Samoa Joe, TNA you're TOO Late, Learn When to Pull The Trigger.

[Total Impact]

Samoa Joe is now TNA World Heavyweight Champion and guess what TNA, it’s about one to two years too late. I mean you now decide to pull the trigger on giving Joe the belt when if you ask me, he is not at his highest in popularity anymore. You put him in a MMA match on a wrestling show trying to get MMA fans to the product which is not going to work as MMA pure fans like real sport and would rather watch figure skating than a Fake Wrestling MMA match. Hell I’m surprise that UFC or any other MMA promotion have turned their back on TNA as this makes MMA look bad, I mean if TNA can fake a MMA match, how do we know that MMA isn’t fake?

Back to Joe, you give him the title know when no one cares. Yeah we as TNA fans are happy he did it, and got the belt finally, but its kind of like an ok he got the belt instead of calling all of your wrestling friends to say Joe got the belt. Then you put the stipulation in the match that made it so easy for every fan to know that he was going to get the belt. TNA continues to do something that will always make them behind the WWE and that knowing will to pull the trigger on giving a guy the belt or dropping a bad angle.

TNA may have been a lot better if they didn’t shit on AJ Styles first 3 reigns as TNA NWA Champion. Then what about when Monty Brown was over as hell, had both the ring presents and mic skills, but didn’t pull the trigger. Christopher Daniels, had the X-Title and was the best heel in the company, but they decided to put him in a tag team with AJ, put paint on his face and then some curry on top of his head.

So TNA congrats on giving Joe the belt when its too late for anyone to really care. As you ad a chance when the man was undefeated, had great matches, was hella over. Then you bring in WWE talent and he went down the ladder. Hell if he took the belt back at a year ago maybe some WWE fans would of changed the channel a bit to see this “Undefeated” Samoa Joe, yet now may WWE fans know him as the guy Kurt beat in his first PPV match I believe. So great job TNA, you will always be the fourth greatest wrestling brand in America, right behind ECW. You better hope Vince doesn’t decide to get Heat back on TV, then your ratings will be done for.

 

[Hillman]

Wow man, that's deep. However, I do agree that it does seem late that Samoa Joe is now the Champ. I agree that if he had had the title during his undefeated streak, he would be a bigger star now. It's something like the Undertaker. But think about it from TNA's point of view. Perhaps they really did want to give Joe the title there and then, but guess what happened? Kurt Angle came. He's a huge name, much bigger than Joe, and had the experience of becoming a champion. A champion has to carry the company and for TNA, a small wrestling company, they would rather be safe with Angle than take a gamble on the popular, yet not as experienced, Samoa Joe. At that time, a lot more fans know who Angle is, but not many knew Joe. How else to raise TNA's profile? Give the belt to a more famous person.

But all in all, Samoa Joe as champion....It's about freakin' time

 

[ImpactPlayer27]

Make it unanimous so far. This is pretty damn deep man.

But yes, Joe getting the belt was LONG overdue. Personally and I haven't seen the match yet because somebody taped it, I think this whole TNA trying to go MMA style is a bunch of garbage. But yes, if Joe was gonna win the belt, it should have been at the very least at Hard Justice when Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe were colliding with all the belts on the line. Now that would be a win that would be 10 times more meaningful. But yes, TNA didn't pull the trigger in time and did this all when we've been treated to Pacman Jones as a tag champ, AJ Styles devolving from The Phenomenal One to the comic relief, Christopher Daniels putting paint on, a pointless reunion of Triple X and now a mask and a yellow and orange suit teaming up with a Shark Boy having an identity crisis and trying to be an intimidating ass kicker, something that he couldn't be in his life with that goofy mask.

Bottom Line, all things aside. Samoa Joe as the new TNA champ is long overdue and as the last post said, it's about freaking time

 

[misskim]

I also agree that the MMA/Wrestling match sucked, it became such an anti -climax that Joe finally won but the match was so bad.

I'm sorry but I ordered the PPV to watch WRESTLING not fake MMA, if I want to watch MMA I can watch it on SEVERAL different MMA organisations like UFC.

The PPV was really good except the main event, PLEASE if you are from TNA and read this, do NOT have any more MMA fights, we want to watch wrestling not fake MMA.

Anyway I don't think Joe can carry TNA, he is not good enough in any way, his promos don't impress me, he is fat and he looks bad, and I hope Scott Steiner beats him next ppv

 

[Shocky]

Deep, how is that deep. Its the same regurgitated crap that TNA fanboys keep bringing back up time and time again on why the company was so good when you had to watch it for 10 bucks a week, or for an hour on FSN. There's nothing deep about it accept for the same fans that refust to accept that the business changes every year, that cruiserweights can't compete with heavyweights, and people that think Samoa Joe because he was a bad ass in another glorified Bingo Hall company in ROH should have won the title two years ago.

Give me a break. Kurt Angle is a bigger name then Joe, plain and simple. Having Kurt, a guy that brings a ton of credibility, not only from the WWE but from a "real" athlete as well, beat Joe is completely believable and necessary. Joe struggling to beat a guy that, "shocking" is really better then him is great TV.

Be happy that Joe has the belt, because I still don't think he's a worthy champion at this time. He'll be boring and stiff as usual in another month and people will be bitching that Styles or Tomko aren't the champion. All I've heard on these forums the last year is "Oh, Joe isn't Champion, bullshit, blah blah blah" they put the belt on him, and what happens, people shit on it no more then 5 hours later, amazing.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I actually agree. However, I think it was necessary for Angle to drop the belt. Despite being a massive Angle fan, having him as a champion was getting old. Joe was merely the natural successor, and I think he'll be a popular enough champion - I doubt he'll hold the belt for more than a few months. Joe, Christian and Angle, those are the only credible championship figures right now, and Kurt will be champion again soon enough, and probably a few more times before his TNA career is over.

If Angle hadn't come in, Joe probably would've been champion. However, the title scene was a bit boring back then. Joe had the chance to go toe to toe with the best wrestler on the planet for his first feud in a drawn out program. Being trusted with that was better than being trusted with the strap. Joe getting the strap off Angle now, it's fine. It couldn't have been done much better.

 

[Audioslave]

Although I agree with you on the whole deal about Joe getting the title belt way too late, I still am happy that they went through with it. However a certain someone's post doesn't fill me with much hope.

It couldn't have been done much better.

Yes, it could've. You had in that first year a guy who was ON FIRE as a wrestler. A guy who made the X Division belt look like a rival to the World Title and then TNA puts off handing the strap to him 1 1/2 years later after all his luster and momentum has worn off. It was NOT THE TIME to start playing ball with their superstars like the WWE does with theirs. WWE can get away with saying a Kennedy, MVP, Hardy, etc, isn't ready for the belt and testing their viability with a hot program. And TNA, being a low-level #2 promotion struggling to maintain a 1.1 in the ratings, was stupid for doing the same thing when they could've used someone with that much fan support having the belt and being the face of their promotion. He's a fresh, new face being given the belt as opposed to the same ol', same ol' ex-WWE/WCW wrestler being given the spotlight. It'd of made the promotion stand out and at least seem different.

And it could've been done better in 2006. Joe beats the shit out of Jarrett in the tag match with Sting, Joe beats Jarrett in the strap match.. Cornette coulda said, "Well, y'know. Sting never wanted the belt in the first place and Joe has an amazing track record beating Jarrett, so.. Joe will take on Jeff Jarrett at Bound For Glory in the title match, with Jarrett's career on the line." Joe goes to BFG with the heaploads of momentum that he's got, beating a guy who is the ultimate bane of the fans' existance.. that would've put him over the top. And you guys at TNA are idiots for not capitalizing on it when you needed to most. Then again, the promotion's booked by a bunch of ******ed monkeys. So I don't expect as much looking at it like that.

Which is why I'm happy they finally gave him the belt. However I doubt it'll last long, because you'll say "Wow, 1.0 in the rating for the first Impact after Lockdown! He's a failure, lets put the belt on Angle or Christian again! We can get those glorious 1.1's and 1.2's again!"

 

[Uncle Sam]

Although I agree with you on the whole deal about Joe getting the title belt way too late, I still am happy that they went through with it. However a certain someone's post doesn't fill me with much hope.

Mine? Seriously? I thought it was a happy compromise.

Yes, it could've. You had in that first year a guy who was ON FIRE as a wrestler. A guy who made the X Division belt look like a rival to the World Title and then TNA puts off handing the strap to him 1 1/2 years later after all his luster and momentum has worn off.

If Joe can't keep his momentum it's his own damn fault. Besides, working with AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels in the X Division was the best thing for him. He had some fantastic matches. At the time, the heavyweight division just wasn't suited to him.

It was NOT THE TIME to start playing ball with their superstars like the WWE does with theirs. WWE can get away with saying a Kennedy, MVP, Hardy, etc, isn't ready for the belt and testing their viability with a hot program. And TNA, being a low-level #2 promotion struggling to maintain a 1.1 in the ratings, was stupid for doing the same thing when they could've used someone with that much fan support having the belt and being the face of their promotion.

It was a risk, what can I say? At the time, as a struggling promotion, it'd be a gamble to put the belt on the guy who had near zero name value to the world outside TNA and ROH.

He's a fresh, new face being given the belt as opposed to the same ol', same ol' ex-WWE/WCW wrestler being given the spotlight. It'd of made the promotion stand out and at least seem different.

How's that different to now?

And it could've been done better in 2006. Joe beats the shit out of Jarrett in the tag match with Sting, Joe beats Jarrett in the strap match.. Cornette coulda said, "Well, y'know. Sting never wanted the belt in the first place and Joe has an amazing track record beating Jarrett, so.. Joe will take on Jeff Jarrett at Bound For Glory in the title match, with Jarrett's career on the line."

Look me in the eye and tell me Kurt Angle wasn't the hottest thing in TNA at the time. Joe had the highest possible honour bestowed on him with feud with Angle.

Joe goes to BFG with the heaploads of momentum that he's got, beating a guy who is the ultimate bane of the fans' existance.. that would've put him over the top. And you guys at TNA are idiots for not capitalizing on it when you needed to most. Then again, the promotion's booked by a bunch of ******ed monkeys. So I don't expect as much looking at it like that.

Heh, Russo is pretty much that. If I really were Glenn, I'd take exception to that.

Which is why I'm happy they finally gave him the belt. However I doubt it'll last long, because you'll say "Wow, 1.0 in the rating for the first Impact after Lockdown! He's a failure, lets put the belt on Angle or Christian again! We can get those glorious 1.1's and 1.2's again!"

Pretty much. Much as I love Joe, Cage and Angle are bigger draws. Well, Angle is at least.

 

[SpiralHands]

Haha I love it people say why dont TNA try and take it a UFC say make it serious bit like MMA, so they do and then they get slagged off for it! Classic! Anyways although yes it was predictable but thing is when Joe was in line for TNA title Kurt did step in, but from TNAs and a business point of view it creates more money having Joe vs Angle and Angle defeating Joe to carry the banner of TNA because everyone is familar with Angle. He needed to carry the company, Joe was not ready for the title or to be the lead star. But I do agree that his title reign perhaps should have been sooner, everyone knew he would win this one, but what does it matter? Hes champ now right? So quit moaning and live with it!

 

[Slyfox696]

If Joe can't keep his momentum it's his own damn fault.

Exactly. I love reading people bitch and moan because Joe didn't get it at specific point and time or when they complain because they're burying Joe with one loss to a much bigger name.

If Joe can't keep momentum, then he doesn't deserve the title. I mean, look at what has happened to him since? Even the people in this thread agree that he's lost steam. So, basically, once he's not riding some incredible undefeated streak, in which he buries everyone he faces, then he no longer has momentum. That's not a sign of a very good wrestler. Steve Austin was losing matches back in 1997, had an injured neck, and STILL was mega hot.

How's that different to now?

It's not. It's exactly the same thing...only with one difference. TNA can much better afford Joe as a flop as champion now than they could have two years ago.

 

[Father:_Polley]

I also agree that the MMA/Wrestling match sucked, it became such an anti -climax that Joe finally won but the match was so bad.

I'm sorry but I ordered the PPV to watch WRESTLING not fake MMA, if I want to watch MMA I can watch it on SEVERAL different MMA organisations like UFC.

The PPV was really good except the main event, PLEASE if you are from TNA and read this, do NOT have any more MMA fights, we want to watch wrestling not fake MMA.

Anyway I don't think Joe can carry TNA, he is not good enough in any way, his promos don't impress me, he is fat and he looks bad, and I hope Scott Steiner beats him next ppv

i'm sorry, but while it was more mma based, i'd rather have that than the likes of a fish market street fight as a main event. at the end of the day, both joe and angle work a style which is more suited to mma than spot filled wrestling match. that's how kurt angle feels he works best so it suits him.

as for joe being fat, yeah, he's not a lean guy, but it doesnt make him unathletic. umaga's a big guy and he flies about the place.

As for it being too late...joe didn't have the name to carry the title when TNA was really taking off. take for example when kurt joined. the new fans wouldnt accept an unknown beating a former WWE champion. they needed the time to see what joe could do. also, i think he'll hold it for a month or two, taking scott steiners shot away from him easily, then we'll see which of the two looks least athletic

 

[lefty1876]

I'm not sure what the Joe lovers on here are smokin, but when I watch him wrestle, nothing really stands out other than his nose and his manboobs... There is no way in hell it is even slightly believable for him to knock off Angle. You mean to tell me that a guy that has been an olympic gold medalist, a WWE multi-time title holder, is going to lose to an at best upper level mid-carder in a small time promotion....crazy....I understand TNA is trying to use these experienced main eventers to help raise the profile of their up and coming young wrestlers, but at least make the youth come up to the level of the stars, don't bring the Angle's and Booker's and Sting's lower their level to raise a mid carder.
Not that Joe is all bad, he is just not on those top guys level....Not believable...

 

[Audioslave]

If Joe can't keep his momentum it's his own damn fault.

There's a good deal of blame that lay on the heads of the people in charge of creative than it does for Joe. Bad booking can kill someone's momentum, character, etc.

Besides, working with AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels in the X Division was the best thing for him. He had some fantastic matches. At the time, the heavyweight division just wasn't suited to him.

Joe was doing just as good, fan-wise, in working heavyweight programs as he was in the X-Division. He had a good match with Sabu, him tagging with Sting was pretty over, and his program with Steiner was HOT. He didn't lose any momentum, up until after the first Angle match when the booking of him, his character and the general direction of the company turned to shit.

At the time, as a struggling promotion, it'd be a gamble to put the belt on the guy who had near zero name value to the world outside TNA and ROH.

He had plenty of name value with your fans and people who watched the show. So he was over with them. Putting the belt on a guy who has never been known to a WWE audience would've been a smart move, considering you're trying to set yourselves apart as an alternative.

How's that different to now?

He didn't even have 1/4 the momentum moving into the match with Angle as he did during 2005 and 2006. His character was changed completely and he wasn't the same Joe that fans came to know and love during those first two years. Again, capitalizing on momentum gained is far better than "hey, lets wait a year and a half, change his character, and fit him into our vision of what a champ should be", when his character, working style, etc was working just fine.

Look me in the eye and tell me Kurt Angle wasn't the hottest thing in TNA at the time. Joe had the highest possible honour bestowed on him with feud with Angle.

Angle was hot coming into TNA, because everyone was curious about a Joe/Angle match and whether or not it could be good. The booking of their program after that match was ridiculous and stupid. Total Russo-style booking.

Pretty much. Much as I love Joe, Cage and Angle are bigger draws. Well, Angle is at least.

Angle's, to my knowledge, had never been a significant draw for WWE. I do believe he was the biggest name to come into TNA in it's whole existence (since Sting's value has long passed), but that's all the more reason to make Joe stand up to the guy. You don't help a guy's value out by jobbing him to a former cornerstone of the competition and burying (even if indirectly) him through shoddy storytelling.

I really do think that the right time to have put the belt on Joe was BFG 06. All that momentum went to waste. He could've had the belt then went into the program with Angle. The general gist of what I'd have done was have Angle explain he came to TNA much like his promo apparently was like last night. He saw guys like Styles, Joe, Killings, and legends he hasn't faced like Steiner and Sting.. and felt rejuvenated and wanted to come test his will against them. You have him go right for Joe, with Joe being the champ and all.. Angle goes in thinking that, although Joe won't be a pushover, him winning is pretty much a lock since he's WWE and has fought the biggest names in the business. You could've faced this whole thing off as the WWE's guy versus TNA's guy. The first match happens and has some sort of creatively inconclusive finish that makes both guys look good without giving you a definitive winner. Eventually they have another match where Angle has to cheat to win (probably some mid-summer PPV) the belt, effectively turning him heel whereas you could've been somewhat ambiguous about his alignment beforehand. Joe points out that the big bad WWE guy needed to cheat to beat him and state that's not how they play down here and that begins Joe's chase to reclaim his title. Angle/Joe at BFG 07, Joe wins and thus you put him over more effectively without killing his character, nor his initial momentum or Angle's.

 

[Father:_Polley]

If TNA didnt push the likes of Joe and Tomko, instead resting on Steiner, angle nash, VKM, 3D and sting, where do you go when they get old, sloppy and have exhausted all possible feuds. you've no-one else credible to bring up and you die like wcw did. the fact that TNA is willing to take a risk and give their belt to someone who doesnt have the exposure the big names do shows they're willing to build up what they have.

Audio, I have to say that way of doing it does work. the thing being TNA decided to go for ratings for all they were worth and throw the belt to the big name in angle and sting. sadly the past cant be changed. they chose the road they wanted and Joe's got his title. now he needs to use his chance well and show he deserved it

 

[Audioslave]

Exactly. I love reading people bitch and moan because Joe didn't get it at specific point and time or when they complain because they're burying Joe with one loss to a much bigger name.

If Joe can't keep momentum, then he doesn't deserve the title. I mean, look at what has happened to him since? Even the people in this thread agree that he's lost steam. So, basically, once he's not riding some incredible undefeated streak, in which he buries everyone he faces, then he no longer has momentum. That's not a sign of a very good wrestler. Steve Austin was losing matches back in 1997, had an injured neck, and STILL was mega hot.

I normally think you're one of the more intelligent defenders, but this analogy is just way, way off base. Joe/Angle is nothing like the sheer awesomeness of WWF's main program in '97 (Austin/DX/Hart Foundation).

The difference between how Joe has been booked and how Austin was booked is like night and day. The content of Austin's feud with Bret was far superior to Joe's feud with Angle. There were no secret girlfriends of Steve Austin that got Sharpshootered by Hart. Bret's wife didn't hook up with Austin only to swerve him and help Bret win a match over Austin, thus making Austin look like a drooling ******, etc. The whole Austin, Hart Foundation, DX thing was fucking awesome and had layers and layers of storytelling that the Angle/Joe feud lacked (and that's putting it lightly).

If Joe/Angle were booked like Austin/Hart in the contents, character development, etc. It would've been far better and worked for both performers involved and helped the promotion on the whole. Joe would've kept his momentum full on through BFG07 (the final act of the whole program), Angle would've probably been a lot more effective than he's been and ratings would probably have a few extra points than they do now.

It's really funny you compare the two, because the potential to mold their program after that was pretty high. Angle has a history of being perceived as a moral type guy (Intensity! Integrity! Intelligence!) and he perceives himself to be the best in the world. Joe was the ass kicking babyface that never takes shit from anyone. Then you could've had a middle faction right there. Maybe LAX, as they were pretty hot at the time.. Do what Konnan said and turn it into the Latin-African Exchange and add Killings as the main mouthpiece of the group. I'd need to think this out in a more detailed manner, but there was a lot more potential than what they went with.

The problem with TNA is that their main even programs are booked like mid card programs from WWF 98 - 99, rather than handled with care like Austin/Hart/Michaels, Sting/Hogan, WCW/nWo or Austin/McMahon.

And another problem with your analogy is that Austin, with his character the way it was from 96 - 99, would've NEVER let a bitch trick him like Karen did to Joe. If Hart sent his wife out there to seduce Austin into thinking that she was leaving Bret for him, he'd of saw the inevitable turn coming and stunned the bitch, flipped her off and went to find Bret to beat his ass. That whole thing is very telegraphed and made Joe look like an idiot. Another thing Austin would never have done was listen to anyone but himself when it came to business or beating people's asses. Joe should've never been paired with Nash in any way. He should've ran into that room and beat his fucking ass in with that baseball bat, then told Cornette that if he didn't give him a solid contract and a title shot there'd be a lot more of that mayhem going around TNA.

The best drawing characters in wrestling are the ones who are written/booked intelligently. Rock was handled with care, Austin was handled with care, the Hart Foundation was handled with care, Sting was handled with care and patience, Goldberg was handled with care, etc. Then there's ECW, where pretty much all their top, showcase guys (Taz, Shane, Sabu, Bam Bam, Sandman, Dreamer, Raven) were booked intelligently as well and that helped make ECW into the phenomenon that it was. None of them were ever booked to look as insanely foolish as Joe has. Or even Angle for that manner. "Are you looking at my package?" Dear God.

It's sad, because supposedly Russo was the head booker during that Austin/Hart/Michaels thing.. yet he can't seem to do anything that's as intelligently booked as that in TNA.

 

[RKO Orton]

God, I actually think that it was the right time to give Joe the belt. He may have been ready in 2006, but you have Kurt freaking Angle! If you don't put the belt on him there are going to be some unhappy people. Kurt built up the belt very well. Joe just wasn't ready when Angle came in. TNA fans just have to be happy that Joe has the belt now, because Angle deserved it when he first came to TNA.

 

[xmoshx]

i think they wanted to built the belt up and give it meaning and then have joe win it look at kurt angles track record no one in tna has the name value as him and he was a very good pick to be the 1st tna champ. but now joe finally has his turn and lets see if he can run wit the ball

 

[bighutchbaby]

Samoa Joe point blank has zero charisma, he looks fat and out of shape, and he's not even that big as far as size-wise. So to book him as this "killer" is ludicrous and not-believable, to book him as this super-athlete is also not believable so what are we left with? At least other samoan wrestlers such as Rikishi, Yokozuna,and Umaga are so big that you could believe that they would be scary to other wrestlers, but Joe isn't even "wrestler" big, he just looks like that fat guy in the bar who drinks too much beer. And his ring gear?? Biker shorts??? Come on, if anything they should be trying to cover him up as much as possible, at least Mick Foley had the decency to never come to the ring with his shirt off.

 

[shafe_41]

While I agree with some of the comments on the board about how Angle is a bigger draw than Joe and that he's not your typical looking champion, he is a straight product of TNA. I realize he has a past in ROH and he made a name for himself there, but I never heard of him until he came to TNA. (I don't follow ROH, and that's not by choice, I just have no idea where it's availible.) Anyway, in a sense, Joe is TNA's first great original creation IMO. I know you have guys that are amazing in TNA that we haven't seen in WWE, WCW, or ECW i.e. Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles (even though he DID have a match on WWE's Jakked in 2002 with Shane Helms and a very short tag stint in WCW) and such, but even prior to watching TNA, I heard a lot about those guys, especially AJ. Joe is "sorta" the first heavyweight that we've watched debut and come up through the ranks, climb the ladder of success, and reach the TNA World Title. He is kind of the face of the company as far as being an almost original TNA product in a sense that Hogan, The Rock, Austin, Triple H, and dare I say John Cena are faces of WWE and Sting and Ric Flair to WCW (yes, I said it, Flair will always be a WCW Legend to me.) I agree that this is long overdue for Joe to carry the title (almost too late), but better late than never. I think it's only fair we let Joe show us what he can do.

 

[Total Impact]

There is a reason why the WWE is at the top of the business of pro-wrestling, it is not because of the money, its only because the WWE is in the business of making new talent, in wrestling its what have you done lately. They don’t rely on old talent unless the old talent change wit the times.

TNA will beat a dead horse if they could. Kurt Angle didn’t bring credibility to the belt, if you ask me, Kurt Angle brought the value down of TNA and was holding guys back just as he accuse Triple H of doing him. TNA should have been gave the belt to Joe, because with Angle the ratings haven’t gone up, the buyrates haven’t gone up but, Joe has been successful with TV ratings. A common theme of TNA highest buyrates came when Joe was in the main event, but I doubt that may continue, because anything special or big out of Joe win has been long gone.

TNA should focus on pushing their own homegrown talent instead of the WWE. Hell I was loving what they were doing with Booker T and Bobby Rhoode till they started to let Booker T. Its like WCW all over again in a bad way. TNA could of easily had credibility by having its talent beat the WWE/WCW/ECW talent when they first set foot in the company. It would said in terms of wrestling, our guys are better than WWE guys.

That is what worked for the WWE, when they got the WCW/ECW talent, that made them look like bitches to say that the companies could never compete with the WWE and TNA should of did the same thing a long time ago when Joe meet Angle. Even if its not true, make it feel true that WWE talent can’t compete with TNA.

TNA doesn’t know what they are doing right now as I doubt Joe will even hold the belt for a long time before losing to Christian, Angle or Booker T. People will ay they needed Angle with the belt to have an establish name for the belt, they had that with Jarrett and it was too much, they should of push their own talent to be different from the WWE as many WWE fans want to watch TNA for something different, not old WWE stuff they could watch on Monday’s & Friday’s.

TNA I will always watch even though I find AWA Wrestling on ESPN more entertaining than TNA right now, but TNA please book this right, don’t AJ Styles his reign.

 

[Father:_Polley]

WWE push new talent???
Undertaker and Kane are SD and ECW champion. Randy Orton will probably drop the belt soon to HHH or JBL. Shawn Michaels is still main event material. you cannot say that WWE pushes new talent.

the difference with TNA and WCW is this... TNA is not pushing Nash, Sting, Booker T as the number one contenders. they gave the viewers the chance to see that the big names were there and then weened them off onto the likes of Joe and AJ.

bighutchbaby: if you look at joe, he's not actually that out of shape. it's just he's not the 'typical' muscular wrestler that the likes of kurt angle is. he's 280 which is a lot lighter than rikishi who didn't cover up. he's a solid guy, which is what makes him intimidating. big, but not fat

 

[Uncle Sam]

There is a reason why the WWE is at the top of the business of pro-wrestling, it is not because of the money, its only because the WWE is in the business of making new talent, in wrestling its what have you done lately. They don’t rely on old talent unless the old talent change wit the times.

Triple H and Shawn Michaels - there's an example of two people that have barely changed since 2003 and two people who have stayed on top. Although it helps a wrestler stay fresh, I don't feel it's really necessary for them to "change with the times".

TNA will beat a dead horse if they could. Kurt Angle didn’t bring credibility to the belt, if you ask me, Kurt Angle brought the value down of TNA and was holding guys back just as he accuse Triple H of doing him.

Firstly, whether Kurt Angle is hypocrite or not is beside the point. Secondly, Angle was used intelligently, and brought oodles of credibility to that belt. He's the most dangerous heel in the business (kayfabe), the biggest name in TNA by far... there's nobody better than him in the company, put simply. Not putting the belt on Angle, which they didn't do immediately, as some seem to be claiming and which I don't recall, would have been ridiculous.

TNA should have been gave the belt to Joe, because with Angle the ratings haven’t gone up, the buyrates haven’t gone up but, Joe has been successful with TV ratings.

Has he? Really? I'm going to need to see solid proof of this. I don't see how Samoa Joe is a bigger draw than Angle.

A common theme of TNA highest buyrates came when Joe was in the main event, but I doubt that may continue, because anything special or big out of Joe win has been long gone.

So, despite some people staying hot for years while repeating the same old crap, Joe gets the belt about a year and a half "too late" and suddenly nothing can be done with him? Maybe Sly's right about Joe if that's the case.

TNA should focus on pushing their own homegrown talent instead of the WWE. Hell I was loving what they were doing with Booker T and Bobby Rhoode till they started to let Booker T. Its like WCW all over again in a bad way. TNA could of easily had credibility by having its talent beat the WWE/WCW/ECW talent when they first set foot in the company. It would said in terms of wrestling, our guys are better than WWE guys.

As much as it would have helped younger talent, it would have also hurt the older, more established talent, which for such a fragile company would be too big a risk to take.

That is what worked for the WWE, when they got the WCW/ECW talent, that made them look like bitches to say that the companies could never compete with the WWE and TNA should of did the same thing a long time ago when Joe meet Angle. Even if its not true, make it feel true that WWE talent can’t compete with TNA.

Angle would have walked if they told him they wanted him to look like a bitch. Kurt Angle, a massive name, comes to TNA, and you want Joe to bury him? That's ridiculous and should never be done. Besides, Joe got his wins and ended up looking superior to Angle anyway, without making Angle look like a bitch.

TNA doesn’t know what they are doing right now as I doubt Joe will even hold the belt for a long time before losing to Christian, Angle or Booker T. People will ay they needed Angle with the belt to have an establish name for the belt, they had that with Jarrett and it was too much, they should of push their own talent to be different from the WWE as many WWE fans want to watch TNA for something different, not old WWE stuff they could watch on Monday’s & Friday’s

.

While that's true, and I'd love TNA to push up some younger talent, TNA's merely playing it safe. They're risking stuff in the wrong areas, besides the women's division, such as with all the X Division comedy sketch bullshit. However, they bring up other TNA talent like Storm, Roode or whoever to the top, it could go dramatically wrong. Besides, their style isn't much different to the WWE style anyway - I don't see what a bunch of relative no-names competing just how the WWE does would help things.

TNA I will always watch even though I find AWA Wrestling on ESPN more entertaining than TNA right now, but TNA please book this right, don’t AJ Styles his reign.

Let's watch and see.

 

[SpiralHands]

Kurt Angle didn’t bring credibility to the belt, if you ask me, Kurt Angle brought the value down of TNA and was holding guys back just as he accuse Triple H of doing him.

Are you kidding me? Kurt Angle has to be one of the best and most recognized wrestlers in the industry today look at his past and the matches hes been in for petes sake! To say he didnt bring anything to the belt is completly wrong IMO. TNAs heavy weight belt, was just another indy belt in wrestling that wasnt exactly known and to give that to Joe someone that if your not a TNA fan who wouldnt have a clue who was, instead of Kurt Angle would have been a disaster. Kurt has had the belt, built it up, you ask anyone now what the TNA belt is they will know and say oh yeah thats the belt that Kurt Angle won and had for ages. Everyone knows it now and to say that a wrestler that is just as famous as John Cena in the wrestling world hasnt brought creditbility to an Indy promotions belt is just plain rubbish no offence!

TNA should have been gave the belt to Joe, because with Angle the ratings haven’t gone up, the buyrates haven’t gone up but, Joe has been successful with TV ratings.

Angle hasnt put the ratings and buyrates up? Rubbish! No offence but come on how can Kurt Angle not have put ratings up? An extremely well known talent carrying what was in 2006 a more elaborate indy promotion will have produced ratings and it has. Maybe not that much and maybe not as much as TNA thought but thats not down to Angle! Joe has been successful with TV ratings? Wheres your proof for that? In 2006 if Joe was the champion I gurantee that he would have no effect on ratings!

when they got the WCW/ECW talent, that made them look like bitches to say that the companies could never compete with the WWE.

Yeah they did alright and look what happend to the ratings! Since 2001 wrestling has decliined big time in viewers and maybe part of the reason was, fans wanted to see WCW and ECW talent have good matches with WWE talent. But look what happend WWE burried the WCW talent. Come one if they would have made Goldberg or NWO invasion better and had them beat WWE they could have made massive amount of money.Instead they were burying them and the fans werent interested in seeing thier fav stars from other promotions get thier ass kicked.

and TNA should of did the same thing a long time ago when Joe meet Angle. Even if its not true, make it feel true that WWE talent can’t compete with TNA.

Well to be honest that would have been a stupid thing to have done IMO. Yeah would have made Joe look pretty good. But come one if Joe would have kicked Angles ass there would have been point in bringing in Kurt to TNA other to make Joe and he has done that now as well as carried the company into the limelight!

I dont understand why everyone is getting so upset that Joe has the belt for petes sake! You wnated him to have it now he does! Whats wrong!

 

[Father:_Polley]

i don't think anything's wrong with joe getting the belt. i think he'll do a decent job as champion and will bring up the rest of the TNA made roster because it'll show them that TNA's not just about pushing the WWE rejects as some people might think. they've shown that they're willing to take a risk giving their main belt to someone not known before outside TNA/ROH circles before the likes of Kurt Angle brought more fans to TNA. i think he'll do well as champion

 

[8five]

This title reign will be short lived. The TNA title will see crazy amounts of movement in 2008 as they look to spark ratings. That was the great thing with the attitude era the belt wasnt stagnant like it is today in basically every organization. Its like to be world champion you have to hold the belts for months on end. In TNA they have the king of the mountain match for a reason at slammiversary and that is to let the belt change hands and I think it will again this year and Joe will be brought back to even a secondary challenger role because that is the norm in this match. It has buried basically every champion in this match for at least three months after the fact. So TNA decides to pull the trigger, yea in a situation that is to late and have a time frame to it, but I for one still dont mind it