Backstage note on Matt Hardy vacating the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

[Big Red Machine]

Source: WrestleChat

– As noted, new TNA World Heavyweight Champion Matt Hardy announced today that he is vacating the title, just a few days after winning it at Bound For Glory. This goes with the “injunction” storyline that began after Bound For Glory with Ethan Carter III alleging that Dixie Carter, Matt and special referee Jeff Hardy conspired against him. Hardy said he did not want to relinquish the title but was doing so because the fans deserved a fighting champion. He also said he would win the title back in the future, without controversy.

This has actually been a storyline that was in place going back to July, according to PWInsider. Apparently this Wednesday’s taped episode of Impact Wrestling will address the situation. As noted, TNA officials are saying they will release a statement tomorrow on the status of the World Heavyweight Title.

[Big Red Machine]

Silly me for thinking TNA had ever once planned on just letting "Drew McIntyre the babyface who loves TNA" cleanly win the world title on their biggest show of the year. Why do that when you can have a story with a guest referee stip that makes no sense and was clearly only put there to screw somebody and then results in someone vacating the title immediately after winning it?

[cero2k]

This has actually been a storyline that was in place going back to July

I don't believe you.

Silly me for thinking TNA had ever once planned on just letting "Drew McIntyre the babyface who loves TNA" cleanly win the world title on their biggest show of the year. Why do that when you can have a story with a guest referee stip that makes no sense and was clearly only put there to screw somebody and then results in someone vacating the title immediately after winning it?

I wasn't really. I was expecting ECIII to retain and Galloway's win would wait until the UK tour since they always tape there anyway.

[Big Red Machine]

This has actually been a storyline that was in place going back to July

I don't believe you.

The way to figure out if this is true or not is to look back and find out when they announced that the show would be in North Carolina.

Silly me for thinking TNA had ever once planned on just letting "Drew McIntyre the babyface who loves TNA" cleanly win the world title on their biggest show of the year. Why do that when you can have a story with a guest referee stip that makes no sense and was clearly only put there to screw somebody and then results in someone vacating the title immediately after winning it?

I wasn't really. I was expecting ECIII to retain and Galloway's win would wait until the UK tour since they always tape there anyway.[/quote]
If that's the case (and I suspect that Drew winning at the UK tapings may still be in the cards), Drew shouldn't have gotten pinned here (and really shouldn't have been in this match at all). Also, if that is the plan, Matt shouldn't have won the title here as it takes away from Drew's eventual win because the reign he is ending will have been shorter.
I think it would have been interesting to have Drew win the King of the Mountain Title here and then they could build up to a unification match between Drew and Ethan.

[cero2k]

The way to figure out if this is true or not is to look back and find out when they announced that the show would be in North Carolina.

they did announce it back then, but what i don't believe was a plan was the whole indictment thing. Even back then i was expecting Jeff to be the one in the match

[Big Red Machine]

The way to figure out if this is true or not is to look back and find out when they announced that the show would be in North Carolina.

they did announce it back then, but what i don't believe was a plan was the whole indictment thing. Even back then i was expecting Jeff to be the one in the match

I was pretty sure there was no way he was recovering in time.

[cero2k]

I was pretty sure there was no way he was recovering in time.

granted back then i thought it was a kayfabe injury to not do the China tour that was supposed to happen

[Big Red Machine]

Wait... if they've been planning this since July, then they already knew that putting Aries in would mean violating his I Quit stipulation... and they still did it anyway. Morons.