The TNA World Title will be on the line as part of the promotion’s debut on the AMC network.
The match between World Champion Frankie Kazarian and challenger Mike Santana was originally set to take place at the Genesis Premium Live Event on January 17, but has now been bumped to the go-home show instead.
Sanatan broke the news to Kazarian on the latest episode of Impact after Kaz successfully defended the title against Bear Bronson. Kazarian shockingly defeated Santana back in December by using his Call Your Shot opportunity that he won at Bound for Glory.
The premiere is set for Thursday, January 15, and will be the first episode as part of the new media rights deal between the pro wrestling company and the channel that rose to prominence thanks to TV series such as Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead.
Two matches are now set for the AMC premiere, as Leon Slater will also put his X-Division title on the line against Myron Reed.
- Frankie Kazarian (c) vs. Mike Santana – Singles match for the TNA World Championship
- Leon Slater (c) vs. Myron Reed – Singles match for the X-Division Championship
Frankie Kazarian Comments On TNA World Title Win Ahead Of Defence On AMC
Kazarian won his first World Championship at age 48, much later than many of his peers who were around during the early years of TNA such as AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. While speaking with Chris Van Vliet in a recent interview, Kazarian reflected on his win, noting that he still got the job done at nearly 50 and that his dream never died:
“Absolutely [I thought it wouldn’t happen]. I mean, there was a time early on, like 2007-ish, where I was kind of on the come-up as a singles babyface, getting some good matches, and had a lot of good momentum. But just seeing who was above me on the ladder was like, just don’t think it’s going to happen for me. I will say, at the time, from an in-ring standpoint, I think I was a very good wrestler. I don’t think I had developed my personality and promo skills to what you need to be a World Champion. Then years went by and kind of became a fleeting thought, it’s just not going to ever happen. But I always like to say this, dreams do not have an expiration date. So, 48 years old or 28 years old, doesn’t matter. I got the job done.”
Featured image: TNA
