Does TNA need developmental?

[Tastycles]

TNA is clearly gearing itself towards an assault on the WWE, but wil it be able to sustain such a push without a true developmental division? In the past, WCW had the powerplant, and initially at least they made a main eventer in The Giant. However, TNA has made very few of its own stars, using people straight from ROH or WWE, or people that have previously been in WWE or in some cases even WCW developmental. When it brings its own stars from nowhere, as it did with guys like Brutus Magnus and Jesse Neill, they are often far from the finished product. My question is does TNA need a systematic developmental arm, be it an official school or an actual minor promotion in order to establish itself as a major force?

I think it does, and the best thing for it to do would be to try and find a promotion in the southern states. If they get a promotion there, it will be reasonably well attended as minor league promotions go, as there aren't many alternatives there and it is a popular area. What say you?

 

[Pedro08]

Team 3D has a school where Rob Terry and Jessie Neal train, but they it's not officially part of TNA.

Bischoff was asked about this recently, it might have been during the 'State of TNA' interview. He didn't mention Team 3D's school, but did mention that The Nasty Boys either have or will be starting a wrestling school.

As far as an "official" developmental territory, like FCW, maybe down the road they will need one. Unlike WWE which has to fill 6 hours of wrestling a week, TNA only has 2 hours and already has a lot of wrestlers that are not being used regularly.

 

[Maestro48239]

I'm sure theres some smaller indy companies that would be tickled to get the chance to be used as a developmental company for TNA, it gives them more exposure, and gives them better talent to use in their cards

 

[bullsgo]

No. There's so much young, untapped, underdeveloped young talent already on the TNA roster. As the previous post stated, with only two hours of television time per week, it's already difficult enough to utilize the young talent that's available. TNA needs to focus on developing what they have right now on their plate. The last thing a growing mid level company such as TNA needs is a costly developmental territory. Perhaps years down the road when there is a demand for new talent, and the company is a serious mainstream player.

 

[Skorpiunz]

I think it does, and the best thing for it to do would be to try and find a promotion in the southern states. If they get a promotion there, it will be reasonably well attended as minor league promotions go, as there aren't many alternatives there and it is a popular area. What say you?

First off i must thank you from the bottom of my heart for not bashing, insulting, or referring to my favorite wrestling promotion..scratch that.. my favorite show.. scratch that.. the thing i look forward to every week in a demeaning way.

Perhaps TNA doesn't actually NEED developmental because they seem to scout out already established indie promotions. Its worked so far! Generation ME surprised the shit out of ME! get it? me, me? nvm..

since TNA is located IN the south maybe they could use a promotion in the north? canda perhaps? mexico? japan? either way i dont think its necessary becuase TNA seems to have good relationships with its collegues unlike the pompous ignorant monoply that is World Wrestling unEntertainment (haha im copyrighting that.)

You also mentioned brutus magnus if im correct. I'm not British or anything. But im a huge British invasion mark. They have character and skill in the mic and in the ring. they have muscle, speed and balance. hopefully with big rob on global, Doug on x division, Brutus can truly be pushed as the main eventer he so deserved to be in the beginning.

 

[Schizophrenic]

I dont think TNA needs a developmental right now. Their guys are training and going to work in other promotions when they are not doing TNA shows so you could consider that being involved in developmental. Right now as someone stated above, TNA has plenty of young and up and coming talent that right now they need to be focused on their current talent and that talent that is making waves in the indies that they could use greatly such as The Kings of Wrestling or Davey Richards.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Whilst I will agree with most that they don't need a developmental place just right this very minute, I think it's something they should give consideration to in the coming years. As has been stated on these boards many times, sometimes negatively, sometimes positively, many of their bigger stars are approaching the latter years of their careers, so while the younger talent they have can fill those roles when the older guys move on, they will need to think about ways to keep a good balance to their roster.

I'm struggling to remember who said it, but I think it was in an editorial a few months back that someone mentioned that WWE didn't have enough strong 'Main-Event' type talent coming through and hadn't focussed enough on their youth development in ample time, hence why we saw a lot of the same Championship matches there for some time.

I think developing their own brand of stars could also further legitimize TNA as a Wrestling company instead of snapping up wrestlers from smaller promotions, as they can mould and sculpt them from the basics onward. For the time being, yeh I'd agree they do have a fairly packed roster so there is no need for instant panic just yet

 

[wazaveli]

Team 3D has a school where Rob Terry and Jessie Neal train, but they it's not officially part of TNA.

Bischoff was asked about this recently, it might have been during the 'State of TNA' interview. He didn't mention Team 3D's school, but did mention that The Nasty Boys either have or will be starting a wrestling school.

As far as an "official" developmental territory, like FCW, maybe down the road they will need one. Unlike WWE which has to fill 6 hours of wrestling a week, TNA only has 2 hours and already has a lot of wrestlers that are not being used regularly.

This is so true. Im enjoying TNA so much nowadays but its surprising just how much talent gets left of TV.

They have scouts im sure who look at talent on the Indies and im sure many are referred to them or even send their tapes to get noticed.

TNA don't need any more talent but a developmental system is something im sure they have in the works and it is a good idea to have one.

 

[hellod245]

TNA already has a lot of wrestlers and they are right now producing only one show. TNA does not have enough money to produce developmental and let their wrestlers train there and get paid as well. TNA should be concentrating only to make impact better and bigger. First of all they need to raise production value. This will make them getting new viewers and once they start getting 2.5-3 ratings they can start thinking of making developmental centers to constantly produce new wrestlers.

 

[Platypus Palsy]

I think that having developmental would be a good idea, it could give some of the young talent they already have time to wrestle. A full web show instead of just a match or so would also be a good idea. SOMETHING for the talent to do other than sit there and do nothing. Of course they could also bring in some other talent and make them into home grown stars instead of having mostly old stars who got famous somewhere else.

 

[Richard Duggan]

Yes TNA needs developmental. I thought with Booker there they would use his own wrestling company, but now with him gone thats not going to happen. Im sure they could either get a florida based developmental seens how they are based in florida. Or they could get one in Tennesse. Mayave they will already use one that WWE used before like Deep South Wrestling or Ohio Valley.

 

[ABMorales787]

The situation was addressed during the "State Of TNA". Bishoff said that for the time being they would rather use schools offered by the talent and company friends. 3D and the Nasty's have (will have) and there may be more on the way. I think this would be best as the teachers can focus directly on a wrestlers weaknesses rather than throwing them out into TV unprepared. An advanced wrestling academy would suit TNA better than a farm territory for the time being.

 

[Kanye South]

Oh yes. TNA definitely needs developmental. Some of the biggest WWE stars of the past decade have come from a developmental territory. John Cena, Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Batista, Sheamus, etc. All from FCW or OVW. TNA could make several homegrown stars with this developmental territory. The fact that OVW produced three people that could main event WrestleMania right now should be enough motivation for TNA to go and get a developmental fed. TNA needs a developmental fed. Hopefully they can come up with a better name that NXT.

 

[Super Crazy]

I don't feel TNA needs a developmental system. Sure it would be nice to grow and train your own talent, but I feel that once a wrestler joins TNA and do something of note, their time in other promotions, although memorable, becomes easily forgotten. For example, Kurt Angle was with the WWE for years before going to TNA, however once he joined TNA, and to this day, I often forget he came from the WWE as he feels like a homegrown TNA talent to me now.

However, the plus to having developmental would be less mainstream releases, as in delevopmental, if someone isn't cut out for the business, you can see it there and drop the axe sooner rather then later.

 

[Remix]

I'm going to say no. Unlike WWE, TNA is perfectly happy to let people step out of the indies and into the Impact Zone with no new training required. It's one of the things that sets them apart from WWE in that talent can sign a contract and appear on TV all in a couple of weeks, rather than have to spend a period in FCW being taught about ring psychology, and how to work the WWE style.

Eventually TNA may need a developmental system, but for now their current approach is working and they shouldnt divert their limited resources from the essentials to developmental farms.