A lot of people are mad because Kurt Angle and Christian Cage are getting main event pushes. I'm posting right now to explain why I think these pushes are justified. Keep in mind that this is solely an opinion, nothing more.
Cage: Christian Cage was offered, in his exact words, a "pretty hefty sum" to stay with WWE, and he told Vince McMahon to kiss his ass. Put yourself in TNA's shoes: If someone of your top competition refuses a paycheck of that size just so they could come work for you, when few people had faith in your survival in the market, obviously extending a vote of confidence, wouldn't you want to reward that guy? Don't tell me no, because I know better. Now, put yourself in Christian's shoes: If you refused a paycheck of probably twice the amount you accepted so you could jump ship to a show with about one fourth the average ratings, with the expectation of being put in that show's main event, and you were demoted to mid-carder, wouldn't you be pretty pissed off that you were stabbed in the back? Again, I already know what your answer is, so don't bother answering this rhetorical question. TNA owes Cage big time.
Angle: Angle is an even bigger story. While Christian Cage waited patiently for his contract to expire and employed no cheap tactics to become able to jump ship, Kurt Angle actually lied to Vince McMahon about his health so he could get an early release on his contract. Vince could have made Kurt swear in writing under penalty of perjury that he the reason he sought that early release was the reason he was stating, and then, when Kurt Angle went to TNA, he could have gotten sued out his ass, but Kurt Angle took that chance. Now, again, put yourself in TNA's shoes: If a worker from your primary competition had enough confidence in your eventual success to lie to his current employer for an early release, taking the chance of that employer hating your forever and never hiring him again, even if TNA goes out of business and his only job otherwise is McDonald's, would you put him in the main event, or would you put him down as jobber to the stars? Again, don't tell me the latter, because I know better.
So what I'm trying to say in the fewest words possible is that TNA is considering much more than just ratings; they're also displaying moral fiber. Seriously, if all they cared about were ratings, don't you think they would have fired Russo by now?
Cage: Christian Cage was offered, in his exact words, a "pretty hefty sum" to stay with WWE, and he told Vince McMahon to kiss his ass. Put yourself in TNA's shoes: If someone of your top competition refuses a paycheck of that size just so they could come work for you, when few people had faith in your survival in the market, obviously extending a vote of confidence, wouldn't you want to reward that guy? Don't tell me no, because I know better. Now, put yourself in Christian's shoes: If you refused a paycheck of probably twice the amount you accepted so you could jump ship to a show with about one fourth the average ratings, with the expectation of being put in that show's main event, and you were demoted to mid-carder, wouldn't you be pretty pissed off that you were stabbed in the back? Again, I already know what your answer is, so don't bother answering this rhetorical question. TNA owes Cage big time.
Angle: Angle is an even bigger story. While Christian Cage waited patiently for his contract to expire and employed no cheap tactics to become able to jump ship, Kurt Angle actually lied to Vince McMahon about his health so he could get an early release on his contract. Vince could have made Kurt swear in writing under penalty of perjury that he the reason he sought that early release was the reason he was stating, and then, when Kurt Angle went to TNA, he could have gotten sued out his ass, but Kurt Angle took that chance. Now, again, put yourself in TNA's shoes: If a worker from your primary competition had enough confidence in your eventual success to lie to his current employer for an early release, taking the chance of that employer hating your forever and never hiring him again, even if TNA goes out of business and his only job otherwise is McDonald's, would you put him in the main event, or would you put him down as jobber to the stars? Again, don't tell me the latter, because I know better.
So what I'm trying to say in the fewest words possible is that TNA is considering much more than just ratings; they're also displaying moral fiber. Seriously, if all they cared about were ratings, don't you think they would have fired Russo by now?