Top champion stripped of title; it's immediately retired and new championship is introduced by director of authority with ex-WWE star furious

A top champion was stripped of her title, leaving a former WWE star furious. A new championship is now being introduced instead.

Santino Marella stripped Steph De Lander of the TNA Digital Media Champion, saying that she and Mance Warner could no longer call themselves the champion, where the ex-WWE star was only the champion because of her "divorce" from PCO.

The TNA director of authority said that he was stripping the erstwhile Persia Pirotta of the title, but there would be something new.

"You can't inherit the title from a divorce. What's wrong from your brains? Look, tonight, I'm going to take back the title and no longer can you call yourselves champions. But here's the good part: I believe the expression is from the ashes there will arrive, arise, a Beth Phoenix."

He declared that the TNA Digital Media Championship would be retired and the first-ever TNA International Championship would be held instead.

"At Unbreakable, you're going to have a tournament and the winner of this tournament will be declared the first-ever, in the history of TNA, the TNA International Champion. Now, this tournament is a tribute because back in 2005 in Unbreakable, there was a match, a three-ways match between AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Christopher Daniels for the X-Division Championship. That match made the world talk about TNA, so as a tribute to that match, every match in this tournament will be a three-ways match. So now, please hand over the title, and give it to me right now. Say goodbye, sayonara, arrivederci, farewell, give me the title." [0:47 onwards]

Before much more could happen, Mance Warner was assaulted by Sami Callihan, who went on to beat him with a baseball, continuing their months-long feud. He then threw him off the stage, leaving Steph De Lander more furious.

The ex-WWE star screamed as her title was taken away, and Warner left hurt.