TNA Gut Check Expands Starting on Thursday

[It's Damn Real!]

http://www.impactwrestling.com/news...rsday’s-IMPACT-WRESTLING-broadcast-on-SpikeTV

In the Spring of 2012IMPACT WRESTLING brought the TNA Gut Check to Spike TV! This competition sees an aspiring wrestler got a chance to tell his story, have a match and be evaluated with the ultimate goal of earning an IMPACT WRESTLING contract! Alex Silva, Taeler Hendrix, Sam Shaw, Wes Brisco and Christian York have all passed their Gut Checks to earn a spot on the roster. Now, the competition is getting even bigger!

Previously, the TNA Gut Check contestant would wrestle a member of the IMPACT WRESTLING roster in an attempt to impress the judges! Starting on Thursday’s broadcast, TWO Gut Check contestants will compete head-to-head. They will tell their story and face off against each other in the Gut Check match! The judging panel (Sr. VP of Talent Relations Bruce Prichard, Sr. Director of Talent Relations Al Snow, and former Two-Time World Champion Taz) will evaluate both wrestlers performance and give their final verdict on the January 17 IMPACT broadcast.

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I like the change. It's small, but it's effective, and I guess this means Gut Check is certainly sticking around for the foreseeable future.

I'm still adamant about this not giving focus to performers who are still far to unknown to make an impact (no pun intended), but the more they bring in these vets and young vets, the better the product is likely to be as a result.

Thoughts on this change?

 

[6timehitta]

I'm wondering if this means the winner will get the contract? This provides a lot of interesting combos of what if he wins and doesn't get a contract, or what if the loser gets a contract, but the winner doesn't. I think this is a brilliant move by TNA. IDR is completely right by this being a small change, but I think this'll make Gut Check viable, and add some new and fresh storylines to TNA.

Plus this'll introduce us to 2 guys instead of one, meaning these 2 guys' careers will both be benefitted whether they flop or not as they got "some" T.V time in a major company.

 

[Papa Pillman]

This is better than them having a guy with little chance getting squashed by a low-carder. Or even worse having a match where a lower/mid-carder on the roster has to find a shady way to go over a guy with potential just so the outsider doesn't get a win(ala' Ion over York).

If the plan is to make sure that in 2013 they can feature atleast one guy with some kind of indy name value every month(Ryan and York for example, or Cage and Bradley potentially) instead of teenagers or out shape never has-beens than this is a great move. It adds two potential roster additions a month instead of one.

They could even create matches where young developmental level guys they're interested in building(Sam Shaw types) can face less green, more established indy stars that already have a following on the indy circuit and are ready to help the main roster(Joey Ryan types). Then in one month the company could get both things they're looking for with Gut Check- a youngster with longterm potential, and a current main roster addition who has already established himself to a degree and needs little seasoning.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I actually think the biggest positive to this change is that we are guaranteed to have a Gut Check contestant actually win his/her match for each edition of the segment, which will go a long way in actually helping to sell that performer moving forward — something Gut Check has struggled mightily with since it's inception, having every wrestler except Wes Brisco actually lose their match in competing for a contract.

I can't emphasize enough how important that one aspect will be.

 

[UrUp]

At first sight, I really like this. As in most cases, 2 is better then 1 and I like this dynamic of seeing two new talents face off against one another. Everything about it is fresh and unpredictable and the chances are you'll like at least one of the competitors.

The only problem I find with this is the caliber of star we've been seeing sign with TNA as of late. Where WWE has basically made FCW the new ROH - as far as the names go - and signed up a large portion of the top all-around indy stars, TNA has been signing lesser known guys who for the most part show little to no potential. Most of them don't even stand out in one area of wrestling, mic work, or look rather then in all three. Even in cases of someone like Joey Ryan, you're not talking about a home run hitter, though he is a solid roster guy.

If Brian Cage and Jay Bradley are the first contesants, they both better make it seeing as how they are better talkers, better in the ring, and physically bigger then 50-75% of the roster and especially all the new signings barring Knox/Doc. If they could keep up that caliber of indy wrestler, then Gut check should definitely improve. I just wonder how much of that talent is left and if there is talent, is TNA capable of finding it.

All in all, this is good news and a step up from the original gut check idea.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think this is a positive move. Gut Check was getting pretty stale, with the contender pretty much guaranteed to lose their match, and apart from York and Ryan all the contestents have been pretty boring so far.

With 2 contestents facing each other, you are guaranteed to see 2 hungry wrestlers pulling out everything they can in order to impress and have a good match, which is great. I fully expect this to make the Gut Check segments of Impact alot more entertaining that the ones in the past.

I just hope they get some good, well known indie talent rather than mostly rookies and nobodies.

 

[HBsam31]

I like this little change. I think it will be better to see one gut check go against another instead of him facing someone he clearly isn't going to beat. The downside is that the matches could get pretty sloppy if both guys are very green in the ring. I wonder if the winner of the match will automatically get the contract or if they will still vote? It looks like they will continue on with the gut check if they are tweeking it, and I think that is a good thing overall for TNA. It is something that sets them a part, and it gives us fans a chance to see some possible future stars in the company.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

It's Jay Bradley against Brian Cage, RESISTANCE PRO which is Billy Corgan's(Smashing Pumpkins) promotion confirmed Bradley, and several Pro Wrestling Guerrilla stars confirmed Cage by wishing him luck.

I'm not too familiar with Bradley but I know he improved a lot on what he once was. Used to be generic as all hell, then I heard reports on his work in RESISTANCE and hes supposedly got a really good cocky heel gimmick going on there, a little bit of the style Nigel McGuinness's Desmond Wolfe character used to have too.

As for Brian Cage, I know much more about him. Not one of the most talented guys on the indies but again he too has improved a lot in recent years, especially his look. Used to be pretty scrawny then out of nowhere he began getting ripped. Good tag team wrestler, so if they can find someone to put him with he should be cool. His Double Jump Moonsault will go over great in the Impact Zone too, hes actually a pretty good fit for the X-Division, good wrestling ability not all that much charisma but a bit of a personality.

Good restructuring of the concept, I like it and like the first contestants.

 

[JJYanks121]

Dumb idea. We have 16 threads a week about how so and so is talented but gets no TV time yet we are supporting putting not one now but TWO unknowns on Impact twice a month? Gutcheck just got LONGER because we have to sit through TWO interviews where we find out of these guys make the roster. That's likely to be at least 10 minutes.

Just remember next time you are complaining about your favorite guy not getting time that these losers are getting 25 minutes over two weeks. That's your TNA folks.

 

[New Hot Fed]

Here's the thing, TNA has wrestlers they dont know what to do with, now they're gonna bring news guys on a regular basis being given new contracts and they'll don't use them that much on the long run. To mention I figure most of them will be green guys, right.

 

[Dirk]

TNA has to bring in young guys, though, because their roster is old. They don't need new guys only, but young guys. Their roster now is kick-ass, but we've discussed the roster age at length.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think it'll be of any particular help, but it certainly won't hurt it either. The first two competitors under this new format aren't from OVW, which might be a good thing as I can't say that I've been blown away by the guys that TNA's developmental territory believe have shown the most promise thus far.

Also, I have a feeling the Impact Zone crowd will be okay with it. They cheer for damn near anybody anyway. They'll just be cheering on two guys they don't really know instead of one. I don't think it'll be a game changer, but I do think it's better than basically feeding the Gut Check contestants to members of the roster in what generally amounts to 3 minutes of nothing.

 

[josh210]

Here's the thing, TNA has wrestlers they dont know what to do with, now they're gonna bring news guys on a regular basis being given new contracts and they'll don't use them that much on the long run. To mention I figure most of them will be green guys, right.

Have you seen brian cage wrestle? It is a little stupid to say such things if you still dont know the contestant.I agree with the lack of use but there is a chance that they could have a future main eventer in gut check

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

Great idea but one drawback. You have two greenhorns in the ring surely it's going to result in worse matches? And the majority of the Gut Check matches have sucked pretty bad.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

This could be a great idea. I hope they stick with people like Christian York and Taeler Hendrix who aren't no names because that's what Gutcheck needs to be. Considering we just had Sarita & Rosita leave the company and Hendrix is still doing nothing I wouldn't mind seeing another Knockouts Gutcheck soon.

Or maybe do a tag team Gutcheck? That would be cool to see and give us another team or two in the division which can only help things.

 

[CaptainInsano]

Great idea but one drawback. You have two greenhorns in the ring surely it's going to result in worse matches? And the majority of the Gut Check matches have sucked pretty bad.

The two people they are bringing in are not greenhorns at all. They are solid workers. TNA has brought in some solid indy talent and this is a way to see if two indy workers work in the impact zone. Both guys being brought in tonight are solid workers and are nowhere near green.

 

[Cereal Killer]

I agree with IDR. This is small but effective.

We don't have to see two guys getting squashed by a TNA contracted wrestler. Those matches always tend to be boring. We hardly see any offense from the Gutcheck contestant which really ruins things as we; the fans, can't actually give our opinion easily. Now, the contestants are wrestling others who have a similar experience and can put on a decent match together because of this.

Also, one of them is sure to win. So we don't have to witness something that is a possible waste of time like Kris Lewie's or that 18 year old's tryout matches. We saw two lame matches and then the week later.........they were told no.

Again, we will have decent matches now and a guaranteed winner so it won't be pointless anymore.

The reason they changed this (I think) was because of the same reasons as a lot of the people here as fans were disappointed and also because of how they're apparently reaching out to indy talents which can put on more entertaining matches, the judging can be more intense which is interesting and there is a chance they will take in both talents which means they can bring in stars faster instead of only 12 entries a year.

 

[ramblinroy682]

I like the idea. It's kind of a version of tough enough. But, If they do this 12 times a year, that might be too much. I'd vote for one every 3 months.

I do think it's a good idea, but at some point they're going to need to actually debut somebody new in a normal fashion. Knox, DOC, and Chavo are the only recent additions to the show. None of them, at this point, have really made a dent.

All the other guys debuted in some sore of tournament or gut check. Kenny King, Zema Ion, and even Aries debuted because of the x-division tournament. I'd like to see them bring in a guy like Bradley and introduce him in a way that would be a logical addition to the show. Even bring him in as a bodyguard for Aries or Roode. Something that makes him stand out. The two best recent debuts in my mind were Desmond Wolfe and Pope. Wolfe's was a spectacular debut and made him feel important right from the beginning. They didn't capatalize on it, but the debut was great.

Now, maybe this gut check segment they can really focus on the back story of years in the independent ranks and say this is a huge opportunity or signing for TNA.

I'm still waiting for the guy that says, I'm not competing in some sort tryout. I'm too damn good, you either want me or you don't, etc. Make a story of it and have them debut in a big way.