Joseph Park Sticking Around Impact Wrestling

[The Dragon Saga]

- TNA officials are looking to keep both Joseph Park and Abyss on television as full time characters, similar to the multiple "Faces of Foley" concept WWE used.

I couldn't be anymore happier about this decision. Since Abyss ditched the mask and placed his false teeth in place, slicked back the hair and prepped himself in a suit, I've been both entertained and intrigued by anything related to Joseph Park Esq, the character is one of the best transformations in wrestling that I can remember and has made for some very entertaining viewing.

On the Abyss side of things, I think more people are interested in the developments of "The Monster" now than they have been in years. Abyss hasn't exactly been a must watch character for the past couple of years and was stuck in a pattern of alignment turns, random feuds and hardcore brawls. With him playing both "The Monster" and Joseph Park, it should make for some pretty interesting television.

What do you make of the idea? Are you happy that Joseph Park will become a regular character? What's your stance on the "Faces of Abyss" approach to the situation?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I completely agree with you here — the thing that's best about this is that it's finally given Abyss—a performer with a ton of history in TNA—a reason to exist again. I usually hate the "stale" talk on these forums with regard to characters, but Abyss was incredible stale. He was seemingly involved in the same yearly feuds that ultimately awarded him very little.

This gives what was become a rather stale character a major push into depth, because the same performer can now be playing both one of the most interesting characters on the program right now (Joseph Park), as well as one of it's more classic returning characters (Abyss).

Hell, I'd even be interested to see if he was capable of a third character down the line, just to really push this.

 

[Pera]

Think both you boys have summed it up pretty much. Joseph Parks is a really interesting character and the way he is playing his role is fantastic. The mannerisms, like eating popcorn and coke, not knowing how to enter the ring, being soooooo excited to be an Impact Zone ring etc are exactly how many people would react in that situation and thats why the fans are connecting with this character.

I'm more than happy they are keeping both characters around on TV, as I really enjoy the hardcore aspect of Abyss while the promo's and vignettes with Joseph are pure gold. Good work on this one TNA!

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

I think Bully Ray deserves some credit in the Joseph Park character's success so far. Yeah, there is history with Ray and Abyss and the usual formula of the monster returning to tear the bully apart has been teased, but the tangent direction has been a lot more interesting.

Pera pointed out Joseph's mannerisms which have been a great touch, coupled with his freaky ability to pretty much perspire on demand as soon as Ray steps up to him. We've seen Ray pick on the smaller guys, but now seeing him bully someone bigger yet quite pathetic in a similar vein to Lennie from Of Mice And Men just adds to the Ray hate.

There's no reason for this angle to get rushed and it's been played out at a nice tempo so far; we know Joseph is Abyss and that Ray's uppence doth cometh. Whenever it does, we'll be waiting, grinning like Cheshire cats.

 

[IHW]

Heck Yeah. Park at first was a big dragged on, but once he started stepping in the ring and working with Ray, his character really picked up. Lets hope it wasn't just Ray making Joesph look good, and I don't think it was. I like the idea of having Abyss play two characters. I think they need to step away from each other storyline wise, and start working apart.

What I would do is have Park vs. Garret feud for a few weeks, culminating in a Family Member Leaves The Brand Match, with of course Garret gets the hell of my TV at the end.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

On the Abyss side of things, I think more people are interested in the developments of "The Monster" now than they have been in years. Abyss hasn't exactly been a must watch character for the past couple of years and was stuck in a pattern of alignment turns, random feuds and hardcore brawls. With him playing both "The Monster" and Joseph Park, it should make for some pretty interesting television.

I am one of these people alright! Now granted I did not watch Abyss' early days but ever since I have watched TNA I could never really take him seriously. I would always find myself laughing at his promos, and that whole Abyssamania thing wow that was a joke.

Now Joseph Park, I never knew the man Chris Parks had this in him. Great character, and if this report is true I am happy he will be a mainstay. What could he do now though? A manager? An on air authority? Maybe even start training as a wrestler like Garrett haha or hell even commentary!

edit: also on further thinking, I do like the idea of both characters remaining, but being in seperate storylines. A bit like Daniels and Suicide, I think stuff like that is kinda neat, since it's only something astute fans would know, and is something that can't really be done favourably in other forms of entertainment, one actor playing two characters.

 

[Some Guy]

I have mixed feelings about this. I have enjoyed the Bully Ray/Joseph Park feud, and am happy about it being continued, but how long can they keep it going? Everyone knows Abyss and Park are the same person, so it seems a bit naive to keep "fooling" the audience for a prolonged period.

I was imagining a situation where Bully makes another match where Abyss can't interfere, and Park then makes the transition into Abyss in the middle of the ring for all to see and thus revealing they are the same person.

As much as I have interest in where this goes, I just can't see how Joseph Park can continue to be a regular character for a prolonged period of time.