Above is an example of Austin Aries wrestling after a run with a company’s top title. There is some basic mat wrestling to start and a bunch of cookie cutter moves with then ROH newbie, Eddie Edwards hitting the most impressive looking move in the first half with an enzuigiri. Aries balances out the match by performing three great maneuvers near the end: a twisting body press, an Asai moonsault and a 450 splash.
Before I sing Aries’ praises I have to note that if I had my way he would not be holding the TNA World Heavyweight Championship right now. That is not because Aries is not an incredible performer. Aries is wildly talented. However, the company had a good plan going with Bobby Roode, but instead of making him the leader of a heel stable and making a few more faces chase him, TNA switched directions and went with Aries. As good as Aries may be I value long title runs and these days a long heel title run tends to be more interesting than a long face title run.
It is worth considering that if TNA play their cards right they could book Aries like Bret Hart in the mid-1990s and make him a fighting champion. Aries has proven that he can produce worthwhile performances with just about any type of opponent and would fit the role. The Aces & 8s storyline provides a perfect opportunity to give Aries an array of opponents that audiences could be happily surprised with.
On the other hand Aries could lose the title tomorrow and by next week be shuffled down the card in cookie cutter matches like the one above. There is some evidence against this because a while back even Hulk Hogan said he didn’t think Jeff Hardy holding the title was a good idea.
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