Diamond Dallas Page Turns Down TNA Return

[It's Damn Real!]

PWTorch.com is reporting that TNA recently pitched an offer to former WCW Champion and former TNA wrestler Diamond Dallas Page to return to the company — Page declined.

For those of you wondering, yes, Page is in his fifties. He's 54.

Page reportedly turned the offer down as he he is currently working as an actor, motivational speaker and fitness guru, and it's said he has no desire to return to wrestling at this time.

Something that probably needs to be noted before the Bitching Brigade comes rolling in with their Anti-TNA tanks firing nonstop pot-shot after pot-shot is that none of us knows the extent of what DDP's role might have been. For all we know he may have been brought in as a commentator, or as a manager, or even as simply a back-stage guy. Nothing from the report actually indicates they wanted him as an in-ring competitor.

That said... thoughts on the idea of TNA wanting to bring Page back in? Concerns?

 

[Big Sexy]

My concern is that someone in TNA thought this was actually a good idea. I liked DDP back in his WCW days and even when he was in the WWE but the guy is now 54 years old and has been out of wrestling for over 5 years. There is nothing at all that he really could have contributed to the company. Unless they were maybe thinking of bringing him in as a manager for a short time, which I sincerely doubt, TNA should consider themselves lucky that he said no because it would have been a complete failure.

 

[klunderbunker]

It's good that he turned them down. Page is a relatively big name and could probably get a fairly nice payday out of this. That being said, why should he? What can he bring to the table that isn't already there? You have Hogan and Bischoff and Flair there for nostalgia already. Page was old in WCW, now he's bordering on ancient. It's not a knock on him but his time simply has passed. I'll say this though: it's a good sign that some people get that their time has gone. Page has no business in TNA and he didn't take the deal. I like that, as it probably would have been easy money.

As for TNA, it doesn't particularly surprise me. Page is a guy that meant something about 13 years ago and hasn't meant anything since. Why shouldn't they want him?

 

[TUFFY54]

I dont want to sound all doom and gloom, but what the hell is wrong with TNA. I liked DDP in WCW and WWE, but my God will they please try to be relevent to this decade. I know people are probley going to bash me for this because we don't know what role he was going to play. There is NO role he should be playing. Wrestler-no. Manager-no. On air personality-no. They arleady have Hogan, Bishoff, Flair, and Mick Foley filling in the role of guy who talks about the good old days. TNA has one of the best roster a wrestling company could ask for, they simply refuse to do anything with it.

 

[donnelllangs]

All the tna wrestlers are sounding like ric flair saying whooooo! It is hulk hogan and bitchoff who is trying to get this old man in tna. These guys are stupid and they are running out of ideas. Hire some young wrestling fans with writing skills to help out. Somebody will work for $15 an hour.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

Yea I'm Glad that He turned down this Offer. I was Huge DDP fan while he was in WCW and even when he was in WWE but their is nothing DDP that could help TNA wih he is 54 Yrs Old so he can't wrestle probably anymore, I suppose he could be a Decent Manager but even then its still not worth it to bring him in.

 

[CuddleBuns84]

Well, I wonder what the role they offered him was... I'm thinking as a wrestler, because he shot it down at the age of 54. It make sense too. If I was 54, and had something better going on, I would not want to get back in the ring...

I don't know why TNA made that kind of offer. Maybe it's to get the wrestling world talking about TNA. I'm thinking that's more of TNA's motive. They need exposure, and what nice and cheap way, by making silly offers to people.

But, It's a good thing, because he has done his part in the wrestling business. No need for him to come back to wrestling.

 

[Snap Suplex]

I dont want to sound all doom and gloom, but what the hell is wrong with TNA. I liked DDP in WCW and WWE, but my God will they please try to be relevent to this decade. I know people are probley going to bash me for this because we don't know what role he was going to play. There is NO role he should be playing. Wrestler-no. Manager-no. On air personality-no. They arleady have Hogan, Bishoff, Flair, and Mick Foley filling in the role of guy who talks about the good old days. TNA has one of the best roster a wrestling company could ask for, they simply refuse to do anything with it.

Exactly. I posted yesterday on another forum and touched on these older wrestlers (Hogan, Hart, etc...) understanding their roles. I really want TNA to succeed as a wrestling company, but what a joke with Hogan and Bischoff and offering to Page??? Wow, nothing like burying a stacked roster of awesome, young talent with has beens. Sad.

 

[Rayne]

Something that probably needs to be noted before the Bitching Brigade comes rolling in with their Anti-TNA tanks firing nonstop pot-shot after pot-shot is that none of us knows the extent of what DDP's role might have been. For all we know he may have been brought in as a commentator, or as a manager, or even as simply a back-stage guy. Nothing from the report actually indicates they wanted him as an in-ring competitor.

Defensive much? Watch this- nothing in the report indicates that TNA wouldn't use him in throwaway matches with people that had their glory days in the 1990's. Maybe they'd have him wrestle in garbage matches with lots of blood every couple of months- for all we know.

TNA sets themselves up for the pot-shots. If they were producing quality, engrossing television, it would be a lot harder to take said pot-shots, but instead, they are repeatedly relying on guys who haven't been relevant to professional wrestling in years.

Thankfully, DDP has enough common sense in him to look at how TNA's been running lately and refuse the offer. Don't think it's because of his, um, 'career' as an actor (quick- name a movie he's been in the past five years without doing a web search) or that crazy money that can be made as a long washed-up wrestler working as a motivational speaker. If the money's there, and if he wouldn't embarrass himself in the process, he'd be putting the tights back on. He seems to realize he'd be a third-tier player in the ongoing Hulk + Eric show.

You seem to at least understand how awful TNA's been lately; it seems you can't make a TNA post lately without immediately taking the defensive for the company. I still retain hope that you will eventually realize that just because you don't like the WWE doesn't mean you have to love TNA.

 

[MB1025]

I bet you a million dollars he would have came in and talked about how Bischoff and Hogan did this 13 years ago and destroyed a company. They would have put him in a program with someone from Fortune and he would have went over. I love TNA, but unless he was leading young guys with Sting and Nash to get rid of Immortal than there is no use for him.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

My only real thought is it's typical of TNA, well of hogna and bischoff actually. They won't stop until they have dragged every man and women who worked in WCW, regardless of age or health, to their new WCW.

You know what? I was one of those guys who stuck up for them all the way through, even as far as BFG I was saying that hardy turning was a good idea, and it was... because hardy, as talentless as he is, can draw and thats how a business is run. But I'm done now. Were they not satisfied with the nasty boys' epic failure. What about the jelly bellys buh-buh and d-von wasting airtime and air itself for that matter.

From all of the small moves they make, it is building up a firm belief in me that what the many sceptic's say is true, these guys don't have the capability to run a wrestling company and keep it successful.

A valid point from It's damn real, "Something that probably needs to be noted ...... is that none of us knows the extent of what DDP's role might have been." true enough and if it was something backstage then no problem. But if you look at the track record of guys they signed, DDP would certainly NOT have been confined to doing something backstage. So, that leaves something either managerial or in-ring...

Well Ric Flair was brought in as a manager, but how often has he wrestled and he is even older than DDP. We've had to witness the lethal combination of flair's three moves: Punches, chops and low blows and had guys like matt morgan openly pretend that ric can still work a match. HELLOO!!!!,,,,,PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU KNOW TNA, we can all see that flair, despite his amazing body shape for his age, can no longer wrestle his way out of a paper bag, let alone a TNA maine event.

It is almost inevitable that even as a manager, just like flair or hogan or any others guys these two have brought in over the age of 45, he would at one time or another be caught up in yet another wrestling match. These two are like a 13 year-old with the internet, they aren't going to use it properly, just watch porn. They wouldn't be able to help themselves, sooner or later we'd have seen the 54 year old DDP in a match.

So I can only applaude DDP for turning it down, may just make them realise that they need to work with the young amazing talent they have, but I really doubt it. This issue is far bigger than DDP, it is about Hogan and Bischoff and whether they can be trusted and it has taken me 11 months but I have finally come to the conclusion they can't.

It's a sad day because I'll openly admit TNA is my favorite company, I really don't want to see all that amazing talent go to waste.

 

[The Shockmaster]

If there was one person i would want to see from wcw it would most definitely be DDP. My all time favorite wrestler when it comes to wcw talent. Theres nothing I wouldnt give to hear that Nirvana riff one last time as he walked to the ring.

But all in all if this deal was to come back to be a wrestler I am glad he passed this offer up. The guy has been smart with his life after wrestling and is in a spot where he no longer needs to compete. If this was 10 years ago it would be a different story but i am thankful for all the memories DDP has left me with(my all time favorite being the reversal of the jackhammer into the diamond cutter).

The only match i would truly love to see and probably give my left nut for would be DDP vs The Rock(wcw Peoples champ vs wwe peoples champ). Since it is not likely to even happen in the wwe and probably impossible to see in a tna ring I am happy with the fact that DDP has blessed the wrestling ring at one point in time.

 

[Mustang Sally]

PWTorch.com is reporting that TNA recently pitched an offer to former WCW Champion and former TNA wrestler Diamond Dallas Page to return to the company — Page declined.

And that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing!

The thing is, as soon as you start to think TNA has learned their lesson about their bloated payroll and the high average age of their roster, they pull something like this.

They seemed to have finally gotten the message that they're not taking down WWE as they hoped.......and they started trimming their personnel, but we should have known they weren't out of the woods yet when they're retaining the old guys like Flair, Hogan, Foley etc. At least they weren't looking to bring in Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik, right?

Instead, they go after Diamond Dallas Page.


There are really only three things wrong with TNA:

1) Mismanagement
2) Mismanagement
3) Mismanagement

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

To be honest, I think that many who have posted ignore the initial disclaimer not to piss and moan as noone would know what Page's roll would have been. It could have been good, it could have been bad. The thing is that nobody bitches like this when they hear that WWE has resigned Roddy Piper or some older semi-retired wrestler. They sit back, watch and see what to expect and then make a judgment from there.

Now with that said, I am kind of intrigued by the notion that they wanted Page to come on board. I don't think that it would have been to add to Immortal/Fortune as that would have taken away from the fact that, while Immortal/Fortune does have older figureheads, it does give a decent push to younger stars that are within the company or that they have signed. If I had to take a guess at what role he would have had, I think that it would have been to back Dixie Carter, something I can see them signing someone else to do, as her general to leads some troops against Hogan/Bischoff/Flair. The role more than likely would have been as a mouthpiece but would have lead to a match against Flair and then probably against Hogan before returning to retirement. I really can't see Sting being that person as it would have been entirely too obvious and too many people have grown to used to seeing him. But if you are going to have Sting and Nash back, leading a group of TNA faithfuls, then you might need a third name as well. Not sure who that would be, but I guess Page wasn't interested in the role at this time. And that is not to say that he won't accept it later, but some have to wonder why this story would even come out as many other have turned down TNA without is being anything major.

Maybe Page is garnering personal interest to feel out if fans want to see him back for one more run or not. But hey, who knows.

 

[Snap Suplex]

To be honest, I think that many who have posted ignore the initial disclaimer not to piss and moan as noone would know what Page's roll would have been. It could have been good, it could have been bad. The thing is that nobody bitches like this when they hear that WWE has resigned Roddy Piper or some older semi-retired wrestler. They sit back, watch and see what to expect and then make a judgment from there.

LOL, seriously??? I don't like WWE's product right now, but they are actually utilizing their young talent MUCH more than TNA. No one would say this about WWE/Roddy Piper because WWE isn't stupid enough to based their company around super old dudes WAAAAYYY past their primes.

Like Bret Hart said, he knows his role in wrestling today. Hart did his thing just as Piper and they are not the focus, but they contribute in today's WWE. They are not the focus. WWE has had Orton, Sheamus, Cena, and now the Miz as champs-all of these guys are young studs. Jeff Hardy isn't super young but beyond that, many argue the real focus was Hogan and Bischoff and their horrible nWo-esque swerve when Hardy actually got the strap.

There you go-the recent past has illustrated how TNA bases their product on fossils and WWE works them in to their CURRENT strengths while not making them the focus and pushing the younger talent.

 

[Purple_Spectre]

I think the heart of the matter is that if the WWE is indeed planning a WCW themed Hall of Fame/Wrestlemania, who would be one of the bigger draws for them to induct? DDP would be a bigger tier name, so I can see this as an attempt to sign DDP to keep him away from the WWE.

 

[TUFFY54]

I think the heart of the matter is that if the WWE is indeed planning a WCW themed Hall of Fame/Wrestlemania, who would be one of the bigger draws for them to induct? DDP would be a bigger tier name, so I can see this as an attempt to sign DDP to keep him away from the WWE.

I actually thought of this myself. However, after about two seconds I realised it made no sense. DDP hasn't been relevent in wrestling for about 8 years. Its been 5 or 6 since he was even in TNA. Him returning to TNA wouldn't do anything for their ratings, and him being in the WWE wouldn't do anything for their ratings either. I swear to god I can see it now:

Bischoff/Hogan: "You couldn't do anything to stop us 15 years ago DDP, and you cant do anything to stop us now"

DDP: "Oh yeah, well maybe you forgot what its like to feel..the..Bang!"

Fucking terrible.

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

LOL, seriously??? I don't like WWE's product right now, but they are actually utilizing their young talent MUCH more than TNA. No one would say this about WWE/Roddy Piper because WWE isn't stupid enough to based their company around super old dudes WAAAAYYY past their primes.

I think that you misunderstood what i wrote. What I was saying is that we should not judge the signing until we actually know what the role was going to be. I wasn't saying that he should be the center of attention, but he would be good for a pop or two and is a face that noone has seen for a while. Someone who is a former champion, has former ties to Hogan and Bischoff and would be credible in a storyline where he would be a Hogan/Bischoff hater.

Like Bret Hart said, he knows his role in wrestling today. Hart did his thing just as Piper and they are not the focus, but they contribute in today's WWE. They are not the focus. WWE has had Orton, Sheamus, Cena, and now the Miz as champs-all of these guys are young studs. Jeff Hardy isn't super young but beyond that, many argue the real focus was Hogan and Bischoff and their horrible nWo-esque swerve when Hardy actually got the strap.

Well look at it. For years, the same people have been the main focus of the WWE, Orton, Cena, Taker, Kane, Trips, Edge, and Show. They are the old guard. Earlier this years, I was impressed that they were pushing Sheamus and Swagger. But look at us months later. Other than the King of The Ring win, neither of these two have been higher than mid card level. Miz is champ, but the focus was more on Cena than Miz in the way it played out. Kane is champ and feuding with Edge, with Taker currently healing from another injury but will be back to feud with Kane once that is over. Kofi is mid card level, after getting a push a while back. The old guard is pretty much the focus. Now while I am not going to complain about that as you do have to you audience, if you think about, TNA is pushing younger stars. Hogan and Flair and Bishoff come out for a segment or two but focus is on Morgan, Williams, Fortune, and the tag team division. The Knockouts are even getting quite a decent amount of time. Sure Hardy has the strap but he comes out for one segment a show really while the younger stars work the show.

There you go-the recent past has illustrated how TNA bases their product on fossils and WWE works them in to their CURRENT strengths while not making them the focus and pushing the younger talent.

Wrestling audiences usually like to see familiar faces when watching programs. If that were not the case, then Daniels, Homicide, and a host of others would not be back in ROH and getting major tv time. I see older guys as the figureheads, but they aren't the ones working the rings. They aren't the ones main eventing and getting the exposure and the rub. It's the younger stars. They are getting worked in regularly. They are getting their chance to shine and build to see if they can draw and maybe run with the ball. I mean other than Flair taking a beating from Flair a couple of weeks age, when was the last time that a guy over 40 worked a TNA match on a weekly basis or go over on a younger star? I haven't seen it. And if it did, it was to build up something bigger so the younger guy could go over later.

 

[UltimateHitman]

First off, let me commend Afro-Ameri-Spawn. He's making very valid, intelligent points. Now, I know I'll get a beating for my comments, but one of the older guys who would actually be a good one to bring on board would be DDP. He could be a wealth of knowledge and assistance in the back, or would be excellent at the announce table considering he was a great speaker. If he had the same kind of energy level as he did in WCW, he would definitely be a good candidate for a TNA faithful-based figurehead, much like Flair is in 4tune. I may be generous here, but it could work well if done right, yet I could also see w/the current booking team they have it being a big thing for 2 episodes and then quickly becoming a downhill slide as was EV2. But for the sake of argument, I think Page in a couple of different scenarios could have been a good idea, at least for a short-term pick-me-up.

 

[Ferbian]

It confuses me why they would want to get their hands on DDP in the first round. He was popular and all that in his heyday alright. But that's about it, he's older now, he hasn't wrestled for years, and he most likely enjoys what ever he has going right now. Because if he didn't, then he would still be in wrestling I'm sure.

DDP was interesting and all that back in the days. But I doubt he has ANYTHING to offer to the TNA roster right now. Like I said he's older, and that's something TNA needs to stop reaching for. They need to realize that while someone is popular, you don't need to drag a 45+ year old guy out to your ring in order to hope boosting a few ratings. Which is what DDP might be able to do, but it won't be ANYWHERE near noticeable, and he'd most likely be someone taking up more airtime than he'd be remotely worth.

So, for TNA's sake I'm actually glad DDP turned down the offer.

 

[Sting's Bat]

As much as I liked DDP back in the day and hate how his WWE run went down, I really can't begin to think of a proper place for him in TNA currently. Even as a manager who would he manage? who would his enemies be? his old rival JJ maybe? would anyone other than the IWC really care that he was back? If a announcer would he join Tazz and Tenay or replace one of them? Just too many questions i can't think of answers for.

 

[realdealasshole]

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to NOT think that TNA was looking to hire him as a wrestler. Look at what they've done so far since Hogan and Bischoff have come aboard. The Nasty Boys? A Team 3D feud? A 96 Bash at the Beach poor remake attempt featuring Jeff Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and a useless Hulk Hogan as the main stars? There's no doubt in my mind TNA was desiring to bring DDP in. Why? Because they think people like him still have star power.

Let me just say this to TNA supporters out there: Hulk Hogan has NO star power. He's not even a shell of his former self. I don't know what he is, but he draws no ratings, that's for damn sure. DDP would have been yet another lame attempt at more star power from the 90's. Glad DDP didn't want to embarrass himself by joining such an awful group in charge.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I personally think TNA wanted DDP back as a wrestler. He is close with Eric Bischoff and it seems that TNA are interested in every available wrestler who was a star in the 90s.

We already have Hogan, Flair, Sting, Foley, Nash and under Hogan and Eazy E we have had Scott Hall and Scott Steiner on TNA. There is no doubt in my mind TNA wouldnt have hired DDP to wrestle.

I am glad that he turned the offer down. Page was good back in the day, but he was old when he stepped into the ring, after being a manager for years. He is 54 now so really has nothing to offer in the ring any more, they need to use the TV time push the talent they already have, rather than wasting it on has-beens.

I do like Page, and think he would be a good addition as a manager or announcer. He is very good on the mic, and pretty charismatic, but as a wrestler he knows his time is up.

 

[UFOcalling]

I haven't read all the other posts in this thread yet, so I apologize if I'm repeating anyone. When I first saw this news, my instinct told me that TNA's idea to use DDP would be as some type of on-air character.

If I was a betting man, I'd put money on TNA's idea for DDP would have been for him to fill the void left by Sting & Nash. DDP has history with Hogan, and it seems to me that they would just get DDP to revive his "Hollywood Scum Hogan" routine. They wouldn't have him wrestle often (if at all), and they probably would have paired him up with Pope and possibly someone else (EXACTLY where Sting & Nash left off). That's just how I see TNA creative using him.

It's obvious DDP is too busy in other facets of his life to work for TNA, good for him. Glad to see that he doesn't feel he needs to lace 'em up to feel relevant at his age.

 

[Rasha]

To all of you who shot down the idea of DPP as a manager or other non-wrestling entity; you're idiots. He has more personality in one of his armpits than several TNA wrestlers put together. He worked as a manager for years before breaking out in WCW. He's done color commentary before. How would it be bad for TNA if DDP was the manager/mentor for guys like Generation Me, Jay Lethal, or others who struggle a bit on the mic?

Was Bobby Heenan bad for the WWF? Has Ric Flair been bad for the WWE or TNA? Stop getting caught up in this mob mentality and have an original thought. Older stars aren't bad for wrestling. No, they shouldn't dominate the TV time and their presence should generally be meant to elevate the youth around them. Some of you seem to get that. But those of you who just summarily dismiss DDP or any other 40+ guy and say "NO! Not in ANY capacity!" are just showing your ignorance.