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CALDWELL'S POLL ANALYSIS 4/23: Who should be next TNA World champion? Torch readers make surprising second pick after A.J. Styles Apr 24, 2009 - 5:05:02 PM
Torch Morning Poll 4/23: Which TNA star should be next in line for a TNA World Title run after Mick Foley? We asked Torch readers on Thursday to decide who they would like to see next in line for a TNA World Title run after Mick Foley.
I was not surprised by the selection of A.J. Styles as the next TNA World champion. Of the what's-left-of-the-Frontline faction that includes Samoa Joe, Styles, Eric Young, Jay Lethal, and Team 3D, ODB, and Rhino when they feel like it, Styles has been best positioned as a future World champion.
Styles hasn't held the TNA World Title since TNA stopped recognizing the NWA World Title as its official World Title belt. He last held NWA Title gold from May to June 2005, which means it's been four long years since Styles was recognized as the top player in TNA.
Styles has gone through ridiculous program after ridiculous program in TNA dealing with the likes of Tomko, Kurt Angle, Karen Angle, and now Booker T.
Torch readers are looking for a fresh face on top in TNA, especially based on the second selection that I'll get to in a second.
Styles is long over-due for a serious push on top, much more than his closest peer, Samoa Joe, simply because TNA screwed up Joe's character ever since he won the TNA World Title over Kurt Angle at last year's Lockdown PPV.
Joe still finished with ten percent of the vote, which was good for third place, but TNA would need to fix his character - perhaps with the help of Taz - before he can become that top player he was in April 2008 when he took the TNA Title from Angle.
As for the second favorite for a TNA World Title run after Mick Foley, Hernandez took a strong 16 percent of the vote from Torch readers.
The second-place vote total is surprising to me because TNA missed a golden opportunity to push Hernandez as a main eventer a few months ago when he won the Feast or Fired briefcase for a TNA Title shot, and Hernandez has slipped into doing not much of anything ever since then.
The high vote total shows the faith Torch readers have in Hernandez as a fresh, young, athletic, big-man act. He's not going to slow it down in the ring and slog through a big-man-style match like Matt Morgan or Abyss. Hernandez is a powerhouse, but he's also very athletic.
Hernandez has routinely big a "big man in a small pond" on TNA broadcasts. In other words, he's stood out in interchangeable PPV undercard matches where he's not expected to do much more than draw the crowd into the show and generate crowd reactions.
How would he fare in consistent main event situations? He was in a TV main event match against then-TNA champion Sting on the January 15 Impact, but TNA hasn't pushed him consistently in that spot.
It's obvious that Torch readers want to find out what he's capable of. He's big, he's athletic, and he has potential to be a young, likeable, heavyweight star the company needs after they botched Samoa Joe's first World Title run.
How about other names we had on the list? Bobby Lashley came in fourth with eight percent of the voting, Kurt Angle grabbed seven percent, and Robert Roode picked up six percent to round out the noteworthy Top Six.
Poll Results at 5:30 p.m. CST on Thursday evening
Samoa Joe ... 10%
Sting ... 2%
Kurt Angle ... 7%
A.J. Styles ... 39%
Jeff Jarrett ... 2%
Bobby Lashley ... 8%
Kevin Nash ... 3%
Scott Steiner ... 2%
Robert Roode ... 6%
Booker T ... 1%
Hernandez ... 16%
Matt Morgan ... 3%
Abyss ... 1%
Torch readers write back! How do you see the voting? Have additional thoughts on the poll results? Send in your feedback to pwtorch@gmail.com
Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
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AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?
