Met Christopher Daniels Yesterday; The Bad News...

[T2KFreeker]

Yesterday on Free Comic Book Day, Christopher Daniels was at Bases Cards and Comics in Lancaster California signing and greeting with the fans, promoting his new Comic he had published. Dude was super cool and very nice to everyone. I got a pic with my Daughter and I with him. Was really nice too because he didn't charge for the picture. Got to chit chat and whatnot a bit, and that's where the bad news was.

First thing I asked was about that Nasty spot where he fell off of the Ultimate X with Suicide. Only thing he really had to say about it was that it looked much worse than it really was. He got TONs of heat from it in the backstage area. Said they were Angry that he put himself in that position in the first place. What bummed me out was I asked what the chances were of him and Kazarian coming back to TNA to feud with the Wolves. He straight up said it was completely up to Dixie and that if people want them back, they need to let Dixie know because no contract was ever offered when his contract expired! I don't understand this at all because Bad Influence has been one of the most entertaining parts of TNA for a few years now. Both guys have busted their butts for the company, and a feud with the Wolves or any other Tag team TNA get's on the roster would be a good thing. I just don't get it.

In the end, do you guys think it would even be worth the time to try and get a petition together to get these guys back in the company? Am I the only one who thinks that the fact that they were just let go is complete crap? if this is how Dixie really is running TNA now, Jeff Jarrett has this in the bag. I have been a defender of TNA for a long time, but that news really made me pretty angry.

On a side note, he also told me that no matter what, The Bad Influence as a Tag Team aren't even close to done, in TNA or not.

 

[Robert Roode Fan]

I agree we need to get them back, tna needs these guys, but if Russo is back then he is gone as long as Russo is there so things will not change, it will be harder for fans to see them. I can understand why they don't want them back they are older, but at least have them put over. A BIG problem is John Gaberick who wants yes men, he is like Vince without intelligence the guy is stupid, look at what he is doing to Austin Areis.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Does TNA really "need" Daniels and Kaz? I mean, they are very talented and they are extremely funny, but do they NEED them? If you look it at from TNA's perspective (as a business), they don't NEED them. Daniels and Kaz are not selling any merchandise I believe. I don't see people in the crowd wearing anything related to Daniels and Kaz. I highly doubt people are tuning in just to see their skits either. Aside from that, what else can they offer TNA as a business?

Sure, we like them. We - the people who already watch TNA. But unless we stop to watch BECAUSE they're gone, TNA won't see it fit to get them back.

Either way, this isn't the first time Daniels was "done" with TNA. Same for Kaz. I'm sure they'll both come back at one point and do their thing. It just sucks that we lose entertaining stuff because of money issues.

Recently though, AJ Styles is the only REAL loss TNA had. He was over as all hell. Kaz and Daniels? Not so much. It hasn't ruined my viewing experience nor do I feel that much of a need to watch them. They were fun but not THAT fun. AJ I'd start a petition for. Kaz and Daniels - not so much.

 

[Stingersplash89]

That's too bad. They were one of the only things that kept me watching. I got about 5 weeks of Impact on my DVR right now that I haven't touched

 

[theshadowranger]

Daniels is in his 40's and for years the IWC has been telling TNA to get rid of the old guys. The IWC constantly screams about wanting youth. So TNA is getting rid of old guys like, daniels, hogan, sting etc and focusing on young guys like bromans, wolves, shaw, gunner etc. Also, it's about money in the end and how many of you can honestly say that you have spent money on TNA in order to see daniels? How many tickets have you bought to see daniels? How many PPVs have you bought to see daniels? How much daniels merch have you purchased from TNA?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Does TNA really "need" Daniels and Kaz? I mean, they are very talented and they are extremely funny, but do they NEED them? If you look it at from TNA's perspective (as a business), they don't NEED them. Daniels and Kaz are not selling any merchandise I believe. I don't see people in the crowd wearing anything related to Daniels and Kaz. I highly doubt people are tuning in just to see their skits either. Aside from that, what else can they offer TNA as a business?

Sure, we like them. We - the people who already watch TNA. But unless we stop to watch BECAUSE they're gone, TNA won't see it fit to get them back.

Either way, this isn't the first time Daniels was "done" with TNA. Same for Kaz. I'm sure they'll both come back at one point and do their thing. It just sucks that we lose entertaining stuff because of money issues.

Recently though, AJ Styles is the only REAL loss TNA had. He was over as all hell. Kaz and Daniels? Not so much. It hasn't ruined my viewing experience nor do I feel that much of a need to watch them. They were fun but not THAT fun. AJ I'd start a petition for. Kaz and Daniels - not so much.

Does TNA really need anyone? That’s the thing about having a company that houses a roster — you can often lose any one single player/wrestler and seemingly not skip a beat. Now, some guys are clearly of more value than others, but rarely does a team/company collapse due to the loss of a single individual.

The problem with this type of argument is that it’s not just TNA losing Bad Influence. It’s TNA having lost, in essence, almost half their roster in a calendar year. Many of whom were considered cornerstones of the company, having been part of it in varying degrees of consistency since it’s inception. I’ve said that the great thing about this type of wholesale change is that it’s forced TNA to truly build their own stars, finally, but it’s disingenuous to use the “do they really need them?” argument when you are factoring in the fact that this is coming off the heels of already having lost Styles, Sabin, Jarrett, Sting, Hulk Hogan, Mickie James, RVD, etc.

Most sports rosters survive at a roughly 15% turnover rate. I haven’t done the math, but I’m willing to bet that TNA, at least right now, over the last six-to-twelve months, is operating closer to 30-40%.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Does TNA really need anyone? That’s the thing about having a company that houses a roster — you can often lose any one single player/wrestler and seemingly not skip a beat. Now, some guys are clearly of more value than others, but rarely does a team/company collapse due to the loss of a single individual.

The problem with this type of argument is that it’s not just TNA losing Bad Influence. It’s TNA having lost, in essence, almost half their roster in a calendar year. Many of whom were considered cornerstones of the company, having been part of it in varying degrees of consistency since it’s inception. I’ve said that the great thing about this type of wholesale change is that it’s forced TNA to truly build their own stars, finally, but it’s disingenuous to use the “do they really need them?” argument when you are factoring in the fact that this is coming off the heels of already having lost Styles, Sabin, Jarrett, Sting, Hulk Hogan, Mickie James, RVD, etc.

Most sports rosters survive at a roughly 15% turnover rate. I haven’t done the math, but I’m willing to bet that TNA, at least right now, over the last six-to-twelve months, is operating closer to 30-40%.

Valid points, except I don't see TNA losing half its roster as a bad thing. I don't see a lack of talent on the show, do you? Seems to me they can fill two hours of TV no problem. As long as that's covered, the roster size is for the most part irrelevant. One of the many complaints about TNA is how its roster is too big and they can't fit everybody in a two hour show. Even now they can't fit everybody, there are people staying home like Aries, who do absolutely nothing.

And you'd be surprised (or maybe wouldn't) at how much businesses don't care about this person being there from the beginning or that person being a cornerstone of anything. Thereore, I can see why some of those people would get cut. Doesn't mean I agree with it. I just see both sides of the coin.

And it's very true that no one in TNA is really drawing anything or making money, aside from maybe Jeff Hardy. That's my main issue with this. I'm perfectly fine with dropping people. I'm fine with dropping originals or very loyal guys. If it has to happen, so be it. The financial well being of the company outweighs anyone on the roster. But, if TNA really wanted to save money, why cut Daniels and Kaz in particular? Surely there are others far less valuable to boot. Even if they have to do it with 3-4 people in order to balance the scales, why not. That's for TNA to know.

Either way, they'll be back eventually and at least we get to see new stars built, like you said. Doesn't seem to do jack shit for the ratings though. What's up, rest of the IWC? I thought TNA building its own stars would make it da bomb.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Valid points, except I don't see TNA losing half its roster as a bad thing. I don't see a lack of talent on the show, do you? Seems to me they can fill two hours of TV no problem. As long as that's covered, the roster size is for the most part irrelevant. One of the many complaints about TNA is how its roster is too big and they can't fit everybody in a two hour show. Even now they can't fit everybody, there are people staying home like Aries, who do absolutely nothing.

And you'd be surprised (or maybe wouldn't) at how much businesses don't care about this person being there from the beginning or that person being a cornerstone of anything. Thereore, I can see why some of those people would get cut. Doesn't mean I agree with it. I just see both sides of the coin.

And it's very true that no one in TNA is really drawing anything or making money, aside from maybe Jeff Hardy. That's my main issue with this. I'm perfectly fine with dropping people. I'm fine with dropping originals or very loyal guys. If it has to happen, so be it. The financial well being of the company outweighs anyone on the roster. But, if TNA really wanted to save money, why cut Daniels and Kaz in particular? Surely there are others far less valuable to boot. Even if they have to do it with 3-4 people in order to balance the scales, why not. That's for TNA to know.

Either way, they'll be back eventually and at least we get to see new stars built, like you said. Doesn't seem to do jack shit for the ratings though. What's up, rest of the IWC? I thought TNA building its own stars would make it da bomb.

We don’t disagree as much as you think we might. Not in principle. My wagon isn’t hitched to “TNA originals” either, and it never has. Remember — I’m the same guy who argued for years that the whole concept of “WWE Rejects”, at least as it was often presented here, was bullshit that people clung to because hating TNA is the cool thing to do. Easiest way to hate on them? Criticize their roster for picking up the “garbage” of other companies (even though this is exactly what every company has done in the business for like 150 years).

What I’m saying isn’t that it’s a bad thing for TNA to turn over it’s roster. What I’m saying is that it’s a bad thing for it to turn over 30-40%, essentially, all at once. I’m an aquarium guy — this is known as tank shock. You may not think you’re doing much damage because it doesn’t appear right away, but a lot of times it sends your tanks’ inhabitants into a state of shock. Lots of little things go wrong, which compound, and eventually turn into much larger issues that become increasingly more difficult to deal with.

Now, I don’t think TNA is experiencing this, necessarily, as I don’t believe the ratings have tanked or anything like that recently, but I do think they are risking it despite the calm appearance.

Ultimately, I just think they’re probably dropping two or three guys too quickly, all at once. At least for my tastes. I’m totally fine with turning over a roster, and it’s obvious they’re surviving the losses of guys like Sting and Styles just fine. But for the general viewing audience, it’s nice to write this type of stuff into longer term story than to simply have to consistently push new blood you may not be totally confident in because officials signed multiple contracts to multiple talents that all expired right around the same time.

 

[Papa Pillman]

If Daniels did claim that he was not offered a contract at all, that wreaks of one of two things: he's either (A) Lying or he's (B) Working us.

I hate to be the conspiracy theorist, but this contract situation with Bad Influence and Sabin feels different than the situation with AJ did. And the fact that we've so far only seen Sabin booked on smaller indy shows(though he does have a dream match with Okada coming up with Border City Wrestling) helps to support my thoughts. If Daniels doesn't quickly start seeing bookings with companies like ROH, Evolve, and/or PWG either then that will further my suspicions.

Where I'm going with this is that I really think there's a possibility that Sabin and Daniels leaving the company could just possibly be a planned work by TNA. As could this whole "Austin Aries isn't being prominently featured because he's in the doghouse" rumor that's been floating around. If I don't see Sabin or either member of Bad Influence get advertised for a booking for a major Indy by the end June, in fact I'll go further and say if none of them are booked to work ROH's Best In The World show at the old TNA Asylum in Nashville specifically, then I'm going to almost feel like this is all a confirmed work. And obviously I'm hinting at the end game being Aries, Sabin, and Bad Influence making a surprise return to Impact as a disgruntled stable.

I know this all sounds like fantasy booking but until guys like Sabin and Daniels, who are now supposedly completely free men, start taking their proper place in the independent scene(much like AJ and Hero did instantly) or relatively quickly seek out a spot with NJPW(like AJ and Shelley did) then it seems like more than a fantasy. Hell, I could even see the likely returning Low Ki be a part of this group as he's another cast away former TNA original and X-Division champ like the rest of these guys, and has a history teaming with Daniels. With or without Low Ki in the group though, forming this group while at the same time bringing Low Ki back as a talent and especially an agent has all kinds of win written on it.

Of course if this did happen all of the WWE exclusive fans would just label it a Shield rip-off, despite almost no similarities, because that's their MO. But at least TNA fans would get some great TV out of it.

 

[T2KFreeker]

Why is it that if you write about something wrestling related on the Internet you are automatically labeled IWC? And it's even said like it's a bad thing. I don't post very often and just thought I would post what I talked with Christopher Daniels about.

Answering a couple of questions, Actually Yes, Daniels is one of the main reasons I have watched TNA for these years. I hated it during the couple times he left. I also have bought merchandise from TNA that is Christopher Daniels related. So What? I also agree with the above sentiments that turning over a roster the way that TNA is doing it right now is awful.

New, fresh faces are all well and good, BUT, there is nothing wrong with having older talent still kicking it around, especially when they still can go. Age isn't everything, as we all know. You wrestle an older member of the roster and get over on them or feud with them and get over on them, it's called getting a rub. You know, helps the newer guys look much more important than they would otherwise, or helps to legitimize them as talents? TNA looks to be trying to rebuild their Tag team Division and X-Division. Having Kaz and Daniels certainly wouldn't hurt them in that regard. Plus, no offense, but even if you look at the past, look at WCW in the last half of 2000 and see what I am talking about. Mind you, the company had fallen to crap already, but one hige reason the Die Hard fans even left? Most of the key roster was gone or not being used. Too many fresh faces that were being roatated in and out making some kind of consistency impossible.

For people like me, losing Hulk, RVD and Mickie James, while annoying, isn't the biggest deal in the world. Add in AJ Styles, Kaz, Daniels, Chavo, Sting, Chris Sabin, and probably Kurt Angle here very shortly and that's quite a few faces gone in the last six months. It's not good for the company and it's not good for their business. Perhaps it's also one of the reasons Spike is hesitating in giving TNA a new Television deal as the company looks so unstable right now.

Just a few thoughts anyway. Sorry about the ranting ramble.

 

[Rassling Fan 1974]

The talent purge of the last 6 months is alarming. But I'm sure what to think in the long run. Maybe it is money costs. But it seems TNA is wanting to reboot it's talent pool. Maybe it's Big John wanting to put his on stamp on TNA. I do miss AJ Styles and will miss Daniels and Kaz. But it seems more cuts are coming. I see Austin Aries moving on. Can't say it's definite. But it seems that way. I damn sure hope not. Austin is one of my favs on the roster.

 

[Reflection]

That was sad to hear. I was always one of those fans that wanted to defend them in arguments... but for a while now, I have lost all hope in TNA. They are like a person with cancer, you know that death is ultimately gonna come- its inevitable. Its just how long you can postpone it, through all means possible. And the sooner one accepts the fact, the better.
I hope Jeff Jarrett's new promotion grows fast, and they are able to bring in talented wrestlers like Daniels, Kazarian, Homicide, Low Ki, Jay Lethal etc., with mentors like Mick Foley, Konnan (okay, maybe not a mentor) and Jarrett himself.

 

[Slash-LN]

I'm glad this thread didn't go the way I expected it to go. I thought it was going to be I met Daniels and he was a dick. That would have really sucked because I like him and Kaz as a team. So it's nice to know that he was cool to you and your daughter.

I don't know about the petition part. I'd probably sign it because I miss seeing them each week and for a few weeks now if something better wasn't on to keep me awake I've been falling asleep before the main event. The only exception was the night EY won the title.

Having Bad Influence on, especially in the second hour, would give me something to look forward to at least.

Feuding with the Wolves would definitely be cool. I can only imagine how good those matches would be.

 

[T2KFreeker]

I'm glad this thread didn't go the way I expected it to go. I thought it was going to be I met Daniels and he was a dick. That would have really sucked because I like him and Kaz as a team. So it's nice to know that he was cool to you and your daughter.

Naw, Daniels was really cool. Down to earth guy and very witty. Cracked me up a few times because it was nice to see he's just as animated and whatnot in real life as he is on Television. According to him it has been clinically proven to improve your intellect by 5% if you read his Comic book. Was pretty damn cool.

I guess it's why I was so bummed by what he said about returning to TNA. It's all up to Dixie. Total bummer.

 

[Trill Co$by]

I'm not really surprised Daniels got the slip. It's sad to say, but I was expecting it honestly. Daniels has been on again off again with TNA since TNA first started. In the end, I think it's a money thing for TNA. Daniels was probably asking for more than he was worth, and they decided to let him go. Or maybe they just didn't feel like him and Kaz were worth any money at all.

Like I said before, I personally believe TNA needs to get rid of some top talent people and start to rebuild. It's like in sports, when your roster gets too old you cut them. The Ravens did it after winning the big one, and even though last season stunk up the place, they managed to rebuild a roster that's seemingly championship worthy for the coming season. The same can be said for TNA right now. Yeah, they got rid of franchise names, but I'm sure if they can stick around that TNA will be perfectly fine in a few years.

 

[IT Factor]

I actually met Daniels at the Slammiversary 2006 meet and greet session and he was one of the cool guys amongst a sea of assholes! He actually seemed to like fans and he wasn't complaining about anything. He talked to us and wasn't egotistical. TNA are idiots to have let him go and more specifically Dixie Carter. They'd rather push a bunch of male models like Magnus, the Bro Mans, or Rock Star Spud than keep a battle tested veteran like Daniels around. I'm not even a fan of Kazarian but Bad Influence was the best tag team around in wrestling today. Just another mistakes in the long line of Dixie Carter's in TNA....

 

[whoopin' ass]

Shows someone in charge is an idiot as they were getting fantastic reactions and were one of the best parts on Impact.

 

[horseman5]

It's bad news for PPV, if TNA is going to do more of them this year. Daniels delivers when he is allowed to. I do see how new talent makes it fresh. and when you bring him back in a year, he will be over like rover.
The new talent like EC3 and the Bromans have done well.