TNA Champion

The Observer has a poll as to who should be TNA champion in 2006, and I think it's an interesting question. All the real candidates currently on the roster are listed, so I'll just discuss those there. Of course, they could always sign someone else from WWE that they could make champion, and Bryan Danielson looms large as one of the most talented wrestlers in North America. The lowest vote getter is Abyss, who I actually could see filling a champion role and getting chased kind of like Rhino in ECW. However, his look comes across as minor league to many, and I think you need to spend more time conditioning fans to see him as a threat before you put the title on him. He's still a building block. Second lowest is Jeff Jarrett, who to me is dead last as far as candidates because he unquestionably brands TNA as a "B" group. Raven is next lowest, and while there was a time that building around him is exactly what I would have done, that time is gone. He's a phenomenal talker and he has a connection with people, but what he had previously is what Christian has even more now. So he's out. Styles and Daniels are next, and while I would build around them, making them world champion as opposed to X division champion kind of kills the X division. Styles got more votes than Daniels, but I think Daniels plays the role of champion better and Styles is better at chasing. Right in that range is Monty Brown. Brown would be a bold choice as champion, and would definitely stick out. I think his charisma and putting him in squash matches would get him over. Still, I think he's better off at this stage as a special attraction. That leaves the two largest vote getters, and the two best candidates as well, Samoa Joe and Christian Cage. I think Christian is the better choice. Unquestionably, Joe would work as champion for the same reasons he worked as ROH champion. And I don't think his "look" is a deterrent. I just Christian is an even better choice. This is a guy who without a push was getting huge responses in WWE and was getting peep signs and Captain Charisma signs everywhere. He was over, and he can be a symbol to WWE fans of the sort of talent WWE refuses to push in spite of what the fans want. He's like Benoit or Jericho when they came to WWE. Fans were ready to accept them as stars immediately, because they had been waiting for that for years anyway. And Christian can be cocky and has shown a willingness to put down WWE and say TNA is the best, which I think the champion should be doing. I think he's the perfect face champion for TNA in 2006, and I would start a chase for the belt at the beginning of the year.