Anyone with a logical brain, (not insulting you or anything) would know AJ Style and Samoa Joe are not draws. They never have been.
And no other people that have come to TNA has drawn either. Except maybe Sting since he was the first who got us at 1.0
They have never once made the best sellers in merchandise, they have never gotten high segment ratings when they cut a promo or wrestled a meaningful match.
Do you really like TNA to say something like that? I doubt so. The best most meaninfgul matchs have involved AJ and Joe. The best matchs in TNA history wich were in 2002 at the start of the company involved AJ, Lynn, Amazing Red and Daniels and Lowki tearing it up.
Matter of fact, late 2009. TNA was drawing a 1.2 or 1.3 rating. When AJ won the belt, his promos/matches segment quarters only drew 0.9 viewers or often 1.0 which is a total of 1.3 million viewers while the entire show would draw higher numbers.
Never happened.
He was a champ for 6 months. He was given the oppunity to shine and he couldn't put up the numbers. Hell, Sting had to put him over for Cali fans to chant or cheer him at BFG 2009. I know It was Sting's hometown and all but if you are THAT much of a big deal both guys would get a pop. AJ got nothing.
They both tear it up in that match. Mainly because of AJ because Sting can't go anymore. As far as AJ's 6 months, they were pretty good, I think. In fact I think the best decision made by TNA was when they paired him up with Flair in early 2010, it was the most compelling championship run in Hogan's regime. We had AJ vs Angle two times ans Hogan came out of entry way saying "these are the two best wrestlers in the World!". And he was right. But the thing was, when he hooked with Abyss he became his boy and decided that his boy had to look better than Flair's boy. When he realised Abyss would never be accepted he threw the towel and just gave the strap to RVD. And the ratings never moved.
Samoa Joe was great in 2005. Too bad, he went down a terrible path since then. You could blame it on booking but you can blame it on him as well, getting into fights with TNA management, getting suspended, not losing weight and slowing matches. Joe is still a decent wrestler and his new gimmick is bringing his badass mojo back but that doesn't escape the fact none of them are entertaining whatsoever.
There has never been a problem with Joe. Just keep booking him like he was in 05, come to the ring, win matchs, show how better he is than everybody and don't have him take side. Joe did the biggest buyrates in TNA history with 60 000, 50 thousand and 35. More than anybody else in TNA.
Crimson and Gunner have a better shot at being legit draws considering TNA is stable enough to generate stars that people would care about. Example: Beer Money, Pope, Beautiful People, Matt Morgan, Mr. Anderson, Madison Rayne, etc. Those wrestlers were built into well known talents AFTER 2005. TNA is much more stable to create people.
Crimson and Gunner are green and should work the indies some more while the other mentioned should dominate in TNA RIGHT NOW. Except Anderson, he sucks.
Like it or not, Crimson is over outside of the IWC. It's a proven fact, if a guy doesn't come from ROH or any sort of Indy spot that IWC marks want. It's automatically a nobody that cannot draw or do anything right.
I don't care for ROH, never have been. But not only I see nothing in Crimson, no interesting move or look, he's bland in the ring but I've ever read ANY reaction from him except from those plants at the Impact Zone.
This isn't 2005. They are much more established, much more known and covered by more media outlets than 2005.
They have no choice to "phase" them out. Kurt will be off TV in 2012, Sting will want a break from wrestling after his UK Tour, Flair's deal is expiring, Hogan will most likely be brought off TV once the Dixie/Hogan/Sting storyline concludes.
You apparently think any company can push anyone and everyone will accept it. If that's the case, TNA would have made alot more money, exposure and sponsorships in 2005. They did not have a thing but Spike TV which was practically brand new. They were a new company that was still quite frankly a nobody company.
2005, they NEEDED veterans with a huge name. Right now, they do not.
They have neve needed them. Never. No stars that have come in has done anything ratings-wise, it has been a complete failure. Hell they kept JJ on top because he was a recongnized face but all it did is kill the growth of stars like AJ, Joe, Monty Brown, the Truth and so forth to come on their own and become actual money-makers. TNA has always been by cowards that are afraid to make mistakes and as such do not take the risks to make real money. Like VKM has done time and time again.
And you see they don't need the big names now yet they still take precendence over the guys in their prime.
...What changesWhat? It's a storyline invloving RVD/Jerry Lynn. It has NOTHING to do with AJ beating him clean or not. Good lord, the entire company should not revolve around AJ fucking Styles. Do you really want TNA to copy WWE's booking logic with John Cena and Orton?
They shouldn't be copying WWE's Ronald McDonald fast-food model but the best model in wrestling is to pick a guy, find your money-maker and use him, make him the centerpoint of your company. Some say it's AJ, others say otherwise. Personaly I've always been disgusted how every former WWE/WCW guys have ran over TNA homegrown. WWE would have never done that because it sends the message that guys you didn't make are better than the guy you made. RVD is the poster boy for this attitude. Never lose clean, ever. Not to Joe, Pope, AJ.
IT'S A STORYLINE. Do you really have to whine instead of wait for the conclusion? I could tell you right now but I would be breaking the rules of this forum.
And what a storyline this is, have your monster lose to everybody. Hoopeedo, genius! Losing to a dancing ballerina like RVD when Joe is young, better, stronger, more skilled...even faster at his weight.
LMAO Disrespecting? I don't hear any of them complaining. Half of them signed new deals. Doesn't sound like they are upset.
They have nowhere else to go.
You complain they do not push NEW talent. Then you complain they are disrespecting the other talent. Make up your mind.
That's a dishonest post. You know what I mean. I want them to push the guys that have busted their buts for years in TNA with no rewards. Not two green hacks.
We saw what they could do. Not draw shit. Beer Money is the only draw out of the originals today.
Never been tried.
AJ in Sting's position? He can't act, he has no ablity to cut entertaining promos of the level of Sting. He has no substance to him whatsoever besides wrestling. Chris Daniels is like 40. Doesn't that make him old and washed up?
He doesn't have to be a clown to represent the face side in wrestling. The storyline doesn't have to be similar. All Sting does is make "funny" sketchs, doesn't add much to a "storyline". Beside AJ was fantastic in a speaking role when he was heel with Flair. Daniels has never been in a position like this before though. That's the thing, age is not the issue, it's about giving new voices that have never been in those positions before. And guys I believe that have what it takes. No always the same guys from WCW and WWE.
Pope is not even making wrestling his first priority which is why he is in the midcard. He is looking to move his career into Criminal Justice. Which is why he appears on TV less and hasn't done a thing in the BFG series.
No Pope is looking elsewhere because he realises and he's smarter than the other guys in the lockerrrom that there's not futur in this company if you're not 50.
AJ Styles is going to go down as the Shawn Micheals of TNA. Micheals never hogged title belts and he often was featured in upper-midcard feuds towards his career in the 21st century. At one point, he never held a title belt in YEARS.
Difference is Vince actually gave a genuine push to Shawn, he carefully groomed him to be "the" star in the WWF at some point. AJ was always only part of the elements of the show. They took him for granted.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with AJ Styles not winning the belt and always coming out to cut promos against the "Bad Guy" like John Cena does annoyingly.
But why not do it though, make him "the" guy? Just try it. It can't be as bad as Cena as the WWE is boring, stale product. As I said, the early run in 2010 was quasi-perfect. You had great matchs, different challengers for AJ every month, he was actually good at promos and he and Flair had great chemistry.
AJ is 34. Crimson is 26. Gunner is 29. They are looking LONG TERM potential and development. Not some guy who's been there for 9 years and isn't marketable whatsoever. AJ is as marketable as Daniel Bryan or Chris Benoit. Great talents but never were legit franchise talent.
And Crimson and Gunner are Mark Jindrak and Van Hammer. Bland, trying to be intense, boring look, average wrestling and potential.
It's not about me forgiving or not. People call me a TNA mark? Well, I criticize the talent alot. I guess I'm not that much of a "lover" right? I've seen every match/promo and feud of both AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. I've watch tons of WWE over the years and none of them are on the same level or potential.
I would disagree about the matchs.
People called Danielson, WWE's answer to AJ Styles. He is doing NOTHING of importance and he will most likely get a WWE title reign and be a nobody in the process like Jack Swagger, Sheamus.
Crimson moves fast, pulls off certain style of moves not even used in the mainstream. He's got potential. He's a big guy who doesn't need to say alot. AJ Styles at his size has to atleast come off better than what he does on the mic.
AJ is simply a glorified 17 time champion, better wrestler but character wise? He's got the personalty of Evan Borune and not a Jeff Hardy or a John Cena. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE. LOVE nothing more than to see AJ Styles as the face and franchise of TNA or Impact Wrestling but he simply is lacking what makes a legit superstar. His Phenomenal One gimmick is great...He doesn't pull it off good whatsoever. He doesn't know how to be a face of a franchise.
Stone Cold had his own attitude of being serious, funny, badass, hardcore. The Rock had his own way of being funny, serious, badass and hardcore. John Cena has his own way of being funny, serious, badass and hardcore...Despite it being annoying and overdone. It works. I hate Cena's character, I hate the fact he continues to bury other guys while nobody complains but that's WWE hypocrisy for you but I do understand he has everything that makes a franchise and a likable character.
AJ Styles is simply..There. He's stale. He has no evolve mode in his character. He has no "It" factor once you see him. He doesn't exactly scream, superstar either. I don't want a guy to have to wrestle to get me interested in his gimmick and personality. Which is why Austin Aries for example is so fantastic or CM Punk.
Bobby Roode, Gunner, Crimson and Magnus (Look him up) have better potential in the future to become legit names. When Joe loses weight, improves his look, I will say he can do something in the company but like it or not, Mr. Anderson, Jeff Hardy (Drug Issues or not), Austin Aries are all leaps and bounds better character and marketability wise than AJ and Joe.
First being champ doesn't have to always be about personality and look. This is not the WWE where it's JUST about that. Actually wrestling doesn't have to be stuck in the same WWE mold that Hogan and Co keep dreaming about. It's like they see tatoos and big guys that screams and oh wow they see money. And you yourself seemed to have fallen into the same trap, you wanto the "star" look the box office WWE style of guys. Crimson and Gunner are of the many guys you can find in gym all across the World these days. When Goldberg was around he was special, it wasn't that he just looked mean. But take a guy with a little intensity and people start dreaming. Even if guys like Gunner and Crimson are bland as Hell in the ring, on the mic, they have no original move. They suck, basically but they look at the "blockbuster main event WWE look".
In my opinion what i'm looking for in a wrestler is if he has something special that takes him to another level. I don't just want a bunch of roided freak with tatoos and a tan. AJ Styles has the athletism and agility that is superior to anybody. That makes him special. What you do his take this power that he has and as a promoter and hide the rest of the stuff that doesn't work. In early 2010 they did just that and it worked! What makes Joe special is that he's a big guy that can work any type of wrestling. He can fly like crazy, can work a X division match yet be uber-boss. Hell just for the fact that Joe LOOKS different is enough to say well let's use that. (What I would do if I was booker would be to put emphasis on that, that he can wrestle any type of matchs, make him this multi-style of style super-fighter). Morgan what is special about him is that beyond his look is that I've been impressed by what his character especially when he was a heel, the guy has personality in spades. He looks like a monster but he act like a smart manipulator. But again, that is thrown out of window if he's a face. That is why wrestlers need to be protected. Hide the weeknesses. Pope just oozes charisma and talks very well. Roode I just think has the wrestling ability and intensity and look to be an intimidating high level heel champ. I think he's of "one block" though, perhaps one dimensional? But hide that, surround him with colorful people or got all out and make him the most dangerous man in wrestling.
The classic look is not everything, the classic style neither. Just find that uniqueness and promote the Hell out of it. AJ and Joe are special, Gunner/Crimson are not.
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