Are Bischoff and Brisco Holding Aces and Eights Back?

[MINISTRYrising]

The biggest storyline in TNA over the last year has been the Aces and Eights. when they first Debuted and attacked Sting they quickly became one of the most talked about group's in wrestling and as the weeks went on it started to look more and more like it was going to be the storyline of the year, But as time went the storyline started to drag and when Members of the group were finally unmasked the fans seemed to feel a little underwhelmed by wrestlers who were under the masks, But for me the low point of the story was when Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco were finally revealed as members. TNA had been trying to make Aces and Eights look like a genuine threat to the company, but when these two were revealed to members of the group, Even myself who had been a fan of the storyline since the start had to admit that TNA might have just killed of the storyline completely. However the storyline continued and at the end of Lockdown it was revealed that Bully Ray had been the President of Aces and Eights all along and all of a sudden there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for the group after all. Bully has done a good job so far as leader of the group and has helped make them look more of a threat, But i am still finding it hard to take them seriously as a group with Bischoff and Brisco as members. Neither guy could wrestle there way out a wet paper bag and when it comes to Brisco talking on the mic, I get the overpowering urge to shoot myself. Sure they can't be blamed for everything that has gone wrong with the storyline so far, but with how things are going at the moment I just feel that if TNA were to drop them from the group and replace them with two other guys on the roster, it might help make the Aces and Eights look like a great faction which they had the potential to be when they first debuted.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

In the overall history of Aces & Eights, Garret Bischoff & Wes Brisco aren't the problem with the group. They're simply part of a larger problem that the group has had as a whole.

The past couple of weeks, it's started to look like that TNA MIGHT be changing their booking style of the group. Now that Bully Ray is the champ and has been revealed as the President of the group, TNA has booked them to generally look more formidable. Or, at the very least, they've had Aces & Eights members actually win matches for a change. I'm not going to say that TNA is turning the group around as it's far too soon for that. Also, it might just be too little, too late. After all, it's extremely difficult to build momentum for a group to make them seem like a massive threat when they've spent 99% of their existence coming off as a bunch of scrubs.

Bischoff & Brisco don't really bring any more or any less to the group than Mick Knox, or Knux I guess as he's called now, DOC, D'lo or most of the other members of the group. None of them are stars, or really anything approaching stars. At this point in time, Bully Ray & Devon are the only real stars in the group. Devon's stock is raised because of his past tag team glories with Bully Ray rather than what he's accomplished as a singles wrestler. But without Bully Ray, they're nobody.

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

None of them are stars, or really anything approaching stars. At this point in time, Bully Ray & Devon are the only real stars in the group.

Mr. Anderson is a star....or at least he was a bigger one a couple of years ago. Two time heavyweight champion, has had big matches with the likes of Sting, Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle. He added star power to Aces and Eights when they needed a bigger name. It's not his fault the way he's been booked. Also, D'Lo Brown might not mean much to a lot of the newer fans, but he was a somewhat big name back in '98-'99. Bischoff, Brisco, DOC and Knox are the only guys I'd agree with you on that. Knox is by far the lowest guy on the totem pole. He doesn't wrestle many matches and I don't think I've heard him speak since joining TNA. (Of course, after hearing him speak in WWE, I can see why they aren't letting him talk.)

Anyway, to the OP, Bischoff and Brisco aren't that bad in the ring. I think Bischoff is much better in a heel role. From the promos I've heard Brisco cut, they weren't bad. Brisco has beaten Angle a couple times so that gives him some credibility. Bischoff, I think, could gain some credibility if he beat Sting in a one on one match. (Or some other big name.) We've known that Brisco and Bischoff were going to be members of Aces and Eights for months and I doubt they'll be dismissed from the group anytime soon. If AJ Styles joins the group, (Probably won't happen.) that's another big name/star for the group. What about Crimson or Matt Morgan? Crimson hasn't been seen in close to a year and it seems Aces and Eights are trying to recruit guys that haven't been treated well in TNA. Morgan has a problem with Hogan, so it would make sense for him to join them.

 

[Azane]

Ya, I don't think any one person in NWO 3.0 is really holding them back, Biscoff and Brisco do seem out of place in the group, but it's not their fault directly.

Bischoff is just screwed because no matter what, the stigma of his name makes him seem infinitely weak as an actual wrestler, as all attention is drawn to his Father's legacy, no matter how much effort he puts into the athletic portion of the business.

A&8s has 1 huge problem, and that's just that it's had way too many people in it, to the point it's hard to keep track who's in and who's not, and it's mirroring many of the negative aspects that the NWO had.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Ya, I don't think any one person in NWO 3.0 is really holding them back, Biscoff and Brisco do seem out of place in the group, but it's not their fault directly.

Bischoff is just screwed because no matter what, the stigma of his name makes him seem infinitely weak as an actual wrestler, as all attention is drawn to his Father's legacy, no matter how much effort he puts into the athletic portion of the business.

A&8s has 1 huge problem, and that's just that it's had way too many people in it, to the point it's hard to keep track who's in and who's not, and it's mirroring many of the negative aspects that the NWO had.

About Bischoff, I think people don't really care he's Bischoff's son at this point. They probably never did, except in the beginning. Honestly, if Bischoff was actually talented I believe a lot of people wouldn't have a problem with liking him. A good wrestler is a good wrestler.

The Rock is third generation and no one hated him. Same goes for Orton. Now, before you say Bischoff is hated, let's clarify that the only people who really hate Bischoff are the common IWC trash who also hate Hogan and Russo for all the wrong reasons. They're parrots, they operate on repeat and don't even know why they hate these people. They think they do, but the reasons for that are completely false or half-truths at best.

That being said, even THOSE people will enjoy Bischoff if he was good. Talent is talent. But, he isn't. He has certainly improved but he's still at the bottom of the totem pole. If he reinvents himself and becomes good in the coming years I seriously doubt anyone will trash him for being Bischoff's kid.

On topic now, a couple of people don't hold back the whole group. If the group was held back by anything, it's the writing. The things that have been happening since Bully turned should have happened months ago.

In TNA's defense, they really had to build it up in order for this reveal to work. Everything HAD to be slow. Unmasking people every week would've hurt the storyline, it would've seem rushed.

Moreover, these guys are writing in advance. Obviously this will lead to something and end sometime. My guess is BFG 2013 with AJ Styles beating Ray for the title. In such a case, the storyline was bound to be drawn out and that creatively dry gap period prior to Lockdown was a necessary evil. This could've been fixed by simply starting the storyline at a later point but I bet that wouldn't have worked because of other storylines and so on. I'm no writer, I already have a hard time thinking about how to improve it.

Now they're writing good TV, the whole thing is slowly going somewhere and the ratings are reflecting it. They're not super high or nothing but compared to what's been going on over the past year, it's a good sign.

That's what held them back. Thankfully they're more legit now, more interesting so we'll see what happens. Brisco and Bischoff have nothing to do with this, they only benefit from being involved in it. Two young guys getting some attention. Nothing wrong with that. Let's see what they do with it.

 

[tvcolosi]

I thought they might, but they have been used well in the 2 weeks in the 6man and 10 man tags. I thought they could be a good young tag team, then I found out, Wes Brisco just turned 30. That is by no means old in wrestling, but for his talent level he is waaaaaaaaay behind. But if you can bring them along slow, keep them out of 1 on 1 matches, A&8 will help them become names.

I actually think Gallows and Knox (D.O.C. and Knux) are going to be wasted in the group. They can get over not having the rub from Bully, D'von, Anderson and D-Lo.

 

[PsychoBlack]

Brisco really isn't that bad, he had a decent match at Lockdown with Angle even though the booking was terrible. Bischoff is terrible no doubt about it, but so are Doc, D'lo, and every one else in the group aside from Bully and Anderson. It's basically a group of lower mid carders who are trying to take over the company and the guys they have in their due a pretty good job of it.

 

[tvcolosi]

Brisco really isn't that bad, he had a decent match at Lockdown with Angle even though the booking was terrible. Bischoff is terrible no doubt about it, but so are Doc, D'lo, and every one else in the group aside from Bully and Anderson. It's basically a group of lower mid carders who are trying to take over the company and the guys they have in their due a pretty good job of it.

You're right, its just I watch him thinking he's gotta be 24, 25 tops and he's actually 30 it changes how I see him. Same way I laugh a little when people refer to CM Punk (34), Dolph Ziggler (32), and Sheamus (35) as "young stars". Again 32-35 isn't "old" but world champs like The Rock (27), Orton (24) and Brock Lesnar (24) are really rare.

 

[Nikeo]

I concur with pretty much everything Zeven Zion has said on the matter.

I think what people need to realise is that, imo, Aces & 8's are TNA's form of the Nexus. I mean that in the sense of taking a grouping of nobodies (or relative nobodies in TNA's case) and trying to make them relavent through positioning them as a focal point of the show. Unfortunately, TNA lacked the shocking and impactful debut of the Nexus. They thought allowing them to run through the roster with a hammer would achieve this. Unfortunately, we're desensitised to that (to a degree) and it didn't have cement them as TNA had hoped.

What I'm getting at is that those within the IWC claim the group will fail because it's comprised of nobodies. They fail to notice that that is the whole point, turning nobodies into somebodies. Or at least trying to.

I can't say the angle, for me, has been great but I can't fault TNA's intentions with the group.

With that in mind, Bischoff and Briscoe's membership does nothing to the overall goal of the group. They're nobodies too, albeit nobodies with familiar last names. The group's issue, as others have pointed out, is the slow-build. As someone else noted, perhaps that's just the way it had to be. Eric Bischoff's choice style of booking is having an outcome and moving backwards in order to achieve it. We might be seeing the whole angle getting some momentum going.

The thing about Briscoe and Bischoff is that they're incredibly new to a major wrestling company and this perceived "lack of talent" might be a tad bit unfair. Don't get me wrong, I've not seen a single solitary thing in either performers that has impressed me. Know who else didn't? Nicky from the Spirit Squad. I remember an awful lot of IWC hate for the likes of Nick Nemeth back in the day. Now? A lot of you get a hard-on when he comes through the curtain.

Some within the IWC think that if someone doesn't impress in the first year of their career that they're "talentless" and won't ever amount to anything. I'm no wrestler so I can't profess to know what it's like when you start off in a major organisation but I can imagine it could take a long time to both feel comfortable and find what one is good at. Give the guys a chance to do that before slating them. If they're still shit in five years then, yes, they're talentless. It's far too early to say that at the moment.

All in all, the two being a part of Aces & 8's is great for them and doesn't do anything for the group either way.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Mr. Anderson is a star....or at least he was a bigger one a couple of years ago. Two time heavyweight champion, has had big matches with the likes of Sting, Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle. He added star power to Aces and Eights when they needed a bigger name. It's not his fault the way he's been booked

I don't know if Anderson was really a star so much as a LOT of internet fans hyped him as a star. It's true that Anderson had a lot of high profile matches & was a main eventer for a while with a couple of nothing title runs. So is Jack Swagger, and look where his career has been the better part of 3 years. Once Anderson got to main stage though, he kinda crumbled. Some of that is due to how he was booked but, at the same time, Anderson is someone painted himself as a one trick pony with his whole asshole schtick. He's got ability on the mic, but the guy's not the second coming of The Rock despite all the IWC fan fair he got. If this was 2010, then Anderson's name value to Aces & Eights would mean something. Since his two nothing title runs, Anderson's just been another guy floating around TNA's mid-card limbo.

Also, D'Lo Brown might not mean much to a lot of the newer fans, but he was a somewhat big name back in '98-'99.

D'Lo Brown was never a big deal. Just because he had a few title runs in WWE during the Attitude Era doesn't make him a star. Especially since the late 90s to early 2000s are a time in which championships in major wrestling companies meant less than they have before or since. Nor does being associated with The Rock & Ron Simmons. D'Lo Brown is known primarily for two things: the head bobbing thing he did and paralyzing Darren Drozdov. D'Lo has about as much relevance in pro wrestling today as someone like Steve Blackman or Val Venis. People know that they were wrestlers who were in WWE during the Attitude Era but, frankly, they weren't stars. They weren't wrestlers who would be missed if they dropped off the face of the earth. If the idea has been to add star power, thereby credibility to the group, guys like D'Lo Brown, Knox & DOC won't cut it. The only way any of them, including Bischoff & Brisco, are going to be stars will be if TNA books them as stars. They haven't really thus far, though TNA has teased changing how Aces & Eights are booked the past few weeks. So, only time will tell.

 

[thebarber]

silly thread, all groups have the guys who make up the numbers. Sad thing with Aces and Eights is that pretty much the whole group are making up the numbers. Bischoff and Briscoe are serving a purpose, gives them tv time so down the track when they go solo, people may care enough about them to get invested in them as characters. TV time is invaluable in pro wrestling, regardless of how small it is, better than being off tv,

 

[New Hot Fed]

In the overall history of Aces & Eights, Garret Bischoff & Wes Brisco aren't the problem with the group. They're simply part of a larger problem that the group has had as a whole.

The past couple of weeks, it's started to look like that TNA MIGHT be changing their booking style of the group. Now that Bully Ray is the champ and has been revealed as the President of the group, TNA has booked them to generally look more formidable. Or, at the very least, they've had Aces & Eights members actually win matches for a change. I'm not going to say that TNA is turning the group around as it's far too soon for that. Also, it might just be too little, too late. After all, it's extremely difficult to build momentum for a group to make them seem like a massive threat when they've spent 99% of their existence coming off as a bunch of scrubs.

Bischoff & Brisco don't really bring any more or any less to the group than Mick Knox, or Knux I guess as he's called now, DOC, D'lo or most of the other members of the group. None of them are stars, or really anything approaching stars. At this point in time, Bully Ray & Devon are the only real stars in the group. Devon's stock is raised because of his past tag team glories with Bully Ray rather than what he's accomplished as a singles wrestler. But without Bully Ray, they're nobody.

Yea they're the Dudley Boys(and Anderson) and jobbers. Maybe they would look better as just an extension of Bully when he has matchs, instead of a group. Since them as a group has never really given them any advantages: they're not the nWo, they don't want to takeover, it was all about having Bully win. You could have Bully as the big heel champ with DOC as his bodyguard and Brisco as lackey and I think it would work better.

I thought they might, but they have been used well in the 2 weeks in the 6man and 10 man tags. I thought they could be a good young tag team, then I found out, Wes Brisco just turned 30. That is by no means old in wrestling, but for his talent level he is waaaaaaaaay behind. But if you can bring them along slow, keep them out of 1 on 1 matches, A&8 will help them become names.

I actually think Gallows and Knox (D.O.C. and Knux) are going to be wasted in the group. They can get over not having the rub from Bully, D'von, Anderson and D-Lo.

In my opinion, if there would not have been any Aces and 8s and DOC and Knox would have just shown up in TNA as a badass tag team of big guys, it would have been better for their career. Cause right now i'm afraid when the angle is dropped that they'll end up like Crimson and Gunner.

 

[rdchili96]

TNA just being incompetent is what's holding them back. The group was made because Bitchoff has a show called "The Devil's Ride" which is about a biker gang. It's free publicity for his stupid show no one watches.

 

[Olly]

Bischoff had a fairly nice little story with the denouement of the Fortune angle and Sting convincing him to be a wrestler - unfortunately that makes his membership of the A&8s completely illogical. He's not terrible in the ring, he's got a good look and he's OK on the mic, but unless he was in on Devon's plan from the very start (and I don't recall anything to suggest he was) then his inclusion makes no sense.

Brisco's mentor>feud story with Angle was a nice idea, and ties D'Lo in quite well, but unfortunately, while again he's alright in the ring, he can barely talk, let alone cut a promo. I'm not interested in him at all. Fair play to Angle for investing and putting him over, but there must be someone else out there who could have benefitted from Brisco's programme over the last few months. Crimson, about 3 or 4 recent gut-check winners, Rob Terry, basically anyone other than Wes Brisco.

All that said, I don't think they matter in a faction the size of A&8s. I imagine there might be another twist or two to come, but the important thing now is for the faction to be booked seriously strong in the run up to Slammiversary or even BFG so that the pay-off to the angle is satisfying.

 

[MWRedskins]

i dont think they are holding them back. it's not like Bischoff is THE guy in Aces and Eights and he isnt really getting alot of single matches. Brisco got more of a push, but it's not one that is being shoved down our throats. the only thing that held back Aces and Eights were pathetic reveals. didnt mind Knox or DOC or Brisco or Bischoff, but Tazz was not a good reveal as he's really not done much for the group except be a heel announcer and the reveal of D-Lo as VP was a huge letdown as he's not the big name i thought should have held that title of VP. they are back on track now as they dont lose as much as they used to and they have a nice leader in Bully.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I don't think Brisco or Bischoff are holding Aces & Eights back, they are just 2 members of a very average faction. They aren't great in the ring, but its not like they are being thrown into World Title matches, they are simply supporting members of the group.

Bully Ray being added to the faction has definitely made Aces & Eights look more legitimate, because a group with Devon and Anderson as the only 2 stars isn't going to put the shits up anybody, at least in Ray they have a genuine main eventer.

DOC and Knox are a waste of space, always have been and Taz/D'Lo being involved really adds nothing to the group other than Taz gets to talk them up on commentary. Wow.

I think its more a combination of bad booking and overall a poor choice of talent for the group which has held Aces & Eights back. Had they not been booked as jobbers for most of their existance, had won the World title sooner, or just had more star power in their ranks then people's opinions would be different. You can't put all the blame on just Brisco or Bischoff, although they do bring very little to the table.

 

[SpecialFNK]

Bischoff and Brisco aren't holding back the Aces and Eights. TNA was holding back the Aces and Eights based on booking because they would lose too often. that should be changing now, and hopefully elevating the group as a whole. Bischoff/Brisco are just 2 lower guys. XPac wasn't holding back the nWo.
I also think how Bischoff and Brisco wrestle really isn't even that important.

I don't see any problem identifying who is in Aces and Eights. they all wear the same gear, which I think is important. one problem I had with Immortal is they all wore there own gear. Aces and Eights all having the vest makes them look more like a real group.

I think Bischoff is where he should be, a heel. I also think his look has improved. he now has full beard/facial hair. he just looks more like the biker type now.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Bischoff and Brisco aren't holding back the Aces and Eights. TNA was holding back the Aces and Eights based on booking because they would lose too often. that should be changing now, and hopefully elevating the group as a whole. Bischoff/Brisco are just 2 lower guys. XPac wasn't holding back the nWo.
I also think how Bischoff and Brisco wrestle really isn't even that important.

I don't see any problem identifying who is in Aces and Eights. they all wear the same gear, which I think is important. one problem I had with Immortal is they all wore there own gear. Aces and Eights all having the vest makes them look more like a real group.

I think Bischoff is where he should be, a heel. I also think his look has improved. he now has full beard/facial hair. he just looks more like the biker type now.

I'm starting to realize that growing a beard is the new "putting on a suit" these days. It's the ultimate signifier of a heel, or a tweener. A year or so ago wearing a suit made you look snobby and selfish thanks to Jericho starting the trend. Now every face that goes to heel grows a beard. Well, except for EY. He had a cool epic beard before epic beards were cool.

But nontheless, I agree about Bischoff. He has improved and doesn't seem as green as before. Either way, I don't see him doing much in pro wrestling. Seems like a good kid, passionate about the business, probably has some knowledge others don't but in-ring work is in-ring work and Bischoff couldn't teach him the first thing about being a wrestler.

Pissing off the smarks tho? Now that's his forte.

 

[Ovaltine]

Bischoff and Briscoe aren't the problem... the faction is the problem.

Knux: aka Mike Knox. He's a big guy, but that's about it. He's known as the guy on the ECW show who banged Melina while she was with Morrison.

D'lo: I liked D'lo... ten years ago.

Taz: See D'lo.

D.O.C.: Another big guy, but he was pretty much a nobody in WWE. So, it looks like another WWE castoff that TNA hired for that reason.

Mr. Anderson: I never understood what anyone saw in this guy. I hated him upon his debut. If he left the wrestling world it wouldn't change a thing. Even in TNA the guy is a nonentity.

Wes Briscoe: He has a good look and a GREAT last name, but even WWE (who are second generation crazy) let him go.

Garrett Bischoff: Nepotism is expected in pro wrestling. So, I don't fault him for that. What I do fault him for is being brought up to the roster YEARS before he should have.

Devon: isn't he the TV champion? Is it ever defended? Does it mean a damn thing? He isn't bad in the ring. He is a solid midcard guy- and there is nothing wrong with that.

Bully Ray: The only name in Aces and 8s. It's a shame that TNA couldn't get him a better stable. The guy is at the peak of his career.

I reiterate. The problem isn't Bischoff and Briscoe. Yes, they are green, yes they were brought up to the main roster too soon, but eventually they could maybe be molded into something. Therefore, the problem with Aces and 8s is the group as a whole. It's a bunch of never weres with one solid mid card guy and one solid main event guy. If this were Raven's Flock a group like this may work, but it's not. They are supposed to be TNA's 12th version on the n.W.o. Therefore, they are suppose to be a threat, but they aren't. They are mostly a group of scrubs.

 

[countryhearts4]

I personally feel like Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco don't fit into the Aces&8s Faction at all and that its actually Devon, Bully Ray, Ken Anderson, Luke Gallows, Mike Knox, Tazz & DLo Brown holding them back.

 

[MrPlatano1989]

I think they're great for the group in the role they play. And thats goonies, they're goons! lol, You have the enforcers, middle men, top ranks, president, and the goons. Everyone knows that they are the less experienced of the group, this allows them to be the lower guys that are always ready to attack, and take a beating for the team as well. I personally like them both, i welcome new looks and look forward to their potential developments. Do I think they'll have bigger roles one days and wrestle better? Who knows, i mean even Magnus was very green at one time, paired him with the veteran Doug and his experience and skill skyrocketed to what it is today. I still remember people ragging on Dixie for personally signing him, seems like an amazing idea that could benefit TNA for the next 15+ years!

 

[KingHill]

I like Brisco and Bischoff.

Two young guys that are cocky as hell and work much better as heels. I like them.

 

[IT Factor]

Bischoff and Brisco are the examples of why Aces and Eights is uninspiring. The biggest names to be a part of that group are Team 3D. The way those guys were revealed was intriguing and fun to watch as they happened. Other reveals like Knox, D'Lo, Wes, and Garrett were simply lame and boring. Having Mr. Anderson join was decent but half-assed because of lack of anything else.

TNA should have invested in having the other previous names of older TNA like Sabin, Petey Williams, Jeff Jarrett, or any other big names as their reveals. At least those names would've been note-worthy and made sense to have defect into Aces & Eights based on previous company history. Now that Bully is the leader, they need to do a storyline in which Bully demands everyone else be as great as he is or else he'll replace them. That would be fun to see because fans would give him all kinds of heat for verbally shredding these guys as substandard and it would ultimately make the group stronger.

And with the whole Hogan storyline, I wouldn't mind Sting being a part of the group. Sting tried talking to Hogan and he refused to listen. The next logical thing to do is having Sting defect and strengthen that group. He was already wearing biker garb in certain points in his WCW career[like at Hog Wild PPVs] and during some of his later WCW promos. I think he'd be a natural good fit and something most fans would not expect to see, which makes it all the more appealing. Whatever the case may be, TNA needs to cut the no-names and start rounding out Aces & Eights with big names that will make the group legit. If not, this will be yet another botched storyline in TNA history with only Bully's reign as the saving grace.

 

[HBsam31]

I agree with IT Factor. Brisco and Bischoff are just two pieces to the puzzle in a completely uninspiring group. I actually thing they are better than Knox and Gallows to be honest. They are two cocky young guys that have something to prove. The fact is the group just doesn't have any star power. Bully Ray is great, but he has no supporting cast. I don't hate the group, and Bischoff and Brisco definitely aren't the main problem holding them back. It is just the group as a whole doesn't have all that much to offer.

 

[IT Factor]

I agree with IT Factor. Brisco and Bischoff are just two pieces to the puzzle in a completely uninspiring group. I actually thing they are better than Knox and Gallows to be honest. They are two cocky young guys that have something to prove. The fact is the group just doesn't have any star power. Bully Ray is great, but he has no supporting cast. I don't hate the group, and Bischoff and Brisco definitely aren't the main problem holding them back. It is just the group as a whole doesn't have all that much to offer.

I like that TNA finally focused on one storyline and booked it consistently as far as being a top priority. It is sometimes nice to have a main storyline take precedence over a World Title if it is good enough. The concept with Aces & Eights is a great theoretical idea but the execution was flawed from the beginning. They should have had more major names join TNA that have never been there or had returning past big names to put over this group as something to be feared. It is obvious that whomever is booking TNA is a big WCW/NWO fan with the Aces & Eights and the AJ storyline[being virtually the same as Sting returning to WCW with a new darker gimmick].

I have enjoyed Bully's reign because he is a unique character who understands how to elicite fan reaction. He can make you cheer him or boo him, which is rare these days. His explanation for the con job on TNA and the Hogans was excellent and better than the usual senseless storylines that occur randomly without attention to detail. Bischoff & Brisco are not big names and they should be the first ones cut. Honestly, they should be in OVW training to become better and not appearing on TV until they do improve. Both have little to no character and very little in-ring ability. I like Doc because he could be the enforcer. Mr. Anderson is okay as well, but he needs to become a bigger presence within the group. Devon has surprised me with his versatility as a heel and he should stay, as it makes sense having him in Aces & Eights with Bully. The rest of the group should be replaced by bigger names or at least those who could really make an "impact".