TNA Legends Championship
Encyclopedia
The TNA Television Championship is a professional wrestling
championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA) promotion
. It was introduced on the October 23, 2008 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact!
as the "TNA Legends Championship". It since has been known as the "TNA Global Championship" and its current name the "TNA Television Championship".
As a professional wrestling championship, it is won via a scripted ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a storyline. All title changes have occurred at TNA-promoted events thus far. There have been a total of 13 reigns among ten wrestlers. The first champion was Booker T. The current champion is Robbie E
, who is in his first overall reign.
) against veterans of professional wrestling (The Main Event Mafia
). In the weeks leading up to the unveiling of the physical belt, Booker T carried around a steel briefcase. On the October 23, 2008 episode of TNA Impact!, Booker T introduced the belt by removing it from the steel briefcase, announcing its name as the "TNA Legends Championship", and declaring himself the first champion. He went on to state that the championship was his and that he would defend it when he saw fit; this meant that the championship was unsanctioned by TNA in the storyline. On March 15, 2009 at TNA's Destination X
pay-per-view
(PPV) event, A.J. Styles
defeated Booker T to win the championship. Afterwards on the March 19, 2009 episode of TNA Impact!, Styles was credited as becoming the first-ever TNA Grand Slam Champion, by winning the World Heavyweight (NWA
or TNA
), the World Tag Team
(NWA
or TNA
), and the TNA X Division Championship
along with the Legends Championship. Management Director Jim Cornette
then announced that the TNA Legends Championship had become an official TNA sanctioned championship thanks to Styles defeating Booker T for it legally via the contract the two had signed to make the match official (in storyline terms). On the October 29, 2009 episode of Impact!, then-champion Eric Young
renamed the title the "TNA Global Championship". He went on to declare that he was not going to defend it against any American wrestlers nor on American soil. However, Young's first defense was on the December 11, 2009 episode of TNA Impact! on American soil in Orlando, Florida
against Japan
ese female wrestler Hamada
. Young's second, third and fourth defense lived up to his earlier decree, when he defended against Suicide
in Glasgow, Hamada in Bournemouth, and - unsuccessfully - against Welsh
wrestler Rob Terry
in Cardiff, Wales
at a live event
on January 27, 2010. On the July 22 episode of Impact!, Terry lost the Global Championship to A.J. Styles. On the July 29 episode of Impact!, Styles renamed the title the "TNA Television Championship".
's first reign holds the record for shortest reign in the title's history at three days. A.J. Styles, Nash, and Eric Young are tied for record of most reigns, with two each. The current champion is Robbie E
, who is in his first reign. He defeated Eric Young on November 13, 2011, at Turning Point
to win the title. Overall, there have been 13 reigns among ten wrestlers.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA) promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
. It was introduced on the October 23, 2008 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
as the "TNA Legends Championship". It since has been known as the "TNA Global Championship" and its current name the "TNA Television Championship".
As a professional wrestling championship, it is won via a scripted ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a storyline. All title changes have occurred at TNA-promoted events thus far. There have been a total of 13 reigns among ten wrestlers. The first champion was Booker T. The current champion is Robbie E
Rob Strauss
Robert "Rob" Strauss is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Robbie E. He is the current TNA Television Champion and a former TNA X Division Champion...
, who is in his first overall reign.
History
The title was introduced during a storyline that pitted young talent with-in the company (The TNA Front LineThe TNA Front Line
The TNA Front Line was a heroic alliance in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
) against veterans of professional wrestling (The Main Event Mafia
The Main Event Mafia
The Main Event Mafia was a heel stable in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
). In the weeks leading up to the unveiling of the physical belt, Booker T carried around a steel briefcase. On the October 23, 2008 episode of TNA Impact!, Booker T introduced the belt by removing it from the steel briefcase, announcing its name as the "TNA Legends Championship", and declaring himself the first champion. He went on to state that the championship was his and that he would defend it when he saw fit; this meant that the championship was unsanctioned by TNA in the storyline. On March 15, 2009 at TNA's Destination X
Destination X (2009)
Destination X was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on March 15, 2009 at the TNA Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event, A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
defeated Booker T to win the championship. Afterwards on the March 19, 2009 episode of TNA Impact!, Styles was credited as becoming the first-ever TNA Grand Slam Champion, by winning the World Heavyweight (NWA
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
or TNA
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
), the World Tag Team
World Tag Team Championship
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in World Wrestling Entertainment . It served as the premier title for tag teams in WWE from 1971 until 2002 when a second WWE Tag Team Championship was established...
(NWA
NWA World Tag Team Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship is the professional wrestling world tag team championship within the NWA framework.-History:...
or TNA
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...
), and the TNA X Division Championship
TNA X Division Championship
The TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...
along with the Legends Championship. Management Director Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
then announced that the TNA Legends Championship had become an official TNA sanctioned championship thanks to Styles defeating Booker T for it legally via the contract the two had signed to make the match official (in storyline terms). On the October 29, 2009 episode of Impact!, then-champion Eric Young
Eric Young (wrestler)
Jeremy Fritz is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under his ring name Eric Young. He currently performs for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he has gained popularity using a variety of comic relief gimmicks....
renamed the title the "TNA Global Championship". He went on to declare that he was not going to defend it against any American wrestlers nor on American soil. However, Young's first defense was on the December 11, 2009 episode of TNA Impact! on American soil in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese female wrestler Hamada
Ayako Hamada
is a female professional wrestler of mixed Japanese and Mexican descent, who is currently wrestling most notably for Pro Wrestling WAVE in Japan and Shimmer Women Athletes in the United States, where she is a co-holder of the Shimmer Tag Team Championship.She is best known for winning several...
. Young's second, third and fourth defense lived up to his earlier decree, when he defended against Suicide
Suicide (character)
Suicide is a fictional character from TNA Impact! the video game. In December 2008, the Suicide character was introduced on television as a real-life wrestler in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
in Glasgow, Hamada in Bournemouth, and - unsuccessfully - against Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
wrestler Rob Terry
Rob Terry
Robert "Rob" Terry is a Welsh professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . Before signing with TNA, he was under contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and competed in the company's developmental territory, Florida Championship...
in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
at a live event
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
on January 27, 2010. On the July 22 episode of Impact!, Terry lost the Global Championship to A.J. Styles. On the July 29 episode of Impact!, Styles renamed the title the "TNA Television Championship".
Reigns
The inaugural champion was Booker T, who awarded the championship to himself on the October 23, 2008 episode of TNA Impact!. At days, Eric Young's second reign is the longest in the title's history. Kevin NashKevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
's first reign holds the record for shortest reign in the title's history at three days. A.J. Styles, Nash, and Eric Young are tied for record of most reigns, with two each. The current champion is Robbie E
Rob Strauss
Robert "Rob" Strauss is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Robbie E. He is the current TNA Television Champion and a former TNA X Division Champion...
, who is in his first reign. He defeated Eric Young on November 13, 2011, at Turning Point
Turning Point (2011)
Turning Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, that took place on November 13, 2011 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida...
to win the title. Overall, there have been 13 reigns among ten wrestlers.