparison to where it was when this Series started.

Hell, Drake’s losing effort against Mahabali Shera in the Round of 16 should be specifically called out, as that may have been Shera’s best match to date. Drake’s combination of size and agility allowed him to hit Shera with some big time moves, while also being able to sell Shera’s offense in a way that made Shera seem much, much better than he currently is. If that’s Drake’s “curse” – to be the solid hand that can make anyone and everyone look good, then so be it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3YI7LGAlaM

Finally, the man I just mentioned, Mahabali Shera. There were strong whispers that he may end up in the Final Four, if not outright winning the whole World Title Series, as some thought that TNA’s tour of India would necessitate the move. Instead, Shera would run through his Group undefeated, then defeat Eli Drake in the Round of 16 before ultimately falling to Lashley in the Round of 8.

For TNA to get behind Shera so strongly shows that they have big plans for the big man, even if he’s still very green. He has managed to court some fan support through his dance, and he has a very fun energy to him that has made a fan of me. Losing to Lashley certainly doesn’t hurt anyone’s stock, as Lashley is still clearly the single most imposing figure on the roster.

Shera should definitely look to capitalize on the momentum he’s gained heading into 2016, and could definitely become a feature player in the TNA World Title scene, which is such a crazy thing to consider when one thinks about where he was in the company as recently as June, playing fourth fiddle in The Revolution. Shera’s performances in the World Title Series boosted his stock more than anyone else accomplished, I’d say, but it’s up to him to not lose that momentum going forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fC5lCqDAZQ

I must add, however, that I worry about Drew Galloway through all of this. I know many don’t see him as a top level guy, and that’s fine. But he was positioned so strongly as a staunch TNA defender, and seeing him take the fall at Bound For Glory, only to be bounced from the World Title Series immediately following the groupings has me concerned.

Yeah, he lost to Lashley, and yeah, I said that shouldn’t really hurt anyone’s stock, but Drew can’t continue to come up short in big situations like this and still look to have the backing of the fans. He can bounce back from this, sure, but the last few months have not been so beneficial.

Overall though, I’d say this Series accomplished much more good than bad, and that some newer faces were given the time to shine, and took advantage of that opportunity. What in October seemed to be a decimated roster now appears to be one with young, hungry wrestlers looking to take the spots that guys like Kurt Angle, Sting, Jeff Hardy and others held for so long.

It may seem odd – if not outright silly – to say it, but I’m going to do it anyways. As we look to crown a new champion in only a few short weeks, TNA’s future actually looks bright. The pieces are there, it’s just up to the new wave of talent to make the good things happen. I’ll be watching to see if they can do it.

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