Is TNA aloof to the future?

[ExtremeSwagga93]

Kurt Angle rumored to be leaving for WWE this fall.

Scott Steiner contemplating retirement do to physical problems.

Sting whether or not he's considering retirement is in the absolute twilight of his career.

Is TNA blind to all these facts? I sometimes wonder that. We're all aware of the train wreck that the Frontline/MEM feud is becoming. It seems everyweek we tune in to see "The Greatest Collection of World Champions" ever assembled. (aka the Middle Aged Mafia), beat up on the young talented future of the company, and as far as I can see, there is no change in direction in sight.

But there's already a thread on that, and that's not really the thought I'm trying to express. The point I'm trying to make is and the question up for discussion in this thread is this: What are TNA's plan's for the future once all these guys retire/leave?

Right now there is no sign of TNA preparing any mid-card talent for a main event push. Right now the main event talent we have now, are the ones we're gonna remain with for quite sometime. That's great, but you can't depend on four old guys foever.

Now the only seemingly "main event" calibur wrestler that is locked in (for the time being) is Booker T, but you can't really have a guy like Booker T carrying your company as the top talent, he just lacks something.

Sure once the members of the Middle Aged Mafia leave for whatever reason, there is still Joe and AJ Styles, they had killer matches against each other in the X-Division back in the day that could cross over to the Heavyweight division and make it more interesting, but what then? Eventually every feud grows stale.

There is Hernandez for sure, but he still requires MAJOR work before he's actually at the top and could be a world champion.

I could see guys like Matt Morgan, Robert Rhoode, and even James Storm at the top one day, but at this point TNA only sees these guys as mid-carders.
All I have to say is TNA needs to start thinking ahead, especially if the guys they depend on so much to keep their company afloat are up in age or not totally loyal to the company.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Talon_DR]

That's alot of what if's:
If Sting retired (very possibly), Christian Cage didn't swerve the fans and did go to WWE (likely), Steiner ended his career (no true evidence), Kurt Angle jumped to WWE (still way too early to make that judgment) and the Main Event Mafia-Frontline angle fails (won't know until the end result) that would bring me disappointment but not concern:

Every company has a few headliners and a bunch of supporting characters:
(Raw) John Cena, Randy Orton, HBK, Chris Jericho/ JBL, Rey Mysterio, Kofi, CM Punk, Kane etc
(ECW) Jack Swagger/Finlay
(Smackdown) Triple H, Undertaker, Edge, Jeff Hardy/ Matt Hardy, Koslov, Big Show etc.

TNA's feature attractions are: AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Sting, Samoa Joe, Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley. Lose Sting and Angle, you still have the others.

Now let's assume all this happens, we have to look at the stars that weren't hurt by the storyline or departures of the former. Who is left in the Main Event Scene:
1) Abyss- I still view him as a threat to the World Title. Plus he regained some of his edge.
2) Rhino- He has recently been rejuvenated even though his value isn't as high as it once was.
3) AJ Styles- He is as featured as he once was and is now a legit main eventer and World Title contender
4) Samoa Joe- His new attitude could give him great momentum to regaining his fanbase and respect.
5) Jeff Jarrett- I have a new found respect for Jarrett plus there are many fun matches he can have.
6) Booker T- Booker hasn't been a main player to me since WCW 2000, and that wasn't saying much.
7) Kevin Nash- I would actually feature Nash as a color commentator.

Then you have the others who could conceivably be main eventers within a year with enough work:
1) Matt Morgan- He will pick up alot of momentum as a heel and he will definitely show me something in his feud with Abyss.
2) Hernandez- Hernandez will be champion someday, TNA is high on him and it shows that when they want to push someone, they will.
3) Brother Ray/Brother Devon- I believe that both members of Team 3D could go on and be successful singles stars. WWE tried unsuccessfully but I think TNA could be successful.
4) Fallen Angel- A year as Curry Man will refresh the Fallen Angel character in TNA.
5) Robert Roode- Has an early Triple H feel to me. Roode is a great heel as it is unfortunate that it has taken this long for him to reach his potential.
6) James Storm- I see Storm as the STAR of TNA in late 2009/2010. He has attitude, he has charisma and he has character

 

[Cyguy2333]

The whole idea of this Main Event Mafia is to put over the Frontline so they are viewed as ready to take over the company. TNA is in need of a infusion of new blood from the indy circuits, much like they have from the past and found the great young talent that the WWE didn't feel they "were the right look" for them.

Kurt's most likely won't be going back. They'll throw Sting money at him once Sting finally retires and that will be enough to keep him.

TNA's future for heels are Christopher Daniels, Robert Roode and James Storm. These are the guys that the company will be showing more of later this year to next. Joe will come back and with AJ, be the cornerstone faces with support from Rhino.

I'm not worried about TNA. Every company has to overhaul it's talent every few years so the product doesn't get old (unlike WCW). TNA's matches will be much faster and "x-division" style once the old guys say goodbye.

TNA has always been about change unlike WWE where it's the Triple H and John Cena show all the time.

 

[Vankid34]

I must admit that TNA has gone a long way from the time I first watched it.
Since the MEM came into the picture it was been interesting up until this point.
Like other people mention there is no true competition for this crafty veterans.
All the young talent (Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Abyss, Rhyno, and even Christian Cage.) lack the charisma to go to battle verbally or physically.

The biggest thing TNA can do with the storyline for Against All Odds is rediscovered one of their mid-card talents (Matt Morgan, Robert Roode,Fallen Angel)
Create a story line that has either contender losing the PPV, maybe having an epiphany then going after the MEM one by one.
If they can build some momentuim then we can see huge rating an unspoken leader of the Frontline.
Similiar to what WWF did with Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Vince McMahon.