Nigel McGuinness Signs With TNA, Allegedly Given Major Storyline

[drondog]

I think people forget who ended Joe's undefeated streak... Kurt Angle.

Does anyone remember who ended Punk's undefeated streak?

Hint: He is no longer employed and is no longer useful to any major wrestling promotion.

Of course, each company handled each differently because they are two different talents. Though keep in mind, Samoa Joe held his belt for 6 months (182 days) but CM Punk, with 3 reigns, has held the belt for 160 days.

So while, you can make points of how WWE handled CM Punk better or visa-versa, but I don't think TNA really ruined Samoa Joe. Did you hear the reaction he got at BFG? He made the fans BOO Bobby Lashley.

But really, I understand both points, but TNA and WWE both could have done better handling those talents.

who did beat PUNK? was it jeff hardy?

 

[da kid bigmike]

it was on ecw that he first lost i wanna say either test or kevin thorn

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

It was Hardcore Holly, if I remember correctly, just to answer a question. As far as this whole jump to TNA goes, I really don't know much about McGuiness since I've only seen ROH once on HDNet (the only week I had the network on cable). But as far as talent is concerned, I think it might be good for him to make the move to TNA. He can work with some of the other young talent in TNA as well as the more established talent. Who knows? Maybe it'll be a bust, but it is his career.

Besides, I don't care how many skeletons he has in his closet, you can not ask for a wrestler to start off with in a company than Kurt Angle. Angle is always in the spotlight, and if you are working with him, odds are you are going to be right there with him. Hopefully, WWE doesn't let Danielson go to TNA. It'd be stupid to lose both of them to your "competition."

 

[wolvdog316]

I want to get excited I really do, but I can't. As much as it would do TNA good to remove Steiner and Booker and Nash and replace them with pure "wrestlers", I just don't buy that these two have it.

Christopher Daniels is a top notch wrestler, very very great. He was THE Independent Wrestler of the 90's. He did nothing, for several different companies. I can't say why. Fat Joe, INCREDIBLE wrestler, debuted excellent with TNA. Then he gets punked by Angle and has been crap since. Point is, blah blah blah. I hear the same crap year after year. THIS guy will SAVE (insert promotion). Or THIS guy will HELP in a huge way. I call BS. Punk made it. He is one of the select few who has. And don't give me that crap about WWE wouldn't use them right. Thats horsecrap. Maybe at first, sure, but if the talent is there they WILL become stars. Austin, Rock, HHH, all had horrible gimmicks to start with, but they shined. Benoit was brought in through the Radicalz, and he shined. Eddie was underused when he came in, but he didn't quit. And he shined.

Is WWE crap right now? Sure it is. But that's hardly Vince's fault. It's real easy to say Vince was A LOT better creative wise, when his roster was stacked with Austin, HHH, Taker, Angle, Rock, Mankind. WWE won't EVER be great again until it has stars that EVERYONE can relate too.

To use the old saying, at the end of the day I'm not getting excited about these two going anywhere cause wrestling, pure great wrestling can only take you so far. I hope these two guys prove me wrong, cause I'd LOVE to be able to WANT to watch wrestling again. To have that NEED to not want to miss a week. Right now neither WWE or TNA gives me that can't miss wrestling product

 

[finoj05]

Yes, i was referring to Hardcore Holly. I guess more people forgot about that than I imagined.

 

[The Industry]

Here's what Meltzer had to say.

Don't criticize WWE for this. Hopefully I can write the story in detail by tomorrow but all the key elements are still off the record. Suffice to say it's very different than being reported.

Bryan not part of this deal.

This is a big pick up for TNA, but I feel Nigel in the long run made a mistake. TNA will make him a huge deal for a month or 2, but then they'll do the typical Russo overpush, then they'll turn him in to a swerve artist, and then most of all nobody will pay too see him or turn on Spike to see him. Russo ikes to target The IWC, he rather have a thousand message boards praising him, then putting a tousand people in the seat. This won't change TNA at all and the funny thing is their booking exactly like ROH

 

[The Industry]

PWInsider just had an update on their paysite about Nigel signing. They said Nigel came up with his new name, and TNA would have signed him sooner but couldn't because of his ROH contract. They gave a vague explanation about why the WWE deal didn't go through. It had to do with him not passing some type of wellness pre-screening physical, but it wasn't drug related. Instead it had something to do with past injuries. Mike Johnson cited difficulties Stevie Richards had getting signed in 2000 because of past neck injuries.

Now this sounds more plausible, it doesn't seem like Nigel just chose TNA. The guy is pretty fragile, has been since 2006, he's had multiple concussions, broke his arma million times, and has been hurt a lot the last 2 years. It seems WWE just didn't want a Kennedy [minus the sloppiness]-on their hands. I'm still waiting for Meltzer story in the next few days.

 

[X]

Now this sounds more plausible, it doesn't seem like Nigel just chose TNA. The guy is pretty fragile, has been since 2006, he's had multiple concussions, broke his arma million times, and has been hurt a lot the last 2 years. It seems WWE just didn't want a Kennedy [minus the sloppiness]-on their hands. I'm still waiting for Meltzer story in the next few days.

That makes more sense, especially considering Nigel's motivation to leave the indies in the first place was to help his issues with injuries and medical bills. Perfectly understandable situation here for both sides.

 

[Shua]

I know almost nothing about McGuinness (except that his last name is the name of a beer...minus the "Mc"), but having him debut the way he did is quite impressive, and says a lot about TNA's faith in him. Man, I wish I had PPV capabilities. The next PPV looks amazing!!

 

[wbstylee]

It's a better move for Danielson given his age (28) as he can sign with TNA and emerge from a contract at a relatively young age. But McGuinness puzzles me a little. TNA has a horrible track record the past few years of elevating fresh faces, and at 33, Nigel is taking a big risk of passing his sell-by date midcarding in the upper minor leagues.

Trying WWE is worth a shot for either man. The upside is exponentially higher in both visibility and income. Best case scenario: CM Punk; Worst Case scenario: jobbing for way more money and then signing with TNA.

My advice to both Danielson and McGuinness: 'Tis always better to strike out in the big leagues than dominate AAA...no, not that AAA..you know what i mean.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I'm actually quite excited about McGuinness being with TNA. I'm not sure why. I haven't really been a fan of him for quite some time now - at least a year. It sounds as if TNA are giving him a proper push though.

If they don't pull a, well, a TNA, then it will be fascinating to see if he sinks - as some predict - or swims - as, uh, others predict.

 

[saint_edward]

take the point made about CM Punk, correct me if im wrong but didnt he go from ROH to TNA and then to WWE... ROH and TNA are much more similar promotions to WWE, focused more on the WRESTLING and not so much the gimmicks ( yes i know... curry man shark boy suicide etc) but the wrestling is awesome when they get it right... the development of people like AJ Joe Daniels Kazarian MCMG Eric Young Homicide and Hernandez, hell even Kurt Angle has a better place in TNA. AND with it coming to Virgin1 in the UK on Friday nights in the UK i cant see TNA going anywhere but up in the near future as long as creative keep up good work... and Bryan danielson IS known outside the IWC, cant wait to see how hes booked!!!!

 

[SinCityBlitz]

You can be guaranteed that Russo and Ferrara will use these guys far better than anyone in WWE would.

No doubt. They will shack up with some old lady and she will give birth to a hand. When that's done we can put them in a trash can and simulate like they're *********ing. Bring back Beaver Cleavage and make fun of more people who have serious diseases. Russo and Ferrera are geniuses.

I think this was a mutual thing between the E and both parties. It's going to be hard for them to come to the big leagues and make a major impact at this time. Being in TNA allows them to grow until they're ready. They make better money than in ROH too. It's a good situation all around.

 

[Tunit624]

Nigel going to TNA is a great move on his part I was wondering what their direction would be after BFG and from the looks of it there are great things on the horizon. Hopefully The American Dragon isn't far behind I would love to hear some "your gonna get your fucking head kicked in" chants in the impact zone.

 

[Mr.RKO]

here goes some early nigel mc guinness (desmond wolfe) for you people to watch. Oh and dont worry he has gotten a lot better sense then and he cut his hair to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGlfpuCfsNY
How did the title of my thread change?

 

[BladeRunner]

Firstly, if you're not going to watch a show because you don't like the name-change of a wrestler, that's pretty nutty.

Secondly, a few of you seem to think this wrestler is making a mistake in going to tna. But who's to say they decided such? What I mean to say is, maybe the WWE deal looked like it was falling through, so they went with a sure thing.

And lastly I think this gives a lot of credibility to TNA to those wrestling fans who are partial to the independent promotions. Thus bringing in another group of people to add to the already large variety who like it right now, which is great for everybody. TNA really does have something for every wrestling fan. High flying, technical, hardcore, etc.

So yeah I think WWE made a mistake in dragging their feet. They need new talent more than ever. While TNA keeps bringing in people all the time, sometimes cycling them out, but always keeping things fresh.

 

[Coco]

I had mix feelings when both Danielson and McGuiness were reportedly signing with WWE, as WWE certainly was going through a phase where they were taking cues from the original ROH product and making their product solely about wrestling, with no character development, storylines, etc.

Strange. I could have sworn Nigel had a character in Ring of Honor. But what do I know? I'm probably just a ROHbot or something... I still have yet to see you directly answer when I ask how many ROH shows you've actually seen.

On the topic of McGuinness signing... I dunno, I thought he had a better chance of making it in WWE. When you look at all the up and comers and long time guys worthy of a main event push... the list of guys Nigel will have to compete with in TNA just seems stronger and longer than the list of guys in the WWE. Although from what I read, his spot coming in should be good. But we all know TNA. No idea how long that'll last. And we all know Nigel. No idea how long his health will let it last.

 

[FTWChamp]

I love the IWC! All these people in the forums that just follow the Pied Piper who just so happens to be named Vinnie Mac, never once questioning his ideas or his company's creative ability. That's why the same handful of guys are always in the main events on Raw and Smackdown and the WWE's pay per views. What happens? They watch anyway. Instead of questioning the lull in creative and the obvious non-existent attempts to move toward the future of the company, they continue to watch. What else do they do? They get on these forums and relentlessly bash anyone who tries to compete with the WWE.

This is why we live in a world where Wal-Mart is the king of the retail industry. Wal-Mart offers low prices which is a plus but always stays the same and has terrible customer service. They always stay the same and always offer the same product pretty much. They could easily be compared to the WWE.

Whereas we have stores like Target and Meijers who offers better customer service, different products, more variety, and comparable prices. I believe you could compare TNA and ROH to these type of stores.

Yet many people won't even consider going to these stores instead of Wal-Mart. Why? Because of the warm, fuzzy feelings they get when shopping at Wal-Mart? No, it's because they are mentally trained to go to Wal-Mart for all their needs. They wouldn't think of trying these other stores.

I think that's the problem alot of the IWC has. They have been trained to watch WWE and bash the competition. When in reality more competition makes for a better product. How competitive would McDonalds be without Burger King? How competive would Budweiser be if there was no Miller? My point is with no competition whatsoever, WWE would be even more unwatchable than I believe it is now.

I believe TNA is moving in the right direction. They are finally pushing the young talent to the top and we are finally going to see a company that gives the fans what it wants. Instead of Vince cramming what he wants down your throats and us sitting there and not refusing the change the channel.

 

[D-Man]

I love the IWC! All these people in the forums that just follow the Pied Piper who just so happens to be named Vinnie Mac, never once questioning his ideas or his company's creative ability. That's why the same handful of guys are always in the main events on Raw and Smackdown and the WWE's pay per views. What happens? They watch anyway. Instead of questioning the lull in creative and the obvious non-existent attempts to move toward the future of the company, they continue to watch. What else do they do? They get on these forums and relentlessly bash anyone who tries to compete with the WWE.

This is why we live in a world where Wal-Mart is the king of the retail industry. Wal-Mart offers low prices which is a plus but always stays the same and has terrible customer service. They always stay the same and always offer the same product pretty much. They could easily be compared to the WWE.

Whereas we have stores like Target and Meijers who offers better customer service, different products, more variety, and comparable prices. I believe you could compare TNA and ROH to these type of stores.

Yet many people won't even consider going to these stores instead of Wal-Mart. Why? Because of the warm, fuzzy feelings they get when shopping at Wal-Mart? No, it's because they are mentally trained to go to Wal-Mart for all their needs. They wouldn't think of trying these other stores.

I think that's the problem alot of the IWC has. They have been trained to watch WWE and bash the competition. When in reality more competition makes for a better product. How competitive would McDonalds be without Burger King? How competive would Budweiser be if there was no Miller? My point is with no competition whatsoever, WWE would be even more unwatchable than I believe it is now.

I believe TNA is moving in the right direction. They are finally pushing the young talent to the top and we are finally going to see a company that gives the fans what it wants. Instead of Vince cramming what he wants down your throats and us sitting there and not refusing the change the channel.

This is blown way out of proportion. And for the record, I enjoy Target better than Walmart. But I also think the WWE pisses on TNA in almost every possible way.

Not until about 3 or 4 months ago did TNA finally wake up and begin booking their talent correctly. I'll admit, it's been a really good product lately. But for the past 7 years, all of these "haters" that you're talking about have been watching a show that I wouldn't piss on if it were on fire... and THAT'S the truth.

TNA has finally picked themselves up and dusted themselves off and are finally becoming formidable opponents for the WWE. However, bad habits are hard to break. The IWC isn't used to seeing a good product in TNA yet. Eventually, they may catch on. But give it some time before you trash an entire community because of 3 months of work compared to the past 7 years.

 

[X]

This is blown way out of proportion. And for the record, I enjoy Target better than Walmart. But I also think the WWE pisses on TNA in almost every possible way.

Not until about 3 or 4 months ago did TNA finally wake up and begin booking their talent correctly. I'll admit, it's been a really good product lately. But for the past 7 years, all of these "haters" that you're talking about have been watching a show that I wouldn't piss on if it were on fire... and THAT'S the truth.

What D-Man? Come on now, how many TNA events from 2005 and 2006 have you seen? Because those two years in TNA were so far and away better than what the WWE was providing.

You wouldn't piss on this, eh?

​

If you don't think that's worth pissing on D-Man, I'm not sure we can be metaphysical brothers anymore man. First the Nirvana hate and now the TNA hate? I thought we had something special.

 

[Uncle Sam]

What D-Man? Come on now, how many TNA events from 2005 and 2006 have you seen?

I'm going to have to agree. TNA in 2005 and 2006 was something I found enjoyable. I even believe Mr. McGuinness was in some sort of battle royal for the X title way back when. He didn't win it, obviously.

The most obvious thing for Nigel to do is join the World Elite/British Invasion. I'm supposing that may be why he attacked Kurt Angle.

 

[RVDgurl]

I'm going to have to agree. TNA in 2005 and 2006 was something I found enjoyable. I even believe Mr. McGuinness was in some sort of battle royal for the X title way back when. He didn't win it, obviously.

I also am going to support this. This is the time frame when I discovered TNA and it blew me away with the fresh and innovative things they were doing. Every week Impact was a solid show from front to back and all the talent was given time to shine.

The most obvious thing for Nigel to do is join the World Elite/British Invasion.

Yup. He's walking right into a ready made storyline. That's fate, if ya ask me.

 

[D-Man]

What D-Man? Come on now, how many TNA events from 2005 and 2006 have you seen? Because those two years in TNA were so far and away better than what the WWE was providing.

You wouldn't piss on this, eh?

​

If you don't think that's worth pissing on D-Man, I'm not sure we can be metaphysical brothers anymore man. First the Nirvana hate and now the TNA hate? I thought we had something special.

I'm sorry... I love you.

Brotha man, I've admitted on a million occasions that the only thing that was good about TNA since their inception was their match quality. That has since gotten much worse but their storylines have been catching on with audiences. And once again, take it from ROH, storylines sell tickets... not spot monkeys.

PS - I have no idea what's on that video since my shitty job blocks every fun website known to man, but I'll guess it's an old TNA match. That's where my remarks (above) came from.

 

[Super Crazy]

I must say that I am excited for this. It is always good to see that people will go to TNA instead of WWE. Right now TNA could use some more big names for their product. The only thing is though really is that if McGuinness goes right to the British Invasion he would also end up apart of World Elite where he may get lost in the shuffle. Hopefully though they give him something major to do. While this won't add hugely to the ratings it will certainly add to it as more ROH fans will tune in. Plus all though WWE fans that heard about McGuinness might tune in to see what the WWE missed out on.

Either way this is great for the business and good move for him. Hopefully Danielson follows suit and it would be another huge loss for the WWE. I have never personally watched anything from the two but from all the talk on these forums of both Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuiness I am truly excited to see them both in TNA and cannot wait.

 

[BladeRunner]

Here's an update:

Real Reason Why ROH Star Didn't Sign With WWE
By Amish Patel
Oct 21, 2009 - 3:37:44 PM

- We noted last night that Nigel McGuinness was telling people at last night's iMPACT tapings that he didn't sign with WWE because they took too long to send him his contract. However, Prowrestling.net reports that it's confirmed he failed WWE's pre-screening test and WWE pulled their verbal offer to him and never offered him an actual contract.

The story goes that this was not the case of Nigel failing a drug test, but a medically related test that caused WWE to shy away from signing him. TNA does not have a pre-screening test for their incoming talents.