Are TNA Actually Building Stars?

[mikeRC]

So it seems that both WWE and TNA are trying to bring up younger guys to become the future of Pro Wrestling but both companies are doing this in very different ways.

WWE are bringing new found talent and talent from OVW onto ECW and if they get over with fans then they can move onto shows like RAW or Smackdown on a regular basis. (see Evan Bourne). Or they're slowly teaching talent as they go through the mid card or even the main event before they feel they're ready to carry a title, They've thrown Rhodes and Dibiase totally into the deep end with Randy Orton to build themselves and by god it's working as far as building character goes. But if anything can be said it's that WWE are using different ways to bring up new stars and looks to have a great main event line up even after guys like HHH, HBK and The Undertaker retire.


TNA are having their younger stars feud with their veterans to see who will take their spotlight. I'm sure TNA have set out to get guys their younger talent into the main event but it seems to me that they're failing horribly. There's a terrific Irony in guys like Team 3D and Rino saying "let these young guys grow" when they are taking up the main event spots on PPVs. Sure we've seen AJ and Joe have feuds with the MEM but they were already main event stars. It looked like the MCMG were going to get pushed to the moon but they ended up in the x-division. And the funniest thing is the MEM are getting more over than the Frontline and it now seems that this entire shambles has been a platform to get another Angle vs Sting match.

perhaps the fact that TNA are still trying to get WWE fans attention with their veterans makes it harder for them to build new stars.

perhaps it's the fact that TNA only have 2 hours a week whilst WWE have 5 hours to build talent

But what do you think?

Are TNA Actually Building Stars?

and

Will TNA Have A Good Main Event Line Up After Sting or Kurt Angle Retire?

 

[Miko]

I suppose TNA are building stars, the question I think is "are any of these people actually stars?". I was reading certain comments by Glen Gilberti saying about TNA's younger stars not wanting to learn and not having the "it" factor and he's absolutely right. AJ Styles is a Main-Eventer and he's a good worker but will he ever be a draw like Sting was? I doubt it. Same for Joe except that Joe isnt a good worker, he's just surprisingly agile for a fat guy, will he ever be a draw? I doubt it.

It's hard to build up stars when it looks like you dont really have any, Hernandez is a pretty good big man I suppose but so was Mike Awesome. So while it seems that TNA's originals are not being used correctly could you seriously see any of these guy's carrying a company and challenging the WWE? Because I cant, I think until TNA finds "that guy" they will continue to use Angle vs Sting as both guys are better than any of TNA's originals.

 

[golden miz]

Hell yeah TNA is building young guys, how many people truely watch TNA for Angle. I know for a 100% fact that TNA grew when Sting was out, steiner was out for a while, nash played an insgnifigant role for a long time, booker was quote on quote boring since he got to TNA, Rhyno was mid card in TNA till a couple matches with front line. Team 3D are the most over veterans and they will be missed. But the rookies are the reason people watch this show. AJ, MCMG, Lethal, Dutt, even ODB, Young, daniels, and countless other young stars. Well I do agree that no one likes Joe but TNA has so much future

 

[Father:_Polley]

I would say yes, they're building stars, the only problem is that the stars will never be anywhere near the levels of the Stings and Angles of the world. AJ Styles and Joe are capable of being in the main event, as are Harris and Roode, maybe even Abyss and Morgan. But I don't think the levels of these guys can ever really match the levels to make TNA prosper.

I think these are the only guys who can truely be classed as being the future of TNA, and that's a stretch. There are other guys with potential (Hernandez, MCMGs), but these guys need to be given the chance to shine.

 

[supergav67]

You gotta say ,right now,TNA are LoSiNG stars.Christian.Petey & Sonjay would be welcome in any company & the fact the middle was aXeD defies belief.
Im more concerned about TNA FiNDiNG stars.When Christian left ,who Automatically took his place.While FCWs success rate has been kinda iffy (Spears.Goldman.McIntyre etc) at least there,s a last resort in place,I keep saying TNA breaking free from NWA,a fountain & mountain of future talent ,was a mistake that, like WCW doing the same years ago,will come back & haunt em.They keep saying "Oh Bookers got a wrestling school" .Okay,WhoSe in it.
Then again,Ive been looking at some old WCW matches on Utube & Im watching Regal.Bagwell.Show..Finlay,.Booker.Austin.Names & legends now,but I bet yer arse at the time,if they werent feuding with Hogan we sat there thinking "Whose he ?!"

 

[Tastycles]

The problem TNA has is that they don't have mainstream appeal, so the fans struggle to get behind the new people. This means that the stars they do make don't sollicit the same response in the crowd as those that have made their names elsewhere. AJ and Joe are hugely over in TNA, but more people have heard of Hardcore Holly than them outside the wrestling paradigm, so the star quality is lacking.

What TNA should do is continue to push their unique talents like AJ and Joe, and leave WWE lite characters on the back burner. Also, let the frontline win in the end. It will benefit the company significantly more in the long run to have AJ go over Kurt at the end of it all rather than Sting.

They should also set up a developmental territory that can give them space to try new talents whilst keeping their money men on TV. If they put said territory in Britain, and got a British star out of it, they may even manage to surpass WWE in this market, which would be a real feather in their cap.

 

[Blade]

Well they have Joe and Styles. But there's no way that's enough to keep them going. Like Tastycles said, there's no one made by TNA who's big enough. They have have no one to carry the company. And now they've lost Christian, a guy who actually could carry the company, and they've let a couple of great X-division wrestlers go. They're not thinking long term here.

So let's look a possible stars..
There's both guys from LAX. They won feast or fired briefcases. The whole feast or fired thing was a respons to WWE's Money in the bank. The main difference is WWE really use MitB to build stars. TNA wrestlers who have won the World title briefcase have never cashed it in successfully, so the fans don't really care.

There's Robert Roode and James Storm. Both good workers, but not great. Could they really help carry a company in the future? I don't think so.

There's the machine guns, but will they ever be more than X-Division's best? Sure, they're both extremely talented, but I don't think TNA writers will make these guys into Heavyweight title contenders.

Kaz. Now here's a guy who actually could've become a big star. But TNA have screwed the poor guy over by giving him the gimmick of a lead character from an unsuccessful video game.

Eric Young is very talented but seems to be only used for comedic and is not taken seriously by TNA.

And Christopher Daniels is Curry Man. Nuff said.

So it's not looking good for TNA in the future. What are they gonna do in 5 or so years time? Have AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe over and over? They need to start building up stars now and make some of the older guys put them over or else the whole company is screwed.

 

[Talon_DR]

There's both guys from LAX. They won feast or fired briefcases. The whole feast or fired thing was a respons to WWE's Money in the bank. The main difference is WWE really use MitB to build stars. TNA wrestlers who have won the World title briefcase have never cashed it in successfully, so the fans don't really care.

There was one title cash in for the Heavyweight Title. I don't even count Hernandez's because he was awarded another shot.

There's Robert Roode and James Storm. Both good workers, but not great. Could they really help carry a company in the future? I don't think so.

Both are going to be great heels but heels don't carry a company. Storm could be a good face though. Both will be great Main Event Players

Kaz. Now here's a guy who actually could've become a big star. But TNA have screwed the poor guy over by giving him the gimmick of a lead character from an unsuccessful video game.

He hasn't even wrestled as Suicide yet and nobody gives him a shot

Eric Young is very talented but seems to be only used for comedic and is not taken seriously by TNA.

Have you been watching TNA programming recently

And Christopher Daniels is Curry Man. Nuff said.

Have you been watching TNA programming recently

 

[mozenwrath]

When I watch TNA the #1 reason why I watch it is for the knockouts. That's pretty much TNA's bread and butter right now considering the beautiful people segments are higher rated than the x-division matches. I think if all else fails TNA could be a bigger version of Shimmer and give the 1st hour to the females and then give the last hour to the men.

 

[Pimpin]

I would hope that somewhere deep that their actually building stars cause from what it looks like on TV they are wasting their time on Nash & Steiner instead of building new stars other than A.J & Joe. Seriously if they are making new stars then they needs to show that quickly.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

I'm honestly unsure if they are, or aren't, building any stars. I mean, guys like A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe were stars to begin with really. And outside of them, and the occasional cluster-fuck-up Main Event involving Kaz or Eric Young.. I haven't seen them push anyone recently, with the exception of Hernandez.

You can't say they're pushing the Guns, because Sabin has already been pushed. Shelley is getting his spotlight as X-Division star, but he's hardly being pushed as a memorable Champion.

Jay Lethal had possibly the best up-start push, and then randomly just got tossed in a forgettable Tag Team with Creed. I certainly hope they aren't pushing Shane Sewell, because that'd be a huge waste.

I think recently, the only individual who's looks to be getting a push for the future, is Hernandez.