Scott D’Amore: “In A Different Universe Where I Stayed At TNA, Frankie Kazarian Was Going To Win TNA World Title”

D’Amore chats Kazarian’s title win.

The first live show back for TNA Wrestling post-Bound For Glory saw the newly crowned champion, Mike Santana, drop the title to Frankie Kazarian.

The title switch became a topic of conversation that Kazarian himself would end up addressing during a media appearance. He spoke about the negative reactions to the title change.

The latest name to chime in is former TNA President Scott D’Amore. He wrote about it in his D’Amore Drop column. He wrote that he does not want to second-guess TNA’s booking because that’s not his place. He added that if there were an alternate universe where he was still running the show, Kazarian would have won the title sooner rather than later.

Second-guessing TNA’s booking really isn’t something I am interested in. It just isn’t my place, and I’m in a no-win situation — if I praise then I am biased, and if I critique I am grinding an ax.

But I want to talk about TNA’s recent title change.

All I’ll say is that, in a different universe where I stayed at TNA, Frankie Kazarian was going to win the TNA World Title sooner rather than later. I am so happy for him that he’s getting his flowers with a title run now.”

D’Amore remembers when Kazarian was interested in coming back to TNA after leaving AEW, told him IMPACT could not match what he was making at AEW & did not want him to accept the offer, goes on to further speak about Santana losing title to Kazarian: “Then fast forward and he’s in AEW and making great money, but said he loved the vibe of what we were building in TNA just after the pandemic.

I remember straight up telling him: ‘Frankie, please, we can’t come close to matching what you make in AEW. I don’t even want to make you an offer because I don’t want you to accept it.’

But he insisted — and Traci was super supportive of the idea. He wanted to come to TNA. He made an immediate difference in the locker room and to the product. Frankie is a leader. A steady hand. And, damnit, he’s still impossibly good-looking and athletic. It’s really unfair.

I get why some fans weren’t thrilled he beat Mike Santana so soon, especially after Mike’s long chase to get the belt. There’s chatter about a new TV deal for TNA, and plans for Santana to win the belt back on the first episode. That all makes sense.

All I want to say is: Frankie Kazarian has been consistently great for decades and he deserved that moment. He earned the hell out of it.

Seeing Frankie win the TNA world title was especially emotional for me, because I’ve long felt that Traci never got the flowers she deserved for all she did for TNA — and women’s wrestling.

Frankie’s world-title win was her title win, too.

A new episode of TNA iMPACT is airing on November 20th, and Fightful will have coverage of that show.