Who, or What, is "The Miracle"? Mike Bennett That's Who!

[It's Damn Real!]

Earlier this morning TNA's official Twitter began re-tweeting tweets from @TheMiracleTNA, which are composed primarily of cryptic motivational messages and images pushing the #TheMiracleHappens hashtag that seems to be the official campaign for whoever this might be.

Two key clues/thoughts here:

1. This account was already in use. Active since 2013. It's been altered, and old tweets deleted, so it now appears as @TheMiracleTNA instead of whatever it was before.

2. Mike Bennett—who TNA have reportedly secured for the 1/5 POP TV debut—has used the "Miracle" nickname in the past.​

I am fully expecting Bennett to debut regardless, but I personally don't think this is for him. Namely because of the 2013 hang-up above. My first guess is actually this being Taryn Terrell's new gimmick. We read toward the latter half of 2015 that she'd gone out and found God, or something, and wanted to move away from the sexualized nature of her Dollhouse character. Whether that was a work or not, this fits the theme. Though it's worth noting the last time TNA thought it wise to try to play on this God thing it failed pretty miserably with Christopher Daniels and Sting. But perhaps that's much ado about nothing.

Also, inb4 "the miracle is that TNA is still in business". I've read that joke probably a dozen times today. No less funny, I'll admit, but let's just get it out of the way early, yeah?

 

[akathelaw]

Mike Bennett is the safest bet to be Miracle. We know he is debuting with Maria on the live show, and he is being viewed as another fixture of the main event picture that TNA is currently rebuilding. TNA needs to be putting all of their creative energy at the top right now, so more wrestling fans will have a reason to tune in each week. If this is a debut for a midcard act or a Knockout rebranding like Taryn Terrell, honestly that's just not what is going to turn around TNA's current situation.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I seriously doubt that. If TNA managed to sign someone as important as Punk, that's something you don't tease. You announce it to the fucking world. The way they did Hogan. Press conference at a major location, invitations out to ever major media outlet in shouting distance.

 

[ShinChan]

I think its Mike Bennett surely.... And i hope its him only.... TNA has a new deal so they should concentrate on making stars like EC-III and not on rebranding their previous talents... They were very successful with EC-III and i hope they get success with Drew Galloway & Mike Bennett too!
Also hoping whoever this Miracle is, It really serves the purpose of a Miracle for TNA!

 

[filthyanimalz]

I have no idea but I am very intrigued, looking forward to the show. I think it will most likely be Bennett but if it is a BIG name, I could only think of Punk or Goldberg.

 

[Messiah]

I seriously doubt that. If TNA managed to sign someone as important as Punk, that's something you don't tease. You announce it to the fucking world. The way they did Hogan. Press conference at a major location, invitations out to ever major media outlet in shouting distance.

lol as important as Punk.. He's not that important. Jesus Christ, you guys seriously gotta stop overrating this guy. It's getting pathetic.. And don't ever fucking use the Hogan comparison for this.. Punk is a pile of shit compared to Hogan.

I get you guys like sucking his dick, but it's getting kinda embarrassing.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

lol as important as Punk.. He's not that important. Jesus Christ, you guys seriously gotta stop overrating this guy. It's getting pathetic.. And don't ever fucking use the Hogan comparison for this.. Punk is a pile of shit compared to Hogan.

I get you guys like sucking his dick, but it's getting kinda embarrassing.

Your homophobic drivel aside, Punk is that important. He's a television ratings star in an era where wrestling in general has been watching the needle consistently decrease. Not just for TNA. For the industry as a whole.

And for good reason too — the market has become a cost-prohibitive, aging platform where cable-cutting is an ever-more-attractive option for Millenials ("New Customers" to cable company execs) who are far more plugged into a platform the wrestling industry still hasn't truly embraced or understood (the internet). It may not be there yet, but the days of coax and regularly scheduled programming are going the way of the newspaper, which is going the way of the dinosaur.

Punk may be a "pile of shit", or whatever other negative things you think of him, but all pun intended, he'd be the biggest miracle for TNA in their history. But like I said before, I seriously, seriously doubt it's him.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It's interesting as this sounds a lot like Mattitdude in some ways... Bennet makes sense if they're gonna have Hardy end up the TNA champ or if they're gonna have him upset (if he's leaving) then it makes a bit of sense that his own "play" came back to bite him.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

lol as important as Punk.. He's not that important. Jesus Christ, you guys seriously gotta stop overrating this guy. It's getting pathetic.. And don't ever fucking use the Hogan comparison for this.. Punk is a pile of shit compared to Hogan.

I get you guys like sucking his dick, but it's getting kinda embarrassing.

That's a ridiculous statement. It's clear that with people still talking about Punk as much as they do, this long after he left WWE...that he clearly is important. He's probably the biggest name out there that isn't contracted to WWE in some way.

It obviously isn't Punk though as he's all set up in UFC. As Mike Bennett has signed with TNA and used "The Miracle" as a nickname before, it's pretty likely to be him.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

[YOUTUBE]fQuov97kdKM[/YOUTUBE]

So, bad ring music aside, this is money. Probably the best debut in years for a company who've mostly watched guys walk out the door, not in, the last few years.

Most importantly, he set his sights high (at the World Title) without having to interrupt the actual World Title match. Instead, he called out a guy he should be climbing over to get there while EC3 deals with Tyrus and probably Galloway — Matt Hardy. Hardy's a solid working hand. Perfect for this kind of upper-mid card spot.

Still, Bennett felt truly refreshing. A real bright spot on an otherwise regularly lit night.

 

[jpickens]

Too bad this miracle gimmick has cheesy written all over it would have preferred him to come out to either his old or similar theme music and cut to the chase rather this televangelist gimmick that to anyone not familiar with his ROH work will come off as an indie guy with a cheesy gimmick.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

While I'm sure he'll grow on me, I was really bothered by him stealing the template for Jericho's debut promo in 1999 or whatever it was. I didn't like the way he looked either. The hat, the silly suit. Seriously, it's 2016, let's chill with the overly gimmicky stuff? That's why Drew Galloway annoys the crap out of me. He's posing for the camera, changing his voice. Act natural, dude, no one acts like that.

Anyway, he can certainly talk, Maria's a great addition and I think that's going to be a good dynamic because you rarely get a male/female type of "team" that actually makes sense. I like that they debut together.

Lose the stupid hat, the stupid suit, stop ripping off Jericho too much and actually be a breath of fresh air instead of just saying that you will be and he's good. I get that he's probably meant to be a heel, but haven't we had enough of the "I'm better than everyone I'm here to change wrestling" gimmick? Please not again.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

We haven't seen a ton of Bennett, but what we have seen has been fantastic. Am I the only one who sees another EC3-like build happening here, where this guy is going to end up at the very top of the company within a calendar year? Heel or face, I’m not sure. My guess is heel, especially with the recent EC3 face turn last night.

But I can’t be the only one who thinks this guy can absolutely handle being the top heel in the promotion, can I? Especially with Maria at his side. They really are such a wonderful package deal. I actually had some doubts about how well he would come across based on what I’d seen of them in ROH, which is far more wrestling-centric, where Bennett was often exposed for not being that great of an in-ring tactician. But with TNA, a company a little more focused on the entertainment/personality, he’s being given a massive spotlight and doesn’t look at all out of place.

 

[TDFG]

We haven't seen a ton of Bennett, but what we have seen has been fantastic. Am I the only one who sees another EC3-like build happening here, where this guy is going to end up at the very top of the company within a calendar year? Heel or face, I’m not sure. My guess is heel, especially with the recent EC3 face turn last night.

I agree buddy.

It's good in a way that Bennett hasn't been pushed down the throats and given an almighty push straight up, a steady build and time for his character to develop is good considering the whole Hardy family thing & Angle retirement tour which TNA is doing at the minute, it looks like an ECIII style push for him.

 

[New Hot Fed]

We haven't seen a ton of Bennett, but what we have seen has been fantastic. Am I the only one who sees another EC3-like build happening here, where this guy is going to end up at the very top of the company within a calendar year? Heel or face, I’m not sure. My guess is heel, especially with the recent EC3 face turn last night.

But I can’t be the only one who thinks this guy can absolutely handle being the top heel in the promotion, can I? Especially with Maria at his side. They really are such a wonderful package deal. I actually had some doubts about how well he would come across based on what I’d seen of them in ROH, which is far more wrestling-centric, where Bennett was often exposed for not being that great of an in-ring tactician. But with TNA, a company a little more focused on the entertainment/personality, he’s being given a massive spotlight and doesn’t look at all out of place.

What part of him did you find fantastic? His shitty look or his average moveset?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

His phenomenal personality, actually, as well as his fresh look and pairing with Maria, who is also making waves in the stagnant Knockouts division.

Care not to cut yourself on all that edge.