10 WWE Superstars And The Angles That Made Them Famous
6. Austin Aries & Option C
Speaking of the X-Division, it was that championship that breathed new life into the career of Austin Aries. A Double had been a big name in professional wrestling outside of WWE for a long time, winning championships wherever he went, but it seemed as though he had reached his ceiling when it came to progress.
In 2010, Aries appeared to be done with wrestling for good. He had left DGUSA and Evolve, and whilst he was booked into TNA's X-Division showcase tournament the assumption was he would come up short in one final spotlight performance. As it was, Aries won the tournament, and less than three months later had the X-Division Championship around his waist.
Aries would hold the strap for 301 days, his popularity increasing with every passing defence. His popularity and profile showed no signs of stopping, and the momentum was so much that TNA had no choice but to thrust him in the main event picture.
They did this via introducing the 'Option C' concept, whereby the reigning X-Division Champion could vacate the title in exchange for a shot at the TNA World Championship. Aries was the first to be given this opportunity, the first to accept and the first to win the biggest title.
The story also resurrected the career of Austin Aries, leading him to where he is today.