James Storm On Featuring Older Stars: "Wrestling fans are not stupid..."

[It's Damn Real!]

http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/TNA/article10024594.shtml

How does it feel to be in the main event, yet the big names like Hogan still get pushed? "It definitely makes us proud—me, him AJ [Styles], even Kazarian, Christopher Daniels. I don’t want to say we look at them and say 'we told you so.' They bring in these other guys and they put them ahead of us just because they think they’ve got the name recognition and all this, but now I guess they’re learning that the fans don’t want to see them. They want to see guys like us who go out there and give it 110 percent who are not there just to collect a paycheck.

"It’s politics. That’s basically what it all comes down to. It’s good to have guys who still love the sport of wrestling, who are not there just to collect a paycheck, who want to go out and wrestle their next match like it’s their last match. And I think that’s what TNA needs to get to is the guys that are passionate about this, and they’ll start seeing ratings go up.

"To me, wrestling fans are not stupid. The company and the higher-ups can say what they want to say, but at the end of the day, wrestling fans know that they want to see wrestling. They don’t care about all these older guys going out and talking all this. It’s a wrestling show—let the guys go out and do what you hired them to do and that’s perform."

--

Storm's remarks are likely to strike a chord with a lot of the more jaded wrestling fans who've been complaining about the place given to veterans and ex-WWE/WCW stars in TNA. While I don't completely disagree with him, I do think they still have their "place in the game", so to speak. The best roster, as is the same with sports, is the one with the best mix of savvy veterans and up and coming rookies/young stars.

Thoughts on this?

 

[IAmDoogie]

I'm going to have to agree with you on this one. Guys like Storm, Roode, AJ, Kaz, Daniels, and EY can totally be the reason people stick with the program. They are all great talents and I for one can say I tune in every week to see them. On the other side of the coin, there are plenty of fans that would never have tuned into TNA tv, let alone even heard of them if it weren't for names like Hogan, Angle, Hardy, RVD, Flair etc. Bottom line is guys like Hogan will always be a draw regardless of age.

 

[sfury2005]

While I'm enjoying what I've been seeing from TNA and like the Roode vs Storm feud, I doubt it's a good time for someone like Storm to be lecturing about how the fans want to see the young guys and not the older guys. TNA's ratings have been in falling lately and last week fell under 1.0.

It's kind of funny that when they are clearly doing much better and have made the show more interesting that the ratings are dropping lately. I wonder if its because people fear a steady dose of Hogan on their TV now that he's been made the GM. But it also makes you wonder if it's because Roode/Storm isn't what some fans want to see.

 

[Danger Burger]

Personally can't wait till i hear that the imported legends are gone from TNA. Its not the worst thing in the world, I certainly see place for sting yet, but hogan and flair arent bringing it like they used to! The company seems to have always depended on some old guy to carry it, when it should really have focused on the new blood from the off!!

I tune in every second week or so, watching online, and always end up skipping most the chatter these guys provide! I hope Garret gets injured, cause i dont think bischoff is an idiot, and could help backstage if he wasnt blind to his sons abilities!!

Lockdown is set to be a pretty good PPV to say the least!!

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Older stars will always have their place on any roster, as long as they're not making the other talent look like complete fools.

Hogan should stay, Flair should stay, Bischoff should stay, Sting should stay. Period. These guys have their spots on the card, their little roles. I don't see Sting winning belts, I don't see Hogan wrestling, I don't see Flair hogging TV time or championships and I don't see Bischoff kicking someone's ass. Therefore - I don't see a problem. I enjoy all of those guys' work and they haven't bothered me much. Even Bischoff. It's his offspring that irks me.

That said, I can see what Storm means but he makes it sound like the fans are out there to see the actual match and not what goes on before it. If that's what he meant, that's total bullshit, he knows better he's one of the best mic workers in TNA.

However his statement that the fans want the younger guys is quite wrong. There is no actual indication that the fans prefer the younger guys. I'm talking numbers here, not some 14 years old on YouTube. There is also no indication that the older guys draw more.

There's a bit of confusion here. Nobody really wants older stars or younger stars. They just want talented wrestlers who can add to the program on the mic and in the ring. Period. The issue springs from the fact that there's this preconcieved belief that older guys can't go and younger guys can. Therefore more young guys = better product and less old guys = better product. Not the case at all. Sting can out-perform 80% of TNA's roster ont he mic and in the ring if he felt like it, at the age of 50-something. And when I say perform I don't mean speed and agility, mind you.

So, in conclusion, what we all want (at least I hope that's what we all want) is talented performers who can "go" in every sense of the word, regardless of their age or where they worked. You can be 53 and be able to "go", you can be 24 and not be able to "go". Garett.

 

[mlp420]

I personally think TNA could do without Hogan and Flair. But Angle, Jeff Hardy, and Sting on the other hand are great. So it really depends on the person. I'm not really a jaded fan, so I hardly get disgusted by the sight of a guy who's been in the WWE/WCW like some people. I think it's a pretty silly thing to get emotionally invested in. To me it's all about good TV and bad TV. Don't care who gets pushed as long as they're good.

 

[klunderbunker]

I have no problem with established names being on the card. That's perfectly fine and very smart, because otherwise you have a bunch of no names that aren't going to get anyone's attention. The problem TNA has is that they put way too much focus on the older guys which keeps the younger ones from getting any kind of a foothold. The biggest culprit of this is Hogan. He hasn't put anyone over in TNA since he's been there other than Sting. How does that help the young guys? Look back to his time in the 80s when he'd have his best friend of the month. Hillbilly Jim, Big Bossman and Brutus Beefcake all got much bigger because they paled around with Hogan. Here though, Hogan treats the guys he hangs out with as underneath him, as opposed to as his friends in the older days. That doesn't help anyone and is a waste of Hogan's time and value.

 

[thatotherguy]

Until TNA establishes some names of their own, their going to have to use legends and outside stars to establish their stars. TNA could easily have made AJ Styles, Pope, and Samoa Joe (and others) into big names, but they seem to fall victim to stop and start pushes, and TNA can't decide who they want their big names to be.

 

[jhed1380]

I believe you need both. The problem is not the established stars being there, the problem is them not wanting to lose there little spot and therefore being a cancer to the business instead of letting it grow. They should take a lesson from Mick Foley who in the past decade has helped put over Edge and Randy Orton and by doing so helped them and helped create main eventers and now it looks like he may be doing the same thing for Dean Ambrose which will in the end benefit Ambrose and Mick Foley will still be a draw so it is win win.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Until TNA establishes some names of their own, their going to have to use legends and outside stars to establish their stars. TNA could easily have made AJ Styles, Pope, and Samoa Joe (and others) into big names, but they seem to fall victim to stop and start pushes, and TNA can't decide who they want their big names to be.

Right, because the Main Event scene hasn't been consistent since BFG. It hasn't been all about Roode, Storm and Bully Ray. It hasn't been about slowly building Aries up. It hasn't been about veterans such as Angle and Hardy slugging it out in semi-important matches, leaving room for Roode, Storm and Ray to have the limelight at the PPVs and Impact.

If only they would let Roode be on TV more and have Storm cut a promo or two. If only Bully Ray would get some TV time.

It's been half a year and the Main Event scene is outlined perfectly. There's finally structure on that damn show and you know exactly who the top guys are, if you're watching that is. Roode, Storm, Ray, Sting, Aries, Hardy, Angle. The reason why AJ, Daniels, Kaz and any other person you can name are not on the list is due to a little thing called "wecantfuckingshoveeveryoneinthemaineventatonce". I think that's the actual term.

 

[whoopin' ass]

older wrestlers do have a place in the industry but there comes a point where they can't be the top guy anymore. Take Hogan - we know of the various surgeries he has had over the last few years. while he is still in decent shape for his age, he isn't someone who you could make World Champ and leave the title on for any extended period of time - it just isn't believable. does that mean he has no place in the industry? not at all. he has a role now in TNA that fits his place in life. he is still a draw but he doesn't have to be in the ring with the title anymore. but he doesn't need to be the center of attention on the show either. his role now is to elevate others so instead of it being say "Team Hogan" for something, he now needs to be the guy who goes "no, my time in the ring is over but i know someone who is just foaming at the mouth to take my place" and give someone else the push. That seems to be the biggest problem when it comes to the older talent - none ever seem to say "i can't but i am behind this person who can". sometimes being aligned with these older stars can push someone to the next level. Would the nWo have been successful if it was just Nash and Hall? it is all in the usage of the older stars but the problem is we have never had a situation like this. in the past, a lot of wrestlers had their spot and even as they got older, they could always move to some new territory to wrestle again since it was rare to see them. now with nation wide tv, it isn't as easy and I don't think wwe/tna actually know how to properly use older talent since they just never had to in the past.

 

[mlp420]

Until TNA establishes some names of their own, their going to have to use legends and outside stars to establish their stars. TNA could easily have made AJ Styles, Pope, and Samoa Joe (and others) into big names, but they seem to fall victim to stop and start pushes, and TNA can't decide who they want their big names to be.

This is a major issue I have with a lot of people in the IWC. Many people resent TNA (and WWE as well) for certain wrestlers not being big stars because they believe there's some easy formula for them to make that happen and they just choose not to do it. Stars aren't made in wrestling like pancakes. Just giving someone a belt/main event spot doesn't make him/her a star. I'm pretty damn sure TNA would be extremely happy if AJ Styles and Samoa Joe became as big as The Rock and Stone Cold. But both those guys blew up because of the fans, not because they were booked perfectly. If you know you're wrestling history, you know WWE screwed up with both these guys before they made it big.

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

In my opinion, the lack of emphasis on managers, and the overuse of corrupt authority figures in wrestling has shaped how veteran talents are used in today's wrestling scene. I am not saying that this excuses the number of times we've seen guys like Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair get back into that ring. Although in the former's case Hogan's last "credible" active competitor run was 10 years ago when he was the Undisputed World Champion in WWF/E and held the tag titles with Edge. Afterwards his other appearances were very few and far in between. To expand upon the statements whoopin' ass made (which were some very good points) I feel there is a difficulty with how to use older talent. When I grew up watching professional wrestling in the mid-1980s, veteran talent that no longer could compete on a regular basis or at all (like Mr. Fuji, Freddie Blassie, and Bruno Sammartino) had a wrestler whose corner they would be in. A lot of managers were good to get over a lot of young wrestlers that either did not have the charisma, or just didn't know how to develop it yet. But just as importantly, the manager role was a GREAT way to keep an either semi or completely retired wrestler in the business. With this not being as viable a plot device in wrestling today, and at times has only been revisited in a minor sense in the ten years plus. Examples such as Paul Heyman's introduction of Brock Lesnar, Ric Flair's role in WWE with Evolution and Fortune in TNA, and Vickie Guerrero aren't a very effective continuation of how wrestling utilized managers in previous eras. Now I can't say for sure but if the emphasis on managers wasn't so reduced these days, guys like Hogan and Flair might have transitioned into these roles, and the course of their careers might be perceived differently these days. I don't know if the manager concept could ever be fully embraced again but I have hope, even if it's based in cautious optimism. It's sad to not see that either, because managers are a great element to add to the artform of professional wrestling. Yes I said professional wrestling, you will not get me to ever willingly or knowingly use that sacrilegious term sports entertainment to supersede the term pro wrestling. I might use them concurrently but I'll never forget the term pro wrestling EVER. Although I can understand the business rationale for the term sports entertainment, I definitely don't like encouraging it.

On the internet, if you're a Hulk Hogan fan, you'll have a cross to bear, there's no doubt about that, and I willingly take the brunt of many criticisms for being a Hogan mark. While I don't disagree with all the criticisms about Hogan (I think it's safe to say he's played his star power card often, but I'm sure he's not the only one), I still hold my ground on several things pertaining to the criticisms he gets. I will admit he's made himself the center of attention in TNA on several occasions, things could be worse. He's not ever been booked to win the TNA World Title, despite there being rumors in the past, and when he has gotten into the ring it's very rare. The tag match with Abyss against Styles and Flair, a match against another vet in the form of Sting, and a six man tag appearance overseas are examples of this. These are not exactly the most prestigious matches, and in the long run, rather harmless I would say. While things could change and someone might have the bright idea to give the belt to Hogan, I doubt it's going to happen. I mean never say never, but there have been several opportunities to do so and none have been taken. As far as his future as a General Manager of TNA/IW goes, we'll wait and see how the storyline plays out, I really dread this being a rehash of the whole Mr. McMahon phase in the WWF. While it might be asking a bit much as a fan, I'm hoping to see Hogan take on a role akin to Jack Tunney, obviously Hogan's charisma and physical presence is a far departure from the milquetoast Jack Tunney. But it would be nice to see the Hogan character take a role where he does not favor one side over another, and as a result will have to sometimes make very unpopular decisions in the storylines. This is the best way I think Hogan can interact with the crop of talent that is currently active like Roode, Storm, Young, Angle, Hardy, etc.

Again, it's all a wait and see approach to things, but you can't blame a mark like myself for being an optimist, albeit a cautious one.

 

[jrichardson25]

I knew James Storm was incredibly intelligent. Those comments prove it. The man knows what fans like. He's not some guy that's been in the business forever and doesn't give a shit about what the fans really want. I feel like that's not a complete statement though.

He should know (I assume he does) that it does take time to build stars and if the right veteran puts the right guy over he'll have it made... (for the most part) but it is what it is and he is correct in what he says...

 

[New Hot Fed]

Just use the old guys better. For example Sting as GM or Hogan as GM just overwhelm the show, I think. Roode couldn't have a proper babyface to...face because Sting is such a big name babyface. Let Hogan show up to hardsell upcoming PPV or how about this: just him be the GM at the PPVs. Flair is a waste of money as Bischoff's lackey whatever. Let him act as a manager for a new group. Sting could be a novelty act every two months you market it as "Sting will be at this PPV, will have a match, just order it if you want to see him".

 

[Suq Madeeq]

TNA could honestly do without Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Flair. I say this with a heavy heart because I have followed Ric Flair since I was a teen and I am 41 years old now. All three seem to bring a negative atmosphere around TNA. For some reason, their names are not converting into higher ratings. Sting as General Manager was entertaining and we were starting to see the ratings inch up more and more. As soon as Hogan became GM, ratings are going lower, all the while matches and storylines are getting better. Another thing, please stop the Garret Bischoff push. Like James Storm said, the fans aren't stupid. He is a good looking kid who with good training could possibly make his dream come true. However the link he has with his Dad and Hogan, is killing locker room morale.

 

[A_kennedy666]

Yawn. Half of TNA and most of WWE sucks, Kill Em All and create a new federation headlinged by: Lesnar, Sting, Angle, Anderson, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, Swagger, Ziggler, Mcintyre, Orton, Del Rio..and the irrelevant others. And we DON'T want HHH or Cena , for the love of God.

 

[shattered dreams]

I think there is some silly belief among the TNA original types that the company would have been better off without bringing in the legends and just keeping doing what they had been doing. I'd love for that to be true but just look at the consistent pops for the name brand guys compared to inconsistencies of the reaction the hard workers get even when they are wrestling their asses off. I think neither side compromised enough towards the beginning of 2010 and that was the real problem. I think they have been doing a lot better job of mixing the two over the past year and it has paid off qualitywise. I still think there is some bad blood there between the two sides though. Why can't they realize they are in this together?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I think there is some silly belief among the TNA original types that the company would have been better off without bringing in the legends and just keeping doing what they had been doing. I'd love for that to be true but just look at the consistent pops for the name brand guys compared to inconsistencies of the reaction the hard workers get even when they are wrestling their asses off. I think neither side compromised enough towards the beginning of 2010 and that was the real problem. I think they have been doing a lot better job of mixing the two over the past year and it has paid off qualitywise. I still think there is some bad blood there between the two sides though. Why can't they realize they are in this together?

Lack of direction from the company.

With a better company direction — one known, and unquestionable by the talent that understands the common goal — it's much more difficult to disgruntle your own employees.

A lot went wrong when TNA put all their eggs in the Jeff Hardy basket and it blew up in their face after having essentially given the reigns of the company to AJ Styles the year prior, only to pull the rug out from under him when RVD put pen to paper.

Factor in the comments RVD made about he and Jeff being bigger than the company and you've got a pretty hostile environment to try and create a union in.

I think that's settled much more of late, especially with the pushes given to Roode (especially), Storm and Joe, but it's gonna take a while before the "originals" can build up that trust again IMO, and I don't really blame them for it either.

 

[The Eighties]

It all depends on how they are used, too many of the older guys have that "protect my spot" mentality which is stupid given they are millionaires and over for life, Foley has the right idea about how to give back as a legend. I was disappointed recently with Sting not putting Roode over and practically beating himself at the end.

 

[thatotherguy]

This is a major issue I have with a lot of people in the IWC. Many people resent TNA (and WWE as well) for certain wrestlers not being big stars because they believe there's some easy formula for them to make that happen and they just choose not to do it. Stars aren't made in wrestling like pancakes. Just giving someone a belt/main event spot doesn't make him/her a star. I'm pretty damn sure TNA would be extremely happy if AJ Styles and Samoa Joe became as big as The Rock and Stone Cold. But both those guys blew up because of the fans, not because they were booked perfectly. If you know you're wrestling history, you know WWE screwed up with both these guys before they made it big.

My issue isn't so much that the guys I mentioned aren't in the main event, but rather that they made the main event, and now they're out of it. I'd be happy with the main event scene we have now, but I can't help remember that at one time AJ Styles was the centerpiece of TNA, and I can't help but wonder if, in a year or so, Bobby Roode and James Storm will be pushed to the back burner.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

I agree with Storm to a point. Yes you need the guys who go out and give 110% but you also need the older guys around to help mentor and to put the young guys over to make them legit. To have a good wrestling roster you need a little of both to really make it work.

The problem is not so much the older guys being around but who they have around. A guy like Hogan is only going to look out for himself while guys like Foley are looking out for the future. No promotion can have the nWo mentality anymore. It just doesn't work.

and I can't help but wonder if, in a year or so, Bobby Roode and James Storm will be pushed to the back burner.

But that's how it has to work. In order for someone to come up to main event level someone has to take a step back.