10 Worst TNA Champions Ever
2. Chris Sabin
In 2012, TNA made a change to the format of the annual Destination X Pay-Per-View. From thereon out, the reigning X Division Champion at the time of the show could give up the title in exchange for a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. X Champ Austin Aries decided to take the chance, and he ended up defeating Bobby Roode for the belt in a development that was widely praised.
The next year, TNA tried to pull the same stunt, and of course, the returns had diminished. This time, Bully Ray was the heel champion and Chris Sabin - who was one of the most decorated competitors in X Division history - held the secondary title. He vacated the belt and defeated Bully Ray, finally winning the company's top prize.
There were several reasons why it didn't work. Sabin had spent nearly the entirety of the previous two years on the disabled list, and many believed he had lost a step - in any case, his work wasn't as strong as Aries's was and he had been out of sight and out of mind for while. 2013 was also the first year that Destination X was a special episode of Impact and not a Pay-Per-View event. Finally, Sabin's reign itself was extremely weak, as he lost the belt back to Bully Ray in his first defense. The whole thing fell flat and Sabin himself later criticized TNA for giving him the title too soon.