Styles, Samoa Joe, Abyss, Sting? Who's the most needed TNA Original?

[It's...Baylariat!]

Not trying to split hairs here, but I'm going on the fact that none of the wrestlers listed were ever major or minor stars in the WWE. So they're originals as far as I'm concerned. The question may seem simple, but there can be cases for each, as was the case in the previous thread.

AJ Styles
Styles has been in TNA from day 1. Multi-time world champion, has been in feud after feud there, wrestled some of the best wrestlers in the world, and his wildly popular when a face. As a heel, his mic work's been average, but his work in the ring has made up for it. When I think of TNA, I don't think Angle or Hardy or Jarrett. I think AJ Styles.

Samoa Joe
Joe's been a mythological creature in TNA for sometime. His character seemed to bring some genuine danger to his matches at one time, until his character was wussified to the point of no return. Not even him carrying a matchete saved his dangerous 'Joe's gonna kill you' character. BUT, he's still a good wrestler, and many TNA die hard fans are fond of Joe.

Abyss
Same can be said of Abyss. At one time, his character was revered as a genuinely scary character who had an edge about him. It was like Kane done right. Only now, he's merely a comic book character done wrong. And he's apparently Hulk Hogan's protoge. Which makes no sense whatsoever.

Sting
Sting's obviously the more known of the previous three wrestlers. His work in WCW is legendary and even some of his work in TNA's been real good. His 'heel' character now isn't as good as it could be, but what do you expect when the guy wears an oversized Sting T-Shirt to beat you up. It's kinda funny more than anything. His aura isn't as present as it once was... and climbing the rafters in the iMPACT zone isn't as cool as climbing the rafters of a 20,000 seat arena. But his mark in wrestling's left and he's been a huge help for TNA in the past few years.

So out of these four originals, which one does TNA have to keep on their roster to be successful. Basically, you have to release three of the four...which one do you keep?

List the wrestler and the reason why you keep him.

 

[Ferbian]

It's a tough question Lariat, Certainly you could look down on every single one of the wrestlers and say "but they're both a draw, in their respected manner, they both put on great matches" etc.

Personally I think even if he's a heel person now, and seems to more and more try to resemble Ric Flair in a somewhat failing manner, I would still keep AJ Styles around because he is, both one of the main eventers, he is the true definition of original, he was with them from the very start becoming signed with the company the very first month of it's founding.

All of the others, they're great stars, and draws immensely, but I think that Aj Styles is by far the true definition of original, and he's the most beloved star of the company, the one with the greatest potential to become a great of the business, and is one of the better wrestlers of the world right now, so it'd be stupid to release him.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I would have to go with the Phenomenal AJ Styles. His character isn't really that hot now and you could say that the man isn't really a big name compared the other big names in TNA like Angle, RVD, Hardy, Sting, etc. but without AJ Styles TNA may not even exist to this day. We would probably never see any of these big stars without AJ Styles. AJ is basically the TNA workhorse that is loyal to TNA.

He is basically the Shawn Michaels of TNA. He may not have a huge following outside TNA, but he is the backbone of TNA.

Sting is a legend and has done a lot for TNA in his short time, but the man is about to retire so there is no need to keep Sting around. When you think of TNA Originals, Sting's name doesn't ring a bell.

Samoa Joe is a name like AJ Styles that you think of when you think of TNA. The man is a monster in the ring and although he has been out of the spotlight, Joe can really take out anyone in his path. If AJ Styles is the pure athlete of TNA Joe is the pure bad ass.

Abyss would be known as the monster. The hardcore wrestler with shades of Kane and Mick Foley rolled into one. He soon became TNA's version of Eugene and Dave Sullivan though. After he turned into a second rate Hulk Hogan ripoff, even the Impact zone fans are booing him. Abyss is sluggish and slow now more then ever. It really doesn't matter what Abyss does now because hardcore wrestling is now irrelevant in wrestling just as much as being a hulkamaniac is too.

AJ Styles is the company man, the five star athlete that when you think of TNA you think of him. Everyone else in the company could leave but the heart and soul in TNA is AJ. AJ leaving TNA would be like Michaels or the Undertaker leaving WWE in their prime. When Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan called AJ Styles the greatest wrestler in the world today, you know he is worth his weight in gold. AJ may need a little help with his mic skills or becoming a huge name, but the man is arguably the greatest athlete in the world today. Anytime you think of a wrestler debuting with TNA you automatically think of that wrestler having a match with AJ Styles.

I would bet that if WWE could take any wrestler from TNA they would take AJ Styles. I'm sure the fans would love to see it to just so they could see some great matches in WWE like AJ has had in TNA.

 

[HT UK]

AJ Styles - I'd definatly keep him. He is Mr.TNA, when people think of TNA, they think of him. He has the look, and talent of a champion and should definatly be TNA's top face, and not some crappy heel, but that's for a different thread.

Samoa Joe - He is a very good wrestler, but he's been repacked so many times that he's starting to lose his credibility, plus he doesn't have the right look to be a main stream success. I give TNA credit for f*cking him up. I'd hate to see him be released, but if I could only have 1 of the four listed, he would have to go.

Abyss - Also been repacked too many times, and after being a ****** to claps alot, to Hulk Hogan 2.0. Too much damage has been done to his character and he isn't even that good of a wrestler. He should be released anyway, and fast.

Sting - I've always hated Sting in TNA for several years now. His constant cycle of dissapear, return in rafters, get insta-title shot, win belt, lose belt, dissapear then rinse and repeat was getting ridiculous. He's past his prime, can't put on great matches any more and also needs to retire along with a lot of TNA's roster.

 

[TheLunatic]

I voted Sting. I think he's the biggest draw right now, and he's the number one heel in my eyes over a piss poor heel in AJ Styles.

In my order it goes:
Sting
AJ
Joe
Abyss


AJ will be number one in the matter of a year. He's the "face" of the company, and when 'n' if TNA ever succeeds, it will be because AJ takes the company upon his back and blows through the glass ceiling. AJ has all the talent in the world, and is an amazing face (an even better face then he is a heel), he's only 31, so I don't think he's even peaked yet. He's the future of the company.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

AJ Styles defo...it was kidna hard to pik between him nd joe, but i think he has been more valuable to TNA since he started..he was in the main event scene staright away facing off against jarrett..nd now 8 years on he's still there..the longest serving wrestler...soo thats y i pik him..

 

[fenfool]

AJ really carries the identity of the company, from a 'TNA original' standpoint. Sting is nice because of his prior rep, but he could retire without any great loss. He's been threatening retirement for a while now, so it's almost expected. Abyss is kind of Kane-like...he's been a good hand, used largely to help others get over, but again, not a huge loss if he left.

Joe has been strangely used, to put it nicely...but really, he can still really help out the company if given the chance. Joining the MEM was a mistake, he's really best off on his own...we'll see if he gets his chance now.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

It's AJ Styles, and I don't see how anyone could vote for someone else. Styles has plenty of time left in the wrestling business, and he is a great wrestler. If booked right, AJ can be the man to carry TNA on his back. I haven't been a fan of his heel turn, because it's just very hard for me to buy into the whole "next Nature Boy" thing, but Styles still has a lot of time left.

I'm huge fan of Samoa Joe's, but I don't think he could be "the guy" for TNA. For a man of his size, Joe can move fast, and his endurance level is amazing. He is also very convincing as a bad ass/tough guy. Although, Joe really isn't that great on the mic, and he doesn't have the look. Also, Joe's nation of violence storyline a while back could've been something, but it was ruined by TNA.

Before Hogan arrived, Sting was easily the biggest legendary name TNA had. Sting's character still has a lot of mystique left, but he's starting to get up there in age, and I don't think he will stick around too much longer. Plus, Sting works a very light schedule, so he also has that strike against him.

When I first began to watch TNA, Abyss was one of my favorite characters and wrestlers. He was the scary and violent monster who would destroy anything in his path. But over the past couple of years, his character has been ruined. He's gone from being this psychotic beast, to being this creepy guy, and now he's supposed to be Hogan's pupil? And holding Chelsea against her will while he forces her to do unthinkable things is not helping the Monster either. Abyss's character used to be something special, and he used to cut some amazing promos, but now he's just been damaged beyond repair.

 

[Greenlight13]

I find your phrasing of TNA original a little frustrating, because you're taking the stance of Not WWE = Not a Star, which despite my love of the indies, is probably true... but Sting is a bigger star than all but a handful of WWE guys and he never worked there, so is he a TNA original? How is him being an established name who came in to work for TNA different than D'Angelo Dinero and Mr. Anderson coming over? Because they got fired and Sting didn't? Anyway, forget that, that's for a different board altogether.

To answer your question, if I had to release three of the four... well, that depends on my intentions. If I want to hurt the WWE, I keep Sting, as he would give them a chance for a one-off PPV encounter that would generate huge buzz. Something on the lines of Sting vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Vince loves nothing more than epic Mania confrontations, and that would rank among the most anticipated. Sting... in a WWE ring... after all these years... against Undertaker... in a Dream Match... with The Streak on the line... need I go on?

If I want the best thing for my company, I keep AJ Styles as he is the most versatile of the four performers, he's been there since day one so they can claim him as homegrown to a degree they can't with Joe, who transferred his character from ROH into TNA and ran with it three years after AJ had gotten over in TNA. AJ's won every title they have more than once, and he was chosen to work with Flair for a reason: he's their franchise player. Do his promo skills set the world on fire? No. But on his day he's one of the top 5 in-ring performers in the entire world... and he's rarely off his game.

He has the look and presence of a big-match performer (whenever they do the super-special-introductions, he looks right at home in my opinion), he can wrestle and sell against the best technical wrestlers in the world for a serious match, but he can also perform those crazy spots that TNA can claim you will never see in the WWE. AJ has done a ridiculous number of high-spots, but I don't recall any of them going wrong or him injuring himself. He's also twice as athletic as Jeff Hardy, who has made a living doing one of the simplest high-flying moves there is from great heights. In essence, whether you want a serious championship wrestler, or a spot-monkey to make a highlight reel out of, AJ is your man.

Joe's awesome, he really is, but he has lost a step in the last couple of years. Don't blame it all on TNA's booking, watch his matches, he's carrying more weight, moving a little slower and just seems a step off compared to how he used to be. Sure, he's older now, but even so, AJ still manages to bust out some of his best stuff despite being nearly a decade older than he was when he debuted. At his best, Joe has been the most over guy in TNA, a legitimate bad-ass, and a participant in some of the best wrestling matches the world has ever seen. But I believe that AJ is on his game more often than Joe is. AJ is a consistent, reliable performer.

Abyss is capable of so much more than he does, but even at his best, he doesn't compare to what the other three bring to the table. Sting is a name and a draw. AJ and Joe are all the things I said above. Abyss is merely a serviceable big-man. Matt Morgan is a better wrestler, but Abyss has a better character, and character is in the hands of the booking staff, so you CAN blame them for Abyss' short-comings (compared to the 50/50 share Joe has with them). He used to be cool man. He used to break into people's houses and try to drown them in their pools. He was a legitimately scary monster, but now he is a ******, literally, a ******. He claps his hands and talks like a child and thinks a ring gives him power. He Hulks up. He has a sex-slave.

I thought it was a bad idea to take James Mitchell away from him, but I never thought it would get this bad. At this point in time, you could take Abyss off TV and nobody would really care that he was gone. He's the least over of the four, he's the least talented of the four, and the only thing he really has going for him that would prevent you from cutting him is that he has a better body for the WWE than Joe. That's not enough.

If you want to stop WWE from benefiting, keep Sting, if you want to help TNA, keep AJ. Try to keep Joe too. Abyss can go spit.

 

[El Rev sXe]

let me put it this way:

Sting: the man, the icon, the legend!!!.....of WCW. yeah I think he was the first BIG name TNA hadn and yes probably cause of him TNA was put on the radar as a competiton to the WWE. however the man will be remebered most for his hate to VKM, his time with WCW rather than being with TNA. plus the guy has this sporadics appearances so....

Samoa Joe: well here in Bolivia we only have WWE, but I have seen a couple of times some matches, BTW not only in TNA, of Joe and yes he is a very good athlete. however, he is waaaay too independent circuit for me. I mean I can easily see him as a HUGE draw for ROH CHIKARA etc. but not for a manin stream company. he has the wrestling skills but not the charismas or mic skills that make a wrestler an sport.entertainer.

Abyss: hmmm not quiet sure.. as many said he is the character of TNA, THE character, now how good is his character is, well that is another topic. but I mean he is a good character but a good main eventer, with awesome mic skills and charisma?? NOT AT ALL! as many said also, he is a Mick Foley-Kane hybrid lol and neither of them are truly main eventers or "faces of the company" if you will.

AJ Styles: the phenomenla one!!! Ric f´n Flair protégé!!!now he may not be the next Flair or HHH or Orton as a heel but we all know how good is he. its have been well know: if the E wants a new fresh face that would be AJ Styles. plus man! the guy has been in TNA since...forever!!!lol just exaggerating but I mean the guy is clearly as loyal to TNA as someone can be! when people tell you ANYWHERE TNA you have a instant picture of AJ! P E R I O D!!!!!

 

[ffejyoop]

Has to be AJ. Even thowing out the being an "original" part(since AJ's the only one of the four that's been there since the first show), he's the most versitile and just screams TNA. The arguement that Sting would help WWE the most doesn't fly with me, they have had opportunities to bring him in and haven't done it yet (guessing it's more on Sting's end that he hasn't gone up north), I doubt that he would go there at this point in his life/career. Abyss was a BEAST when Mitchell was still there, it kept him as a "mind controlled" monster vs. the "mentally challenged" angle (both as a heel and face) they've gone with since then. Joe is the tough one though. He has had some great matches in TNA and his mic skills can at times be better than AJ's, but his misuse as of late really keeps the good '05-'08 action in the back of the head. Though I doubt WWE could use AJ or Joe right without making them jokes (think Evan Bourne)... I can't see either one in the main event in WWE.

 

[smfiscus1]

Honestly, none of these guys. Sting's not even a TNA original. The problem is this: TNA hasn't built up enough guys to THAT level because TNA isn't even at THAT level. That being said, I say they need to pick up someone from the WWE who A: has star power and B: isn't almost or already in his 40s. A good pick here would be John Cena or Randy Orton or someone like that. Will it happen? HA! No! Because TNA can't afford them. That's why they're using guys who have had their run in WWE or WCW to boost the guys they have now. Wait, did I say boost? I meant bury. Kurt Angle is probably their best asset right now, but his days are limited too.

 

[ffejyoop]

I agree with bringing in someone in their prime from WWE (Anderson would be the closest to that), but I can't see Cena or Orton "crossing the line", not even for money. They both seem too loyal to Vince (especially Cena) to jump ship.

 

[mister_b1LL]

Well, now you've put me in a little predicament there, Lariat. The little added thing about having to release the other three and keeping only one brings more spice to this conversation. Well let's see who is definitely not going to be in the running.

Abyss-His character started off grand and was an amazing gimmick in the beginning, but even then I never imagined Abyss being the face of TNA at all. Then his gimmick just got worse and worse over the years. And now Abyss is some blumbering guy in a mask who's homies with Hulk Hogan and is supposedly raping beautiful British women for 30 day periods. TNA fans hate on me all you want, but if Abyss was released, I really wouldn't miss him. Abyss is out.

Now that the excess is gone, let's see our other options. Well, a big requirement in my search is lasting value. So the next one that is leaving is...

Sting: Sting was one of my favorite wrestlers when I was a kid watching WCW in its heyday. He portrayed a great character and heel or face I always rooted for him. For years Sting has been the big draw that TNA has had. When you think of TNA one of the first guys you think of in the company is Sting. However, for me it's really been a pain to see a man in his 50s beat up younger guys with bats every week. It may not be as bad as a man in his 60s doing beatdowns but we'll save that for another thread. Plus at that age Sting may not have too much left in the tank to go any longer. He already contemplated retirement, and in my opinion, when you start thinking about it, it should be time for you to go. Sting, I enjoyed seeing you around, but it's time to make way.

That brings us down to two. My other requirement is that with the current gimmick they have now or in previous incarnations I have to see them as the face of the company. That means unfortunately that the last one to leave is...

Samoa Joe: Don't get me wrong, I am a major fan of Joe. He has a crapload of talent for a big guy in the shape that he's in. He's got one of the best finishers ever. And I'm hoping that his resurgence puts him back in the dominant spot he used to have that, thanks to TNA creative, was lost in horrifying fashion. But I have never seen him as the go to guy to carry a company. I mean I don't think people would enjoy seeing Joe's body in front of a massive TNA background telling you to Cross The Line (Sounds kinda WWEish, but hey I was raised under the WWE flag and I'm still pretty new to TNA). If I still was allowed to keep Joe, I definitely would love to put him as the top heel of the company, but alas I must get rid of Samoa Joe.

That leaves us with...

AJ Styles: This guy really has what it takes to have the entire TNA company on his back. AJ is an amazing wrestler with a great look and a great moveset. He can really get a crowd behind him when he is a face and I believe that if you put TNA in a 20,000 seat arena his reception would be even more deafening. Although his mic work may not be the greatest it has definitely gotten better than before and you can only get better than from where you're at with more experience. I could totally see AJ as the face of the company and even though 3 of the big "Originals" would be gone from TNA, I know it would be in good hands with AJ Styles.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'd easily have to go with AJ Styles. While I'm not overly fond of what they're doing with Styles right now, I don't think it'll be that way forever. Styles is one of the best in-ring workers in the world today and he's, quite possibly, the true heart and soul of TNA Wrestling.

AJ Styles is one of the wrestlers that ultimately got people to notice TNA in the first place. He's been there since day one and my older brother sometimes refers to TNA as "Built with Styles" and I think it's pretty accurate. While he may not be a big name when you compare him to the likes of the older WCW and/or WWE wrestlers that TNA has signed, Styles is generally the first name that springs into my mind when I think of TNA.

Samoa Joe is someone that I've just never really been completely able to buy into. I've no doubt that Joe has skill and that he's a pretty good wrestler. However, I've never seen him as being the least bit intimidating and that's supposed to have been a major aspect of who Samoa Joe is. Joe doesn't really look all that imtimidating to me and that's where "The Look" can and often does play a part. I'm not even saying that Joe would have to be ultra cut or anything like that. If Joe had the same body fat percentage, at his weight, as someone like CM Punk, he'd look pretty tough. You know, someone that keeps himself in shape, looks to be strong but doesn't look like some freak of nature. However, Joe is someone that's played an important part in TNA overall. He's one of those guy's that's been there from virtually the beginning and he's ingrained to many fans. I don't think he's quite as important or on the same level as Styles, however.

Abyss is someone that I found fairly interesting a few years back. He was mysterious, intimidating and came across as a good monster heel. Having him say virtually nothing was a good touch. However, for well over a year now, TNA has pretty much ruined Abyss. He's been tainted to such a degree that I think it's overshadowed just about any good thing he's done in TNA, for me at least. If he were gone, it wouldn't bother me in the least. I don't think I'd be able to accept Chris Parks as a serious competitor without a complete character overhaul at this point.

Sting is someone that's definitely in the twilight of his career, though I wouldn't really call him a TNA Original. For a long time, Sting was to WCW what AJ Styles is to TNA. Sting doesn't really need TNA, Sting never has needed TNA. A big plus, however, is that Sting's time in TNA hasn't eroded his legacy as he's been used pretty well overall. Aside from Kurt Angle, Sting is really the only "older" wrestler that hasn't damaged his legacy I think. It wouldn't bother me to see Sting go, however, as I think it's time. There's nothing left for him to do, he's had an incredible career, he's officially in his 50's now.