Did the role go to the wrong person?

[Mr. TM]

What I should say is did the two roles go to the wrong people? The roles are those of the apprentices that we see on TNA of Abyss and AJ Styles. Now for me, Abyss doesn't fit, and shouldn't be the guy that TNA is pushing right now, that man is Jeff Hardy.

Cameron, North Carolina? Same backyard as Ric Flair. Crazy outfits? that seems similar to Flair. One of the most over guys in WWE, a massive audience? Well... close enough. Jeff Hardy should have AJ Styles role as someone who is being mentored as the heel of TNA. You know why?

AJ Styles should be getting the Hulk Hogan rub. AJ Styles is the face of the company. He should be the lead face, learning from Hulk Hogan, not Abyss. I really think TNA dropped the ball a bit on this one, as this could have been TNA's big storyline. AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy could put on great matches. AJ Styles and Hardy are not great on the mic, but with Flair and Hogan's help, they could have gotten more over. Jeff Hardy would have brought all the excitement that WWE had with him over to TNA. so when it comes down to it, Abyss should never have had Hogan in his corner.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I have to disagree. It would have been very difficult to get Jeff over as a heel. He doesn't have much skill in the acting department. I didn't think AJ did either, but he has proven me wrong. Jeff Hardy does some crazy s**t in the ring, much crazier than AJ. That TNA crowd would pop for Jeff like crazy, and having him run with Flair wouldn't matter.

AJ has the look and the attitude of a heel, he fits perfectly with Flair. They seem right together. Jeff wouldn't fit in with Flair AT ALL. They would look so mismatched, it would be laughable. I think if and when these two have a feud, AJ is perfect for the heel to go opposite the face Hardy.

Jeff Hardy is also a much bigger name that AJ. I think in the future, when AJ goes back to being a face, it will be HUGE. TNA will more than likely have a much larger audience by then, so it will be a much bigger deal. I like AJ with Ric, and I hope he and Jeff have some great battles down the road.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

I have to disagree, I think giving A.J. the rub from Flair helped build Styles as a more solid mic worker and all around personality, of which he was sorely lacking. Hogan doesn't have the mic skills of Flair, its just a fact. What better mouthpiece for the person that you want to build your company around then one of the most charismatic entertainers of all time. Its to bad they tried to make Styles into a Flair clone, but that seems to have died down quite a bit watching last nights Impact. Plus Hogan likes Abyss (mainly because they're both equally slow and are able to no-sell) while a young Flair was more like A.J. (two wrestlers that can shine in technical contest). So I like the decisions they made for the most part.

That, and I don't think TNA had the patience to wait out Hardy's legal troubles any way. I mean, what does it say about your company if the #1 heel is going to jail for drug charges. Nothing good.

 

[losmariachi]

If ANYBODY should be getting the Flair rub, it's the Pope. If you study every thing about him, you'll just realize that the Pope is just a black version of him. In fact in my heart of hearts, part of me is hoping Flair/AJ is a swerve at Lockdown, and Flair screws AJ. Provided fat Dave Sullivan/Hogan's man wife doesn't win at D-X.

 

[Dagger Dias]

What I should say is did the two roles go to the wrong people? The roles are those of the apprentices that we see on TNA of Abyss and AJ Styles. Now for me, Abyss doesn't fit, and shouldn't be the guy that TNA is pushing right now, that man is Jeff Hardy.

I agree on Abyss. Having him get this push with Hogan just seems so akward. It's been kinda cool, but it does not feel right.

Cameron, North Carolina? Same backyard as Ric Flair. Crazy outfits? that seems similar to Flair. One of the most over guys in WWE, a massive audience? Well... close enough. Jeff Hardy should have AJ Styles role as someone who is being mentored as the heel of TNA. You know why?

Sorry, but I completely disagree on Hardy. I'm not saying they shouldn't push the guy, I'm saying he should NOT be pushed to the top. WWE couldn't rely on Hardy, so why should TNA? He's inevitably going to screw up again somehow, plus he is going through all those legal issues at the moment, and finally he's HORRIBLE on the mic and all main eventers have to be able to cut a promo.

Another problem with that would be this.... what's worse? AJ Styles as a clone of Flair OR Jeff Hardy as a clone of Flair? I'd rather watch AJ Flair instead of Jeff Flair anyday. Can you imagine Hardy in the push Styles has gotten? Walking around in the fancy suits and doing the types of promos that Flair would? Hardy can't even do a halfway decent promo as HIMSELF, let alone as a clone of Flair. As much as I dislike Styles becoming a clone of Flair, him being in that role instead of Hardy is the lesser of two evils.

AJ Styles should be getting the Hulk Hogan rub. AJ Styles is the face of the company. He should be the lead face, learning from Hulk Hogan, not Abyss. I really think TNA dropped the ball a bit on this one, as this could have been TNA's big storyline. AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy could put on great matches. AJ Styles and Hardy are not great on the mic, but with Flair and Hogan's help, they could have gotten more over. Jeff Hardy would have brought all the excitement that WWE had with him over to TNA. so when it comes down to it, Abyss should never have had Hogan in his corner.

Styles in the current push that Abyss has been receiving would have been perfect. Styles and Hogan on the same team would be having the past and the future together. However, I still disagree on Hardy feuding with him. I wouldn't be against seeing it at some point.... maybe if they allow Hardy to be himself instead of placing him in Styles' current push. However, even then I would still prefer someone else, such as Dinero (as a heel version of Pope, not a Flair clone) get the push against Styles. That would have been the best scenario. Where does that leave Hardy and Abyss? Hardy can still work random filler feuds and Abyss can go back to doing hardcore matches as a Foley clone. Problem solved.

 

[Mr. TM]

Scared to give Jeff a push in WWE? They gave him Three World titles, and the only reason he isn't there now is because of Jeff. Jeff, excluding his legal issues, has a decent track record, good enough for WWE to give him those three reigns as champion.

And Jeff does suck on the mic, that is why he NEEDS Ric Flair to help him get over on the mic.

 

[MoneyMack]

When I saw the name of the thread I thought this was going to be about RVD & J.Hardy. Cuz I was thinking- I probly woulda switched those 2 guys roles up on Monday. Having Hardy get the W & then the beatdown by Sting. Then have RVD come in at the end of the show. Only for the show to end with RVD on the top rope ready to drop the frog splash (whats up with that anyway? they get 'permission' from SpikeTV to run late, but then cut it off right before the top rope Swanton? WTF!?!?!)

I dont think TNA was expecting the RVD reaction to be so HUGE! Why wouldnt you want that reaction to end the broadcast?

Anyway- on topic:

I agree that the Abyss/Hogan relationship is odd as hell & that AJ with Hogan would 'fit together' better then what we have now. But then- who does Flair pick as 'the next nature boy'? Also- lets be honest: AJ needed Flairs help. Hogan couldnt help AJ on the mic the way Flair can.

My pick to pair up with Hogan would have been easy really: Matt Morgan
I really dont understand why Morgan wasnt given this role- I think it woulda been a perfect match. Leave Abyss to be mentored by Foley- obviously

 

[KidWicked104]

I think aj and flair is a good mix because aj turning heel is exciting and new i couldnt see jeff hardy as a heel this early i dont think it would work because of the love fans have for hardy. now abyss and hogan thing is kinda weird i think hogan should of chosen someone else abyss needs to be abyss from 2005. jeff hardy as face fueding with heel styles is somethin to watch and is exciting to see. abyss and anderson should of kept there fued goin at least until lockdown angle should of stayed in the main event picture like maybe with hogan two american heros against flair and aj idk just some thoughts. and the pope needs to get the title.

 

[TCBT]

I said this in a previous thread: TNA is becoming a second rate NXT. You can help a wrestler with his mic work without portraying yourself as his mentor on TV. That can all be done backstage.

Abyss with Hogan is ridiculous and does nothing for Abyss as the monster he's supposed to portray. He doesn't need the HOF ring to stop sounding so over-the-top and obnoxious.

I totally agree with Mr. TM. Styles and Flair makes no sense whatsoever. Like I said, that can be done backstage! You don't need to turn him into a Nature Boy shadow. The moment one turns on the other, Styles is going to go back to his old style, and this whole program was done for nothing.

I don't care if you can or can't trust Jeff Hardy. He's wrestling's biggest commodity. Now he doesn't really matter. Why? Because he was not kept fresh in people's minds. If you can't or don't want to use him from the time he signed a TNA contract until now, fine, but AT LEAST create vignettes of him until he returns for good! Keep him fresh in people's minds. Remind us who Jeff Hardy was in 2009! Instead of putting down WWE all the damn time, TNA should show off their newest, greatest asset since Kurt Angle as much as possible. And that person is DEFINATELY not Hulk Hogan, who's been getting more TV time than anyone else in the roster!

 

[TheIcon2]

Abyss has been ruined in my opinion. That was the biggest joke watching he and Hulk come out Monday night. Abyss shouldn't be anywhere near Hulk with his yellow boa unless it is against Hulk. It reminded me of the WWE Oddities. And that isn't a compliment. Instead of the scary unknown Abyss we get Abyss the yellow and red boa giggling oddity.

 

[Greenlight13]

Jeff couldn't get heel heat if he shot a puppy in the middle of the ring. He barely managed to get some when he was being HBK's protege for a while against Jericho, and that was when his popularity had dipped a little, since then he rose to the very top in terms of monster pops. He's a natural face and doesn't know how to be a heel.

His thing is living free and not caring about his well being. His thing is leaping off anything remotely high to hit a Swanton. Half his key moves are high-flying. These things do not suit a heel.

I know some of this is true of AJ too. He is more of a natural face and his moves are far more exciting than your average heel, but his moveset has become more grounded in recent years, likely due to age and maturity as a wrestler. Since becoming Flair 2.0 he's cut down on the flying even more. He wins matches with the Styles Clash and Figure Four. He's also managed to be a heel in the past, and quite successfully I might add. I'm not a fan of him frosting his hair and doing everything but kiss all the girls they bring out to pretend he's not married, but besides that I approve of his pairing with Flair. He's got immediate credibility and some of the mic work load is taken off him. I also think he's improved on the mic in recent times. The Flair/Styles hybrid robe is also a nice touch. I think this pairing works.

As for Abyss, well... he's right up Hogan's alley. Big strong man claiming to be taller than he is working a somewhat outdated role. I cannot stand his clapping and and being upset and "oh Mr. Foley thank you ever so much". I've hated that since day one. When Abyss was an unstoppable monster that only James Mitchell could control he was awesome. When he was breaking into Christian's home and almost drowning him in his pool.... that was probably a step too far, but the general character was cooler. Hogan says he plans to get him back to being a monster, so as long as that happens I can make my peace with it. So long as he doesn't wear red and yellow and do the leg drop that is.

The reason AJ and Abyss are getting this treatment are that they are the main event talent that need character tweaks or improvements. Bischoff and Hogan said they wanted to breath life into the TNA characters and that is what they're doing in my eyes.

Kurt Angle can just be Kurt Angle. The Pope has managed to get over by simply allowing him to talk. Anderson's natural charisma gets him over. Sting is legit. Foley is somewhat legit. Jarrett owns the company so to the TNA audience is legit. Desmond Wolfe has proved himself to the audience thanks to Kurt Angle and now he's paired with AJ and Flair this should only raise his profile.

Samoa Joe kind of works as he is, because while he looks fat to someone who's never seen him work before, he's still a big guy, he cuts promos that suit his character and when he's in street clothes he looks menacing. I hope the result of this kidnapping is that he comes back meaner than ever. I actually liked the Nation of Violence story and don't know why it wasn't better developed. Joe was never so over as when he was putting X-Division guys on the shelf by being a dick in the ring and just hurting people. Even when he was a heel he got face heat. When he became a main event face they softened his ring style and since then they've been trying to reverse that, but making him lose clean to Lashley in about 6 minutes isn't a great way to go. Tweaking Joe's look a little (I hate his black and gold shorts, they look insanely Indie wrestler) and bringing him back as a dominant bad-ass will have him set.

I know this has veered off slightly into assessing TNA's main event scene but it was merely to demonstrate why I think these roles have gone to the right people. AJ as the Nature Boy mostly works. Jeff has to be a face in his own right. Abyss needs a reality slap and Hogan might give it to him.

 

[psykohurricane]

I kinda of agree with you on one thing A.J. Styles should have been getting the Hogan rub and not get stuck with Flair. There is so many other guy that would have fit the role A.J. is playing. The first guy that comes to mind is Desmond Wolfe. The guy would have been perfect for that spot, he got the mic skills, he got the style since when he first started his look was similar to the one Flair had and he's one of the best technical wrestler in TNA

Another guy that could have fit the part is Daniels. Again same thing as Desmond Wolfe, he's got the look and the technical expertise to fit the character.

Last but not less, Samoa Joe, O.K. so he's not as fit as the other 2 but he'S pretty descent on the mic and he's the best big man in the industry plus he got the advantage of already be put in this type of position before.

 

[degenxr1]

AJ seems shadowed by everyone else in the ring--you do not even think of him in that 4 person mix as a threat or the champ---he needs his own style with Flair--did anyone else see that?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

While I agree that Abyss was not the guy to push in any sense here, I've grown quite fond of the "Nature Boy" AJ Styles, to be honest. I actually think AJ has prospered tremendously because of this new role, more than he was ever really able to accomplish on a grand scale as a face, and that I believe is a testament to just how powerful Flair is for him as a mentor.

Abyss still has me scratching my head, because I just don't get it. Why a monster? Why not Matt Morgan? Why not Jeff Hardy or RVD? Why not anyone you could actually sell as a "guy" and not as a quasi-******ed "character"?

Also, keep in mind, part of the problem with grooming Hardy as anything right now rest on a very unstable outcome pending in his drug trafficking case. The last thing they can afford is to lose a top star like him to a prison sentence mid-way through a push or a story-line.

 

[MCMGfoLife]

I agree with most of the people on here. Jeff is just too big of a face for people to believe him as a heel. the other main thing wrong with this is that he most likely just signed with the company and they can't just put all their money on hoping he signs with them. this whole storyline started over a month ago, and they've gotta have the champ doing something. I also feel AJ should be the main face of TNA, cuz not only is he a great wrestler, making him the face shows a clear difference from WWE's main face, John Cena...and that is a GOOD thing.

 

[The Wolf]

Flair clone or 'the next nature boy' who says anyone has to play that role. Why not have flair pick someone he thinks is being ignored and not getting the push they deserve. He can be forcing us to pay attention to someone who can or should be in the title pic.

 

[T2KFreeker]

Please, let's not bring the "Excitement and action" of the current WWE product over to TNA. I mean, I too love boring, stale, and totally predictable storylines and matches. Not saying that TNA is perfect, but lately they have been throwing some zingers and keeping us on out toes a bit whereas every damn thing the "E" does is so not a surprise anymore. Hell, they couldn't even come up with something that you weren't expecting with what should have been the biggest story in wrestling history, or damn close to it, with Bret Hart back in WWE. From Samoa Joe joining the MEM last year, to Sting turning heel, at least TNA seems to be trying to get us from time to time. I swear that the writers at WWE have to be asleep or texting while writing what they write anymore because they just aren't paying attention. I fast forward through WWE programming these days anhd that's a fact, Jack!

Oh, and for the record, I can stand AJ with the suits, the ladies, and him sadly quoting old Flair lines, but the robes too? This is a bit much. Just to say my piece, TNA really needs to stop with this whole emulation of older superstars. This does remind me of the old Shark Boy Steve Austin thing and Little Petey Pump. It has to stop as AJ can be just as dirty a heel being himself than having to copy every damn thing Flair does. Please, no more Little Naitch! Drop the robe from AJ, please, as it's too much.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Hogan and Abyss doesn't work for me in the least. It's just an odd pairing for one and Abyss is truly awful right now for another. It's like watching a neurotic 10 year old that likes being cut open. Hogan is insistent on shoving Abyss down everyone's throat because he's a fan of Abyss. But hey, the man's in charge and all.

I think Hogan and Styles as a face would have worked nice. Like someone mentioned earlier, it'd be an interesting combo of the past and the future. I just do not buy Styles as the next Nature Boy. It seems an awkward fit for him in my eyes and he doesn't have the promo skills to pull it off.

As for Jeff Hardy, it's too soon to be considering really doing anything significant with him at this point. His criminal trial starts in about a week and who knows how long it will go on. Plus, the possibility of Hardy's conviction also has to be considered. I'm not an attorney but it would surprise me greatly if the prosecutor hasn't tried to have Hardy's well documented drug history into evidence as part of a pattern. Sometimes, a judge will deny the use of such evidence if he hasn't been convicted on drug charges in the past and sometimes a judge will if the judge feels that the history is sufficient to show a significant and escalating pattern in a defendant's life. Technically, a judge really shouldn't allow such evidence in, but that's just how it goes sometimes.

I have little doubt that Hardy will appear on next week's iMPACT!, it wouldn't even surprise me to see him wrestle a match. However, as of right now, it's a little too soon for TNA to hitch Jeff Hardy to its wagon.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Jeff Hardy does suck on the mic, but the guy is so over he doesn't have to speak much. Jeff Hardy is already an established star and household name, there is no real reason why he needs Flair with him. Besides, Jeff Hardy has so many legal troubles there is no way he could appear on Impact regularly.

When you think about who could be molded into a real champion like Ric Flair, it has to AJ Styles. He doesn't do the partying or womanizing but he is the epitome of what a world champion should be. I guess you could put him with Hogan, but I'm sure people would complain about that to since AJ and Hogan work different styles.

I think Matt Morgan would of been the best bet as the monster Hogan could use. Morgan was getting good reactions until he teamed with Hernandez and faded off into obscurity. I'm tired of Abyss becoming another Eugene. Abyss works best as a hardcore heel in my opinion. I think AJ has become more credible as of late and we be an even bigger face once his turn ends. I mean you take the man that represents the heart and soul of TNA and turn him heel. I think that is more effective then having some random wrestler that isn't a world champ like Pope being with Flair.

 

[That'sVintageMichaelCole]

I think you have to remember that Flair said he was coming in to work with the Main Man, the champ, so it wouldn't really work if he was aligned with someone else other than AJ, as he is the main guy in TNA. It just wouldn't have been the same with Wolfe or Pope. I love both guys, but their names, just aren't big enough for this role.

 

[Slyfox696]

If I were a betting man, I can easily imagine why Abyss is the face and AJ Styles is theel.

AJ is too small to be a mega face.

Really, that's it. In the annals of history, no mega babyface has ever been a small man. The CLOSEST you could come to that would be Shawn Michaels, and he's still 3 inches taller than AJ Styles, and HBK was the worst drawing champion in WWE history. AJ is one of the best workers in wrestling today, but I can guarantee both Bischoff and Hogan came in and said there is no way mainstream casual fans will buy AJ Styles as a dominant champion, especially since AJ's offense can sometimes come off as weak.

So, AJ goes hel, and aligns with Ric Flair, which I think is a great match, if only he wouldn't try to BE Ric Flair. Take some mannerisms, take some cockiness...but remain AJ Styles. There will only be one Ric Flair. So, after AJ works with Flair for a while, start pushing him as his own man, with Flair just that as his manager, not his twin.

 

[RavensFlock1990]

Fans wouldn't boo Jeff if he kicked their puppy. He was the biggest star in wrestling last summer and he doesn't need a rub from anybody.

They put AJ with Flair because AJ has no charisma and can't get over with the casual fans. And AJ has done a miserable job so far and has shown he belongs in the x division. NOT the heavyweight division. They should have paired Wolfe or Roode with Flair.

As for Abyss....he should just be fired. He's horrible at everything. Nobody should be built up as the next Hogan and wearing a HOF ring thinking it gives them powers. That entire story angle is destined to fail no matter who's in that role. And with someone that already sucks as much as Abyss it will fail even 10x worse.