X Division or not, my bet is 90% of the younger guys in TNA dream of being in WWE. Ron Killing even said that they are all just waiting to get to WWE. Don’t be deluded. WWE is the big time and the majority of wrestlers if they had the chance would jump. I mean half the roster talks about WWE on TNA programming. It’s not about high risk moves. Many only do that to get noticed on the Indys. They’d sooner stop them if they had the chance.

The fact that Nash etc praise him is one of my main points. “Ohhh he is the future.” He’d be the present if Nash would retire already.

And 31, I’m pretty sure it’s your thirties lol.

Look at what WWE did with Kurt Angle, he couldn’t do any high risk moves, when he switched over to TNA you can now see him do everything the X-Division can do.

Read the interviews that Nash has given, he constantly praises Styles and other X-Division stars, if Styles left what would he do in WWE? job to HHH or Cena that’s what. Those two are the reason as to why I wont watch WWE anymore, I would rather watch wrestlers who have to work to get what they wanted in the business

By the the author should realize that 31 (not “in his thirties” learn facts they are easy to find google)is pretty young in wrestling when you have been doing it for over a decade, I cannot really say that about any wrestler in WWE who isn’t the son of a famous Hall of Fame wrestler.

Bourne had a prominent role in Ring of Honor and could easily work in Japan on name recognition alone, if he was released right now he would go to one of those two and could stay there for years.
If Bourne was to be released he would be set for a good 10 years with bookings. Look at someone like Al Snow, Val Venis, Viscera or Scotty 2 Hotty, all of whom are getting bookings daily because of what they WERE.

The fact of the matter is that the stars that were then when TNA started people like Samoa Joe, Daniels, AJ and Abyss have had their momentum completely destroyed by the writing teams. TNA’s ratings haven gone up that much since they first started to get TV deals. Mick Foley must get about 20/30 minutes of TV time a week, Jeff Jarrett constantly gets the same. Yet neither get the same reaction as AJ when he comes to the ring and he gets a fraction of TV time.

“Awesome, so you are once again, recognizing WWE’s propaganda machine as the savior of all wrestlers you deem worthy. It’s really no different than your one sided reference to AJ in WWE. Let’s get something perfectly clear hear; Bourne has done NOTHING in WWE. If he was released right now, he surely would get booked for a month or two tops. Once that fad is up, he will be right back at square one.”

I’m not saying Bourne is better at all, he is not, I’m just pointing out that WWE makes stars, and when they leave they keep that recognition forever. On the average Indy card it will have some ex WWE guy on the poster, even if its Honky Tonk Man. They sell tickets.

In my opinion it was mistake for AJ never to take them up, even for just a piss poor cruiserweight run. Now because WWE has their AJ Styles in a guy like Evan Bourne, he’s stuck in TNA getting semi pushes every few weeks, whilst Borash pansies up to the MEM.

AJ is the man, he should be treated like the man. Borash should come to the lockerroom and have to knock on his personal lockerroom door, only to be told that the man doesn’t want to speak right now. The announcers should constantly put him over as the most talented and athletic guy on the roster, somebody that put TNA on the map.

You get where I’m going? There’s a difference between getting a strange Legend’s belt, and being out in main event matches, and actually being treated like a star on the same level as the ex-WWE guys.

I suppose that’s why he had a decent feud, complete with build and title stakes with Mr. Jibberish, BookerT.

Not to mention that after last night, it’s pretty obvious he is now the main babyface of the company. (Gasp! how can that be!)

“Well I’m not talking about that time am I. Of course I’m aware of that. But if both were released now, who is going to get more calls? The guy that has had WWE’s marketing machine behind him, somebody all the kids will recognize in the airport, or AJ? Bourne could wrestle in to his 50s off the back of this little WWE run, AJ would only get recognition by the smarks.”

Awesome, so you are once again, recognizing WWE’s propaganda machine as the savior of all wrestlers you deem worthy. It’s really no different than your one sided reference to AJ in WWE. Let’s get something perfectly clear hear; Bourne has done NOTHING in WWE. If he was released right now, he surely would get booked for a month or two tops. Once that fad is up, he will be right back at square one.

I’m not here to insult you or ridicule you. On the other hand, this column clearly was not thought out very well. It just seems to me like you simply do not like AJ Styles and are looking for any kind of one sided slapstick commentaries to tag on him. You claim he isn’t the future and that he has been the present for years; Then, you nitpick any little situation where you can squeeze any kind of criticism against him. Sure AJ and TNA are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination; With that being said, AJ IS the man and will continue to be the man whether you like it or not.

Have a nice day

Firstly he was just an extra playing second fiddle. The workhorse of the match along with Angle. I have no idea what you mean by the beginning of this statement. Of course I don’t want him to look like a backyarder, that has nothing to do with anything.

“They didn’t have huge names during the FSN days. The very first X match or any match for that matter on SpikeTV had none other than AJ styles. Not used for brandings sake? Think again.”

Things take time and it’s clear to see where their agenda went in the end. They throw AJ out there because he is a solid hand, but if a Scott Steiner debuts, think again. AJ is their backup plan. If you think TNA has the same cutting Edge X-Division branding as they did at the start, you are mistaken. It’s basically WWF/WCW attitude era light, with AJ piping up every so often to show us he’s still surviving in there.

“I never liked the circumstance or even the name of the belt. To call Booker T, a legit legend just some guy that “lost his mind” is pretty low. Another, not so well thought out statement there.”

Have you seen Booker T on TV lately, jibbering along at ten miles an hour, acting like a drugged up teenager, clearly doing what he wants. It’s pathetic.

“Again, another statement not thought out very well. Sydal was in the indies for quite long time before being called up. Coincidentally, so was AJ; Not to mention AJ and Sydal also wrestled against each other. Aj clearly was the bigger star during that time. Look it up.”

Well I’m not talking about that time am I. Of course I’m aware of that. But if both were released now, who is going to get more calls? The guy that has had WWE’s marketing machine behind him, somebody all the kids will recognize in the airport, or AJ? Bourne could wrestle in to his 50s off the back of this little WWE run, AJ would only get recognition by the smarks.

I’m just saying it how I see it.

I’m not sure if you noticed but AJ was in the main event last night. Do you want him to wear some urban throwback shirt, jean shorts, slanted cap and hold the title forever?

“No they put him on the undercard so they could fill up the main event with former big names when they hit national TV. They have totally lost they’re unique style.”

They didn’t have huge names during the FSN days. The very first X match or any match for that matter on SpikeTV had none other than AJ styles. Not used for brandings sake? Think again.

“The legends belt is a joke, brought in to the company by somebody that has completely lost his mind. So AJ is now a legend, but he’s still a young kid, the future of the company? They are just throwing him a bone to keep him quiet.”

I never liked the circumstance or even the name of the belt. To call Booker T, a legit legend just some guy that “lost his mind” is pretty low. Another, not so well thought out statement there.

“Lets face it, if Evan Bourne was released today he’d get more Indy bookings than AJ.”

Again, another statement not thought out very well. Sydal was in the indies for quite long time before being called up. Coincidentally, so was AJ; Not to mention AJ and Sydal also wrestled against eachother. Aj clearly was the bigger star during that time. Look it up.

The promos are in TNA’s eyes at least pureley to put over a match so the fact he is talking to top stars means that he is being put in occasional but not drudging main storylines.

“They used AJ to clearly brand or distinguish their unique X style of wrestling”

No they put him on the undercard so they could fill up the main event with former big names when they hit national TV. They have totally lost they’re unique style.

The legends belt is a joke, brought in to the company by somebody that has completely lost his mind. So AJ is now a legend, but he’s still a young kid, the future of the company? They are just throwing him a bone to keep him quiet.

Lets face it, if Evan Bourne was released today he’d get more Indy bookings than AJ.

As for Bourne, he is the most OVERRATED wrestler in WWE today. So what, he can do a nice SSP. That’s it. Nothing special in him. I’m glad he’s nothing more than a rag doll for Mark henry now. And Tyson Kidd is probably only there right now because of who he knows.

And as for TNA fans, well, if you keep tabs on their ratings, you would see that the fans turned off seeing a classic match, AJ Styles vs Daniels. Fans didn’t want to see it. Fans instead turn in for the Knockout Division and Scott Steiner. That’s who the fans want to see.