The Times They Are A-Changin'

Every great athlete aspires to achieve prominence on higher levels. And so, Austin Aries relished the opportunity when he was chosen to compete in a twelve man X Division tournament in the summer of 2011 -- with the winner earning an official IMPACT WRESTLING contract. A highly skilled wrestler, Aries had excelled for years on the independent circuit but never quite garnered the attention warranted by a performer of his caliber. Given TNA's significant growth since his previous stint in the company years ago, this was his platform to make his presence known on a broader worldwide scale.

Within minutes of the tourney opener, Aries immediately established himself as the odds-on favorite to win the contract. The self-proclaimed "Greatest Man That Ever Lived" was just that impressive in the eyes of many fans and critics; and after another spectacular performance in the finals at Destination X, Aries' victory was, as he said in his post-match interview, no surprise. Now an official member of the roster, Aries quickly went to town in the X Division. He not only brought a dynamic pizzazz to the division with his charisma, but he also proved his greatness inside the squared circle en route to capturing the X Division Championship.

TNA had promised the fans a re-energized X Division and at the top of the heap stood their most talented acquisition in recent memory. Aries became the quintessential champion of champions as he successfully defended his title against all challengers in what was usually deemed the match of the night. As time passed, he also broke the record for the longest X Division title reign in TNA history! Although he wasn't a main event star, Aries was certainly one of the hottest commodities in the company. Then along came a very unique situation...

Every action has a consequence and, in the modern world, so does every tweet. Aries took a somewhat veiled shot at then-General Manager Sting on Twitter, criticizing the latter of hogging the spotlight while the reigning X Division Champion couldn't even "sniff the main event." Aries' tweet(s) caused such a stir that, in turn, it actually resulted in Aries receiving his first taste of the main event as part of a six man tag team match on IMPACT WRESTLING. Soon enough, his popularity and stature increased substantially that he turned into a fan favorite and began competing in more high profile matches on a semi-regular basis. At Sacrifice, Aries scored the most notable victory of his career as he submitted the all-around tough bastard, Bully Ray in yet another spectacular performance despite enduring a lot of punishment (and a few bruises) from his much larger adversary.

Like many before him, it was only a matter of time before Aries ascended beyond the X Division class to play with the heavy hitters of IMPACT WRESTLING. But more impressively than the others, Aries has been able to do so while simultaneously vanquishing any remaining challengers to his title. Perhaps Aries really is the last X Division Champion as he so confidently teased moments before his title victory at No Surrender 2011. After all, he wears a cape, eats his vegetables and drinks the occasional glass of antioxidant rich red wine -- fine life/style choices befitting of "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived".

He's well-rounded, he's consistent and of course, he's profoundly entertaining. Yes, the times they are a-changin'. A full-time main event position (and hopefully some new entrance music and another couple pounds of gold) is in Aries' future. And in true A-Double fashion, greatness always prevails!