Who is the Future of TNA?

[It's Damn Real!]

Kurt Angle is 44. Rob Van Dam is 41. Devon is 40. Bully Ray is 41. Sting is 53. Hernandez is 39.

When you move down a rung on the totem pole, Jeff Hardy is 35. Austin Aries is 34. Bobby Roode is 35. James Storm is 35. Matt Morgan is 35. AJ Styles is 35. Mr. Anderson is 36.

The list goes on, and it's rather top heavy in guys on the "wrong" side of 35, or rapidly approaching that mark. I use 35 as the marker because across the majority of professional sports that is the age marker in almost every professional league where retirement becomes a very real threat/reality, so why should pro-wrestling be any different? A lot of these guys are probably in worse shape at the age of 25 than an NHL defenseman might be at 35, for example.

But my point is, TNA is banking a ton of their success, and subsequently their future, in older performers who have much clearer, much more visible expiration dates. That's not to say that these performers dont' have value. Just the opposite, in fact, but factoring in their actual age, can they really be considered the "future" of TNA? I could buy an argument for guys like Aries, Storm, Roode and even Morgan despite being near or on the wrong side of 35, but at some point it seems pertinent to put a little more stock in a few more young guns (no pun intended), no?

As far as I'm concerned they have a really nice starting point with a guy like Kenny King (31) and especially Magnus (who's just 26), but when you look up and down the TNA roster it's glaringly devoid of much "young" talent at all. While I'm sure the guys at or near 35 are still likely to have a number of years more to their careers, again, to me it's important to start trying to find a bit more by means of talent young enough to build on for the future.

Aside from guys like Magnus and King, do you see any real potential stars currently on the TNA roster? If so, who, and why, and if not, who do you think TNA should be targeting as potential stars moving forward?

[Alex]

I was going to say Austin Aries because, well the guy is awesome and he hasn't sustained the injuries (as far as I know) of someone like Hardy.

But if we're talking long term ten years or something then Magnus is my pick. The guy has a good look, is a good talker and has time to improve.

I'd hazard Joey Ryan as a suggestion, he's in his early 30s I think. Maybe it's just bias, but I like him, think he's a good talker and good in the ring. I'm sure if given the ball he'd roll with it (providing it didn't slip out because of lubricant)

[snoopy]

Crimson is the future of TNA, People crapped all over his winning streak but the guy was solid all around. His ring work was solid as was his mic skills. The guy is 6'6 260 and can move, He's also well versed in MMA. He's the future, 26 years old and he's only going to get better.

[Slash-LN]

Since you said aside from Magnus who would have been my pick I'm going to say with a different gimmick a guy like Robbie E could have potential to be a future star in TNA. A lot of people don't really like him but he's not as bad in the ring as people say. I think people just can't get around his look and I don't blame them. He is dedicated to wrestling and if the company were to invest time in him I think it would be good for both sides.

Jesse Sorensen looks like he has beefed up quite a bit since he's been out with the injury so it will be interesting to see what he's like when he comes back. He already had a decent look and wasn't terrible in the ring.

Zema Ion is one of the future stars of the X division. I really don't get why people don't like him. He's not the greatest in the ring but he's far from the worst. I like his attitude. I think he makes for a great heel. He's one of those people you want to see get beaten up. I feel like he definitely has a bright future ahead of him.

Crimson as mentioned above is still young and should only get better. He already has had a great start to his TNA career. He still has time to improve and that can only mean good things for him.

So at the core I think TNA has at least 6 wrestlers who have the potential to have a good career ahead of them.

Magnus
Kenny King
Robbie E
Jesse Sorensen
Zema Ion
Crimson

I'll need to see some of the gut check wrestlers again, aside from Christian York who is too old to be the future, and check out some OVW talent to see who they have there that they could bring back.

[ramblinroy682]

Don't know who the future is...but, they've got a lot of guys who should be in the prime of their careers right now. That whole list of 35'ers. Problem is the 40+'ers are still there. They should be finding a handful of newcomers to mix in. They've tried Garrett, Gunner, Crimson, Magnus, Zema Ion, Jesse Sorenson, and Robbie E. None have made the "impact" they're looking for.

I think Crimson and Magnus are the only two that might have a shot down the road. OVW doesn't really have anyone screaming to come up to the main roster. Sam Shaw, Alex Silva? I don't think so. It's time to find somebody though...

[UrUp]

The future of TNA is not currently on the roster, with a few exceptions.

Unless they go to WWE, guys like Styles, Roode, Storm will grow old in TNA and we can expect to see them for the next 10 years. Unless they're good investors what else will they do?

The young crop of guys on the roster are okay, but no one I'd would build the company around. Magnus probably has the most potential of the under 30 crew, but do you see him as a guy who'll carry the company?

It's going to take more then him and the other guys around him currently aren't enough.

TNA doesn't have a game changer among their young talent and unless they can snatch one groomed by WWE, I don't think they're capable of finding one.

Things could change now that they have OVW, but so far I'm not impressed with the talent they've assigned their.

Robbie E, Crimson, Magnus, Joey Ryan, Kenny King, Chris Sabin, Wes Brisco, and Jesse Sorensen are adequate pieces, but not names I'd feel comfortable declaring the future.

[It's Damn Real!]

Crimson gets a lot of flack from internet fans who demand perfection off the bat, but I see a fuck ton of potential in him. In fact, as I believe I've said before — he's going to be a future World Heavyweight Champion in TNA, without a doubt. His issue is his actual in-ring ability, which is something he can continue to hone in OVW for the time being, but is also the least important of the three integral aspects to making a superstar/world champion: (1) adequate ring work, (2) exceptional verbal skills and (3) great look/gimmick. To me, he's about 1/3 of the way there already based on look, and if his mic work picks up it'll be enough to mask his someone lackluster ring presence. Then again... since when has a lack of "moves" ever stopped a guy from rising to the top? Scott Steiner or Kevin Nash, anyone?

Magnus to me is the real deal — a guy who the company could center around, in fact, once a lot of the older generation still in TNA today exit the show. He has everything you need in a superstar. Great look, great verbal talent and is more than adequate in the ring.

Robbie E I absolutely can buy a future in, if he drops the Jersey gimmick. He's gonna have go have a major overhaul where he shaves his head and comes back better as a serious competitor, not just the guy in a cardigan each week. He actually has all the tools, including exception mic skill, so he's off to a great start.

I don't really see the potential at all in guys like Sorensen (generic, bland), Ion (generic, bland and weak looking) or Gunner though (bland).

[Nolan]

The obvious are without a doubt Magnus and Kenny King from the current roster, at OVW they have Crimson that it's being groomed for stardom at TNA without a doubt. However there is a guy that people forgot to mention I think, and it's Jessie Godderz.

Jesse is working with TNA since January now specially at OVW and he's learning his craft. He's also 26 years old and he has a great look in him and a possible good future given that he keeps improving and being somehow relevant for the fans. I don't think the way he debuted was exactly the right way, but things are what they are and we have to learn how to accept those things. King Mo can also be a good character if he actually pursuits more in professional wrestling.

Now there also young guys that simply make me want to kill myself, guys like Wes Brisco, Garrett Bischoff, Sam Shaw... I mean guys that need to work a lot, that need to have a good and interesting character and that's all on TNA's Creative Team. But in perspective TNA can still go at it for the next decade.

[Papa Pillman]

I would say that when the bulk of your main event is built around guys in their mid-30s, that is no reason to start really worrying/panicking about the future.

Lets look at Angle- he broke his neck in world class competition in his late 20s before even starting a legendary pro wrestling career, and he's still a high level worker in his mid 40s. Guys like Ray and RVD are still going strong north of 40, despite having worked a career full of matches in an environment that was very dangerous and fully taxing, not just in ECW, but in the WWE as well considering the hardcore gimmick matches that made up alot of their major encounters in the late Attitude Era. Flair was still working matches on a very regular schedule well north of 40, despite coming up in an age where he would often work up to eight 30-plus minute matches a week for fifty weeks a year in his prime as the face of Jim Crockett's promotions.

In light of that, I'd say guys like Aries, Hardy, Styles, Storm, Roode, Kaz, Ryan, Morgan, Anderson, EY and Joe all(or most) have a good 5-10 years left on their bodies, and possibly even more in some cases.

With that said, the likelihood is that the guys who will be the next major wave of TNA main event stars once the majority of the current guys decline are probably not even on the roster yet.

Yes TNA has some guys like King and Magnus who you mentioned IDR who can be transitioned to big stars going forward, as well as guys like Shiima Zion, Chris Sabin and Jesse Sorenson. But the best bet may be to look onto the Indy circuit for the future faces of the company.

There are lots of top Indy stars still in their twenties who may have no mutual interest either way with TNA at this point, but down the line once they have accomplished everything they desire on the independent circuit, and have been passed up by the WWE enough times, TNA may become an option for them. Especially if TNA continues to grow as a company and can start to offer more monetary security than touring the country on an independent level can offer. ROH alone has a multitude of guys still south of 30, like Micheal Elgin, Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Eddie Edwards, Davey Richards, The Briscoe Brothers, Rhett Titus, Cedric Alexander, Roderick Strong, and so on who could one day fit that mold of a guy wanting to try new waters, much like Aries did a couple years back. That's not even to mention all the other 20-something aged guys in Chikara, PWG, Dragon Gate or other places on the Indy circuit who could one day fit like Sami Callihan, Willie Mack, Brian Cage, etc. Or maybe future returning guys like The Buck's or Tony Neese. The Indy circuit is full of the guys who will one day fill out TNA's(and even WWE's) main roster when we approach the year 2020.

[It's Damn Real!]

Originally Posted by The History

The obvious are without a doubt Magnus and Kenny King from the current roster, at OVW they have Crimson that it's being groomed for stardom at TNA without a doubt. However there is a guy that people forgot to mention I think, and it's Jessie Godderz.

Jesse is working with TNA since January now specially at OVW and he's learning his craft. He's also 26 years old and he has a great look in him and a possible good future given that he keeps improving and being somehow relevant for the fans. I don't think the way he debuted was exactly the right way, but things are what they are and we have to learn how to accept those things. King Mo can also be a good character if he actually pursuits more in professional wrestling.

Now there also young guys that simply make me want to kill myself, guys like Wes Brisco, Garrett Bischoff, Sam Shaw... I mean guys that need to work a lot, that need to have a good and interesting character and that's all on TNA's Creative Team. But in perspective TNA can still go at it for the next decade.

Godderz is an interesting cat. His look is tremendous, as he's in phenomenal shape, and that alone can carry a guy far (hi, Rob Terry), but Jesse is gonna need to show me a little more in a higher profile feud than taking chest slaps from ODB for six straight minutes before I can adequately make a judge on his character, or his future.

I dig the narcissist foundation to his character, and his look and verbal skills are passable, if not better than average, but it's his ability (or failure to) transfer that into feeding a feud that actually grows because of it that'll determine his true value. I think the jury is still out on him, as it's way too early to judge. Same with Crimson, really.