EXCLUSIVE: Frankie Kazarian won his first world title in November and lost it after 63 days, but he wants to win it back again one day as he still has the hunger to compete 28 years into his career
Veteran TNA star Frankie Kazarian has his eyes firmly set on winning back the world championship as he feels “shortchanged” by his brief title run.
The grand slam champion – who takes on Elijah at Rebellion tonight – held the world title for 63 days from November to January, when he dropped it to Mike Santana.
Frankie, 48, said: “Now that I’ve tasted the nectar of Gods that is the TNA World title, I want it again. I feel like I was shortchanged, I feel like I need to be the guy leading this company now and into the future. So that’s my goal is getting my TNA title back.”
Speaking exclusively to your Daily Star, he told how special it was for him to lift the title 22 years after he debuted in TNA and just before the company debuted on cable channel AMC in the US.
He said: “It felt like validation for decades of hard work and loyalty to the company and to be given that opportunity to be the world champion especially so close to our debut on AMC was special.
“I got into pro wrestling to be a world champion and it took a little while but I accomplished it. So it was very, very special. It was being discussed early last year and even the previous year.
“There were ideas and it was going to happen then it’s like ‘we’re going to do something else’ so even up to the minute I’m never 100% sure. Until that 1,2,3 happens and you’re holding that title in your hands, that’s when it’s real.
“You have those moments when its just you in the hotel room and you’re holding the belt and you think of being a 7 year old kid and all those emotions come through.”
Having his hand raised in victory against Mike Santana last November was the crowning achievement in a 28 year career which saw Frankie win every other title in TNA.
After his debut in 2003, he quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young stars in the company and helped launch its X-division along with the likes of AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.
And he was named one half of tag team of the year with Christopher Daniels by the esteemed Wrestling Observer news outlet in 2012.
Reflecting on it being 23 years since his debut in TNA, he said: “Sometimes it feels that long, sometimes it feels like it’s gone by in the blink of an eye. To think it was that long ago is insane.
“There are so many standout moments – winning my first X-division title from Amazing Red in 2004. That was my first big major title so that was very special. Competing in the very first Ultimate X match, so many of the Ultimate X moments, wrestling Kurt Angle on tv.
“People were telling me on my first day that TNA would be done in two weeks. You look at the stars and the magnitude of the talent that has passed through and that is here now, it’s very cool to see.”
And despite being 28 years into his career, he still has a burning desire to compete and lead TNA into a new era.
He added: “The fact we have debuted on AMC and we’re doing very well and we’re on such a major network with so many eyeballs on us, that hasn’t always been the case with TNA. It’s a very exciting time to be in the company.
“As an elder statesman, none of that is lost on me. I’m proud to be a TNA guy. Kurt Angle came, Hulk Hogan came, that put eyeballs on us. But they eyeballs are on us now because of the collective hard work of all of us.
“We are now on AMC, we came to the people. So now we’re on the map. We’re where we are now because of the work TNA has done collectively.
“TNA is healthier than it’s been in a long time and my job is to continue to grow the company and make it the best it can be. We want more and more people to watch and get invested and follow along our stories.
“I want us to continue to make relationships with television partners in every corner of the world that we perhaps aren’t in right now. I want the fans that maybe have never given us a chance to give us a chance or the fans that wrote us off to come back.
“I want to us to put out the best wrestling product that we possibly can to get people to be TNA fans.”
TNA Rebellion 2026 takes place at 7pm local time Saturday, April 11, (11pm UK time). Fans in the UK can watch on the TNA+ app, which can be downloaded here, and also includes access to the full TNA content library for just £9.99 a month or £99.99 for the year.
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