Who is TNA's "next big thing"?

[Harthan]

The WWE is filled with these characters. MVP, Matt Hardy, John Morrison, the Miz, the members of Legacy, Shelton Benjamin, even Punk to some extent. These are names you hear tossed around all the time as the "next big thing" in WWE, future world champions, and the future of the company.

It's not a phrase you hear terribly often in TNA, however. It really seems like there's a deeply ingrained line between the main event and the rest of the card, and that there's no one straddling it. At one point, this was a title that belonged to Hernandez, but TNA's relentless drive to shove him to the bottom of the card and then his injury has obviously thrown him far out of the running. Pretty much every undercarder that fits the weight class is an X Division contender, or else a tag team competitor.

So who is it? Who is the person in TNA right now who, sometime soon in the future, will become a world champion, a main eventer, "the next big thing"?

Now, personally, I'm going to rule out AJ Styles, though I know many will fly at him. He's phenomenal, pun intended, no doubt, but the fact is, he's already there. He is pretty much a main eventer, even if he's not wrestling for the title a lot (though he clearly should be). He's already established as the man in TNA, and it's clear that when the spots open up, he's first in line. I'm more interested in a guy that's working his way up who might get into the same spot as AJ eventually.

For me, it's Matt Morgan. Morgan is one of the few undercarders in TNA who honestly has the total package from top to bottom. He has the look - he's a fantastic physical specimen in every respect. He's very charismatic - he handles the mic well, especially as a heel, and he's very strong in the ring. His association with the Main Event Mafia, hopefully ending with him becoming part of it, could be the catalyst he needs to leap into the main event. His program with Abyss got him noticed immediately as one of the top midcarders, and he's just about the fastest rising guy in TNA - but he's doing it quietly. If the Mafia angle is run in this direction, he could be used as a way to ensure that the Mafia gets the title back from someone in the Frontline - a young, powerful athlete to capture the title and bring it back to the family. It doesn't have to happen that way, but I hope he gets a big push out of this association, because he's one of the best in TNA.

So who is it for you? Who takes over when TNA's bulwark of aging stars falls apart? Who's going to be a world champion? Who is the "next big thing"?

 

[Blade]

This is a tough question, cause TNA really seems to be blurring the lines of who's in the main event and who's in the upper midcard.
Are Joe and AJ in the mainevent? Are Nash and Steiner in the upper midcard?
It's alot harder to tell in TNA than in WWE.

I think Jay Lethal will be really big one day, carrying the company. But he's still very very young despite being one of the best X Division Wrestlers.
Kaz would've been the next big if he had stayed in the Kaz gimmick. He was over, he was putting on great matches and taking established stars to the limit. But TNA decided to repackage him as a crappy character from a crappy game that was already a failure before Suicide debuted.

But I'm going to say the members of Beer Money will be main eventers within the next 2-3 years. They're getting pushed like crazy by Team 3D, it's borederline ass kissing. They're good in the ring, they're extremely over at the moment and they both have the 'look'.
I'm not sure if they'll feud with each other, or use the overness of their tag team to reach the main event, but Storm and Roode are definately going to be big... by TNA standards.

 

[Scott Free]

I would say Samoa Joe, if my calculations are correct, he could reach proportions so immense that he might generate his own gravity field. He's started as a one man Nation, next, he's going to move up to Continent of Violence, then his next step would obviously be to become the Planet of Violence, which of course would evolve into the Galaxy of Violence...well, you know where this is going, it looks like the WWE Universe will soon have some competition, that's providing that Joe doesn't get banned from all the buffets joints in the land first.


Peace out.

 

[ztwhite]

^^^^^^^^^^ That shit was funny by Scott Free ^^^^^^^^^^

As for answering the question, it has to be AJ Styles. Even though you list him as a main event level talent... there is no main event level talent in TNA. Every single one of their "main eventers" have been main eventers in another organization.

Styles is the only guy on their roster that I foresee having sticking power. He carries an extremely loyal fan base and truly is amazing (I wanted to use phenomenal, but...) in the ring.

Joe does not possess the look.

Roode and Storm have proven nothing as singles competitors, even though I thought Roode's feud with Booker T was pretty damn good.

MCMG... same as Roode and Storm.

Jay Lethal is stuck in a fun gimmick right now, but is he on a level with the Rock or Santino ??

Matt Morgan has amazing upside, but eventually for TNA to flourish, they'll have to add more travel and more shows and I'm not sure Morgan can handle it (he was allegedly burnt out in WWE because of it).

Kaz is injury prone.

Eric Young is buried under the senior citizens, although a push may be coming and I'll withold an opinion at this time.

I think I've pretty much weeded out the roster (if I forgot someone, accept my apologies) and it leaves me with one choice - AJ Styles.

 

[evilshizno]

now i dont know if it would even happen but i would say the black pope himself elijah burke,i know he just recently had his tryout match with tna and is not even with the company yet but c'mon think about it elijah burke in tna would be amazing...if u couldnt tell im a lil bit of a mark for the black pope lol but if its not him then it would be a toss up between alex shelly,matt morgan,robert roode and james storm,and maybe hernandez.not a huge hernandez fan but the dude can wrestle his ass off.

 

[LCShazardous]

if amazing red can stay in then maybe if he could start going big and strong with the main event but thats not for a long long time

Hernandez they apparently love hernandez in TNA and he'll make it injury or not

thats all i can think of or really want to see in the main event

 

[The Infant Finite]

IMO, lot of this hedges on whether or not TNA gets they're booking straight but I can see a few guys who could flourish if or when given the chance.
I think first and foremost, Robert Roode. The guy has it all if you ask me, he shows me flashes of Curt henning when i see him in that ring and I believe that if he ever gets the main event push that Curt SHOULD have gotten, He will be huge one day.


Another guy is Alex Shelley, the guy is masterful in that six sided clusterfluck of a ring. They're may very well never be a place for him in The WWE, but man if TNA just got it together back there in creative, found the right character for him. Thats his only forseeable drawback to me is inconsistent character development. This guy could be something special if TNA gets they're creative team away from the power lines they must live under.


Matt Morgan has the look, but there is just something about him I dont buy into. I'll admit have no clue what it is, but I just don't find the guy appealing despite the fact that I can't find one flaw in the guys look or work.
There is just something missing, maybe thats why he didn't las in the WWE (shrugs). Of course i could be wrong and he could end up being huge...by TNA standards (ty blade lol).

 

[gd]

I don't think that AJ and Joe should count, as they have already won world titles in TNA and have been main eventers, even if their role is undertermined at the moment. I think that Roode and Storm have potential, as well as Morgan, but I'll bring up a name that hasn't been mentioned yet.

Brutus Magnus. For a young guy, he's fantastic on the mic and really interesting. He's the leader of the British Invasion, which has looked pretty strong, and he holds the Feast or Fired Briefcase.

I know that they haven't played it up much, but he does posses a world title shot. Clearly I don't think it would be credible for him to cash it in now, but if they book him strong over the next few months, I'm sure he would be able to steal away the title and have a legitimate reign, proving himself as a credible main eventer.

 

[MattDaCripple24]

I'm gonna be the one to say it I suppose. In 3 month's, the next big thing in TNA, barring injury, will be Mr.Kennedy....Kennedy or whatever he changes his name too. As for those who are currently in TNA, I have to give it to Brutus Magnus, though it will take awhile, and without a doubt Matt Morgan, if they would just do something with him. On a very small maybe note, if they could get creative with it...Stevie Richards, but I doubt they will. I know he's old, but he has some good stuff left in him. I just have a feeling.

 

[Horseman1021]

Two guys stick out the most for me. Robert Roode seems like a natural top shelf heel for TNA. Very consistant in the ring. Good on the microphone and he already did a good job working a high profile feud with Booker. As much as I enjoy Beer Money Inc. I think they pushed Roode back by sticking him in a tag team when they had built some momentum with him as a singles heel.

Another guy is Alex Shelly. Shelly would be great as a Chris Jericho type for TNA. Once again he's stuck in a tag team right now, but if they ever turned him loose as a singles star, he can make some serious noise in TNA. He actually reminds me a lot of Brian Pillman.

I think the big problem is the lack of a secondary title for TNA. The X-Divison was starting out as a legit secondary title but now has become more of a gimmick belt for these cruiserweight type matches. I think a US title or some kind of championship to that effect would be good for the mid card stars like Roode, Shelly, Hernandez, Magnus, Morgan and Daniels to compete for. They can wrestle thier more convetional styles not the X-Divison style, and I think the fans can start to see them taking the next step to the take on the established stars like Angle, Styles, Joe, Jarrett and Sting to become true main eventers.

 

[rnzrkorip]

brutus magnus-tna did the right thing putting him in a faction. he needs to time to establish himself. matt morgan-other than the fact that i need to see some better ring work, total package. and misterrrrrrrrrrrrrr kennedy!.........kennedy! when he arrives assuming the bastard doesn't hurt himself or anybody else.

 

[Lil Wes]

Mr. Anderson when he gets there. He's just getting into the prime of his career, has more charisma and mic ability than damn near everyone on that roster. The main thing is he'll have more freedom, and allowed to be himself instead of being held back and told to be cheesy. That will get him along way assuming he stays healthy, which with a much lighter schedule is likely.

For someone there, Styles should have been the face of the company already. He's got the look, ring ability and charisma even though it doesn't show on the microphone.

 

[Hacksaw Highway]

Matt Morgan. He's get one of the best looks in the business, and a great gimmick that puts the focus on that look. Sure, guys like Khali, Kane and Big Show may be bigger, but he is a 7 foot tall, jacked up monster. On top of that he's good at working the mic, and I think he's been improving nicely in the ring. Seriously though, he'll be champion in 2 years tops.

 

[Miko]

Dunno, I wouldve said AJ, one fault I have with TNA is that it really does lack the potential future stars that WWE have. Somebody will say Alex Shelly or whatever but I really cant see it, he's kinda just a flippy.

However, I actually thought of this while typing that last bit, Roode and Storm, both of them. More in those two than there is in Matt Morgan in my eyes. They could well be the Sting and Warrior of this generation, that is to say a tag team in which both members go onto success, hopefully neither will be as greedy as Warrior.

Yeah my moneys on Beer Money.

 

[XxXEGfanXxX]

TNA's Next Big thing is in my opinion matt morgan...the guys a complete package mic skill is decent he gains tremendous heat as a heel n he can keep up with the likes of kurt angle..if they build him as a brock lesnar kinda heel he can do big things in TNA.