How Pimpin is the Pope?

[jccool420]

Just wanted to start a thread before Lockdown tonight to see what people thought about the Pope maybe becoming TNA Champion...

And also if Pope does become champion, then where does the booking go from there?

Would they really give AJ the rematch at the next PPV and make their fued a 3 month long fued? If so, would Pope's title reign be short lived or does anyone think that TNA would let Pope have a run with the title?

I mean, if Pope wins then the only real heel for him to fued with would be Mr. Anderson which would make sense since Angle is taking time off after tonight and will likely be putting Anderson over... I think it would be a great fued...

Or if AJ retains, which I think is the most likely to happen... Who is next?

Returning Joe? Good idea, but we just saw a Joe versus AJ main event and I doubt booking would be going back down that road...

RVD... I really think he is the next choice... He's just as over as Hardy and he is probably more reliable and the better worker... Not to mention AJ versus RVD is a dream match... I would really like to see RVD walk away with the title... AJ is a great champion, but TNA needs a face champion that they can put on adds and commercials and stuff like that to get their name out... RVD would be perfect...

.... Any thoughts?

 

[Knicky_dymondz]

I like the Pope in TNA a lot better than I liked Elijah Burke in WWE. I like his mic style, his innovative wrestling style, and I would like to see him get a major push to the title. And remember folks...........POPEIN Ain't Easy!!!!!

 

[Rasha]

I think AJ's retaining. His heel turn and his alliance with Flair are just too new to suffer a major defeat this quickly. I anticipate Bischoff getting involved in some capacity to cement his breaking away from Hogan. I could easily see a "ref gets knocked out, Bischoff runs down in ref's attire and fast counts" scenario.

And to your question about Pope... I really don't know if he'd be the best World Champ for TNA right now. AJ is much more credible right now and shouldn't lose the strap until we've had a chance to see truly epic AJ/Joe feud that establishes Joe as the dominant face/badass of the company. I think the best thing TNA could do right now is keep this AJ/Wolfe/Beer Money alliance alive and have Joe battle these guys a la Sting vs. Horsemen in the early 90s.

 

[Attitude_Raven]

Pope SHOULD WIN the title tonight, AJs reign is geting old and boring, so aftter the victory he should have a feud with Wolfe for the belt and then after months Anderson should take the title off Pope to solidify his top heel status, and then it could be Pope eventually regaining the belt or maybe Morgan, Hernandez could get a shot and wiln

 

[The Roid Rage]

And to your question about Pope... I really don't know if he'd be the best World Champ for TNA right now. AJ is much more credible right now and shouldn't lose the strap until we've had a chance to see truly epic AJ/Joe feud that establishes Joe as the dominant face/badass of the company.

Your statement right here is exactly why Pope should go over tonight, legitimize this guy by putting him over the more credible A.J. Styles as you put it. I personally don't think A.J. Styles is shit. He's average at best, I will say that being average at everything is better than being really good at one thing and nothing else though, so at least he can say he's a pretty well rounded wrestler for the most part, not Phenomenal though, there is only one Phenom.

I think Pope has looked really good and that he was one of the best ideas they've had so far. He's like The Rock with more swag. I like him in the ring too, very solid and believable offense. If he doesn't go over tonight I'd bet he will soon though.

Mr. Anderson will likely be the next contender which means that the champ must be a face, so I would think that unless it WAS RVD that they had in mind to be the next guy, Pope will win tonight.

We've already seen Joe/A.J. programs before, and we've already seen Joe in the title picture, but it didn't really work. He's been gone for a while, I don't think they are going to drop him right in the title scene after his long absence. I don't think anyone really gives a shit about him anyways. I find nothing compelling about Joe, and think they basically gave him the title to please their ROH loving crowd because they all wanted to see their boy go up. He's basically useless at this point, and I don't see how he can be relevant in the future right now.

We need a new rivalry, not a recycled one. Anderson, or RVD would be great, and there are still a few other people that you could throw into the mix before you mentioned Samoa Joe.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I think it is really too soon to put the belt on Pope. AJ has been champion for awhile, but he has just started to became the top heel in TNA with Ric Flair. I'm a fan of the Pope but he hasn't been around the TNA or the main event scene long enough to win a championship. It will be interesting to see if the crowd even cheers for The Pope at all tonight. The Impact Zone is deceiving. Remember at Bound For Glory when Morgan and AJ were getting booed when they were the top faces of the company? Even Bobby Lashley who was a God at the Impact Zone got booed out of the building in California.

I think the St. Louis crowd will be harsh. Lockdown was in St. Louis 3 years ago and they shitted all over the blindfold and electrified cage match. Rightfully so, but that crowd isn't as scripted or forgiving as the Impact Zone. I think Samoa Joe will make his return and challenge AJ again. Of course we could see another Russo swerve and see yet another Joe heel turn which would be ridiculous. I wouldn't put it past them though.

I do see Joe interfering costing Pope or AJ the match and then challenging AJ again for Sacrifice. Hardy has a trial to go to next month, and I don't think RVD needs to be in the championship picture. Although it would be awesome to see RVD against Styles. One thing I do know is that it is way too soon for The Pope to get the belt tonight. More shocking things have happened in TNA, but I think it's too soon for Pope to win.

 

[Fan_of_Wrestling]

I think it's simple, give Pope a chance, he has everything to be one of the faces of TNA... give him the title run that makes him legit.

After winning tonight, I would have him go over AJ in a rematch, then Fued with Mr Anderson (fresh off the Angle feud), then Wolfe (re-igniting there own feud, brings Flair back into the mix), then have Joe take the title (after a long program with AJ, which would explain why Wolfe could go after the title not as the head of the stable.) I think Joe should take the title off Pope, but in a proper feud, and after Pope has been given a real run with the title. I think Pope could be a money maker if given the ball to run with.

And... Please, Please, Please... Keep the title off the likes or RVD and Hardy... unless they sign a multi year contract (and shed the ring rust they have been displaying)... but either of those guys could be thrown into feuds with him.

 

[johnnyblaze3:16]

im a huge pope mark, but i dont think he goes over tonight. im with the jcool420. they need a heel champ with the pending feuds with hardy/rvd on the horizon. i think the end of this one will have pope putting on a classic in wich he's about to win, then wolf gets involved for aj to retain and further the pope wolf feud. i so wish im wrong tna needs pope to be champ marketing/face champ would be good for bussiness. i just think they still want aj/hardy aj/rvd. i think rvd will be the guy to dethrone aj.

 

[Vintage]

lets see.. AJ has had the title for about what.. 6 months or so now. There really isn't any other face that's been being built up to challenge for the title but Pope. I can see Team Flair winning Lethal Lockdown, but AJ jobbing to Pope due to interference from either Hogan, or someone from their team. The only way AJ retains tonight is if something comes of that segment where Bishoff was talking to Flair and there is a screw job in the main event which if done right could be good tv.

 

[ABMorales787]

I think Pope will go over tonight. Aj's had a very long run. As a matter of fact, I think he is the longest running TNA World Champion. I'm sure that after he loses that will be his claim on his way to a rematch. Pope doesn't have to be champion for long. Slammiversary and King Of The Mountain aren't too far off and a new champion has been crowned in that match in each one (except 2008). It would be ideal to have Pope as champion and feud with Anderson and Wolfe on the way to lose the belt to AJ again at Slammiversary. Right now WWE has Jack Swagger as World Champion and Sheamus hasn't been too far off his reign. Might as well follow the wave and bring new faces here as well.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I think that Pope is too big of a potential face to win that soon.

Look at AJ and his first title win. He was a face for GOD knows how long and people waited and waited and waited for him to win. The key to a great face title win is time. HBK waited for 9 years or something to win his belt, AJ waited a long time too. Pope needs to play the victim in this feud. This will make AJ seem like a greater heel, make him seem a lot stronger than he is so that later on Pope can go at it with AJ again and THIS time the win will be enormous because by that time AJ would be huge, Pope would be huge and the win will also be huge.

Too soon for Pope.