Strange World Championship Booking

This past week there were two world title matches that I was eagerly anticipating. The first being the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between defending champion Bully Ray and Chris Sabin on the special Destination X themed episode of Impact.

The second was the New Japan Professional Wrestling (NJPW) IWGP Heavyweight Championship between defending champion Kazuchika Okada and Prince Devitt.

On Thursday Sabin was successful in his challenge for the World Championship, but that is not the reason I find this booking strange, the problem I had with match was the finish. Whilst there was always going to be outside interference from both the Aces & Eights and the Main Event Mafia I liked that this didn’t interfere with the match too much, however I have a major issue with Sabin using the hammer to gain a dirty victory. I can understand that TNA may have been going for irony and a sense of karma by having Bully Ray lose the title the same way he won it, but how does this help Sabin?

After all the build that was put into Sabin’s return and quest for the X-Division Title and the subsequent cashing in for the World Title match I can’t help but feel the big payoff was somewhat diminished with a dirty win. Had he won the match  clean I feel Sabin would have to be viewed as a viable and formidable World Champion having beaten a much larger opponent & the best heel in the business at the moment.

We only have to look at the benefit that Austin Aries gained last year by defeating the longest ever reigning TNA champion Bobby Roode clean after cashing in his X-Division Championship. Aries is now undoubtedly a main event star on the TNA roster, it’s a waiting game to see if Sabin achieves the same following his victory.

The second strange World title booking decision of the week occurred yesterday on NJPW’s Kizuna Road PPV. Having recently created the Bullet Club faction, then winning the Best of The Super Juniors tournament undefeated (only the second person in history to do so) and then successfully defending his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship I fully expected Devitt to gain the victory here, so I was shocked when I learned that he had lost.

Again this is a situation where I feel that after such a long build and investment in Devitt’s character where is the payoff? I am hoping that this may just be the beginning a solid feud between these two, possibly with Devitt winning the G1 Climax Tournament and thus earning another shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Title.

I’m really keen to hear others thoughts on these two matches in the comments below or on Twitter @Appsy_JAM

Thanks for reading.