[Official] Roster Cuts & Acquisitions Thread

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Vito is like 90% of the wrestlers out there. He can wrestle, but not in a particularly exciting manner, and doesn't really have a character. Unless something drastic happens he would really just be a jobber and doesn't offer any big name credentials. If they even attempt something along the lines of "Oh my God that's Vito formerly of WWE, what's he doing here!" type of thing then I will turn the channel for the rest of the night.

Sure, give guys a tryout and see what they can do, but as for an outright singing, this is probably just a release waiting to happen.

 

[TheFuture]

No, TNA should not bring in Vito. For one when was the last time before this title reign in some indy company has he done anything of value? Last I can think of was when he teamed with Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli and Disco Inferno in WcW and won the tag titles, and even then he was not the face of the group. All this would lead to probably is him coming in and getting a push to begin with, before dropping off the map and being released quickly. TNA hopefully doesnt even think about him, and instead figures out how to work the current roster to it's fullest potential.

 

[BradXXX]

Anyway, I think Kimbo's drawing power is gone. His lost to Seth Petruzelli really took all the steam out of that momentum run he was on. Then to top it off, he loses to Nelson on the TUF? No, Kimbo going to TNA wouldn't work. A lot of the fans would probably boo him, and it won't be because he's beeing a good heel. Kimbo was a Youtube sensation,and managed to draw pretty good while EliteXC was around, but all that hype is long gone.

That's where Dana White and the UFC seem to completely disagree with you. Word is that even though Kimbo lost, he has still been handed a multi-fight UFC contract and for his first fight he will be fighting at the Ultimate Fighter finale against Houston Alexander.

They wouldn't do this if they thought he wasn't going to draw ratings.

You seem to be forgetting that wrestling is pre-determined. That's WHY Slice would in theory thrive in wrestling if he dedicated himself to learn the craft. He has the gimmick, the look, and the fan following (drawing millions of more fans on a wed night to watch him fight a stupid fat loser than TNA on their best night of Impact). He wouldn't need to worry about losing an embarrassing fight because in wrestling, the booking could take advantage of his monster gimmick, and book him like a monster. He draws based on being an entertaining character, not a good fighter.

If he can learn to wrestle (PRO wrestle, there's a difference, sure his ground game sucks in mma, but he doesn't need a legit ground game in pro wrestling), there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to help TNA.

 

[RicSpade]

Ok first of all Cody Deanor is the heavyweight champion of some promotion in Canada last I checked so its not about being a decent wrestler its about having some kind of name attached. I mean seriously why do you think WWE is doing the guest host and TNA is doing this legends challenge its about putting a name people remember in there to watch a product. Vito is best remember as the man who wore a skirt, I have been thinking about some of the other people in the business AL Snow will be remembered for either Head or how he ate his dog, Saturn will be remembered as either the man in a skirt or as the guy who almost married a mop, Chavo will either be remembered as the nephew of Eddie, the guy who never beat a leprechaun or the guy who talked to a horse named peppay (its amazing the crap we get sometimes).

Vito won't be a memorable name in TNA, he'd end up being the Barry Horowitz of TNA and thats why like many of the 90's wrestlers that lost their glory they need to stick to wrestling in gyms or were going to have to watch 400 pound Anvils wrestle (seriously did you see how huge he is?) They have to prove their worth to the television crowd again, winning some title in a promotion no one ever heard of is pretty much stupid. Thats like me promoting Dan Severn winning the title in a company he owns, seriously give me a break.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

I don't think they should even bother. There are bigger names out there that would work for them better than Vito. But I really think they should just concentrate on who they have now. If a guy pops loose that you just can't stay away from, fine but Vito is not a name enough. They have plenty of guys who can put others over.

 

[jmt225]

I've been saying since he was in EliteXC that once Kimbo Slice is done with MMA, he should start doing professional wrestling.

Let's just face facts.... the guy has a humongous fanbase out there, is charismatic as hell, and just has a "look" of a professional wrestler. He's big and strong, and has that very unique beard that separates him from every other person on the planet. His look is a HUGE part of his appeal, and looks are something a lot of professional wrestlers nowadays take highly for granted.

Anyway, I agree that he wouldn't put on any great matches or anything like that, but he would make an absolutely perfect 'enforcer' character. Think of Diesel when he was with Shawn Michaels at the start of Nash's career in WWE... that type of gimmick would go over really well with a guy like Kimbo. Plus, any person you put Kimbo with instantly becomes legit and a star.

The more I think about it.... the more I think it's vital for TNA to offer this guy something if and when Kimbo is done with the UFC. If anybody can make it happen, it'd be the Hulkster. He was in attendance at pretty much every one of Kimbo's fights in EliteXC, so I wouldn't be surprise if they already have a cordial relationship where the respect is mutual.

 

[NSL]

Let's look at this from a new perspective...If Kimbo goes to TNA, who would he be facing?

He wouldn't be facing the best of TNA. Guys like AJ Styles and Kurt Angle. He just wouldn't. He's not on the level of Desmond as far as wrestling is concerned. He'd probably end up facing someone like Samoa Joe to start, since he's already faced MMA fighters. Then he'd go on to face guys like Rhino, Kevin Nash, Abyss, and Daniels.

Do you see any of those potential match-ups working? Rhino and Kimbo would be a 5 minute borefest, and I don't want to imagine how slow a Kimbo v. Nash match would be. Abyss fighting Kimbo would really just be silly, and no one would buy a Kimbo v. Daniels one-off, let alone a feud.

 

[X]

I'll tell ya who he'd be facing NSL. Big Rob Terry, AKA the future of professional wrestling as we know it. Their feud would be huge, drawing record numbers and PPV buyrates. That feud alone would skyrocket TNA past the WW--wait, what's it called again? WWCWE? I can't remember.

People love seeing people hit each other, especially when they're rather large. Throw in a race card or two and we've got the biggest match in wrestling history.

Kim-bo! Kim-bo! Kim-bo!

 

[BradXXX]

I'd love to get a hold of the crystal ball you guys have which shows how shitty Kimbo would be at wrestling.

I'm not saying he'd be as good of a wrestler as a Kurt Angle.

But is it SOOOOO far out there that he could pull off matching the skills of someone like John Cena?

The guy is definitely dedicated to what he is trying to do, which is definitely a more difficult sport to learn.

I never said he would be joining ROH or some other boring fed, I said TNA which to my knowledge is trying to re-create the WWE Attitude era with their own style of ENTERTAINMENT.

I would definitely put him at the top of the card (if he showed that he was serious and could work a decent match). Especially considering he's not even in the fed and he's already a bigger draw than all of TNA combined...

I mean look at it this way, in a real fight (which wrestling is supposed to be simulating), who would the avg person think is going to win; the current heavyweight champ AJ Styles? Or Kimbo Slice?

Wouldn't a sense of realism be a good thing?

 

[Lancer]

This is the most inane idea I have ever heard. If Kimbo can't even master the art of hitting someone and rolling around on the mat, there is no way he will ever learn ring psychology and how to sell moves.

What kind of a moron thinks that Kimbo Slice will improve ratings and take TNA into the stratosphere, when the signing of HULK HOGAN, the biggest name in professional wrestling history, barely improves TNA's ratings by a digit?

Stupid, stupid idea. Keep Kimbo Slice away from TNA Wrestling, unless you want to have another Pacman Jones fiasco.

 

[gd]

kimbo was screwed by elitexc and that's why he lost to Seth P. cause the ref was part of it. That's why EliteXC went bankrupt. Kimbo deserves a 2nd chance due to that screwjob by then and I'll glad the UFC will hopefully give him one. Kimbo doesn't need to go to TNA or WWE. Go look it up.

Umm, actually not. It wasn't the refs fault that Kimbo got knocked the fuck out, it was Kimbo's. There was too much pressure put on someone as inexperienced as Kimbo to carry an entire company, but it wasn't the refs fault he lost.

I'll tell ya who he'd be facing NSL. Big Rob Terry, AKA the future of professional wrestling as we know it. Their feud would be huge, drawing record numbers and PPV buyrates. That feud alone would skyrocket TNA past the WW--wait, what's it called again? WWCWE? I can't remember.

Kimbo v. Rob Terry wold be great, I'd watch that. If Kimbo came in it obviously wouldn't be to face Angle in a 5 star match in the main event, it'd just to be slam some people around and bring in the ratings.

This is the most inane idea I have ever heard. If Kimbo can't even master the art of hitting someone and rolling around on the mat, there is no way he will ever learn ring psychology and how to sell moves.

To be fair, MMA is probably way harder to be successful in than pro wrestling. I'm sure that Kimbo would be able to learn the basics if they put the time into him.

What kind of a moron thinks that Kimbo Slice will improve ratings and take TNA into the stratosphere, when the signing of HULK HOGAN, the biggest name in professional wrestling history, barely improves TNA's ratings by a digit?

This is a good point, but Kimbo would be bringing in different kinds of fans than Hulk Hogan. UFC fans and Hogan fans are pretty different fanbases for the most part.

I don't think it'd be horrible to bring Kimbo into TNA. Obviously, who wouldn't main event or anything, but having him in some lesser storylines would be better, even if you only bring him in for a month or 2, it'd be a positive.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Kimbo Slice is the perfect example of your standard internet sensation. The shit has been hyped out of the guy but he's not nearly as good as his fans and supporters have made him out to be.

When it was announced that Kimbo Slice would be fighting in a match on The Ultimate Fighter, the ratings spiked for the show. People tuned in that aren't really even big MMA fans to see what this guy was all about and they saw it. Spike keeps the guy around hinting that he'll get a spot back on a team if someone in the house suffers some type of injury but I think the bloom is off the rose.

As for him being in TNA, I've got no interest in it. Watching him on TUF, he seems like a genuinely nice person and all, but I just have no real interest in watching the guy wrestle. Now, would Kimbo Slice accept an offer from TNA? I'd say there's a possibility of it. But, what you'd have is a situation exactly like what TNA has with Bobby Lashley. Lashley has stated time and time again that MMA is his true passion, which makes TNA something of a side project and I've no doubt that it'd be the same with Kimbo Slice. TNA would probably handle Slice exactly like they are with Lashley for the most part, and that's nothing to brag about.

 

[BradXXX]

I think and really hope that TNA has learned their lesson with Bobby. The only way I'd be supportive of TNA bringing Slice in, would be if he was going to be dedicated to wrestling.

The huge difference I see between bringing Bobby in and Slice in, is that people like Kimbo Slice. I don't think people hate Lashley, I just think nobody has ever cared about him.

The funny thing is, Lashley may very well be a better mma fighter than Slice, though at this point it's hard to tell because Lashley really hasn't been tested by any real competition himself.

 

[Lancer]

I think it all comes down to what Vince McMahon said one time when asked about MMA...he said that MMA and wrestling have two very different audiences. There is a lot of truth to that, as hardcore MMA fans refuse to watch the "circus" of professional wrestling. The hardcore wrestling fan is more likely to give MMA a chance, but there is hardly a vice versa there.

Say Kimbo Slice comes to TNA. Whatever MMA fans may follow him through the transition are going to look at pro wrestling as "fake" and a "farce." It's just a stigma that the business has with MMA fans in general. And half of them are barely going to know who Bobby Lashley is, whether he squares off with Kimbo or not.

All I'm saying is that yes, he could take a shot at being a pro wrestler, despite having no experience and no track record...besides beating the pulp out of random guys on YouTube, and having his ass kicked by a relative unknown on CBS in front of a national audience. Yes, he can draw, but he still sucks nonetheless and wouldn't draw a dime for TNA.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Psycho Sid Promotions is claiming that the former WWE & WCW star is headed to TNA Wrestling via an email they sent in to the VOW show.

The email read as follows:

The Return of the Master and Ruler of the World "Psycho" Sid Vicious is coming to TNA Wrestling!
Spike TV Thursday Nights!
We warned WWE that this would Happen.
Never say Never!
Stay Tuned
-Psycho Sid Promotions

Additionally, Sid's MySpace page now features a large TNA logo on it.

Could this be the attacker we all thought could have been Nathan Jones, Hulk Hogan and Tomko, or is he just another "legend" to squash Jay Lethal in the Black Machismo Open Invitational?

I'm not really sure how I feel about this considering that I haven't seen Sid in years, and I'm not really sure exactly what's left in his tank in terms of actual wrestling, but his size certainly matches the size of the attacker we last saw prior to Turning Point who remained masked and dressed in black. Could there be more than one attacker considering the one a week or two prior was clearly bald, like Tomko?

To be honest, I'm not sure someone of his stature is really the answer, but I wouldn't be against him being another "legend" who squashes Lethal, though I don't really see what that actually does for Jay other than bury him. I just hope this isn't the slippery slop so many warned about with Hogan and bringing in the old guardto keep the young guys down.

What could Sid Vicious actually bring to TNA, in your opinion?

 

[NSL]

I hope this is just a part of Lethal's Invitational. Sid was always a risk in the ring, to himself and to his opponents, and he'd certainly bring down the current promo-level that TNA is sitting at. There's no one he can have a prolonged feud with, and who knows how his leg would hold up in a ring built for athletes. This has bad news written all over it.

If this is just a part of the Invitational, then great. Another guy comes in, pulls off a few spots, and the fans go home happy, even if it is sucking time out of the main event.

I doubt he's the attacker. First, the guy looked way too small to be Sid. Second, they would not let him blow it by posting something like that.

 

[Dangermartin]

I'd imagine that this is part of the invitational angle, after all TNA has Matt Morgan, who is pretty much Sid version 2, except good.

Maybe bringing Sid in as some kind of enforcer, similar to the role Matt Morgan played when he first joined the company could work. I'd imagine his ring skills are fairly worthless right now. Last time I saw a vid of him on YouTube he was walking with a limp and the aid of a stick.

 

[GeminiJ13]

Sid will bring what he's always brought: Power! Sid Eudy is still in very good shape and lets be honest, he doesnt have to pull off any amazing moves that he used to do. All he needs is his big boot, powerbomb and a chokeslam. Let him run wild, make him an enforcer for TNA. I have always loved Sid, hes one of my favorite big men because they never tried to do too much with him. Sid is credible enough to win the TNA title, especially since Jeff Jarrett won it. I am not sure how Sid is in the locker room, but he cant be any worse than Angle or Scott Steiner. I would bring Sid in as a bodyguard type role, and you know what everyone wants TNA........ Sid powerbombing the little guys thru tables!! ala Spike Dudley. There was Sid Justice, Sid Vicious, but I always preferred Psycho Sid, the master and the ruler ....of..the..wooorlld!!

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I've got no real interest in seeing Sid really. Sid has always been a danger to his other wrestlers, and even to himself at times, in the ring and his promo work primarily consists of screaming at the top of his lungs in a series of rambling, near-incoherant rants.

It's possible that he could be another "legend" that's being brought in to squash Jay Lethal though, as I said, I've got no real interest in Sid. Sid has been out of the limelight for quite a while and he's getting pretty close to being 50. From what I've heard however, and mind you this is just what I've heard, he's still in really good physical shape.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I've got no real interest in seeing Sid really. Sid has always been a danger to his other wrestlers, and even to himself at times, in the ring and his promo work primarily consists of screaming at the top of his lungs in a series of rambling, near-incoherant rants.

It's possible that he could be another "legend" that's being brought in to squash Jay Lethal though, as I said, I've got no real interest in Sid. Sid has been out of the limelight for quite a while and he's getting pretty close to being 50. From what I've heard however, and mind you this is just what I've heard, he's still in really good physical shape.

I don't doubt he's not in fantastic shape considering his age, because all the photos I see of him from recent shows prove it. He's not as filled with juice now as he was then, so his body has softened to a more natural look, but the size and the strength definition are still there for sure.

These photos here are from an event he did in June of 2009:

Doesn't look too bad to me, but like I said earlier, I really hope this is just for the Invitation that Jay Lethal is running with "legends", because I'm just not sure what kind of real staying power Sid could bring to a higher card, or what other angle he could be brought in under.

Yeah, he could make a great bodyguard, but who really needs him at this point? Who's the Shawn Michaels that needs Diesel, ya know? The only guy I could think of is Eric Young, but the Anti-American World Elite gag would prevent it since Sid is American.

 

[2TheMax]

Well, here's hoping that he'll just go to TNA just for the Jay Lethal legends invitational and then just leave. And I HOPE Hulk Hogan is not behind having Sid Vicious stay in TNA permanently, since they go way back. Sid's just another one of those guys we haven't seen or cared about in years and that would leave their retirement homes to give it "one more go". I hope Sid's new shirt reads this: "Arrive, Squash Jay Lethal, Leave."

 

[HotSauce]

this is the begining of the implsion of tna, look at all the combustable elements in tna from kurt/jeff , russo/hogan, the kevin nash suspension, booker t leaving the company, kaz is apparently not happy, i mean this looks like the last 3 yrs of wcw again, dixie apparantly knows nothin bout that history cuz if she did they wouldnt b goin down this road, yes tna has come along way since their weekly 10$ ppv's but there roster was alot better than,
all this hogan hype is jus all publicity for hogans book n for terry to recoupe sum of his lost assets from his very public n messy divorce if ne 1 thinks that hulk has un selfish intetions for tna is abous as silly as the santino/chavo fued, hes slowy building back up his cronies such as sid the nastys , im sure ed leslie/zodiac/bootyman/disciple/beef cake/no cares about beside hulk is gearin for a return, i jus see tna tryin for a short term fix rather than a long term over haul of the overall product

 

[phlewfy]

I like the addition of Sid to TNA. He's a former 4 time World champion(twice each in WWF and WCW). He has been in the ring with and defeated some of the best ever. He certainly has an entertaining personality. So why not roll the dice and see what he's got left? I love TNA, but let's be honest, the company will go nowhere with Morgan and Hernandez being pushed as the "Big Badasses". They both have talent but neither has any personality to speak of. So why not bring a 4 time world champion in, throw him into some programs with the above mentioned Hernandez and Morgan, have some "Big Man Brawls" and see if he can help get those two guys to become more believable as badasses. I mean right now they are mired in an angle with the Dudley's and Rhino, that's pretty much wrestling purgatory. Bring Sid in and have him back up Morgan in a heel turn on Hernandez. Let Sid kind of be a mentor type to Morgan while he feuds with Hernandez. Then when they have a falling out you have a Morgan vs. Sid program. The more I think about it the more I am liking it.

 

[absent]

I'm not totally against people like Sid being brought in but it needs to be in a supporting role. If guys like Sid are given the bulk of TV time and main event pushes, TNA is just gonna become a nostalgia show that might be good for a brief tune in, but won't be able to deliver an actual "wrestling" show. We'll be back to point of recent times where main event PPV matches can't possibly live up to the hype because the guys in them are basically too old to deliver. Old faces for colour yes, but don't try and make the focus, please.

 

[INDYjon22]

I don't know to much about this Jay Lethal Invitational but from what ive heard it involves legends, which some of you have mentioned. This would be a great one time performance for TNA. He is a former multi time world champion and still looks to be in good shape. A one time thing wouldn't hurt anyone, especially if Sid looks great, in which case TNA would look smart as hell. If they were to keep him around for a longer stretch of time, I could easily see him feuding with Abyss, Morgan, and Foley. He could have some good one month feuds and then move on. If TNA does decide to sign him then it needs to be a shorter contract so that in case it bombs they can get rid of it quick but honestly I see a little potential here for TNA to capitalize on.