It's Not A Work, You're Just Stupid

[ABMorales787]

Don't get all mad over the title, I'm generalizing because I notice trend. It seems half the announcements of talent cuts or resignations these days all lead to the same stupid conclusion. "It's a work". "TNA's working the smarks". And after much thought, "smark", short for "smart mark" does not quite fit the description of most people here.

Let's take for instance the recent resignation of TNA's founder, Jeff Jarrett. There's people who've actually stated this is some sort of angle where Jarrett will return with AJ who also walking by the exit. Just what reason is there for us to think it's a work? "Oh, they lied about Devon being released". Um..... No they did not. Devon legitimately was without contract for some time before returning at BFG '12 and dumbfounding people as a member of the Ace's. "Oh, but Matt Mor-" Was also without a contract for some time before returning to TNA to remind us what a cartoonish 7 footer acts like. Hell, I remember people claiming DOC's release was a work too.

Fact is if it were indeed a work, TNA themselves would be giving out this information via Facebook or Twitter or Youtube like they do everything else. And shove it down our throats. Like the "break-up" of Velvet Sky and Chris Sabin. It's on Youtube now. TNA's putting the spotlight on it. There for it's part of the act.

"But what about AJ?" AJ is quite a case because TNA has essentially done everything to appease him except give him a genuine raise. He's been given the World title to raise his stock and then sent to other companies that would crap thousands of dollars/pesos/yen to have the World Champion of America's second largest promotion for a night. TNA is indeed having other companies foot AJ's bill. That's the only logical reason to why TNA's hottest act isn't on their TV right now.

So next time you hear someone has a contractual despite or someone has been unexpectedly released, save yourself the trouble of differentiating from fact or fiction. There's no reason for TNA to use dirt sheets to push some obscure forewarning to a storyline.

 

[enviousdominous]

Well alright then. It's a damn shame you're not able to post articles like this on the front page, then maybe you wouldn't have had to interview yourself in the forum.

Honestly, I have this insane ability to just skip past commentary that offends me. Everytime I've seen a legitimate opinion on Jarrett leaving, it's been fair and recognizes the potential of either scenario playing out. Until now of course, you've drummed up a shit ton of original research (look it up), played up in a manner that just makes you look like an arrogant douche.

For all you truly know, this could have been a work. Your low-brow perception of past events doesn't prove anything, and I'm pretty sure that you at least need to prompt other forum users for an opinion if you're going to create a topic.

 

[Rayne]

So next time you hear someone has a contractual despite or someone has been unexpectedly released, save yourself the trouble of differentiating from fact or fiction. There's no reason for TNA to use dirt sheets to push some obscure forewarning to a storyline.

While I agree with you about AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett, there is a reason companies start using dirt sheets as part of their storylines. It isn't a smart one, but wrestling companies do it time and time again when things get rough.

Writers love to say they swerved the internet crowd. When the writing staff for a company allows themselves to get into an echo chamber of "we aren't bad, people are just hating unreasonably", you see all kinds of material written not for the fans, but for certain people within management. To some degree, I think that's going on in TNA right now- if you're a TNA writer, your job is going to be safer long term if Dixie Carter is entertained by your writing, more than if the fans of your product are.

And, sometimes that's the case. Professional wrestling often ends up about ego over money, and sometimes the smart move is writing a story that lets your boss say he's smarter than everyone else. It happened in WCW at the end of their run (fucking constantly, Vince Russo), and in the WWE in the middle part of the last decade. When things get tough, the writers swerve the internet.

Well alright then. It's a damn shame you're not able to post articles like this on the front page, then maybe you wouldn't have had to interview yourself in the forum.

Honestly, I have this insane ability to just skip past commentary that offends me. Everytime I've seen a legitimate opinion on Jarrett leaving, it's been fair and recognizes the potential of either scenario playing out. Until now of course, you've drummed up a shit ton of original research (look it up) played up manner that just makes you look like an arrogant douche.

For all you truly know, this could have been a work. You perception of past events doesn't prove anything, and I'm pretty sure that you at least need to prompt other forum users for an opinion if you're going to create a topic.

On the contrary. Killjoy has taken a stand on a position here, which most people are afraid to do. You constantly see the formula "Well IF this is a work", or "but IF this is just part of a story", which is just a roundabout way of allowing people to say "I wasn't fooled by the TV!" if their conjectures turn out to be mistaken. If it turns out Jeff Jarrett is performing part of a work, he'll now have to deal with every halfwit on this forum going "but you said this thing once, and it turned out to be wrong!" (There are some people who get this who are wrong fucking constantly, but there's a price to pay for being assertive if you can't back it up.)

Taking the middle route every time is for *****es.

 

[ABMorales787]

Well alright then. It's a damn shame you're not able to post articles like this on the front page, then maybe you wouldn't have had to interview yourself in the forum.

I'm an open-minded guy. I don't think I'd be a good fit between the ridiculous bias of Mark Madden and Kevin Kelly. Not to mention my name doesn't have alliteration.

Honestly, I have this insane ability to just skip past commentary that offends me. Everytime I've seen a legitimate opinion on Jarrett leaving, it's been fair and recognizes the potential of either scenario playing out. Until now of course, you've drummed up a shit ton of original research (look it up), played up in a manner that just makes you look like an arrogant douche.

I am an arrogant douche. I don't deny that at all. But I'm also one that speaks out and points that something is off. In this case, people thinking something a is work when the company has done no acknowledgement of the situation within the Impact Wrestling "canon". It's a silly running gag which never had any real basis to begin with.

For all you truly know, this could have been a work. Your low-brow perception of past events doesn't prove anything, and I'm pretty sure that you at least need to prompt other forum users for an opinion if you're going to create a topic.

I'm not out to prove anything, I'm just pointing my finger at a very silly train of thought. And I am indeed prompting other user's opinions.

 

[johnbragg]

"But what about AJ?" AJ is quite a case because TNA has essentially done everything to appease him except give him a genuine raise. He's been given the World title to raise his stock and then sent to other companies that would crap thousands of dollars/pesos/yen to have the World Champion of America's second largest promotion for a night. TNA is indeed having other companies foot AJ's bill. That's the only logical reason to why TNA's hottest act isn't on their TV right now.

But it's still not a terribly logical reason. So we try to flesh out the story, logically (or at least wrestling-logically).

Let's say that the reality is what it appears--AJ Styles is not under contract, but TNA expects that he will return. When he returns, logic says that his storyline will be the Real Champion and the heart-and-soul-of-TNA against the paper Champion and the villainous Dixie Carter.

That story usually gets told as a faction vs the company. Especially in faction-happy TNA.

So facts:
1. TNA loves invasion/faction war storylines.
2. TNA is running some kind of a worked shoot storyline with AJ Styles.
3. JArrett's leaving TNA has been announced.

If you're putting together a Styles-led faction to go to war against Dixie in the name of "the real TNA", Jarrett is probably the first person you add.

 

[lil steroid meat]

I saw on the front page that he was returning at a January taping. Then I saw he's doing a ROH show.

Either way I hope this is not nWo vs. WCW for the millionth time. Who knows, maybe sixth or seventh time is the charm.

TNA being apparently up for sale, AJ return rumors, TNA needing a "restart", and the need of a new authority figure provides for a very obvious and logical storyline setup that would be good for TNA.

But I'm sure TNA knows that we are dying to see The Carters and The Lone Wolves struggle for control of TNA. Lol.

 

[mlp420]

Let me see if I have OP right....

Jeff Jarrett randomly resigns despite reportedly gaining more and more authority within the company backstage in the last few months, but then he remains part owner, which basically means he's back to where he was before Hogan & Bischoff left.

AJ Styles goes to the indies instead of taking 200K a year from TNA. And it just so happens he's doing exactly what people said CM Punk should have done in the overrated WWE storyline from 2 years ago. Leave the company as champ, trying to convince everyone he's legitimately a free agent and wrestling for indies around the world. Then we get reports blowing the whole thing up as a work, and negotiations suddenly fall apart and it's not a work anymore.

But hey, this can't be a shoot because if it were, TNA would treat it like every other storyline, because that's the best way to convince people it's not a storyline....

I'm just gonna shut up now and let it be though. Because hey, if I was running a wrestling company and wanted to work the IWC, the last thing I would want is some rational people on message boards meddling with everything.

 

[ABMorales787]

Let me see if I have OP right....

Jeff Jarrett randomly resigns despite reportedly gaining more and more authority within the company backstage in the last few months, but then he remains part owner, which basically means he's back to where he was before Hogan & Bischoff left.

He was in a position not to be discussed on TV. He was a creative writer and a road agent. There would be zero reason for TNA to make a storyline out of him quitting because on TV he was fired anyway.

AJ Styles goes to the indies instead of taking 200K a year from TNA. And it just so happens he's doing exactly what people said CM Punk should have done in the overrated WWE storyline from 2 years ago. Leave the company as champ, trying to convince everyone he's legitimately a free agent and wrestling for indies around the world. Then we get reports blowing the whole thing up as a work, and negotiations suddenly fall apart and it's not a work anymore.

He is now. It was never a work. The reason he was allowed to take bookings as World Champion was to appease the money he wanted without the company actually giving it. TNA putting a title on someone with desire to walk out to convince them to stay is nothing new. It's been done with several people before like Jeff Hardy, Mickie James, Sting, but this time it didn't work.

But hey, this can't be a shoot because if it were, TNA would treat it like every other storyline, because that's the best way to convince people it's not a storyline....

I'm just gonna shut up now and let it be though. Because hey, if I was running a wrestling company and wanted to work the IWC, the last thing I would want is some rational people on message boards meddling with everything.

I know. Common sense. What a thing.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There is a major difference here between Styles nd Punk's situation. Punk was legit over and could have written his ticket to TNA, NJPW, even a part share in ROH but most importantly he could write his ticket with Vince... That uber cool DVD, acknowledging his ROH past, four hundred day title reign... The only thing Punk could legit complain about was no ice cream bars...

It was a real situation that lent itself to great, compelling TV but Vince would NEVER have put the belt on him if the deal wasn't done.

Styles cannot write his ticket with TNA or WWE. However much people say he is TNA's best, the numbers don't back it up. If he was so over, heKd be drawing and Dixie would pay him what he wanted, especially after the fat trimming of older guys. That's not to say AJ is wrong to fight for it, but he's Custer fighhting for wrestler's futures. It's a losing battle because the E values a NXT graduate like Bray at a higher contract than AJ. They don't need him, particularly want him and know he aand others will end up playing their game or ekeing out a living.

It's very close to 84 again, with the E being the place to be, veteran talent being shut out of there and the number 2 of the time, Georgia being on the bubble. Jarrett leaving isn't a work, he knows it's time to get out much as the Briscoes did. If he still owns a piece, that could be the reason VInce ends up with it... Gerry Briscoe sold out and is still there...

 

[das1234]

Styles cannot write his ticket with TNA or WWE. However much people say he is TNA's best, the numbers don't back it up. If he was so over, heKd be drawing and Dixie would pay him what he wanted, especially after the fat trimming of older guys.

Well, he is. For TNA, at least. Same with Hardy and Angle, even Joe despite of how low they want to push him down on the card. The problem isnt that these guys dont draw, the problem is that TNA doesnt draw and noone knows it exists. Just listen to Foley recounting people wishing he was on TV when he was on spike every week.

As for the topic, i think the problem is that
1. TNA loves swerving the smarks, even when its stupid and the easier, straight options are better and more intelligent

2. Because this storyline was made to rip off the Punk storyline, it is very... i'll say "exposing", involving Kayfabe and stuff like that. hell, Robbie T was in AJs corner during his Japan match... This month of taping didnt make things better.

This results in a storyline that basically takes place 90% via dirtsheets and websites like this one, so you cant really fault people for thinking they are witnessing the most needlessly complicated, redundant and useless swerve complex of all time.
after all, all they want is see the guys who are good in the ring, in the ring. instead we get backstage politics. hooray wrestling.

 

[louchratis]

In most cases, it's not a work but most people also aren't stupid. Well, maybe the latter is a stretch regarding a basic common sense approach to all things non-wrestling but regarding TNA continuing to allow contacts to expire, they are actually benefitting from the fact that the WWE doesn't want anything to do with its employees. They have established themselves - albeit shakily - as the number 2 wrestling promotion in the U.S. and, by allowing employees contacts to expire while armed with the knowledge that they can't go to WWE and get a raise, they are banking on said employees eventually returning at a discount price. It worked with Devon and it's going to work with A.J. (was there ever really a doubt he wasn't eventually returning). The only two guys they had to be careful with were Bully Ray (signed before his contract expired) and Sting (tbd) since Vince might actually be intrigued by those two. Hogan's a different story since at this point he belongs back in WWE in a non-wrestling capacity and couldn't move the needle for TNA anyway as far as ratings were concerned.

 

[Messiah]

People shouldn't worry about talent's contractual situations. It doesn't matter, it really should be irrelevant to all of us. If AJ Styles sticks with TNA or goes to WWE or ROH, who cares. He's going to do what's best for him... If it's a work or not, just watch the product and stop worrying about if something's real or not.