Summary

Frankie Kazarian says the idea of putting the TNA World Championship on him was on the table long before it finally happened in late 2025.

Kazarian won the title in November 2025 when he cashed in his Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy on a worn-down Mike Santana. His reign lasted until January 2026, when Santana beat him on the AMC premiere edition of TNA iMPACT to win the championship back.

Looking back on that run, Kazarian said the discussions around a title win had been going on since 2024, which fits the way TNA often lets major booking ideas develop over time before pulling the trigger.

Quote from Frankie Kazarian

"Things are discussed all the time. Like, all the time. This happened last year in like, what? October? November, early November. It was being discussed early that year, even the previous year. There were ideas and there was like, 'Oh, it's gonna happen.' It's like, 'Ah, we're gonna do something else' so like, even up to the minute, I'm never 100 percent sure. Until that 1, 2, 3 happens and you're holding that title in your hand, that's when it's real… It's pro wrestling. It's the nature of the beast. Things change all the time so, there had been discussions for the previous year before that had happened."

What Kazarian's comments mean for TNA

Kazarian's comments underline that his world title victory was not a last-minute pivot, even if the final decision only became real once the match was over. That adds a little more context to how TNA positioned him during that stretch, especially after he turned the Call Your Shot trophy into a short but meaningful run with the company's top belt.

It also keeps Kazarian connected to the promotion's bigger stories even after dropping the championship back to Santana. With Santana set to defend the title against Eddie Edwards at Rebellion and Kazarian also staying visible on the card, TNA is still treating him as an important part of the upper card while he balances other appearances, including a booking for Create A Pro's Monumental show in May.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.