Why isn't AJ Styles, the TNA World Champion, the focus of Impact?

The past several days, I’ve posted 20 questions on WWE, TNA and the Indies, inviting readers to answer. After, I’ll be posting some reader response and commenting on what I think. Feel free to continue to post responses on any question after the one I’ve already answered (I’ll be going in order). The awesome Andy Wheeler replied to all 20 WWE questions over on Pulse Wrestling. No one knows more about the WWE mindset than Wheeler, so be sure to give him a read. Let’s answer the fist TNA question.

1.       AJ Styles is the World Champion. Why isn’t he the focus of TNA’s television show?

“They've suddenly decided they don't want to overexpose their champion? Best rationale I can think of. Not a good one, considering that Kurt Angle was in pretty much every other segment when he was champ, but all I've got. AJ can't talk well, so he can't be doing 15 minute interviews, and they may want to create anticipation for his match against Sting by keeping them both out of the ring.” – Brad Curran

Building anticipation by leaving them off television just doesn’t work for me.  I understand the thought process – AJ is spectacular in the ring and the less you see, the more impressive it is, while there’s only so much Sting respect stuff I can take – all this really accomplishes is to make this huge match have less importance than whatever Kurt Angle and Bobby Lashley stuff is going on. 

There are several ways to build anticipation for AJ vs. Sting without having them wrestle.  First, play up the similarities between AJ Styles vs. Sting and a young Sting vs. Ric Flair.  There aren’t a ton of parallel’s but Sting identifying with young AJ would work.  More, AJ can be resting for his match, but a heel wants the title shot, so he tries to take out Sting using numbers.  AJ gets to save Sting with fancy moves a couple of times and looks even better.  Finally, AJ can promise a new, fancy move since he isn’t sure he can top Sting’s experience and that can be hyped.  Any combination of these would be better than just ignoring them.

As for why this is being ignored, well Vince Russo has never had much of an attention span it seems.  He has two new toys to play with that get to be the focus of the show.  First, Bobby Lashley is a big name who cost a lot of money.  TNA and Russo probably feel justified in shifting him extra focus, even if he is bland.  The World’s Elite , the other major story, is getting everyone’s heat and dominating the show.  From Kurt Angle, to Hernandez, everyone who has been spending time being built up over the past year is being involved with the World’s Elite.  With these two storylines (and the Knockouts who outdraw them all) taking over all of Impact, TNA just hasn’t paid enough attention to their champion and top guy, AJ Styles, coming up on one of the biggest matches of his career.