Is Matt Morgan a better option than AJ Styles?

[My$terio_Fan]

We all know that AJ Styles is pretty much universially loved. The IWC, smarks, marks, and general fans alike all seem to love him. Even hardcore TNA haters seem to enjoy styles. Everyone and their mothers want Styles to be the face of TNA, the money maker, the guy the company is built around(once Angle is gone).

But with Matt Morgan beating Styles tonight on Impact, and with him getting the title shot, do you think TNA might be pushing Morgan as the face? He is not an original like Styles, but is young enough to still seem fresh. He has a great look, and if Batista has taught us anything, mediocre ring skills don't mean squat.

But is Morgan really a better option to be the "face" of TNA over styles. Not just with the Hard Justice match, but is it in TNA's best interest to push Morgan over Styles?

Personally I love Styles. I think he's the total package and is a rare breed of guys who have it all. But with the direction TNA has gone in, and the way Styles career has floundered the last few years, maybe TNA is serious at making Morgan the "star". Too me he lacks the overall package, Style has, but like I said, guys like Batista & Lex Luger, all seemed to be missing something, yet they became huge superstars.

Styles or Morgan, who would you push to the very top?

*and hopefully some people will say Morgan. I'd love to see both sides*

 

[Lancer]

Yeah, I watched Impact and saw the outcome of the match, and was like "?????" to myself at first. Then, it dawned on me. It was pretty clever to have Morgan go over and then suddenly turn face right there in the ring, refusing to job to Angle at the PPV like Angle demanded.

Also, I think it was pretty clever because everyone expects AJ to win. I sure did. But, I think this was a coming-out party for Morgan (the best of 3 series). Now, there is a fresh, young challenger to Angle's title and also a new young guy in the fight against the Main Event Mafia...someone no one really thought about until now.

But, in the long run, I think it is still the safe bet to make AJ the top face of TNA. Matt could essentially be one of the top guys someday, much like TNA's version of Batista (shudder), but with actually adequate ring skills.

AJ is TNA's All-Star player. Matt could be a top guy in he near future, but I think even TNA marks would not accept being force-fed Morgan when AJ is the hero. Personally, I root for both.

 

[barley96]

AJ Styles is a way better choice. TNA prides themselves on being alternative, but what they really are are WWE Lite. Pushing a muscle-head like Matt Morgan is what WWE always do. If AJ Styles was the face of TNA, it would be alternative because WWE loves to go after size and promo skills, not in-ring talent. AJ Styles does not have the size, but he has everything else, plus nothing about AJ Styles screams WWE.

 

[darbare]

after tonight, matt morgan is lookin really good. i'll even go one better, in that he's virtually better than batista. yea i'll get flamed by u lil smarty mark nerds or watever, but the guy can wrestle his ass off. unlike alot of big guys, he's a real good big guy. he's better and way bigger than batista anyways. he's better on the mic easily. his voice is very unique. batista is sloppy and boring. but because dave has held the title 5 times ippl will feel he's better. as we have learned from history title reigns dont mean shit. look at benoit, eddie, rey and rvd. thank you. i wouldnt compare to him brock cuz he was an animal of a dif breed lol. but he has carved his own niche for himself, and now im a fan. wwe lost out on this guy. stuttering, are you kidding me. wwe's gonna be stuttering to his agent to get him back lol

 

[Ratedt]

AJ Styles is a way better choice. TNA prides themselves on being alternative, but what they really are are WWE Lite. Pushing a muscle-head like Matt Morgan is what WWE always do. If AJ Styles was the face of TNA, it would be alternative because WWE loves to go after size and promo skills, not in-ring talent. AJ Styles does not have the size, but he has everything else, plus nothing about AJ Styles screams WWE.

While i agree with you to as extent i also feel that tna going with Morgan over Styles proves that they are a alternative to wwe. Most people are complaining about wwe pushing the same people in the main event so tna did the complete opposite by going with Morgan. Now whether i would push Morgan over Styles as the face of the company? Not at all, but I think it was smart to go this route because i think tna is saving AJs big push for Bound For Glory

 

[Marty2Hotty]

I was rooting for Matt Morgan. AJ didn't need the rub here because he already accomplished all the accolades TNA needs. It's interesting that TNA is just letting people win clean now. AJ did a tremendous job selling that kick to the face. AJ is phenomenal.

Storyline wise this was Matt Morgan's rise to the main event and a continuation of the Main Event Mafia storyline. The ending where Morgan says nobody including Angle demands anything from him was a nice touch to end the impact before we lead to Hard Justice making the story much more interseting.
We have seen AJ in the main event many times but a loss to Morgan would make him back in the mid cards trying to get back into the main event.

TNA has reportedly been high on pushing Morgan and I have really enjoyed his work and think it was the best decision to let him main event the PPV - a fresh new name in the main event picture. It's his first title shot and he beat AJ twice. I'm a fan of Matt Morgan now. I marked out to him when he came to the house show in Canada lol

 

[angry_panda]

TNA have been smart here.

Matt Morgan is an up and coming star, I think its clear for almost anyone to see, he is good in the ring, and good on the mic. I dont think he will win the strap anytime soon, but by giving him a main event push the are giving him credibility (similar to they way they gave Kaz credibility buy letting him go toe to toe with angle).

By doing it this way however, not only have they given him a push, but it had the "wow" factor, it was unexpected, I read the results a while ago, and was pissed that they seemed to be dumping on AJ again, but after watching the show, I was pleased, pleased with how the match went, happy Morgan got a deserved chance.

In the end it won’t take anything away from AJ, he is to much over with the fans. People won’t suddenly think AJ is crap because he lost to Matt Morgan.

This is a solid push to Morgan, with very little damage to AJ Stylles, and very entertaining as well.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

For me, Morgan taking the match was a surprise and was very much the high point of a show that I thought was mostly just bad.

I expected Styles to pull it off, so it's nice to be surprised in that way. Is Morgan a better choice, however, than Styles int his situation? For me, yeah because of that unexpected factor and Morgan has gotten pretty good in the ring, his promos are also pretty good and he does pull off that young, very hungry up and coming guy thing off quite well. What I think is a mistake, however, would be if TNA had Morgan take the strap at Hard Justice. He's not ready for it in my view. His matches with Styles are really the only significant challenge and test of him thus far and he still has a little bit to go. However, if this turns out to be Morgan's next big step towards a main event spot, I think it'll work out just fine.

 

[Marty2Hotty]

I think it's unlikely for Matt Morgan to win the title at the PPV. I think it's more of a story thing with Kurt Angle/MEM. As for AJ Styles, Don West did note that AJ has been on a "losing streak" and a loss to Morgan could be a huge hit on his self esteem. So, I think they are going off on a different direction with AJ's character.

I remember Kaz had the same thing and he "quit" (and came back as Suicide). I hope that they have soemthing more for AJ. I actually liked AJ most when he was more of a comedian with the Kurt/Christian thing because it showed that AJ not only can be a tremendous wrestler but he can also show that he is funny and entertaining. You need both to really succeed. Austin has always been entertaining, while being a badass. I don't have to say anything about The Rock and Mick Foley during the Attitude era as they were entertainers.

In regards to the best of three, I find it interesting that all matches were contested by a pinfall. Here, AJ missed his spring forearm shot, which led Matt Morgan to do his superkick to knock AJ completely out. THe other two were clean finishes as well.

I like how TNA is progressing the Matt Morgan "wanting to be in MEM" story especially after the match where he yelled at Kurt saying he doesn't take demands from anyone and he's coming out champ. MEM holds Kurt back - it just makes the PPV look more interesting. AJ losing again apparently is leading somewhere. I have confidence that the creative team will have plans for both AJ and Morgan. I think Morgan, from a story and push standpoint, needed to beat AJ on Impact. I was rooting for him and the entire Morgan wanting to be in MEM story has been building for a few months.

I like how Russo/TNA is able to make these stories and progress them having us guess what's going to happen. You just don't see any of that in the competition right now.

 

[UFOcalling]

I don't agree with the idea that TNA is trying to make Morgan the "face" of the company. I think this was extremely smart booking...they definitely need a new contender for the title, and I'm glad it's not Lashley at the moment.

Who knows, it could end up that AJ will be feuding with Morgan for the title by this time next year. I definitely like the possibilities of having "new blood" in the main-event scene, whether or not they immediately get the strap. God knows everyone gets sick of the same four or five dudes whining about how much they deserve the belt. It always makes for interesting television when you've got a new body in the mix.

We all know that Morgan is probably not going to win the title. The first thought I had after seeing Morgan stand up to Angle was that this was a big swerve...IE: Morgan will act like a face, right up until the end of the match when he screws Sting, and helps Angle retain.

Thinking about all of the possibilities again, this seems like a great way for Morgan to step up to the plate. He's had a pretty boring program lately (trying to prove himself to the MEM), and this new face-turn could definitely make his character worth caring about.

The flip side of the coin (seeing Morgan help Angle retain) could go either way. It could make him a MEGA-heel, or it could make him even more boring. I don't think TNA would have him screw Sting, because Joe just turned heel in an almost identical fashion. Rehashing an angle that quickly would just be poor booking...and super-lame.

I think the writing staff is trying to create another "star" here, and I think they're on point. Just because Morgan doesn't bow down to the all-mighty MEM doesn't mean he has to be a face forever, he doesn't even have to be a face for very long. Bringing a new character to the main-event scene just means more options for long-term booking. To me, it also means that we might not be seeing the WWE "rejects" in the main-event for too much longer. That's not only good for Morgan, but also for Styles. Let's just pray that TNA has something great up their sleeve this time.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

I'm surprised at how many people are digging Morgan in the mainevent. I though die hard TNA Orignal/Styles fans would hate the idea of Morgan going over AJ. But I see it as Styles is already established. His popularity isn't going away anytime soon. He'll always be accepted in the mainevent, and fans have always pushed for him to be the "star".

Morgan isn't as established, polished, experienced, or as over as Styles is. This win, and the PPV match, will help people see Morgan in a new light. Not to mention his promo after impact was very good. Morgan's look and build is great, and if he can just built up his credibility I think he could be Styles' direct competition for being the "face" of the company(although I prefer Styles in ever way).

 

[Klown_Karnage]

I agree with those that say that AJ doesn't exactly need the push at this time. He's already been at the top. Matt Morgan's a different story, however. He doesn't seem to have won any championship gold yet, although he was contender for the tag-team titles with Abyss. It may be his time, and it would be an interesting twist. He's been kind of a sleeper contender, climbing up the ladder under everyone else's nose, making it look like he was doing everything he could to get into the MEM, but now things are changing.

I actually enjoy the Matt Morgan character. He's a man with an agenda, a single-minded determination. Has been since the beginning, but he's also very human. I liked his storyline with Abyss and had such a laugh watching the two of them team up, knowing that these two were going to cause some major damage (although the best damage they caused was to each other.) Personally, I'd like to see the return of that team eventually.

Also...just because he decided last minute not to "tow the line" for Angle doesn't mean he's gone face. It may be he's just gotten sick of waiting for the MEM to make up its mind and decided he can do just fine without them. It's my thought that they put Matt in this match rather than AJ because it'll add an element of unpredictability, a wild card if you will, to the match. With how things had been going, if AJ had won, I think its fair to say we'd expect him to be largely on Sting's side. However, in Matt's case, he could make or break alliances at a moment's notice.

I agree that he probably won't grab the title, but I do think he'll be instrumental in the victory of whoever does.

 

[gd]

When I was watching the Styles/Morgan match I was shocked that Morgan actually won. I have nothing against Morgan, I actually like him a lot. It even made a lot of sense for him to beat Styles in the series, which is why it was so surprising. Not only that, but every match finished clean, something that TNA hardly ever does. If Angle had interfered to give Morgan the win in the last match it wouldn't have meaned as much, but since he went over clean he is a bona fide main eventer. The fact that he is in a title match and is main eventing a PPV gives TNA another legitimate main eventer superstar. I don't think he should win the title at Victory Road, but I actually think it was the right decision for him to beat AJ.

However, that doesn't mean I think he should be the face of the company. The fact is, AJ is the best and most consistent wrestler TNA has ever had, and I'm including Angle in there. His matches are a great mix of storytelling and high flying spots. He's been with TNA for the long haul and has been over with the fans the whole time. Morgan may be really hot now, but let's see if it can last for a month, a year, or a decade. Morgan does have the look and may even have the charisma, but I'm still not sure if that will last. I still think Styles should be the #1 guy in the company, but Morgan could be a solid #2.

 

[obiwansidisi]

While i agree with you to as extent i also feel that tna going with Morgan over Styles proves that they are a alternative to wwe. Most people are complaining about wwe pushing the same people in the main event so tna did the complete opposite by going with Morgan. Now whether i would push Morgan over Styles as the face of the company? Not at all, but I think it was smart to go this route because i think tna is saving AJs big push for Bound For Glory

Lemme' jump on that! Morgan's no stranger to the ring, he knows what he's doing. He may've gotten the boot from Vince because he didn't "gel" with the others, but I like him much better in TNA... He's an individual. No, I don't see him as the main face, but I think this push proves that TNA can be a wrestling solid promotion, not just giving someone a push because their merchandise is selling big this week *cough-cena-cough*. I think in the long run, Morgan is going to be a big piece of TNA...

 

[presto]

I originally was disappointed with Morgan winning. Seeing the excellent camera shot of Styles doing the pele in the corner, I thought we would see styles win. However we then saw the 2 count, the frustration, then Morgan with the Carbon footprint followed by the pin.

Now looking at the entire TNA picture after seeing the promo Morgan cut on Angle/MEM, I easily see why TNA placed Morgan in the spot.

---

I really believe that at Hard Justice, we are going to somehow see Morgan mess up Angle to the point where Sting wins the title from Angle... by pinning Morgan because he's the less known of the three.

This in essence will do three things. (1): Set up an Angle - Morgan feud where Angle will be the one to eventually elevate Morgan in a term program. short or long will depend if Angle re-signs with TNA. (2): Start the Sting last title reign / retirement run. (3): Begin the program to elevate Styles as the main face of TNA.

I really believe the rumors of Sting retiring in October are true and where is Bound For Glory this year? Los Angeles, pretty much in Sting's backyard. I really believe that Sting will win and hold the title until Bound For Glory where he will drop the title to AJ Styles and proclaim him as the new face of TNA and then retire in his own backyard while breaking the Bound For Glory Streak.

Somehow, I see Styles get "motivated" somehow and start some gimmick of working his confidence up to the Bound For Glory match and get his shot and win.

The new face of TNA could have very easily been Samoa Joe. But I think his window has passed and he has lost all his appeal and luster with the "nation of violence" stuff.

 

[TNA cross the line]

the reason that morgan went over styles on impact is because it was to finish morgans push to the main event and its too early to give styles his title shot hopefully he will get his shot at BFG and i think that the whole morgan face turn thing at the end of impact could be a swerve and he could end up helping angle retain at the end of the match