Should TNA Build Their Own Mainstream Superstar, and is it Possible?

[Matt7584]

If you look at wrestling History, the 4 names that changed wrestling were Hogan(both wwf and wcw), Austin, Rock, and Cena (PG era). Since this is for TNA thread i will not explain their significances nor should I.

But look at the WWE's cena today and how popular he is. With t-shirts, arm bands, and catch phrases. He is also great on the mic and knows how to get the crowd excited. He has crossed over to other media outlets and is the make a wish foundation's #1 star.

Imagine if TNA built their own Superstar. A good looking, good on the mic, and marketable superstar. He could challenge the New Hogan order in Tna and put them on the map.

He could be built early and slow. Then in a about 4-6 months have him challenge for TV title and within a year challenge the heel champion and the heel stable. Get beat up all the time, lose a few pay per views and then at last pull out the upset win. All this time he will be gaining huge crowd reactions.

The question is, do they need this cena like character? and do they have the ability to do this? and does this person exist? btw this person should not be a free agent, he should be a TNA prospect or indie guy.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

1. Hogan came from AWA.

2. Austin came from WCW.

The Rock and John Cena are the only "home grown" talents WWE was 100% responsible for. Did Hogan and Austin become superstars in WWE/F? Yes, but they weren't "homegrown" like you are insinuating — at least not in the vein of Rock and Austin.

Frankly, I'm sick of this argument. It's bullshit rhetoric masquerading as logical point, which history proves is simply not the case (in the majority of cases).

Where talent comes from is irrelevant. Absolutely, positively beyond any shadow of doubt irrelevant.

TNA is already building their "own" superstars — most notably, their World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson who's "asshole" gimmick in TNA is nothing like his loud mouth gimmick in WWE, minus the microphone from the sky.

Aside from him, there's the longest reigning World Heavyweight Champion in company history, AJ Styles to look at as well.

Someone needs to explain this to me better this time around, because frankly, I still don't get it — other than the pride of being able to say "we did it first", what exactly is the value of "homegrown"?

 

[K++s]

Someone needs to explain this to me better this time around, because frankly, I still don't get it — other than the pride of being able to say "we did it first", what exactly is the value of "homegrown"?

I don't think there's any particular value in "home grown" but i think it's drawn from NFL / NBA / NHL, where there is value put on a guy getting drafted by a team, growing with that team and finishing his career with thatteam. Having a career with one team / organization gives that organization a certain cache in that they can say that they're able to create stars / successful players.

So basically, you're trying to analgoy development in a professional sport franchise to development in a pro-wrestling context...

And I don't think the analogy flies.

 

[Raven]

dude...theres joe,all of immortal minus the hardy's. theres matt morgan(he was in wwe for 2 weeks) theres anderson theres brutus magnus,desmnd wolfe,amazing red, motorcity machineguns,eric yound and my personal favorite, the newcomer tommy mercer(crimson).

TNA has plenty of "homegrown" talent and like IDR said whats the thing about home grown anyway every person i listed up there has started dssomewhere else same with WWE's guys so really nobody is "Home Grown"

 

[UnBEARaBULLfan]

hulk hogan (awa), austin(wccw), undertaker(wccw), shawn micheals(awa), HHH(wcw), bret hart(canada), edge(canada,wcw), kane(wcw), kevin nash(wcw), scott hall(awa), ultimate warrior(uwf,wccw), curt hening(awa), mick foley(wccw,uwf,nwa/wcw) I hate the term home grown cause none of the top names are home grow they just went mainstream in WWE/F most of if not all of thier top names started some where else, TNA has plenty of talent they could make thier top guy/guys reguardless of where they came from they just need a better way of getting thier product more mainstream.

 

[JJYanks121]

1. Hogan came from AWA.

Tough to use this as an example, because he was a loser in AWA. Not a loser in the sense that he sucked, but in the sense that he never did beat Bockwinkel for the title. Still, he had popularity in that area, but wrestling wasn't national yet so the New York WWF fans didn't know a ton about him. It's way different than today.

2. Austin came from WCW.

Slightly better example but still iffy. Austin wasn't a star in WCW by any means. By the time Hogan got there, it was all about him, and before that it was Flair and Sting. Austin was a midcarder at best, but was told by Bischoff that he'd never be a star because nothing about him is marketable. What a genius that man must be........hehe. Still, Austin would compare well to Anderson, and he was a midcarder in WWE but got a bigger push in TNA. Better, but still not a great comparison.

The Rock and John Cena are the only "home grown" talents WWE was 100% responsible for. Did Hogan and Austin become superstars in WWE/F? Yes, but they weren't "homegrown" like you are insinuating — at least not in the vein of Rock and Austin.

In fairness, it's different now to have a "homegrown" star from WWE because they have their own minor league system to groom talent. TNA does not. Thus, you can teach these guys the business while under contract with you, but not have them on TV. That's a HUGE advantage. Guys like Cena, Orton, Batista, Lesnar, etc. all got signed young, were taught to wrestle in developmental, were brought up when ready, and earned their keep over time. They didn't have to travel the world like the wrestlers of old. Some like this system, others do not, However, it's a stupid thing to base a liking of somebody on.

TNA is already building their "own" superstars — most notably, their World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson who's "asshole" gimmick in TNA is nothing like his loud mouth gimmick in WWE, minus the microphone from the sky.

Here's where you start to go astray. I agree that putting Anderson over as champion was fine, but the asshole gimmick is different than his loudmouth gimmick? How exactly? He wears the same kind of attire, same hair, same microphone, still does his own intro and still stutters more than Matt Morgan did on purpose in WWE. He's literally the exact same performer. That's not a terrible thing as people seem to like him, but literally the only thing different about him is that he had a good catchphrase that turned into one word for some reason. That's literally the only difference. I know guys are usually repackaged when they go to a new company, but in his case, they felt they would just run with it. It's fine, but don't argue that he's any different now, because he's not. Even his music is pretty much the same. That said, I'll give TNA the benefit of the doubt here for pushing him because they finally did it with someone who might have a future longer than 2 years. That's seen as a very positive step by a lot of people.

Aside from him, there's the longest reigning World Heavyweight Champion in company history, AJ Styles to look at as well.

Someone needs to explain this to me better this time around, because frankly, I still don't get it — other than the pride of being able to say "we did it first", what exactly is the value of "homegrown"?

I think the problem people have with Styles is that this regime (Hogan and Bischoff) have taken Styles and cast him aside, at least for now. They had this talented guy, the PWI wrestler of the year who was very popular, and they felt it wasn't good enough. First, they stuck him with Flair and made Flair the focus over AJ. Then, he dropped the belt on Impact (not even a PPV) to Rob Van Dam. After that, he was barely in the running for the title, and eventually dropped to the midcard. He now is, at best, the 6th most important person in his own stable and thus, quite an afterthought. I think that's the issue with AJ. People like him a lot, but the misconception is that since he has only competed in TNA (I know he had a cup of coffee in WCW and a couple of tryouts with WWE but you know what I mean) that he can't be a marketable star. If pushed right, you could be. He's good looking enough and wrestles well, thus can certainly handle the top of the card.

I agree in the sense that you don't have to "homegrow" all your stars, but you do have to build new ones. You and I both know that WCW struggled in that department and that is a significant problem in the way they ran their company. Guys do have shelf lives and will only have immense popularity for short periods of time, thus you have to continue to build new stars. I think the isssue some have with TNA is that instead of building up new stars like Roode, maybe AJ, maybe Lethal, maybe Crimson, etc, is that every time a guy comes in that had a name in WCW or WWE, he passes them up right away. Not for nothing, but Matt Hardy is now near the top of the card. You knew that would piss people off. That's the issue more than anything. Bischoff sees it as "these guys made money before and can make us money". The problem is, you are writing off EVERYBODY in TNA that didn't compete long in WWE by saying that, because you are saying that since they didn't make money elsewhere, they are incapable. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Now, if Matt Hardy was used to put over Crimson and make him a star, people probably wouldn't have a problem with that because Hardy was a midcarder in WWE and going over him at least means something.

As far as a mainstream superstar, as in a guy who will cross over and do commercials and things, that might be tough in the current regime. As long as the show is being booked where nobody can be "the true face", it's hard to take a guy and make him "the guy". If they could, candidates could be AJ, Morgan, MAYBE Anderson but I don't think so, and that's about it. Mainstream guys need to be good looking, have charm, and build up fame so that people outside wrestling give a shit. Morgan has done a movie so that could help. Of anyone, he might be the guy that could take those reigns. We won't know until he gets a shot at being THE guy in the company, which may never come. As of now, it's a heel run company, which never leads to good press outside wrestling. Just ask WWE circa 2000.

 

[GideonGodsend]

right now the only chance i see that them making their own 'howmegrown' face of the company, he's the best superstar there that's been there from the beginning. he's been voted top wrestler of the year, and i bet if they wanted they could make him THE guy, which i think they should've started shaping him for it a while ago

 

[BAdkins11]

All TNA needs to do is to look in their own backyard, some of the people who they have picked up and discovered have what it takes.

IMO, Angle is the best thing they have, provided that he is 100% committed, he has the best look, he has the ability to be the most unpredictable guy on their roster. I have too long of a list of who I see and who I think should be that guy, Long post short is that they have all the makings of the next big guy, they just need to repackage a few of them

 

[itssoeasy123]

Yes.

TNA need a top face who is really god at drawing and selling merchandise. A guy who's just better than the others. A guy who can be used to elvate talent and is also a ticket-seller. Like John Cena.

They need a central figure, a top face. A young talent who'll stay there for a while, would be very good at what he does, and will make people want to see him. Like John Cena.

 

[jack--sos]

Just have to say i am a huge TNA fan although this will sound like i'm a hater.

TNA has so many opertunities to create their own superstar (AJ Styles, Kaz, Doug Williams, Magnus, Rob Terry, Abyss, Beer Money, MCMG to name a few) but they choose to take the cheap route and follow up on the success of a well established name such as RVD, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Sting, Team 3D. and its a shame because they have so many tallented wrestlers who havent become a household name yet.

I have only been watching TNA a few years but even their most successful stable, the main event mafia, were all 'cast offs' from another wrestling promotion (with the exception of Joe when he joined)

So to answer the question, yes they can but they choose not to, because i suppose its easier to feed on scraps left by WWE. Even their biggest name and current champion, Mr Anderson, made his name in WWE.

 

[klunderbunker]

Again, just like every other solution to TNA's problems that I see proposed on here, this isn't something you just do. Looking at the three biggest stars of all time in Hogan, Austin and Rock, we see the following:

1. Hogan. Got big because of a movie, left the AWA because of a power crazed owner that wouldn't change and went out of business because of it. WWF had a new owner that was willing to accept a wrestler that was also an actor as Hulk had been fired by Vince Sr. for trying to be both. In other words, it was a mixture of timing, stupid decisions, and getting a spot in a big movie that made Hulk what he was.

2. Austin. Again, this wasn't planned. Austin was brought into WWF after people saw potential in him in WCW and ECW. What did they do with him in WWF? They made him the Ringmaster, an incredibly generic heel that was floundering in the midcard. It wasn't until Ted DiBiase was wooed away by a big fat paycheck that he left and opened the door for Steve Austin's true nature to shine through. Then he made a single promo that clicked with the audience. Again, Austin revolutionized the industry by being a brand new kind of character, much like Hogan.

3. Rock. Then there's Rock, who is definitely much lower on the totem poll than Austin or Hogan. He was brought in to be the next big thing and what happened? IT BOMBED. The fans hated this new kid and he hardly ever got a good face pop. There were loud chants of DIE ROCKY DIE. Think about that for a minute. You often hear people being told they suck or that they'll get their ass kicked, but how many times have you heard entire arenas telling someone to die? It wasn't until they completely changed his character and put him with Austin, as in over a year later that Rock got big and it wasn't anywhere close to what they brought him in as.

In short, none of the three biggest stars of all time were either what was planned or based on their own merits even a majority of the time. It's got a lot to do with how the chips fall and how lucky you get at times. It also has to do with the audience and how receptive they can be. If Hogan debuted today with no one knowing a thing about him he'd get booed out of the fucking building. This isn't something that's always going to work and in TNA's case it's exactly the same. They can't pick where the next star comes from. It's up to the audience, even though that's something TNA has never and likely will never be able to grasp.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

TNA have the guy who has all the tools to become an Austin/ Rock style force in Desmond Wolfe if they'd just unshackle him. He's brilliant in the ring and also great on the mike. With his Brit background he could also bring a unique look to his merchandise (beyond the usual Union Flag cliché). Plus, for those wishing for a change from ex WWe superstars, he is a breath of fresh air.

 

[CM11]

I agree you need luck and timing but to say the company has nothing to do with i. well thats insane..... they promote and give permission for the character... I think from the original post by matt is can TNA bring out there own wrestler who is the company if that makes sense. austin may of came from wcw but that is fine as long as they are then seen as a wwf wrestler after time lik morgan and anderson are doing atm however problem with anderson is he is using the same gimmick from wwe nothing new so he is seen as a wwe loser still and tna still aint pushin there own stars to the title. out of the last ten champions who have been a true TNA star, Styles and joe... i aint saying they cant do it but they fear to try it because its all about the names hardy etc to try to improve ratings (which aint working) its all bout the short term not the long term which WWE have always been very good at when utilizing talent! TNA will not have a TNA star be at the top because of many reasons, current roster, bookers, bischoff etc.. i believe they can do it look at styles when hes used awesome in and outta ring however i cant see it in the near future as realistic no tna stars in tna is a maineventer. not roode douglas etc...but i hope it happens

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Creating the next big star, the wrestler that people automatically think of when they think of pro wrestling isn't something that can be done on a whim. If such stars could be created at will, then the WWE would be putting out Stone Colds and Hulk Hogans left and right.

All a company can do is give whomever they think is best for their company a push in the right direction and just hope that they click. It doesn't sound very scientific of course and that's because creating a wrestling superstar isn't an exact science.

Let's just say that TNA thinks that Crimson is going to be the next John Cena. They can push him to the moon, they can put him in huge matches, they can put titles on him, send him out to do media interviews and all that in the hopes that he'll become the next "face" of professional wrestling. The problem is that just because that's what TNA wants doesn't mean that wrestling fans are going to accept it. Crimson might not have that intangible it factor that's so incredibly important in the success of a Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin. If he doesn't, then he's not going to be the type of "mainstream" star that TNA would want no matter how hard they push for it.

 

[shattered dreams]

You can make a strong case when looking at what was successful in that height of prowrestling popularity that was the attitude era that homegrown talent isn't where you find your success compared to those that the other company is unappreciative of or uses incorrectly. AJ is a great talent but when it comes to the business side Sting and Kurt have meant much more to TNA. This homegrown shit is just simply ******ed. Talent is talent. Either you have it or you do not. Who gives a fuck where it came from? Are people seriously suggesting something that implies if Cena switched to TNA tomorrow it would be a bad thing? Even more confusing the biggest panty bunching of all over the past year was when they were pushing Abyss? Quit pretending your smark dream pushes are the only correct thing to do and that everyone that leaves WWE is worthless.

 

[MisterRob]

1. Hogan came from AWA.

2. Austin came from WCW.

JJYanks was spot on about both these examples, they may not be what could be labeled "home grown" in the most basic of terms, but they both certainly made it big because of WWE and have their careers as those stars/legends because of WWE. There's no arguing that.

The Rock and John Cena are the only "home grown" talents WWE was 100% responsible for. Did Hogan and Austin become superstars in WWE/F? Yes, but they weren't "homegrown" like you are insinuating — at least not in the vein of Rock and Austin.

There's also many more examples of home grown talent WWE's produced who have all been quite big stars in their own right. Randy Orton, Batista, Brock Lesnar, among so many others. And most recently Miz, John Morrison, Sheamus, among others. All of these guys were built up from their very roots to the big stage by WWE and have become stars. Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker, too. Sure they may have started out in other places but the stars they've become, with the gimmick they've become famous for, is all a product of WWE's machine. I think that's the point, really.

Frankly, I'm sick of this argument. It's bullshit rhetoric masquerading as logical point, which history proves is simply not the case (in the majority of cases).

Where talent comes from is irrelevant. Absolutely, positively beyond any shadow of doubt irrelevant.

I agree, I don't much like this argument,either. And just being home grown talent isn't the point to me. I think what it comes down to is that TNA desperately needs to take younger talent who haven't gotten their due, haven't reached their full potential, and haven't become stars yet, and MAKE them those stars of the future for the company. TNA's tried in some cases, and I give them credit for that, but I really do think they need to do better at it and focus more time on really creating those stars over all the time and effort they give old veterans who won't be the future and aren't even the present.

TNA is already building their "own" superstars — most notably, their World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson who's "asshole" gimmick in TNA is nothing like his loud mouth gimmick in WWE, minus the microphone from the sky.

There is absolutely no difference between Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Anderson. Even the name proves that. The gimmick is the same, and all that's been added on is one catchphrase. You're totally off here and anyone with a brain can see how obvious it is the two gimmicks are basically the exact same.

I think Matt Morgan would be a far better example, really. He was nothing really in the WWE, barely did a thing before they got rid of him. TNA has taken him and pushed him, allowed him to become something much more and with a gimmick and a character that he definitely didn't have in the WWE. Morgan's much more a TNA product then Mr. Anderson could ever claim to be.

Aside from him, there's the longest reigning World Heavyweight Champion in company history, AJ Styles to look at as well.

Someone needs to explain this to me better this time around, because frankly, I still don't get it — other than the pride of being able to say "we did it first", what exactly is the value of "homegrown"?

Yes, AJ Styles is home grown talent and been built up over the years in TNA far better then most of their talent. But, that being said, where is Styles now? He's not a top star right for the company, he's a mid-carder whose been pushed aside and overshadowed by the entire top tier of Immortal. His spot as the face of the company has even been given, several times, to others. He would be a good example if TNA had actually stuck with him and continued to make him a top star for the company going into the future, but they haven't and that's been clear since the Hogan/Bischof era started and he not only lost his championship but was thrust clear out of any main event picture.

What, I think, people want.. and the term home grown can be slightly misleading.. is for TNA to start making their own stars. They don't necessarily have to be originals from the early beginnings of TNA, but TNA definitely needs to start making their own stars to survive into the future. Once the old veterans are gone, the current stars that are older and in the spotlight can't be in that spot anymore, then TNA needs to have a very strong foundation for the future in place. Not just of talent, but of drawing talent who can help the company grow and be profitable.

 

[bballernathan14]

TNA is a Great Brand of wrestling but i think if they want mainstream to build a superstar they need to get off of spike and go to my tv 13 that station Great Rating Shows They Got For Smackdown And They Have Stars Like Aj Styles And Samoa Joe.... But Look. TNA will Not Get The Same Stuff That Sting Did If I Can Go There Like How Sting Is The Best Guy To Never Compete In A WWE Ring.

If You Mean Mainstream Like That... No Way They Can Build Someone Like That They Are Barely Pullling A 1.5 Rating They Need Better Ratings To Get Up There

 

[JJ15776]

1. Hogan came from AWA.

2. Austin came from WCW.

The Rock and John Cena are the only "home grown" talents WWE was 100% responsible for. Did Hogan and Austin become superstars in WWE/F? Yes, but they weren't "homegrown" like you are insinuating — at least not in the vein of Rock and Austin.

Hulk Hogan came from the AWA? Are you serious? First of all, like somebody else said, he never even won the AWA title. Second of all, guess where he wrestled BEFORE the AWA? That's right, the WWF. Yes, the WWF existed before Hulkamania. Hulk Hogan was a major heel who fueded with Andre The Giant and Bob Backlund. Then he went to Japan, where he was a huge star, THEN he went to the AWA. So...Hogan came from the AWA? Not so much.

Steve Austin came from WCW? You mean the company that fired him from their midcard over the phone because he had no future in the business? Again, not so much. You could argue that he came from ECW, I guess, but he never accomplished much there.

If you're going to claim they weren't home grown, you might as well say John Cena came from UPW and The Rock came from USWA.

I digress.

Bottom line is, of course TNA needs to build their own stars. That doesn't mean they have to be "homegrown," because what the hell is "homegrown" anyway? No mainstream star in the history of the business ever has or ever will be with one company their entire life. (It's impossible. Companies big enough to have mainstream stars do not sign guys that have never wrestled anywhere else.)

Any wrestling company needs to be able to build stars. Period. So far, TNA hasn't shown much of an ability to do that. Hardy, Anderson, RVD, Jarrett, Angle...all these guys are stars in TNA because of what they did in WWE(and WCW, in Jarrett's case), not what they've done in TNA. Matt Morgan is the closest thing they've come to building their own star.(He was in WWE too, but he's famous for what he's done in TNA, not WWE.)

As for building a mainstream star like Hogan/Austin/Rock/Cena, TNA isn't big enough to do that, but they can build their own champions. And they need to do that eventually if they want to get to the level of WWE and stay there.

 

[Calderownz]

Obviously, they should try. From the looks of it, they clearly are.

Mr. Anderson, AJ Styles, Matt Morgan. They are gaining ground in TNA and that's all that really matters. They will be known for their moments in TNA thus far.

Anderson has the best chance, in my opinion. Technically, he already does a movie under his belt, for that matter. He's also great on the mic and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder that I feel is needed. He's getting better in the ring as well and he's not a bad looking guy, either.

When they have any big events, they need to push for Anderson and they need to do anything and everything they can with pushing him to the moon. More and more shirts. Shirts that casual fans wouldn't mind wearing. Make him into the guy that a casual fan appreciates due to the fact that he reminds them of themselves. A smartass, jaded and doesn't SEEM to take wrestling so seriously.

Pointing out to Matt Morgan that the belt wasn't around his waist when Morgan said it was. Things of that nature. Has the catchphrases, the gimmick, the look, the in-ring skills are getting there and the obviously the mic skills.

Push, push, push.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Steve Austin came from WCW? You mean the company that fired him from their midcard over the phone because he had no future in the business? Again, not so much. You could argue that he came from ECW, I guess, but he never accomplished much there.

I'm really going to have to jump in here. Austin held every belt in WCW except the World Title and was there for four years - his WWe character was just a tweak of this, even his moniker 'Stone Cold' isn't a hundred miles from 'Stunning'. He cannot be claimed as a WWF original.

 

[SpecialFNK]

TNA can have all the talent they can get, but if nobody is watching them it's not going to matter. I think maybe that was the case before when Styles was champion?

ideally you want a major face. Vince McMahon made Hogan, but Hogan also had a great look as well as being all American waving the red/white/blue and telling kids to eat their vitamins and say their prayers. he was like a super hero. Hogan was never "Hulkamania" before that.

I think to be a main stream major wrestler you need to have the total package. a great look as well as being great on the mic with catch phrases is important.
haven't watch much of WWE since Cena has been main stream, but the likes of Hogan, Austin, Rock all had great sayings. and that's the bottom line because Stone Cold said so, if you smell what the Rock is cooking, brother!

something else I'm not sure has been mentioned. working the crowd. is that important? I saw something about this on some wrestling show I've seen before(don't remember what/where) and it might have been awhile ago, so not sure if it's still the same now. you face wants to get the cheers and your heels want to get heat. the crown at the Impact zone sometimes is just terrible! they sometimes make up their own chants that have nothing to do with the match.

 

[GetsHeat]

You've got to be a total idiot to think that Stone Cold Steve Austin wasn't made in the WWE because he had a cup of coffee with the WCW. Homegrown can have a lot of subjective definitions.

Can TNA grow a mainstream star? Not anytime soon, they aren't even close to being mainstream themselves, they have to become mainstream first.

 

[wushady]

TNA has been trying to build mainstream stars for while now. Like IDR and other posters have said it doesn't really matter where the talent came from. Austin, Hogan, Undertaker, HHH, and many others were all in other companies before becoming mainstream in WWE. Sure a lot of it had to do with their talent. However having a company that is already mainstream with tons of money to market them is a huge reason for their success.

In my opinion TNA has done a great job with AJ Styles since day one he is definitely a so called homegrown talent. They have also done a great job with former WWE talents that weren't used to their full potential. Especially Anderson he could be a major mainstream star. The only problem is TNA as a company doesn't have the mainstream power or the money WWE does.

If TNA gets a strong financial backing soon they already have a few guys like Styles and Anderson that could become mainstream and make TNA a major wrestling company.

 

[Stunner=RKO]

TNA marks=******s lol this thread basically proves it lol. It doesn't matter if a star is "homegrown" or not I will agree on that. But it's the thing TNA does for the former WWE stars that piss me off. They freaking ruin them man. Jeff hardy, Booker T, Mick foley, RVD(the whole Sensei martial arts crap is sooo wack) dudley boyz(look at them in WWE and look at them in TNA.. They literally double in size, in a bad way), ECW rosters( I'm a fan of ECW as much as the next guy but Tommy dreamer main eventing? Get ur head outta ur ass it's 2011) and I can keep going. Granted Kennedy is pretty awesome but that really doesn't change my mind cuz well he was always awesome. He's just one of the superstars that TNA DIDN't change. And he has no new gimmick lol. You TNA people really need something to clutch onto cus I really think, the end is near(crossing my fingers so Angle can go back to where he belongs). Kennedy's gimmick is pretty much the same thing. He was always an asshole, a talker, and championship material. It wajust that he was a heel in WWE.

Now back to the topic which I think is even more hilarious. Don't you think TNA is trying to a mainstream star? You think thatz not in their top priority list? Ofc it is man any SMART wrestling company that wants to go global knows it NEEDs that. And one dude posted bout how "homegrown" doesn't mean shit to them. Well it might not fly with you but I think the overall wrestling fan base would like to something new and fresh from their favorite company, not sloppy seconds. And please don't compare hogan and Austin as not home grown R-tard. WWE went international just recently an hogan was one of the many new addition the roster. And he wasn't the living legend in AWA. I think he was actually heel for some time. And Austin not home grown? Before WWF would you ever expect a dude that has long blonde hair going bald drinking beer all nigh and opening up a can of whup ass every night on everyone? Do you REALLY think WCW "homegrown" Austin 3:16? Lol again just shows me how stupid TNA marks are. TNA should learn a thing or two from the E. WWE takes wrestlers and makes them superstars. TNA uses the starpower that the superstar already have. Now do you see? Lol they have it almost done for them and they still fuck up. Good job you like watching the mentally ******ed version of wrestling lol :-D.. Can't wait til Wrestlemaina!!!(bound for glory is the biggest TNA ppv? Really? Really? Realllllllllyyy? ::threw up in my mouth a bit:::

 

[sr2184]

The Immortal Hulk Hogan.....people "homegrown" is where you got your big break and made a name for yourself..jordan with chicago, smith with dallas, shaq with orlando..AWA was college compared to WWF/E. Hogan is McMahons baby and Hogan has been trying to get out of the shadows ever since then, NWO almost did that, rather, it was just another feather in the hat for him. Hence why Hogan couldnt maintain WCW on his own with creative or now with TNA.

Austin was a nobody in WCW, WCW was nothing when he was there. No body cared about the Hollywood blondes were until Pillman showed up in WWE. He was nothing when he started in WWF, I mean who the fuck was the ringmaster. Just another guy having awesome battles with Savio Vega. King of the Ring Made Austin. Bret Hart Secured him Legendary status.

Rock is the most "homegrown" of them all. period.
Cena is the same. period.
The newest "homegrown wrestling" character is the MIZ.
TNA...The only problem they have is giving there guys a crowd interacting gimmick. Where are the "Cause stone cold said so" "we got two words for ya" "if you smeeeeelllll" "you cant see me" "whatcha gonna doo". What catch phrase do you see pro athletes performing....nothing from TNA. Give Styles, Morgan or Joe something to work with....and ultimately where there superstar lays is the fact that TNA doesnt tour the country enough to showcase there talent. TNA GET OUT THERE AND SHOW THE WORLD YOU HAVE TALENT, AND DO IT ON TV. STOP PRE TAPING EVENTS. WCW DIDNT AND THEYH COMPETED WITH WWF/E. HOGAN BISCHOF, FLAIR GET OFF THE MIC AND LET THE YOUNGER TALENT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!! then we will have TNA superstar.