I'm Not The Only One Mad About How Low Gunner Has Fallen, Am I?

[ABMorales787]

He was mean. That was all that defined this man. He was a seeming pet project of TNA in 2011 as he went through a ridiculous amount of success in no time. To recap, he debuted in mid-2010 with "Murphy" as TNA's 13024th security themed Tag Team. Eventually, they became Immortal's security before Murphy was kicked out for sucking. Following that, Gunner would win the vacated TV title, secure a clean win over then-TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Sting, then another World Champion at the time in Mr. Anderson, lose the title to Eric Young and wind up in the Final 4 of the inaugural Bound For Glory Series. Securing clean wins over the likes of AJ Styles and such.

A short story early into the new year had Gunner being managed directly by the soon to depart Ric Flair. During that time period, Gunner would take out wrestlers by driving them on solid concrete as directed by Naitch. Garret Bischoff, Doug Williams, Jesse Neal and Rob Van Dam were among the injured and beaten before the gimmick was dropped with Ric's release. He continued under Immortal as the stable died off, so did his relevance. A brief stint with Kid Kash led nowhere as he hasn't been seen on TV since losing to the current Tag Team Champs.

Personally, anyone that takes out Garret Bischoff deserves a cookie. But for some reason this dude who was simply an angry man has fallen from grace in TNA. You're probably wondering why I'd care? Since he was never meant to set the wrestling world on fire, but his decline really shows TNA's lack of consistency when developing some new blood as well as TNA's issues with a midcard.

There was a point when Gunner was TV Champion and actually acting like a midcard heel, but since there was no one else but Eric Young in that spot, he and his run as Champion just went on to be another joke in the long list of TNA TV Champions. You see this problem often too. Look at guys like Crimson, James Storm, D 'Angelo Dinero, Desmond Wolfe, Samoa Joe, Rob Van Dam, Mr. Anderson and such. Since there's not much structure to the TNA midcard, once they fall off the top spots on the card there is nothing to hold on to. Gunner is a perfect midcard heel. Like Jeff Jarrett in the WWF or Test, Umaga and such. But such a spot doesn't exist in TNA and because of that, he's fallen off to obscurity.

I feel saddened by Gunner's decline. I'm curious to know if the feeling is mutual around here.
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[SpecialFNK]

I'm going to have to go ahead and agree. I've been surprised he hasn't been used for so long. I thought TNA had something good going with him there when he was piledriving guys outside. he was a mean bad ass, and it worked. even when he wasn't being used in singles, he did some teaming with Kid Kash. I thought that had potential, but TNA didn't do much with them. the tag team division has been so weak that surprised me.
I don't think he would have been main event, but he could have had a consistent role within the mid card.
I don't know where Gunner is right now, I just assume maybe in OVW working on wrestling.

 

[RawIsJericho]

Couldn't care less what has happened to him to be honest. Don't have anything against the guy, but his character really just did nothing for me at all. Generic muscled tattoo guy, no big loss.

 

[NotoriousMEAT]

I feel ya. I saw huge potential in Gunner. During the summer of 2011 it looked for sure that Gunner and Crimson were the future of TNA. I was hoping he would eventually become the center piece of Immortal and Hogan would help him become champion. Idk, I just wanted an excuse to make him a main eventer. Now he's fallen SO far off I never see him getting anywhere near the top. I'm honestly surprised he's still on the roster.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I still think a tag team between him and Crimson would be the best way to get both back on television. They are both young and have an intimidating look. Also some of their shortcomings in the ring would be hidden by going the tag team route for a while.

They could play on their shared military backgound as a gimmick, maybe as the "Universal Soldiers" borrowing Gunner's indy persona or something in that vein.

 

[UrUp]

I agree OP.

Bring back Gunner, make him face and lets see what happens. Comparing TNA and WWE, I think Gunner could be like TNA's Ryback - though I'm not sure how that works in TNA.

The dude should of been over right off the bat just for using the F 5, then he just gave it up, as I've seen a few times with TNA wrestlers. Gunner should be a power house face, especially being in TNA where he's the best jacked guy in the ring and on the mic.
He would of made an awesome A&8s, but being from Immortal, it made the scenario weird.

There's a number of ways TNA can go with him, where as most guys are automatically better as heels, with the right people around him and the right storyline, no reason Gunner couldn't be a power house face. Also, what a waste not to capitalize on the rub he'd been getting from Sting/Ric Flair.

When you talk about names like Crimson and Magnus, I feel that Gunner has just as much potential (I think the guy is still even in his late 20s) and he just needs to be given a fighting chance.

The reason I recommend him to be face is because I don't think he'd have much trouble getting over while being silent. His mic skills aren't awful and I think he kind of sounds like Dirty Harry when he talks, so I think he'd be fine to get a couple of wins over some good heel workers and when he eventually talks again, he won't sound worse then Ryback. I don't know where his potential lies, but I do thinks its currently being wasted.

 

[HBsam31]

He got a huge push, and they even took the time to put The Nature Boy with him for a while so yeah it is strange on how far he has fallen after starting off so strong. I personally didn't care for him, but with the time invested into him I thought he was someone that would grow on me. He had a decent look, and with some training I think he would have improved in the ring. He was not that bad to begin with. I think he is a guy that I would love to hate in TNA which in my book is a good thing. I like that idea that a poster said about putting him and Crimson together. it would be a good way to bring both back.

 

[Alex]

I didn't particularly care for him, he didn't seem all that interesting to me. Whether that was him or what management were giving him is a different matter.

But I agree TNA needs consistency when it comes to the midcard. The amount of times someone has just disappeared for months on end is ridiculous. Someone like The Pope could have been a staple of the midcard, but he'd disappear for ages and then come back with all the momentum he'd built up pretty much gone and he'd have to get it back only for him to disappear again.

While I don't find Gunner all that interesting a consistent heel in the midcard could do wonders. Guys like Joe, Christian York etc could have a good midcard fued with him and people would care about each competitor especially if they make the jump to the main event.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

I wasn't super high on Gunner, but I also wouldn't have wished his character's death either. And let's face it, he hasn't "fallen", he's been sucked into a black hole and never heard from again. TNA has done this several times. Not just them, really any wrestling company who doesn't have a writing team aimed lower than the main event.

Crimson is another case of "just run him through talent for awhile; we'll figure it out later" syndrome. Problem is, eventually you run out of talent. Eventually being "mean" doesn't cut it. And I thought TNA has something with him. Unfortunately, when Flair lefts and the whole Immortal thing kind of rang out of steam, he got lost in translation. TNA ran out of room on the card, and everybody else slowly became more important.

I'm not terribly upset that he's fallen so low, but I do wish they were doing SOMETHING with him. He's a part of the tag team pre-taped PPV, but so are more than a dozen other guys.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I'm only upset in the sense that it shows TNA's lack of vision, to take a guy who is, not exactly setting the world on fire, but is solidly reacting with the crowd and that you've invested plenty of time in. To take that guy and when asked where he is to reply 'who?'. If for nothing else he is established fodder for the guys that matter, if more he could have been something in his own right. I never viewed Gunner as anything above a mid-card talent, but I never saw him for that long. I do think TNA has dropped the proverbial cliched ball in having someone disappear that all the fans know and have a clear perception of

 

[info62]

I've only been watching TNA since 2008 and I have still seen this 'disappearing wrestler' thing after a big push countless times. Matt Morgan especially and I'm surprised nobody else has brought him up. How many main event pushes has he gotten where they stopped the push right before he reached main event and they throw him in a tag team or he goes away for a while

Gunner I thought was pretty generic. I don't not like him, but I'm not really a fan either. I'm angry about how Gunner has fallen but that has more to do with the fact that TNA keeps doing this with their talent rather than that it happened to Gunner specifically. They keep killing their wrestlers' own heat

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't see what anybody saw or still sees in Gunner. Generic is a term that perfectly describes the guy in my eyes. He was just another relatively handsome guy with a great build, a good tan and tattoos without special ability inside the ring or on the mic.

I always saw Gunner as being exactly the type of character he played: a low level scrub thug whose best attribute was to make other guys look good. I never saw anything particularly mean or intimidating in the guy. His charisma and intensity generally amounted to nothing more than making mean faces while slapping himself upside the face. There are loads of guys on the TNA roster far more talented than Gunner, so seeing him disappear from TNA television is no big surprise and certainly no big loss.

 

[Rayne]

Gunner is a textbook case of the minds who are running TNA today being confident they can push anything to people, despite the results they have. (The WWE too- both companies are getting better at it, Gunner didn't start sucking just yesterday.)

They pushed him so hard that people caught on to how hard he was being pushed and reflexively went against it. TNA has a pretty big "anti" crowd in their fanbase that resents knowing they're being sold to, and they got to see Gunner up near the top of every program, despite having fuck-all of an idea what he had done to get up there.

Phil Shatter's a good performer, but that's no guarantee that you'll be popular.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

I've never understood the Gunner love. I don't think his look or his in-ring abilities are anything special, or warrant this feeling like he could be a major player in TNA. He's not awful, but at the same time he doesn't stand out. To me, he always just seemed like a hired goon; a dumb follower type, rather than a wrestler who could carry his own feud. A Tyson Tomko, I suppose. To be fair, he was screwed from the start with the gimmick, backstory and name he was given. He came into TNA AS a hired goon for a collection of some of the most dominant wrestlers in the companies history, branding him immediately as a second stringer. His name is bland and is only slightly less goon-like than "Goon #2". I've never actually heard him cut a promo on his own (although, to be fair, I watch TNA on and off), which, again, just makes him come across as someone elses goon.

To break out of the goon-mold, Gunner is going to have to start cutting his own promos and acting as his own man. Having the best look in the world isn't going to make you seem intimidating if you come across as a dumbass. Hopefully TNA uses Gunner's disappearance from Impact as a chance to repackage him, give him a better name, and let him stand on his own for a while.

 

[Trill Co$by]

I hate to sound like the guy who never lets the indy days go for someone, but really the days of him being able to get over as Gunner are done. He needs to drop the name, and take on Phil Shatter and revive the Universal Soldier gimmick. His reign as the NWA Heritage champion was amazing, and TNA could use that to mold him into a character of his own. My only problem is that I'm not sure TNA would know what to do with that kind of gimmick... nor do I think they'd have someone good enough to be a mouth piece for him unless they go and get Father James Mitchell.

The guy has everything it takes to be TNA's resident bad ass. He and Bully Ray even made a great tag team with both of them being so destructive and running ramped on TNA. I think that if TNA wanted to they could make Gunner into a big star at any moment.

 

[Cereal Killer]

I 100% agree.

I remember when he started off with Murphy as a security guard and I thought; "the guy with the longer brown hair isn't that bad". We then saw more of him in Immortal, a fan favourite (even though a heel) in the Bound For Glory Series of 2011 where he showed off his skill and made it to the semi-finals, eventually he went on with a "dangerous" moniker where he started injuring fellow wrestlers like RVD and Douglas Williams. He was one of the "breakout" stars of 2011 (in TNA).

Early 2012, we hardly saw him. He had a brief tag-team stint with Kid Kash but they only had 2 matches together so I wouldn't count them as an actual team. I am really bothered about how they dropped the ball with him, he has so much potential, has a great look and is a fine wrestler. We saw him almost every week the year prior as Crimson and himself were looked at as the "future of TNA".

However, it is not only Gunner who has experienced the move to the lower-card, other men who have so much potential have gone through the same thing; I.E: Hernandez, Matt Morgan, The Pope, Mr. Anderson, Eric Young and also Crimson. They all had world title shots once upon a time and went straight downhill.

Mr.Anderson has just returned to join the Aces and Eights for no particular reason, Matt Morgan is now in a team with bad chemistry (a 7.ft monster with a sleaze bag), Crimson was shipped off to OVW, Hernandez is now aligned with yet another wrestler who doesn't even give the microphone to him, Eric Young, a talented wrestler, an original of TNA; is now the Knockout tag team champion, and then you have The Pope, who was once in a world title match with AJ Styles at Lockdown, moved on to a storyline with 2 teenage boys and returned to last years Bound For Glory Series, participating in only 2 or 3 matches that took place on Impact Wrestling.

I really don't understand the reason here, all these men have/had so much potential and talent, but barely have any T.V time! Yes they've pushed Austin Aries, yes they've pushed James Storm and Bobby Roode but that is not enough. What about in 4-5 years when all of these men age? At least push these men to the upper-card so that they can carry the company on their backs. Not in 3 years so they go through the Storm/Roode issue. Basically meaning, Roode and Storm got their big breaks last year but at the ages of 35. That means we don't get to see them in the upper-card for long, because they will continue to age and will lose their ability to do what they're doing now. You simply can't have a star at the top for only 2-3 years. The fans want to see them for a long time, and they also want new stars, not only should they pick Gunner back up, and all of these other stars I mentioned. They really need to push these guys for they have amazing talent and tremendous skill. Time is ticking TNA.

 

[Lowdown]

I saw a lot of potential in Gunner once he broke out solo in Immortal. He was definitely a guy that could've and probably should've had a long run with the TV title. He wasn't the best wrestler on the roster, but he was better than some of the bigger guys on the roster like Rob Terry and Hernandez. But I think Gunner fell by the wayside with the impending departure of Ric Flair as well as TNA having a lot of irons in the fire. Building up guys like Bully Ray, Roode, Storm and Aries, plus the whole redemption of Jeff Hardy. He could be used now in the tag team division for sure, but maybe not with Crimson. I think he would be better suited teaming with Matt Morgan. Two big and mean guys dominating the division could certainly add a spark to it.

 

[Spinebreaker]

I'm not a huge fan of Gunners. But while TNA is trying to have a Mid-Card title and a Tag Title, while only using 50% of the roster, you'd have thought Gunner would fit in somewhere...

 

[GameOver]

He'll be a part of Ace's and Eights no doubt, teaming with Garett who he was fueding with for so long. Cause in typical current storyline wrestling specifically Aces and Eights storyline, that makes total sense NOT!!!!

Personally i too coudn't give a shit, he's not lighting up the stage or standing out, the guy has the look and the ability but he is just another generic muscle bound nobody in a realm of mostly nobodies.

 

[mlp420]

Apparently you're not. Which is surprising to me, considering how much people couldn't stand him when he was being pushed along with Crimson. Then again, that's usually how it works with TNA. Whoever is getting pushed doesn't deserve it, and on other hand they're dropping the ball with whoever isn't getting pushed. Next up, Garrett Bischoff.

 

[Shadow of Darkness]

I think its all because of the Creative changes that TNA made in 2012. Gunner was completely overlooked by the Prichard-Lagana Team. Gunner was quiet a good guy. He had the body that wrestling demands. He also had the look, but I always felt that he need to change his finisher and to completely revamp his character.

 

[shattered dreams]

I liked Gunner but I don't miss him at all. Certainly not angry about it. I doubt he was ever going to be a money guy due to his accent and speaking ability so it isn't much of a missed opportunity. I do like the idea of him in a tag team with Crimson. Ultimately there isn't anything irreplaceable about Gunner so it is hard to care much even if he was a good worker for someone with his build.

 

[MWRedskins]

not me and the reason is because TNA didnt really show him as much of a threat. he looked big and bad, but he didnt show it as well in the ring as he didnt win a ton of matches and his personality didnt help either, though admittedly, they didnt let him show his personality, but for me, i couldnt forget that him and Murphy were ex-security guards for Immortal, so that didnt help matters for me. i think if Gunner comes back, they need to change his character completely including name change and see if that helps if they bring him back.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I wouldn't say I was "mad" about Gunner not being on my TV but I am surprised that he has appeared so little this last year or so.

I hate his ring name, its awful but as a wrestler I thought he was decent. He had a great look and physique and at one point semed to be one of the newer talents that TNA was getting behind but he has completely fallen off the face of the earth it seems.

I was pleased when TNA put him into the tag-team with Kid Kash who has always been one of my favourite wrestlers, so the more Kash we have on TV the better! I was hoping that they would get a run with the tag-team titles but nothing meterialised and they just stopped teaming together on TV. I would like to see this tag-team back together, TNA's tag team ranks are pretty weak right now and so Kash/Gunner could be a good addition, preferably with a renamed Gunner (much like Dallas became Lance Hoyt).