Sorry, TNA – Its Time To Revise Gut Check

[It's Damn Real!]

You have to give them credit in that not only did they take a risk here, but took one that seems calculated. I won't deny that. There's nothing inherently wrong with the principles of Gut Check, but there's a huge hole in the logic behind the whole thing when it comes to who TNA has been picking to participate in it each month.

Alex Silva, Joey Ryan, Taylor Hendrix, Chris Lewie — four up, four down. Ryan, granted, probably deserved the contract and was light years better than any of the other contestants, but regardless there's been a trend (tonight's IMPACT was no exception) we've seen since the start of this whole thing, and that's this propensity for TNA to inject the program with total unknowns. When I say total unknown, the keyword is on total, not unknown. I get that you want to give "unknowns" an opportunity, but those unknowns should actually have the ability/potential to make an impact on the roster — immediately. Not a single one of the contestants or winners to this point have, and if TNA continues down this path, none of them ever will.

I said in the LD, and I'll say it again — Kenny King, Austin Aries (the year before he re-joined the company), etc. are the types of guys who should be brought in through this competition because they actually stand a chance to validate it. I get that you want to get trainees from the 3D Academy, OVW, etc. the opportunity to showcase their work, but this just isn't the platform for it.

Thoughts?

 

[klunderbunker]

Absolutely.

The idea behind Gut Check is fine, but at the end of the day there needs to be something changed about it. For one thing, the "kick out" thing when you're tied up after two votes needs to be thrown out because it's ALWAYS the same thing. "This is my dream and I know I've got what it takes." Third judge: "Eh ok you're in." That gets dull after awhile. On top of that, as IDR said, we need someone to actually have a match after they win the contest. There was also Sam Shaw who was so useless that I barely remember his name.

The concept needs to be altered. For one thing, stop holding it on Open Fight Night. That is treated like a major event and having Gut Check on it clutters it up too much. There is such a thing as having too much on a show and putting Gut Check on there does just that. Also as IDR said, they need to mix it up a bit. Have someone lose or have someone get a fall on one of the roster. WOuld it hurt to have Gunner get pinned on here? Third, mix things up a bit with the selection. Give us something other than "this is my dream, I know I can do it, I just need a chance." We've heard that. A lot. Now change it.

The idea has some merit to it but it needs to be changed to make it work better, because at the moment it comes and goes every month and it means nothing at all.

 

[ramblinroy682]

I agree. Here's an idea bring in a tag team for gut check. Have them face kaz and Daniels with the belts on the line. Have them upset the champs and win the gold. Show the judges talking backstage like we have no choice they have the belts. When the time comes for them to speak in the ring, they stand silent. The judges offer them a contract. The team turns them down and walks out with the belts. Over the next few weeks show them wrestling with them at some Indy shows. Eventually, Dixie, hogan, sting, or one of the judges offers them a contract skipping OVW and a spot on impact. They accept and defend at the next pay per view.

I think that would cause quite the buzz. It would generate a stir and get a team over quickly. Plus it would liven up a stale division. I'd like to see a team like Natural Selection from NWA Hollywood be that team. Maybe there's another team out there that is a little better known that could fill that role. I don't think it should be a team from ROH based on Kenny Kings recent actions, but you could go that route.

But, whatever they do they need a little more firepower in the plan.

 

[EdReed]

This has to be one of the most ill-informed threads I've ever read. People like Kenny King and Austin Aries are not the types of people who need development deals. Neither is Joey Ryan, for that matter. I think TNA should have made it clearer that Gutcheck winners get a developmental deal. They go to OVW to be prepared for TNA. I'm assuming we will start seeing more of them on TV soon. They played a promo for Alex Silva tonight. Here's a Shocker: Joey Ryan already has a TNA contract, He's just fulfilling independent dates and trolling us marks.

 

[Rayne]

This has to be one of the most ill-informed threads I've ever read. People like Kenny King and Austin Aries are not the types of people who need development deals. Neither is Joey Ryan, for that matter. I think TNA should have made it clearer that Gutcheck winners get a developmental deal. They go to OVW to be prepared for TNA. I'm assuming we will start seeing more of them on TV soon. They played a promo for Alex Silva tonight. Here's a Shocker: Joey Ryan already has a TNA contract, He's just fulfilling independent dates and trolling us marks.

So what's the point of them getting a developmental deal on television then? To completely take the piss out of any interest the fans might have gotten out of them?

Normally, when you have a guy you want to field test, you give him a dark match. Gut Check so far seems to be a 'televised dark match' (I shudder myself at the mixing of terms), with a soupcon of reality TV thrown in. Like American Idol, everyone's chasing their dream if they'd just be given the opportunity. Fucking gag me. I want to hear about how someone thinks he's better than the TNA roster. I want to hear a guy say that TNA better not miss this opportunity before the WWE does.

Right now, a guy appears on Gut Check, and then that's it. I'll bet we do see some of these guys in the future, but if they're really doing actual honest to God tryouts on national television, they need to knock that shit out and use the concept to build talent. Joey Ryan shouldn't be 'fulfilling independent dates and trolling marks', he should have that shit cleared up long before he appeared on TNA television and been ready to follow up his appearance immediately.

The concept, as it stands right now, is as exciting as stale horseshit. It has a lot of unrealized promise, however. TNA needs to be making the most out of whatever they can; those ratings won't unflatten by themselves.

 

[JJ15776]

I completely agree with this. It's the same problem with WWE's Tough Enough. It's a huge opportunity for them to make a name for themselves, to get the crowd behind them, to start their careers with a little momentum...but they're not allowed to take advantage of that opportunity because they're off TV for so long.

But the problem isn't necessarily with Gut Check or Tough Enough. While, yes, they could fix the problem by putting more established guys on instead of total unknowns...they could also fix the problem by nationally televising their developmental territory, which they should be doing anyway. Fan could follow guys all the way from Gut Check/Tough Enough to OVW/NXT to TNA/WWE. It would allow them to keep the current format, and discover unknown wrestlers, while still keeping them fresh in the minds of the fans.

 

[HeartStingerJericho]

Here is the point: long-term investment. This is less like Tough Enough and more like American Idol. On American Idol it is usually the runner-up who has the bigger career. The point of Gut-check right now is to rebuild the X-Division. Is it a work-in-progress? Absolutely. Is it a failure? Absolutely not. THey bring these guys in to spark an interest, send them to developmental and get them ready for TNA. That the fans can see an indy wrestler coming in and say, "Oh, I remember him from being on the Gut-Check." I do think they should bring a few bigger indy names from time to time but not all the time. Find a happy balance. Maybe bring in two or three and give them challenges and judge them after each challenge. I do agree it doesn't need to interfere with Open Fight Night. Things do not happen overnight. Give it time

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I agree. They've gone as far as they can with the current format of the Gut Check and have it be remotely interesting. The format needs some kind of overhaul because it's starting to grow stagnant.

I agree that the concept had an interesting ring to it starting out. For me, the biggest problem has lied with the Gut Check competitors themselves. With the exception of Joey Ryan, and he has some issues that need to be worked in in my opinion, every last one of the competitors have been completely uninteresting and have succeeded only in showing that they need LOTS of time in OVW before even thinking about heading to the main roster.

Also, as IDR pointed out, the concept of just having the rookie come in to work a 2 to 3 minute match that generally amounts to little more than a squash just isn't enough time. That's been a complaint of mine from the beginning. When Alex Silva came in and went up against Robbie E, I thought they would at least try to make Silva look good. You know, give him some time in a match to make it look competetive for the purpose of making Silva look good. Considering Robbie E's overall place on the roster, same thing with Gunner last night, would it have really been a bad thing or would it be a bad thing to give the rookie a win? When you have your rookie going against scrubs like Robbie E or Gunner, I see no problem in giving the rookie a win, Again, the only guy that's had anything at all like a competetive match against his TNA opponent is Joey Ryan.

The whole concept of "first impressions" is fine, I like that aspect of it as well, but generic introduction videos/promos in which all the wrestlers say pretty much the same damn thing and get their asses handed to them in a 2 minute match, to me, doesn't provide a good first impression. If the idea is to give the viewer the first impression that the Gut Check competitors are generic scrubs that aren't ready for TNA and/or might not ever be, then mission accomplished.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

I like like the idea of gut check but there is a lot that needs to change in my opinion. To Start with tna are serious about gut check then the fans should be the ones who pick who gets a contract or not. at the end of the day its us who these guys and girls have to impress. If tna do decide to let the fans have a say on who should get a tna contract then have them wrestle more then one match. it don't think I would like to see them every week on Impact so you could have them have a couple of matches on explosion Against jobbers before they have one final match agains a current tna star on impact.

 

[The_Sharpshooter]

I say scrap the idea altogether. Zema Ion & Devon barely get TV time and they're champs. Mr. Anderson just finished his BFG matches, & I can't recall any of them. You add in Pope, Robbie E, ODB & these other interesting charcters that don't get their time, then you'll realize giving time to 180 pound men with no swag on the best day for TV is a bad idea. I like Joey Ryan, I like Sam Shaw, but there's more conventional ways to introduce & make them a part of the roster.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I agree. Here's an idea bring in a tag team for gut check. Have them face kaz and Daniels with the belts on the line. Have them upset the champs and win the gold. Show the judges talking backstage like we have no choice they have the belts. When the time comes for them to speak in the ring, they stand silent. The judges offer them a contract. The team turns them down and walks out with the belts. Over the next few weeks show them wrestling with them at some Indy shows. Eventually, Dixie, hogan, sting, or one of the judges offers them a contract skipping OVW and a spot on impact. They accept and defend at the next pay per view.

I think that would cause quite the buzz. It would generate a stir and get a team over quickly. Plus it would liven up a stale division. I'd like to see a team like Natural Selection from NWA Hollywood be that team. Maybe there's another team out there that is a little better known that could fill that role. I don't think it should be a team from ROH based on Kenny Kings recent actions, but you could go that route.

But, whatever they do they need a little more firepower in the plan.

I think that is a fantastic idea!

Gut Check in its present format sucks. I don't see the point of bringing in a guy from the training schools, who is nowhere near ready to be on the main roster. By using Gut Check as a way of testing out good quality indie talent, such as Joey Ryan, then you are actually looking at wrestlers capable of making an impact immediately.

The idea of a tag-team coming in and winning the belts and then refusing a contract is absolutely brilliant and something I would love to see. Something fresh, controversial and as long as the right team is chosen to play the part, could be a very interesting storyline.

Good thoughts my man.

 

[I'mTheJanetty13]

Some people compared Gut Check to Amerian Idol and I think that's spot-on. Idol has produced some huge stars, but plenty of flops also. They win, go away to work on their album and we don't hear from them for a few months. When the come back, they've lost there shine. It will be the same way with the Gut Check winners. They go to development and when they finally show up on the main roster, chances are that no one will care.

If they're gonna keep doing it, they should bring people in from OVW who they feel are ready to make the roster and debut them that way. And for fuck's sake, have one of them be a dick every now and then. Everyone other than Joey Ryan, has been "gee and shucks, this is my dream." Make us care about you in this fake competition.

 

[RD_21]

In my opinion they did it on purpose yesterday. The contestant was BAD and they had to know it. Maybe they want guys to have sympathy so they made that video about him having 10 thousands kids that he needs to feed so one of the judge will be booed by refusing him and it could had to the Ryan angle.

But IF they didn't do it on purpose and te guy was just bad and they still took him then I don't know what to say.

He was clearly out of shape, he was slow and sloppy, TNA will get a lot of hate by some people but I like TNA and I can't imagine that there's not a reason that they bring that guy.

I think it's because they needed a No because they can only give so many contract so when a Joey Ryan comes they give him a contract because he is special. But if you have horrible contestant I don't think it makes good tv.

Edit: To come back more on the topic and IDR question, I don't think it should always be Kenny King or Austin Aries level in the gut check because then they have to say yes every week. As I said they need some nos to not devalue the whole thing but I'm not sure the nos will make for great tv, except if you like to watch a train wreck like yesterday.

 

[Silly Willy Nilly Vanilly in the Milly]

I totally agree with what you said, IDR.
I love the idea of Gut Check, don't get me wrong- it's very interesting- but there's only so far you can go before change is necessary.
I like the idea of bringing in guys (such as Kenny King and Austin Aries) that already have some credibility (be it on the indy circuit, having been in the big leagues previously, etc.)- it truly is NOT the place to have the trainees show what they have.
Also agree with KB on that it should NOT be held on Open Fight Night. Really? This makes it more disastrous than it already is.
As I mentioned above, CHANGE IS NECESSARY- the same thing over and over.
Ideas of mine: For one, instead of having the 3rd judge (when votes are tied 1-1), why not have them wrestle another match the following week or whenever to swing the final judge's decision? Just a thought.
Second, give it some real meaning. Why not let the IMPACT star that is facing the contestant lose? Count-out? How about the contestant getting DQ'd? Something OTHER than what we've seen already, please!
Overall, it just needs revamping with more variety, more organization, and more credibility.

 

[SpecialFNK]

last nights contestant was brutal. that guy was just terrible. not only did TNA give him a promo last night, but he got a promo last week too. I don't remember any of the other contestants getting that.
I can't remember the guys exact name last night, doesn't even matter, not worth it. he was so bad I hope I never see him again. he looked too old, too slow, and too fat. it sure was "gut" check, and he had one.

IMO the only guy in this Gut Check angle that I thought had potential for the future was Joey Ryan. all the others are well maybe they could eventually develop into something someday. Joey Ryan has it now.

when Gut Check first starter I thought it could be a different way to debut a future new star, rather than having them show up and start out a regular way. imagine someone with potential to be good right now showing up and actually winning their match. it could get them going right away, starting a feud right from the start with whoever they beat. rather than seeing them and then if they got a contract you don't see them again and pretty much forget they were even on. who is Alex Silva? oh yeah, now I remember, I had forgotten about him.

 

[Lowdown]

I'm on the same page with the majority of you here. Aside from Joey Ryan, non of the other Gut Check contestants have stood out. They're competing to get a contract on the main roster, and they're clearly not ready. Kris Lewie was horrendous last night, and that's the nicest way to put it. I don't think he's gonna get the nod next week; frankly regardless of his "story", he doesn't deserve the spot. Gut check needs to be tweaked for sure. I forget the poster that said to implement a tag team for it, but that's a great idea and start. Use the talents that are currently in OVW, bring in folks from ROH or NWA Hollywood that are somewhat known. The goal is to have these contestants on TV at some point. Well its hard to have any of them featured if you don't put them on the air. Now I don't watch American Idol, but I get the gist of the process and its along the same vein. As a wrestling fan, you want to see a character come out of the talent, so the usual "this is my lifelong dream" speech is tired. Chances are if it wasn't your dream or goal, you wouldn't be wasting your time and energy and a company wouldn't be wasting their time and money. Hell pretend like you're Mr. T for all I care, just make me want to see you in the ring.

 

[ABMorales787]

I disagree about using guys on the level of Austin Aries or Kenny King. Yeah, I agree it hasn't been used all that well. But Gut Check would kill the vibe of a major debut. Vignettes, surprise, whatever. Austin took TNA by storm with the X Division Showcase by sticking out among many. On Gut Check he would've won or lost and moved on like any other talent.

My belief? It should be used to test whatever OVW talent you may wanna bring up. Longer match, more no's, less yesses, quick to debut. Simple as that.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I disagree about using guys on the level of Austin Aries or Kenny King. Yeah, I agree it hasn't been used all that well. But Gut Check would kill the vibe of a major debut. Vignettes, surprise, whatever. Austin took TNA by storm with the X Division Showcase by sticking out among many. On Gut Check he would've won or lost and moved on like any other talent.

My belief? It should be used to test whatever OVW talent you may wanna bring up. Longer match, more no's, less yesses, quick to debut. Simple as that.

We agree in principle, though. My point is that the "winners" of these things need to be able to actually impact the roster. If this whole thing is centered around a talent winning a TNA contract, then what is the point if they just get sent to OVW off the bat?

My point about Aries (then) or King, etc. is that they were relatively unknown still. They were the types you could have brought in, similar to what WWE does with independent guys themselves, had them actually compete in a match where they didn't look like green as grass rookies and then base the week-later decision to keep or dump them on how they really performed, not on their "potential" as OVW cannon fodder.

The problem with having this based on bringing up OVW talent is that it's a monthly thing. Are you really prepared to potentially add as many as 12 new names to the TNA roster every year, simply because they worked for OVW? I highly doubt they have that many performers ready for the jump at any time, if ever. In fact, my guess is that number is a lot closer to one or maybe two. Or even if you have them all fail, then what? They come back later for another Gut Check?

Again, this thing was promoted as "talents outside of TNA" having the opportunity to compete for a contract. There's no reason it should be exclusively to OVW performers. If Kevin Steen wants in and TNA don't think enough people know who the fuck he is, Gut Check is a fantastic platform to bring him into the fold without having to hope and pray that enough ROH marks are in attendance to cheer the guy.

 

[ABMorales787]

The problem with having this based on bringing up OVW talent is that it's a monthly thing. Are you really prepared to potentially add as many as 12 new names to the TNA roster every year, simply because they worked for OVW? I highly doubt they have that many performers ready for the jump at any time, if ever. In fact, my guess is that number is a lot closer to one or maybe two. Or even if you have them all fail, then what? They come back later for another Gut Check?

Why not? Isn't the idea of Gut Check to be a televised trial match? You see all the time how guys come in with one gimmick, it doesn't work out, and later come back with a totally different one. Ask Brodus Clay. Or Ryback.

Again, this thing was promoted as "talents outside of TNA" having the opportunity to compete for a contract. There's no reason it should be exclusively to OVW performers. If Kevin Steen wants in and TNA don't think enough people know who the fuck he is, Gut Check is a fantastic platform to bring him into the fold without having to hope and pray that enough ROH marks are in attendance to cheer the guy.

No. Vignettes would do a better job of hyping the current reigning ROH World Champion. Or a going straight to a major name like Kurt Angle. You know, like Desmond Wolfe did. That's my problem with putting guys like this on Gut Check. It makes them smaller. It cuts off their indie cred and it's kinda silly to waste two weeks on an American Idol knock off before putting some traction on a guy you picked out because he's a major star on a smaller company.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Why not? Isn't the idea of Gut Check to be a televised trial match? You see all the time how guys come in with one gimmick, it doesn't work out, and later come back with a totally different one. Ask Brodus Clay. Or Ryback.

I might, if I actually watched them. I don't, so my understanding of either man's career is limited, at best.

The point of Gut Check, to my recollection, was to "give talents outside of TNA" a chance at a TNA contract. It said nothing about a "trial match", or "OVW talent", or anything of the sort. That reads quite generically to me, which means it should not be self-limiting to JUST Team 3D Academy or OVW talents, simply because of the relationship of either to TNA. It should expand to any talent outside of TNA, period.

And again, what the fuck is the point in bringing in John Doe from OVW, when you know he's not ready for IMPACT, just to participate in a meaningless match he'll undoubtedly lose (likely to a TNA scrub), just so Pritchard, Taz and Snow can tell him to piss off the next week? What are the viewers getting out of that? Who, among them, had any clue who the hell this random wrestler is/was? I'm willing to bet the answer is less than a percent among the regular viewers each week, so where's the payoff? Hint: there is none.

No. Vignettes would do a better job of hyping the current reigning ROH World Champion. Or a going straight to a major name like Kurt Angle. You know, like Desmond Wolfe did. That's my problem with putting guys like this on Gut Check. It makes them smaller. It cuts off their indie cred and it's kinda silly to waste two weeks on an American Idol knock off before putting some traction on a guy you picked out because he's a major star on a smaller company.

There are varying degrees to those types. Yeah, maybe Aries was a bad example, or like Wolfe would have been, or even Steen, but my point is that there are talents out there who are exceptionally better than any of the trash Gut Check has paraded around that could make the entire segment worth watching. Thus far, the only one who's come even close to it is Joey Ryan, and I'm afraid the ball there's been dropped for something more people actually care about — Aces and Eights.

Again, maybe Aries doesn't deserve to have his "indie cred" cut, but Kenny King? Mason Andrews? Rubix? I'm pretty sure these guys would have been 1,000 times better than Mike Shaw, or whatever the fuck his name was, or Kris Lewie, etc. etc. etc.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

The segments I've seen have just been boring. Snow and Pritchard have no on-screen presence at all. Having them all stand in the ring together just seems low rent. The guys they have brought in don't seem to have much going for them. I would prefer an Ultimate Fighter style where the Gut Check contestants are "competing" for the contract against each other. Right now the matches they have seem pointless.

Between Claire and Gut check (Silva promo) TNA had me really losing my attention last night. They did a good job keeping me from changing the channel with the A's & 8's story. Although A's and 8's is starting wear thin on me as well.

 

[JJYanks121]

I might, if I actually watched them. I don't, so my understanding of either man's career is limited, at best.

The point of Gut Check, to my recollection, was to "give talents outside of TNA" a chance at a TNA contract. It said nothing about a "trial match", or "OVW talent", or anything of the sort. That reads quite generically to me, which means it should not be self-limiting to JUST Team 3D Academy or OVW talents, simply because of the relationship of either to TNA. It should expand to any talent outside of TNA, period.

And again, what the fuck is the point in bringing in John Doe from OVW, when you know he's not ready for IMPACT, just to participate in a meaningless match he'll undoubtedly lose (likely to a TNA scrub), just so Pritchard, Taz and Snow can tell him to piss off the next week? What are the viewers getting out of that? Who, among them, had any clue who the hell this random wrestler is/was? I'm willing to bet the answer is less than a percent among the regular viewers each week, so where's the payoff? Hint: there is none.



There are varying degrees to those types. Yeah, maybe Aries was a bad example, or like Wolfe would have been, or even Steen, but my point is that there are talents out there who are exceptionally better than any of the trash Gut Check has paraded around that could make the entire segment worth watching. Thus far, the only one who's come even close to it is Joey Ryan, and I'm afraid the ball there's been dropped for something more people actually care about — Aces and Eights.

Again, maybe Aries doesn't deserve to have his "indie cred" cut, but Kenny King? Mason Andrews? Rubix? I'm pretty sure these guys would have been 1,000 times better than Mike Shaw, or whatever the fuck his name was, or Kris Lewie, etc. etc. etc.

I think you have it all wrong my good buddy. If anything, the Gutcheck thing is a more reality based version of the "New Talent Initiative" that WWE ran on ECW back in the day. Since I know you don't watch (or at least tell us you don't), I'll explain how that worked.

The ECW GM, who happens to be a TNA referee now, decided that the talent pool in ECW wasn't great so she'd be doing a "New Talent Initiative" where new guys would come in and if there was a response, they'd stick around. There were no judges or anything like that, just crowd reaction I suppose. Some guys hooked on and did well. Others flopped.

The ones who succeeded were Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, Yoshi Tatsu, Kofi Kingston, and Sheamus. Those that flopped were Ricky Ortiz, Ryan Braddock, and others. The thing all these guys had in common? They were introduced to the audience as new talents and were given the chance to simply get over with the audience by wrestling. Most matches were of decent length and the guys who had the ability to entertain showed you something and stuck around. To me, that is the concept Gut Check should be shooting for.

You don't need "names" for this thing to work. You need time and equality. Obviously you don't take everyone and I think the judging part is incredibly asinine since it's been the same thing every time with them. Maybe make it a fan poll or something, The point though is that the fans watching likely haven't seen much of anyone that hasn't been on TV. Yes, there's also some fans that have but you cater to the majority, not the minority. Thus, bring in guys and see how the general audience reacts to them. It's harder to do when you are in the Impact Zone but you have technology to help as well. Give them 10 minute matches and see if people care about what they are doing. If they do, maybe they get to stick around but the key is that they need to STICK AROUND. If people want them there, these "winners" need to stay on the main roster and have matches. That's really the thing holding it back now. Not one guy who has won is on TV. That's bad.

I agree with you that there needs to be a change in the Gut Check premise. However, I believe the suggestions I've made are the best way to make it something worthwhile. I don't believe in taking names people know and putting them in there though. You can actually debut those people on the show. With that said, it's pretty stupid to debut like 10 guys who are better than the Gut Check guys as X Division hopefuls and have some of them land jobs while guys who are supposed to be getting a "showcase" have less of a shot at making it. That's not so good.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I think you have it all wrong my good buddy. If anything, the Gutcheck thing is a more reality based version of the "New Talent Initiative" that WWE ran on ECW back in the day. Since I know you don't watch (or at least tell us you don't), I'll explain how that worked.

The ECW GM, who happens to be a TNA referee now, decided that the talent pool in ECW wasn't great so she'd be doing a "New Talent Initiative" where new guys would come in and if there was a response, they'd stick around. There were no judges or anything like that, just crowd reaction I suppose. Some guys hooked on and did well. Others flopped.

The ones who succeeded were Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, Yoshi Tatsu, Kofi Kingston, and Sheamus. Those that flopped were Ricky Ortiz, Ryan Braddock, and others. The thing all these guys had in common? They were introduced to the audience as new talents and were given the chance to simply get over with the audience by wrestling. Most matches were of decent length and the guys who had the ability to entertain showed you something and stuck around. To me, that is the concept Gut Check should be shooting for.

You don't need "names" for this thing to work. You need time and equality. Obviously you don't take everyone and I think the judging part is incredibly asinine since it's been the same thing every time with them. Maybe make it a fan poll or something, The point though is that the fans watching likely haven't seen much of anyone that hasn't been on TV. Yes, there's also some fans that have but you cater to the majority, not the minority. Thus, bring in guys and see how the general audience reacts to them. It's harder to do when you are in the Impact Zone but you have technology to help as well. Give them 10 minute matches and see if people care about what they are doing. If they do, maybe they get to stick around but the key is that they need to STICK AROUND. If people want them there, these "winners" need to stay on the main roster and have matches. That's really the thing holding it back now. Not one guy who has won is on TV. That's bad.

I agree with you that there needs to be a change in the Gut Check premise. However, I believe the suggestions I've made are the best way to make it something worthwhile. I don't believe in taking names people know and putting them in there though. You can actually debut those people on the show. With that said, it's pretty stupid to debut like 10 guys who are better than the Gut Check guys as X Division hopefuls and have some of them land jobs while guys who are supposed to be getting a "showcase" have less of a shot at making it. That's not so good.

That's why I said there are degrees to this.

If you are against taking "names" "people know", you have to understand that both terms are relative. Someone will always know your name. How many is what matters.

Did MILLIONS of people know who Mason Andrews is/was? I doubt it. How about Rubix? How about half the TNA guys they brought in for the tourney a month ago or so? Based on the fact that DOZENS of users on a WRESTLING forum hadn't a fuckin' clue who these guys were tells me that they all would have been better candidates than the same trash that's been on Gut Check since it's start. The only guy, literally, worth a damn was Joey Ryan, and they've completely dropped the ball with him.

I agree that quality needs to be a focus here, but that does not negate a "name" being one of them. Maybe Aries or Wolfe, etc. would have been above this, but that's not to say that all "indie" talent would be.

The fact that none of the winners has stuck around on TV is because they're giving "deals" to OVW guys who ARE NOT READY, which brings this all back around to the point that I made earlier — the talent has to be ready to make the jump. If this is all about bringing in farm filler, it's FUCKING POINTLESS FOR TELEVISION.

 

[JJYanks121]

That's why I said there are degrees to this.

If you are against taking "names" "people know", you have to understand that both terms are relative. Someone will always know your name. How many is what matters.

Did MILLIONS of people know who Mason Andrews is/was? I doubt it. How about Rubix? How about half the TNA guys they brought in for the tourney a month ago or so? Based on the fact that DOZENS of users on a WRESTLING forum hadn't a fuckin' clue who these guys were tells me that they all would have been better candidates than the same trash that's been on Gut Check since it's start. The only guy, literally, worth a damn was Joey Ryan, and they've completely dropped the ball with him.

I agree that quality needs to be a focus here, but that does not negate a "name" being one of them. Maybe Aries or Wolfe, etc. would have been above this, but that's not to say that all "indie" talent would be.

The fact that none of the winners has stuck around on TV is because they're giving "deals" to OVW guys who ARE NOT READY, which brings this all back around to the point that I made earlier — the talent has to be ready to make the jump. If this is all about bringing in farm filler, it's FUCKING POINTLESS FOR TELEVISION.

That makes some sense. I think the guys they bring in for it, be it OVW talent or Indy talent, need to be deemed TV ready by those in charge. Whether or not they connect with the audience is another story, but at least if you are giving them the shot, they could conceivably stick. That's the key there.

 

[ABMorales787]

I might, if I actually watched them. I don't, so my understanding of either man's career is limited, at best.

Ryback started as Skip Sheffield in the Nexus in 2010. Cowboy gimmick. An ankle injury and 2 years later, he shows up as the closest thing to Goldberg anyone has ever gotten. Brodus Clay was your random big monster. Some time away, he shows up dancing to Ernest Miller's theme song.

The point of Gut Check, to my recollection, was to "give talents outside of TNA" a chance at a TNA contract. It said nothing about a "trial match", or "OVW talent", or anything of the sort. That reads quite generically to me, which means it should not be self-limiting to JUST Team 3D Academy or OVW talents, simply because of the relationship of either to TNA. It should expand to any talent outside of TNA, period.

OK. That's understandable. But there is still the scale of the talent you take in to account.

And again, what the fuck is the point in bringing in John Doe from OVW, when you know he's not ready for IMPACT, just to participate in a meaningless match he'll undoubtedly lose (likely to a TNA scrub), just so Pritchard, Taz and Snow can tell him to piss off the next week? What are the viewers getting out of that? Who, among them, had any clue who the hell this random wrestler is/was? I'm willing to bet the answer is less than a percent among the regular viewers each week, so where's the payoff? Hint: there is none.

TNA has been making bad calls mostly for these. Taeler Hendrix was probably the best fit example of the kind of talent to have here. She showed enough skill to start off somewhere and seemed charismatic enough. But was still relatively unknown. Gut Check gave us a background, though they did not follow up.

There are varying degrees to those types. Yeah, maybe Aries was a bad example, or like Wolfe would have been, or even Steen, but my point is that there are talents out there who are exceptionally better than any of the trash Gut Check has paraded around that could make the entire segment worth watching. Thus far, the only one who's come even close to it is Joey Ryan, and I'm afraid the ball there's been dropped for something more people actually care about — Aces and Eights.

And his storyline seems out of place. The fact that he's an indie guy sticks out like sore thumb at this point and it all looks out of place with the actual segment.

Again, maybe Aries doesn't deserve to have his "indie cred" cut, but Kenny King? Mason Andrews? Rubix? I'm pretty sure these guys would have been 1,000 times better than Mike Shaw, or whatever the fuck his name was, or Kris Lewie, etc. etc. etc.

That's where you need to watch your call. Rubix, Mason Andrews and so are good examples. But Kenny King was ROH Tag Team Champion when he came to TNA and created a mass of controversy over it. It took a month to sign him and with Gut Check, it probably would've taken longer. Even a guy like say Davey Richards or lower on the scale like Apolo, a former TNA Tag Team Champion and current WWC Champion, shouldn't be on this. Why? Because they would have some momentum, a gimmick and establishment on their way in. But you pick OVW talent like say... Jesse Godderz would be a perfect fit for this. He has his reality fame, but at the same time has no real wrestling background other than OVW. Put him Gut Check to see if he's ripe for TV. If he isn't, we'll try in say.... 8 months? It's one Gut Check per month anyway. Not to mention there are other ways to debut. Who's to say he didn't impress anyone?


The point I'm trying to make is that there should be a margin to who is Gut Check material and who is above it.