Cutting the Fat in TNA

[JayBriscoe2010]

Kiyoshi- Worst Japanese Wrestler I actually know of, he isnt even good enough for a Japanese Indy Fed.

Lashley- All hype...I never ever saw anything in him except physique, he was better off in WWE.

Scott Hall- 4-Life Loser, To think Eddie Guerrero passed before garbage like him is disheartening.

Jesse Neal- I dont see anything in him, nothing.

Creed- He has a bit of a look but is not very good in the ring, but this 1 I might hold off on for now.

As for a few I think that could/should be brought in...

Sara Del Rey & Mschif- BOTH are just as good if not better then EVERY knock out on the roster. Imagine those 2 vs Kong & Hamada

Tyler Black- I dont want the ROH Roster cut down anymore after the Danielson/Nigel departures but damn this kid IS gonna be GREAT! It's to bad a group of ungrateful ******s on some other message board crap on him because "it's cool to do it" He has all the skills in the ring, needs a bit of mic work but he will get there. And he has the look which is important for tv Wrestling.

Ken Anderson- Not because he's just big name but because he still has untapped potential. Yeah he got a bit injury prone but this dude "has it" and he can have a fresh start here and not have a overrated cry baby like Orton get him fired.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I think TNA could easily let Kiyoshi and Jesse Neal go since they have no real purpose on Impact. I would let Rob Terry go too, but I think he might be staying. Lashley is probably on his way out, I would cut Lacey Von Erich since it seems that Angelina Love will be returning soon. I think Hogan is high up on Lacey though for some reason. Maybe he likes the dumb blonds.. who knew?

I like the Beautiful People but they are getting stale. They need to either break up or have it just be Angelina and Velvet. Madison Rayne isn't bad, but I'm tired of seeing her and Velvet wrestle. I love their entrance though, so I'm torn.

I would cut the Nasty Boys after their debut. Hopefully Nash, Syxx, and Nasty Boys only have a short term deal with a few appearances. There isn't much left Raven and Stevie can do unless Tommy Dreamer comes in. I don't think Hogan will keep Raven or Stevie on the roster.

I really don't have a problem with anyone in TNA but Kiyoshi and Neal are wastes of television time. I would say the same about stale Team 3D and Rhino too.

 

[Ryander88]

I have watched TNA off and on for the last couple years and this has always been something mind boggling for me. We want to see a lot of these talents, but it isn't realistic for two hours of television a week. They need to downsize dramatically, cutting 1/3 of the roster, until they can handle what they have and then grow. I think the first question is not who needs to be let go, because realistically almost everyone 'can' have a purpose...the question first is, who can they do without?

In the World Title Hunt there needs to be:
- AJ Styles
- Samoa Joe
- Kurt Angle
- Desmond Wolfe
- Matt Morgan
- Hernandez
- Daniels (if they let him use his first name again)

These are the men who should be battling for the World Title. Day in and day out. These men will make TNA if their characters continue to develop and they are given the time. Tomko is another man who really needs to be developed, but may work. I didn't put Abyss on the list because the only thing TNA wants to do with him is cut his body up with barbed wire.

In the Tag Team Division:
- Beer Money Inc.
- The Motor City Machine Guns
- The Young Bucks (just signed)
- The British Invasion
- Team 3D (only if they can find a new storyline for them, if not let them go. They've been singing the same exact song since they got there, it seems)

TNA needs to establish this strong core of tag teams. The Machine Guns need to be young and brash, but they also need to kick some ass when the time comes. Let these two be tag specialists, not guys who do nothing in both the Tag and X Divisions. Beer Money Inc. might be the best tag team on television right now, and they should be at the center of the division. Tag wrestling also needs to be built as a 'style', meaning these are the best at this style of wrestling and if they face two main event singles competitors, they should not only hold their own but be somewhat dominant.

In the X-Division:
- Homicide
- Jay Lethal
- The Pope
- Amazing Red
- Kiyoshi (This guy should have a purpose. He just doesn't at the moment because the roster is too packed)

I would also have the Machine Guns moonlight in the X-Division, but keep their focus on tag team wrestling. I don't think Consequences Creed is necessary at the moment, maybe he would have worked if TNA did a better job of managing their roster early on. Suicide needs to die, but Kazarian is also pretty freaking boring in my book. If they can come up with something for him that isn't Suicide and isn't himself it might work. These guys also need to be giving story and feuds and a reason to fight one another. Not just a spot match where all of them participate. Remember Joe, Daniels and Styles? Put Pope, Homicide and Red in an Ultimate X match. Not everyone who can do a flip in the company.

The Women:
- Tara
- Awesome Kong
- ODB
- Sarita
- Hamada

I want to watch these five women in the ring. Anyone else is a waste of my time, just like the WWE is doing. Taylor Wilde is bland in my opinion and doesn't offer too much. The Beautiful People suck. They can't wrestle and they really can't act. And the tag titles are a stupid idea, 40% of the women's roster holds a title.

Right here are 27 men and women the company needs to keep. The roster stands at about 50 or so. I find it funny that TNA brought in guys like Val Venis and Orlando Jordan for absolutely no reason. They have no mid-card title. These men are not World Title Contenders. They will only slow down the product. If TNA wants to be the best company in the world, then their company needs to be about being the best. The roster is convoluted with competitors that TNA will never view as the best in any of their championship ranks, so why keep them? Dr. Stevie and Raven should stay so they have someone to make Abyss bleed? Please. Abyss used to be great. Not anymore. They need to fix Abyss first, then think about that stuff. The clapping, mentally challenged Abyss is not the Abyss I want to see. Make him Abyss again, or put him out of his misery. Eric Young will never be credible in TNA. He spent 5 years being an idiot. Giving him a push would be like WWE giving Eugene a title. Hall, Nash and Waltman should be a secret service of sorts. If Bisch or Hogan need some dirty work done, they show up and do it, but they should not take up our TV time. The Nasty Boys are fine for a one off feud. I would have waited until TNA settled in with Hogan, but they had three hours to fill and God knows they weren't going to wrestle until the end. TNA doesn't need Jarrett, Hogan and Foley. Essentially, all three of these men play the same onscreen role in the company and only Jarrett has some gas left in his tank. As much as I love having Foley on my screen, he makes the backstage story too complicated and creative can't seem to manage it.

Cut the old guys. Cut the fat. Realistically, the oldest guys on the roster should be Angle and 3D. They're from ten years ago. A lot of the rest are from 15-20 years ago. TNA is too afraid to phase out the old and build their own. It will end them.

My above roster may seem light, but remember: TNA only has to fill two hours of programming a week. If they let some of these guys wrestle (not 5 minute matches every week) then they will have more than enough talent to fill a two hour broadcast week in and week out.

 

[The Palace of Wisdom]

I have watched TNA off and on for the last couple years and this has always been something mind boggling for me. We want to see a lot of these talents, but it isn't realistic for two hours of television a week. They need to downsize dramatically, cutting 1/3 of the roster, until they can handle what they have and then grow. I think the first question is not who needs to be let go, because realistically almost everyone 'can' have a purpose...the question first is, who can they do without?

In the World Title Hunt there needs to be:
- AJ Styles
- Samoa Joe
- Kurt Angle
- Desmond Wolfe
- Matt Morgan
- Hernandez
- Daniels (if they let him use his first name again)

These are the men who should be battling for the World Title. Day in and day out. These men will make TNA if their characters continue to develop and they are given the time. Tomko is another man who really needs to be developed, but may work. I didn't put Abyss on the list because the only thing TNA wants to do with him is cut his body up with barbed wire.

In the Tag Team Division:
- Beer Money Inc.
- The Motor City Machine Guns
- The Young Bucks (just signed)
- The British Invasion
- Team 3D (only if they can find a new storyline for them, if not let them go. They've been singing the same exact song since they got there, it seems)

TNA needs to establish this strong core of tag teams. The Machine Guns need to be young and brash, but they also need to kick some ass when the time comes. Let these two be tag specialists, not guys who do nothing in both the Tag and X Divisions. Beer Money Inc. might be the best tag team on television right now, and they should be at the center of the division. Tag wrestling also needs to be built as a 'style', meaning these are the best at this style of wrestling and if they face two main event singles competitors, they should not only hold their own but be somewhat dominant.

In the X-Division:
- Homicide
- Jay Lethal
- The Pope
- Amazing Red
- Kiyoshi (This guy should have a purpose. He just doesn't at the moment because the roster is too packed)

I would also have the Machine Guns moonlight in the X-Division, but keep their focus on tag team wrestling. I don't think Consequences Creed is necessary at the moment, maybe he would have worked if TNA did a better job of managing their roster early on. Suicide needs to die, but Kazarian is also pretty freaking boring in my book. If they can come up with something for him that isn't Suicide and isn't himself it might work. These guys also need to be giving story and feuds and a reason to fight one another. Not just a spot match where all of them participate. Remember Joe, Daniels and Styles? Put Pope, Homicide and Red in an Ultimate X match. Not everyone who can do a flip in the company.

The Women:
- Tara
- Awesome Kong
- ODB
- Sarita
- Hamada

I want to watch these five women in the ring. Anyone else is a waste of my time, just like the WWE is doing. Taylor Wilde is bland in my opinion and doesn't offer too much. The Beautiful People suck. They can't wrestle and they really can't act. And the tag titles are a stupid idea, 40% of the women's roster holds a title.

Right here are 27 men and women the company needs to keep. The roster stands at about 50 or so. I find it funny that TNA brought in guys like Val Venis and Orlando Jordan for absolutely no reason. They have no mid-card title. These men are not World Title Contenders. They will only slow down the product. If TNA wants to be the best company in the world, then their company needs to be about being the best. The roster is convoluted with competitors that TNA will never view as the best in any of their championship ranks, so why keep them? Dr. Stevie and Raven should stay so they have someone to make Abyss bleed? Please. Abyss used to be great. Not anymore. They need to fix Abyss first, then think about that stuff. The clapping, mentally challenged Abyss is not the Abyss I want to see. Make him Abyss again, or put him out of his misery. Eric Young will never be credible in TNA. He spent 5 years being an idiot. Giving him a push would be like WWE giving Eugene a title. Hall, Nash and Waltman should be a secret service of sorts. If Bisch or Hogan need some dirty work done, they show up and do it, but they should not take up our TV time. The Nasty Boys are fine for a one off feud. I would have waited until TNA settled in with Hogan, but they had three hours to fill and God knows they weren't going to wrestle until the end. TNA doesn't need Jarrett, Hogan and Foley. Essentially, all three of these men play the same onscreen role in the company and only Jarrett has some gas left in his tank. As much as I love having Foley on my screen, he makes the backstage story too complicated and creative can't seem to manage it.

Cut the old guys. Cut the fat. Realistically, the oldest guys on the roster should be Angle and 3D. They're from ten years ago. A lot of the rest are from 15-20 years ago. TNA is too afraid to phase out the old and build their own. It will end them.

Great work, my friend. You've successfully done in an internet post what TNA seems to fail to do, and that is accurately plan. You did exactly the right thing, dividing up wrestlers into their niche title area. And you also allowed for spots for some "Legends", but you correctly minimized them to the point where Impact wouldn't focus purely on what's going on backstage between guys who can't wrestle.

TNA has the talent, they just need to put it all together.

 

[Rayvin13]

This roster is getting a bit "plump" the cuts are the easy part, but if they want to take down WWE and there over-rated, over-done and incredibly predictable story line methods then they need to grab more mid-level talent from WWE

Cut:
Waltman, Nash and Hall- this is too obvious. Big Sexy is useless without the MEM and even then he was subpar.
Nasty Boys- they shouldn't have even been let into the arena.
Flair- Not sure how they're gonna use him so for now I'll say probable
Dr. Stevie- keep him backstage (drop Daphne too)
Anyone from World Elite excluding Eric Young and turn him Face again...he's not a convincing bad guy
Lacy, Madison and Alissa Flash- Lacy and Mad have no talent and Alissa is lost in the crowd of more talented women stars
Jesse Neal- he just sucks
Tomko- He's nothing without Christian and then only holds Christian back
Rhino and Raven- unreliable and past there prime

They should pick up:
Mr. Kennedy and Tommy Dreamer from FA...no RVD...made of glass

Purge WWE of some Mid-card yet Highly talented names:
Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, Evan Borne, Carlito and maybe Cryme Tyme for Tag Team usage

And go for the kill by buying out:
Edge, MVP and CM Punk (they're not pushing him now anyway) and try like hell to get back Christian or Ron "The Truth" Killings

Drop the Black Machismo gimmick and get Jay back on top
Restructure Consequences Creed
And for the LOVE OF GOD DO NOT TURN SUICIDE BACK INTO KAZ!

Finally...build the company around the X-Division and keep that 6-sided ring!

 

[jaxx]

OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS!!! I wish I wish I wish I could book TNA. This company has so much talent and its being wasted. I'm so scared that its not gonna get any better, don't get me wrong after that ridiculous live show I hope things get better. I could have booked that show to where the rating would have been atleast a 2.4 - 2.5 realistically. What? You don't believe me? ok then, let me prove it. First I would've opened with the 2 hottest tag teams in wrestling today Beer Money vs. mcmg - winner gets a tag title shot at genesis. crowd is hot now and wanting more. Next up Tara vs (future legend) Alissa flash for the title. After both women showcase their talent in a comptetive match, Odb interferes and causes the dq. Now this keeps the champion looking strong and Alissa giving her awesome credibility. Remember odb gets a rematch anyway because she's the former champion, which means yes, she should have never competed in the ko tournament last week. Now its getting close to hogan's debut and you've had to solid matches now b4 he arrives, next up is ultimate x match to establish the number 1 contender featuring, jay lethal, homocide, suicide and kiyoshi with lethal or suicide getting the win. Now after the match the WE comes down to jump lethal and suicide and out comes jeff hardy to even the odds (huge pop) as hardy, lethal, and suicide stand tall. Now as a wrestling fan you gotta admit thats a better first hour than what we got.
Now as far as the second hour goes, the only thing I would change is make the pope/wolffe match longer and the morgan/hernandez match longer and that takes care of the second hour along with the ko tag titles. Now by making these matches longer obviously that cuts out all of the useless backstage segments that served absolutely no purpose. Now throw the 3rd hour in and you have a real impact that would've sent shock waves through the wrestling community. Now thats a 2.4-2.5 show and after the exposure the ratings will rise because everyone would've been buzzing about the show and would tune in the next week to see what happens. If you disagree with my booking then tell me what matches you think would be better.

 

[wazaveli]

For now keep everyone and see where they can best be used.

But Lashley is gone, so thats easy.

Shark Boy should go, I mean like why wasn't he let go earlier.

Rob Terry should go, I have never liked this guy's work.

 

[SUBMIT2GR8NESS]

I will make this short and sweet.....
GET ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE NWO THE HELL OUT OF TNA

Lest we forget what happened when Stiener,Nash,xpac,Hogan,and most importantly Bischoff.

They ran WCW straight to the ground and what did Bischoff do at that time. He sold WCW to Shane which would then be completely disected by the WWF(for that time period.)

 

[Sean Valjean]

Guys that I'd cut include:

Jesse Neal: he's the epitome of bland.

Shark Boy: I was never into the Austin gimmick unlike others. Hasn't been seen in forever anyway

Lacey Von Erich: Hopefully Angelina replaces her though I wouldn't even wait that long to get rid of her.

Rhyno: I like him, but the guy never does anything.

Dr. Stevie: other than anything involving Abyss, I can't see him doing anything else with anyone.

Bobbly Lashley: hasn't done anything, and can't be involved in anything long term because of his MMA schedule. He's damn near useless.

I'm not going to include the Nasty's, Bubba, nWo, or Flair since I don't see them sticking around too long anyway.

I'm surprised you guys brought up Lethal Consequences and even the British Invasion (Yes, even Rob Terry;crap wrestler but a good enforcer). I think the British Invasion are awesome and Lethal/Creed are great in the ring and should be kept around to add depth to the tag division. Kiyoshi can be a solid X-division guy if they let him but if not, let him go too.

 

[justinept]

I will make this short and sweet.....
GET ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE NWO THE HELL OUT OF TNA

Lest we forget what happened when Stiener,Nash,xpac,Hogan,and most importantly Bischoff.

They ran WCW straight to the ground and what did Bischoff do at that time. He sold WCW to Shane which would then be completely disected by the WWF(for that time period.)

While I agree that an NWO reuinion would ultimately fail - and that giving guys like Hall, Nash and Waltman a major wrestling role in the company would hurt the younger guys that TNA needs to continue to build - I have to say that your argument is completely false.

I'll forgive you for not finishing your second paragraph and making it a complete sentence... or even a complete thought. But to say that Waltman had anything to do with the fall of WCW when he had been in WWE since 1998 and then to say that Bischoff sold a company he didn't own shows your lack of knowledge on the subject.

The NWO didn't ruin WCW. The NWO allowed WCW to compete with and beat Raw on a weekly basis. The problems in WCW from a creative stand point was their inability to come up with a follow up storyline to the NWO. The NWO was the only angle WCW ever created that truly drew money. Everything they did was because of the NWO. When the NWO became stale, WCW had nothing left in the creative tank.

 

[jmh1971]

I think TNA could easily let Kiyoshi and Jesse Neal go since they have no real purpose on Impact. I would let Rob Terry go too, but I think he might be staying. Lashley is probably on his way out, I would cut Lacey Von Erich since it seems that Angelina Love will be returning soon. I think Hogan is high up on Lacey though for some reason. Maybe he likes the dumb blonds.. who knew?

I like the Beautiful People but they are getting stale. They need to either break up or have it just be Angelina and Velvet. Madison Rayne isn't bad, but I'm tired of seeing her and Velvet wrestle. I love their entrance though, so I'm torn.

I would cut the Nasty Boys after their debut. Hopefully Nash, Syxx, and Nasty Boys only have a short term deal with a few appearances. There isn't much left Raven and Stevie can do unless Tommy Dreamer comes in. I don't think Hogan will keep Raven or Stevie on the roster.

I really don't have a problem with anyone in TNA but Kiyoshi and Neal are wastes of television time. I would say the same about stale Team 3D and Rhino too.

Actually Nash is around as a booker from what I have read. He is very well respected and liked in the locker room because he sticks up and tries to push the younger talent. Haven't you noticed that he jobs a lot these days to put the younger guys over?

 

[gully side adidja]

well well well, i say nasty boys need to just not appear in tna at all they are useless slobs with no star power whatsoever, desmond wolfe is just to generic for my liking, good wrestler,dry personality,if they are going up against wwe, they need a person who has charisma and entertaining as well as great in the ring,kevin 'damn overrated' nash, you are just a waste of time, complete worthless in the ring,hall and x-pac too,just want to get paid holla!

 

[NSL]

The two guys that top my list are Abyss and Chris Sabin. Robert Roode as well. Wasted in TNA.

Abyss? He's not going anywhere. Not only is he one of the most recognizable faces in the company, but he's helped oout with booking and ideas, and he helps a lot of the younger guys in the locker room. I'd agree his current character has grown stale, but he's vital to the success of the company.

Chris Sabin isn't going anywhere either. He was one of the "founding fathers" of the X Division, and he's a member of the most popular tag team in wrestling right now. He's important for both the tag division and the X Division.

Robert Roode may be "wasted" right now, but he's still successful, and he's still a TNA original. He's gotten a steady push from the company since Day 1, and it will continue until he chooses to either retire or move on.

 

[MisterRob]

TNA has a great roster of young talent and I honestly think the problem isn't whose on their roster and needs to be cut but how those talents should be used, because I don't like how a lot of them are being used at all. But, in terms of who isn't a benefit to the roster and should be cut, here's my opinion:


Lacey Von Erich - With Angelina Love back in TNA they really have no need for her unless they're going to trim the Beautiful People back to three without Madison Raine and the other two are going to be there to teach and help develop Lacey in the stable. Right now she's far too green, has no in ring ability, and should be set aside until she gets more experience and has more ability for the big time. She really needs more training then she does an opportunity to shine with talent she hasn't even developed, yet.

Madison Rayne - No matter what the idea would be with the Beautiful People moving forward I would get rid of Madison. She adds nothing to the roster or the show. Her character doesn't stand out in any way, she's just an average wrestler, and she's definitely at the top of my list of expendible people. Velvet Sky and Angelina Love are both assets I think in the Beautiful People and both offer something, whether they keep Lacey Von Erich or not, they really need to get rid of Madison.

Jesse Neal - Complete waste of effort and time.

Kiyoshi - If they're not going to give him an opportunity to be anything more then a jobber then I don't see the point in keeping him around. If they're actually going to give him a chance to build a character, show some potential, be a unique talent to the roster then I have no problem with them keeping him.

Raven - If they have nothing for him and he's just going to be kept in the background then get rid of him. He's too old, too experienced, and too much an asset to be misused and not used at this point in his career.

Rob Terry - Is not a future asset, because he has no ability in any aspect. All he has is appearance and that's just not enough to be worth time and effort over others who can be bigger assets if they're pushed and given the chance over Terry. He should never have been there in the first place.

Taylor Wylde - I think the biggest problem with TNA is the size of their Knockouts division. I don't think a Knockouts Tag Title is even needed, and I think the division needs to be trimmed down. Wilde doesn't stand out above any of the Knockouts and she doesn't bring anything unique or different like other Knockouts do who are just as good as she is, so I'd cut her.

Shark Boy - Should've been gone a long time ago.

Suicide - Horrible character. If they want to keep Kaz, fine.. get him out of the costume and place him with Traci Brooks. Maybe she can draw some character and personality out of the guy.

Nasty Boys - If they're going to be around more then one match they shouldn't be. They are of absolutely no use to TNA and should not even be getting this opportunity.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

My thoughts on cutting the fat...
LACEY VON ERICH...FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR ALL REASONS IN THE WORLD!
Kaz...since he's been SOOO vocal about disliking Hogan..just go then. Get someone else to do Suicide person
Jesse Neal..who IS this FREAK?
Consequences Creed..where's he been lately? SoCalVal..anyone can take people's coats. Jay Lethal..if he's just gonna be a jobber to old retiree's...then why have him there? Rob Terry...not really sure why this bodybuilder is given an X Division shot. Bubba the Love Sponge...crony city...lol. Nasty Boys...I would be interested to see the 3D feud..but if it doesn't do anything fast..I would want that out fast. Scott Hall...he better sober up and fast...he slurred his words more than my friend on New Year's Eve if he wants to hang w/the gang.

Then...as much as I like Rhyno..he's not doing ANYthing..he's better than that. Either give him something or let him go. Then there's Tomko..please put him in something meaningful this time or don't keep him!!

Also Shark Boy...where is he? Witness Protection??