Fans Can Now Vote on Gut Check Competitors

[It's Damn Real!]

TNA IMPACT WRESTLING is launching The TNA Gut Check Challenge, creating an interactive experience by letting fans decide the one previous “TNA Gut Check” participant who is most deserving of appearing on IMPACT WRESTLING’s “TNA Gut Check” segment on Spike TV.

First Round voting will begin Saturday morning at ImpactWrestling.com

ImpactWrestling.com will host the TNA Gut Check Challenge with fans interacting to decide the ultimate winner. A tournament format will be open to past participants in the “Gut Check” seminars with videos, short bios and more. This format will give fans a direct impact on who wins the Gut Check Challenge. Fans will learn about the different participants and ultimately choose their favorite to advance.

The tournament will be staged in rounds with fans voting to decide who will advance in each round until the final matchup – and winner - is ultimately decided.

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Of course the first thing I thought of reading this is years back when TNA allowed fans to vote on who should get a shot at the WHC online, when they overwhelmingly voted in favor of Desmond Wolfe, who ended up being squashed by RVD in like a four-minute match. Gotta hope this doesn't go the same route.

That said, it sounds like another pretty promising adjustment to the Gut Check segment. It has the potential to blow up in their faces, but I think it's a pretty calculated risk regardless.

Thoughts?

[KJ]

The BFG Series, The X Division tournament, The Jokers Wild tournament, now this? Not to mention all past tourneys. TNA has a scary Tourney fetish. But regardless, putting fan-votes on Gut Check will give 2 benefits. #1 People the fans want to see will get picked, #2 We'll see the margin of just how much people care about the segment. Imagine a crappy 100 votes tallied on the first round.

The thing I have against Gut Check is that these guys just simply try to suck up. To the fans, to the judges, to anyone. Sob stories, "this is all I've wanted in life". The same song but remixed with Pitbull in it so it sucks more each time. Joey Ryan has been the only guy worthwhile with these Gut Check segments and he's only passable at best. A guy who says "pick me or f*ck off, I'm damn good" cannot be so hard to find.

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

In all honesty, other than whoever loses this week's Gut Check, none of the past performers deserve a second chance. The ones who were cut before had the moves and charisma of dried fruit. And not the good fruit like bananas or blueberries. We're talking if someone decided to dry raisins or prunes. Nobody wants to see these people again. And while this is a genius idea, it would be better rolled out later to save guys like this week's loser who looked good but didn't get the contract.

[Rayne]

Ah, the fan vote. A classic way to get fans to feel they have a say in the product, while gathering information on their marketing efforts. Without having to listen to a word that the fans say.

I remember a couple of years ago when they had a fan poll to declare a #1 contender, and Desmond Wolfe absolutely demolished it. The shot ended up going to Sting, who at that moment in time had zero momentum. (The match didn't build it, either.) I'm curious to see if the fans will actually decide, or if they will "have a voice" in the decision. Of course, that's nothing you can't change when you publish the vote totals- they are under no obligation to publish anything adhering to reality.

[fenderjapan]

Its a pretty cool idea from a fan participation perspective. There is really no risk to TNA. Since its pro wrestling they can always have a contestant get taken out backstage or something if its someone they dont want to advance in the tournament. Just because the fans vote for someone doesn't mean they can't rig it with storylines.

We'll see how it goes.

[MB1025]

I don't think this is for the people we saw on TV.

ImpactWrestling.com will host the TNA Gut Check Challenge with fans interacting to decide the ultimate winner. A tournament format will be open to past participants in the “Gut Check” seminars with videos, short bios and more.

Seminars are the tryouts they hold at house shows. Not what we see on Spike TV. Maybe it will be a mixture of that.

[It's Damn Real!]

Voting is now open in 16 different brackets with over 20 wrestlers in each bracket.

http://www.impactwrestling.com/gutcheckchallenge

Independent wrestlers galore. Those who follow the independents, I'd imagine, will find a number of names they know and appreciate, but I have a hard time imagining many casual fans are going to click through this many profiles, or watch this many blurry YouTube videos to determine who among them is best, but hey... I've been wrong before.

[KJ]

So far I've picked out:

Tomasso Ciampa

Sami Callahan

Chase Stevens (From TNA's The Naturals)

Ricky Reyes

And Noriega A Former WWC World Champion. Not much.

TNA really should put their ring names in a parenthesis next to their real names. Though other than the above mentioned, I don't anything promising.

[Uncle Sam]

Jesus H. Christ! They really took the work out of this one, didn't they? Even those of us without lives, work obligations or whatever still need to sleep. There's no way I'm sifting through all these names in the hopes of eventually coming across someone who I sort of recognise.

If, like, Kevin Steen's hiding away in there somewhere, somebody tell me. Otherwise, I'll be making better use of my time.

Nice idea though. I guess.

[mistasyn]

I'm behind John Yurnet aka Mr. 450 Hammett. He is in Bracket 10 and he is a former IWA Jr Heavyweight Champion, NWS Jr Heavyweight Champion, WWC TV and Jr Heavyweight Champion, Dreamwave Alternative Champion, and LCPW Heavyweight Champion. He is currently wrestling in Billy Corgan's Resistance Pro out of Chicago. Here is a little montage, that should demonstrate he is worthy of making the cut, compared to people giving away votes because they have big families.