Chris Sabin wins the TNA heavyweight title from Bully Ray on Impact

Are you ready to accept Chris Sabin as your new TNA heavyweight champion? If you're not, well, tough titty, because he parlayed the title shot he earned by turning in the X Division title into his first reign as the company flagbearer, as he defeated Bully Ray on tonight's (July 18, 2013) episode of Impact from Louisville, Kentucky.

The match itself was nothing special. Ray, although a gifted performer, is still mostly limited as a worker. Sabin, despite all his physical talents, could only take him so far and it was only so long before the match was interrupted by both the Aces and 8s and the Main Event Mafia.

Naturally, the two sides cancelled each other out, although a hammer was left in the ring and it was that hammer, the same one the invading heels used to take out so many others during their extended reign of terror, and the same one Ray used on Jeff Hardy to win the title, that Sabin used to get the three count on Bully.

And so the fresh, clean babyface comeback story is complete.

Sabin battled back from multiple knee injuries, years on the sidelines rehabbing, and the same lack of belief in his ability to be the man thanks to his size that Daniel Bryan has dealt with for all these years. He's now the champion and while there's no telling how long it will last, he's got the belt for now and that's all that matters.

The underdog has done it again.

For complete results and the live blog from Impact click here.