People tend to overuse the word "redemption." Everyone claims to know it, but unless you truly know what it's like to be doubted by those you value most, you don't know what it's like to really crave it. Never before has TNA seen so many competitors dying for redemption - true redemption.
This very moment, Kurt Angle yearns for redemption. After giving his heart and soul to mentoring Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco, he was left broken and beaten by their Aces and Eights defection. Now, reeling from two straight losses to his former students, Angle looks to roll into Impact with an open challenge for any member of the group that has been denying him the respect he's rightfully earned. If victorious, it'll be a shining moment for the Olympic Hero. If not, it could be the final frustrating moment that sends him over the edge.
While Kurt seeks to redeem himself after a rough few weeks, Chris Sabin returns to Impact for a different type of redemption. After nearly one year away from the ring, Sabin hopes to rewrite the history that knocked him out of action with a knee injury. In his first match back, Sabin battles against Sonjay Dutt and one of the men he faced in his final appearance last June, Zema Ion. With ten months of inactivity, Sabin is expected to battle (and defeat) two of TNA's finest in his return. To most, this task would seem impossible. But if Chris can somehow overcome this challenge and earn the #1 contendership to the X-Division Title, he moves one step closer to his true redemption - reclaiming the championship title that has motivated him every day for almost a year.
The title isn't always the finish line, though. For Mickie James the road to redemption simply began when she recaptured the knockouts championship from Velvet Sky, but that road is far from finished. Her quest to prove her legendary status among female wrestling requires James to shine every week that title is on her waist. That goal will be put to the test in her first championship week on Impact when she teams with the unpredictable Taryn Terrell against two women who would love nothing more than to rain on her parade, Tara and Gail Kim. A win will be one more step in solidify her place atop Knockout history. Anything else would leave her vulnerable for a fall down the ladder. To be successful, Mickie will have to keep an eye on each of her opponents and, if some of the insane past actions of Taryn are any indication, a third eye on her partner.
However, it might be Sting who knows most about frustration and redemption. Widely blamed by Hulk Hogan and others for the missteps that lead to Aces and Eights domination, the Stinger left Impact months ago in disgrace. But after all of TNA's heroes were either injured or sulking, it was Sting who redeemed himself and erased all doubt by coming to Hogan's aid on last week's Impact. Hopefully this act of selflessness can serve as an example to AJ Styles. Styles, much like Sting, has felt let-down by those he trusted in the company. But the TNA war with Aces and Eights is about more than just individuals or hurt feelings. It's about right versus wrong. Good versus Evil. If only Styles and everyone else in the locker room can follow Sting's lead, we can move past the in-fighting and finger pointing. If that happens, we can all focus on Thursday's announcement of Slammiversary's World Title challenger, rally behind him the same way A&E does with Bully Ray, and finally win this war. Only then can there be true redemption for the one group that needs it most - TNA Wrestling.
