TNA Should Sign Morrison, & the Storyline to Change the Landscape

[ProPainScott]

I have read the reports that say John Morrison wants to pursue acting. But lets return to the real world for a minute.

TNA could throw some money his way right now, and tell him something he has never heard before... creative has something for you. He is a hot commodity right now, and here's why.

The wrestling world is really hyped up on CM Punk, and his whole real life storyline about how he thinks WWE needs a change. The difference between guys like CM Punk, and many others before him, is that they left WWE. CM Punk is working for the company that he criticizes, which makes for interesting tv, but still comes off as scripted.

WHAT IF... TNA can secure some disgruntled WWE guys from the past... for instance, lets go with John Morrison, Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas.

Starts some vignettes saying, "2012, TNA is about to get REAL". something like that. Then Morrison, Carlito, Benjamin, Haas show up, and shoot on WWE and how creative has nothing for some of the most talented athletes in the world, etc etc.

Call out Punk and say that he bites the hand that feeds, yada yada.

Then you divide a line between some of the talent in TNA.

Sting can speak up about how those guys aren't welcome, because we were fine without you. He will back the homegrown talent. You could have a group with Sting, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, Kazarian, whoever else you want to throw in there.

Anderson could join forces with his former disgruntled WWE comrades, and then some guys could be on the fence, like RVD.

RVD could turn on TNA at some point, and join Morrison & Anderson.

Hogan would be split, because TNA is his baby, but he also respects the former WWE main eventers, because he once was them as well.

The heat between these guys would come off as very real, with guys like Sting and Roode and Joe protecting TNA, the company they built.

And Morrison, RVD, Anderson, Benjamin, Haas can be fighting for the top spot that they truly deserve.

It's hard to say who the faces and heels are here, but I think you establish some stars in the process.

Bobby Roode vs John Morrison for the belt would be cool.

Benjamin & Haas vs Samoa Joe & Kazarian for the tag belt could put a spark in tag team wrestling again.

Have Team 3D take sides somewhere down the line, and Flair, just keep it interesting week by week, where the TNA faithful and the WWE Outcasts try to one up each other.

Morrison, Carlito, Haas, Benjamin will never come off like outcasts because they are all very talented in the ring. This will all lead to fantastic matches.

I know this is kind of fantasy booking, but I think the point I want to get across is that WWE is making their storylines very real, and if TNA could sign some more of these newly released WWE stars, they could fire a shot at WWE and start a "shoot style" storyline just like WWE.

It would be interesting to see guys like Bobby Roode and John Morrison competing for ratings with Cena and the Miz. I don't think TNA's product is as far behind WWE's as the ratings would lead you to believe... they just need something to set it off. Now is the time!

 

[ProPainScott]

oh yeah... and of course you have Morrison, Roode, and everyone in between spouting off on twitter.

Imagine if Twitter fiends like CM Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin start commenting on some of the things Morrison and Anderson would be calling them out for.

Start a twitter war between CM Punk/WWE and John Morrison/TNA. Now that would really have the IWC going bananas....

 

[Daniel]

Just as we see a close to the god-awful Immortal and Fortune storyline, you want another faction-war? No thanks. TNA needs to focus on producing good solid programming with the extensive talent they already, not just shovelling former WWE talent into the company. Not to mention the fact that some of the guys you list don't deserve a top spot - not even in TNA.

This is fantasy booking at it's worst. There's no logic here, and it relies on toeing the line of kayfabe. It sounds like something Vince Russo would... oh.

 

[blockanWo]

They should be distancing themselves from 1) Identifying former employees of the WWE - they are your stars now. Not WWE's dont give them free publicity. 2) taking cheap shots at them - it makes TNA sound low rent. Why acknowledge your competition, act as if they dont exist, do your own thing.

I dont have an issue with Morrison comming into TNA, as long as Melina stays well away. But hes not main event material.

 

[closet_fan]

Morrison a hot commodity? I don't think so. He floundered in the E after getting chance after chance. He has no charisma and cowers behind Melina like a little bitch. Don't forget you're gonna have to sign her to. Morrison isn't going to go anywhere if she can't sign as well.

No offense to the OP, but this idea is terrible. Besides, Benjamin and Haas are content in ROH.

And you can't have them shoot on the WWE. It's free pub for Vince and also a welcome mat for a lawsuit.

 

[Yesiamaduck]

Why is it everytime the WWE release ANYBODY fans of TNA suddenly deem them an invaluable talent? They shouldn't sign WWE talent always for name value because it makes them appear even more like the C show that it is, they need to establish it's own brand and not tarnish it with terms such as 'has been' & 'faliure'

Signing WWEs 'C-Class' talent isn't going to make you show look any more credible (unless they had no chance to establish a name of themselves in WWE at all) and whilst I'm not completely against it but by doing what you suggested it'll just make IMPACT WRESTLING seem like the place to be for those that couldn't cut it in the big leagues and your story line amplifies it further.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Haas and Benjamin have been more than abundantly clear about the fact that they have no real desire to enter TNA. They seem to be more than happy with their current position in Ring of Honor. They have stated profusely that the style and fanbase that ROH provides is the perfect scenario for their talents.

Not to mention that ROH has pushed them through the roof since thier entrance. Hell, just last week(in an epic match that I attended live BTW right here in Dayton) at Survival of the Fittest 2011 they went over cleanly against Davey Richards and Jay Lethal, the ROH World and TV champs respectively, in a "champion's challenge" tag match.

I was never a fan of Carlito to begin with, so I prefer he stay away, along with the DH Smith's and Chris Masters' of the world. None are needed on the TNA roster.

And I only support the addition of Morrison if he's being signed to bolster the X-division; not further crowd the main event ranks.

I could see a Morrision/Aries alliance similar to his former partnership with the Miz... allowing Aries to handle the majority of the mic work along with doing the heavy lifting during matches while John focuses more on spot-duty(his only real specialty). A feud between JoMo/Aries and the "Guns" could be money for TNA.

And then hopefully Aries could go The Miz route and asscend to the top of the card, leaving JoMo where he will always belong... as a spot-monkey mid-carder.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

WHAT IF... TNA can secure some disgruntled WWE guys from the past... for instance, lets go with John Morrison, Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas.

Starts some vignettes saying, "2012, TNA is about to get REAL". something like that. Then Morrison, Carlito, Benjamin, Haas show up, and shoot on WWE and how creative has nothing for some of the most talented athletes in the world, etc etc.

I skimmed your post and all I had to read was this.

NO. Just...NO. I've said this once already in another Morrison thread...

TNA...DOES NOT NEED JOHN MORRISON!!!!!!! Morrison NEEDS them more.

TNA NEEDS to separate itself from WWE altogether. WWE is the superior brand and its time they start realizing this and DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Stop picking up WWE's leftovers, build your own and make WWE go "oooo we want him, he's good and over with the fans" cause right now thats exactly what TNA is doing.

"rating dont matter" "TNA gets better draws than a Smackdown house show" BULLSHIT!! If you believe ratings dont matter you know NOTHING about TV. Ratings are what keeps a show on TV. Its what decides if they the network/creators are doing something right or wrong.

Im tired of the TNA slappys making excuses. I have tried to watch TNA...it sucks. They blew their load in a matter of a month on a good solid title feud, a feud that could've gone for at least 3 or 4 months.

Then you divide a line between some of the talent in TNA.

TNA did this with the Main Event Mafia a few years ago.

Sting can speak up about how those guys aren't welcome, because we were fine without you. He will back the homegrown talent. You could have a group with Sting, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, Kazarian, whoever else you want to throw in there.

Not sure if you know this or not but...STING IS NOT TNA HOMEGROWN!

I dont even know what else to say. Someone else can take it from here.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

First off, I do have to say that the idea as the OP has presented it is not badly imagined or put together. It's a story that could work and could be interesting. Some of the booking could lead to some very interesting matches. So, good on you there.

However, don't you think perhaps that TNA has enough ex-WWE guys already? For goodness sake, in terms of story and format, TNA of today has pretty much become the WWE on a lower budget. Many of the more original characters that TNA built up have already been given their walking papers and have been replaced by people the WWE either fired or underused to the point of their quitting. Tell ya what, if the WWE were to eventually buy out TNA the way they did with WCW, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

The last thing that TNA needs is more ex-WWE wrestlers. What they need is more originals. They need to start being what they used to be, an alternative to the WWE and that means being different from the WWE, instead of trying to emulate them. Bringing over a bunch of WWE talent with an obvious gripe about the WWE brought to the story itself just drives home the fact that the WWE (if not in actuality then at least in attitude) is slowly but surely taking over TNA.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

The concept of your angle is quite good and something that would be quite interesting to see play out, although it does seem quite similar to angles TNA have run before, but the wrestlers you've chosen leave a lot to be desired IMO. I don't know who Charlie Hass is, barely know who Shelton Benjamin is (remember seeing him jump off a ladder once), Carlito isn't really that good and John Morrison should be signed for the X-Division. For an angle like this to work I think you'd need some more high profile names.

I'm not against signing wrestlers who have competed for WWE if they improve what you have. No one can argue with having Mr Anderson and Jeff Hardy on the roster instead of Jay Lethal and Amazing Red. Original isn't always better. I believe John Morrison would be an improvement, to the X-Division. From the little I've seen of Morrison, he's a great athlete but not that much of a character so the X-Division would be a good fit for him. I wouldn't mind seeing John Morrison come in and work his way towards A Double, but I don't think he should come in and go straight towards the main event. TNA's main event scene doesn't have time for guys like Bully Ray, Mr Anderson, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy or Matt Morgan at the minute, so Morrison stands little to no chance IMO.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Personally, I'm not in a rush whatsoever to see another faction wars storyline. It's a concept that TNA has done to absolute friggin' death and they need something fresh. The idea in and of itself also isn't all that realistic and is a nice example of fantasy booking. Carlito recently posted via Twitter that he's signed a long term deal to, I think, UWF. I might be wrong on that, but I do know that he's signed with someone. As for Benjamin & Haas, they're firmly signed with ROH and ROH's working relationship with TNA has been definitely rocky at times. I suppose TNA could come to some sort of financial arrangement with these companies for the use of these guys, but I wouldn't bet on it as none of those guys have ever been top level stars in WWE. JoMo, Haas & Benjamin can't talk on the mic to save their lives and the whole group will ultimately come across as just another group of bitter ex WWE guys that, at least in JoMo, Carlito & Benjamin's case, that got fat financially in WWE but come to TNA and gripe how they didn't get "used right" all while avoiding any mention of attitude problems from them, all the numerous pushes & title runs they had and/or their inability to get to the next level despite said pushes & title runs.

The best use for JoMo, if TNA is interested and he's interested, is to just stick him in the X Division. Austin Aries has been carrying the X Division for months now and he definitely needs someone on his level to feud with because Kash, Ion, Sorensen & Kendrick just aren't cutting the mustard.

 

[~Heup©~]

JoMo had the opportunity to get over and move ahead like miz did. Or at least it seemed that way. i honestly thought i would see jomo taking the route that miz took but it seems morsion was clearly not as charismatic. its unfortunate though because i thought coming off the buzz he carried in ecw that he would easily grab a world championship run<not a wwe championship run>. I think he would find a better groove in roh before tna. its a fact that tna already looks like a locker room full of defunct wwe superstars. If jomo wants to advance then tna is not the look he needs.

 

[FlairFan2003]

I agree just signing wwe talent is not an answer. When Vince was building wwe he was signing established main event stars, guys already known to wrestling fans. Hogan was main eventing in AWA, kerry von erich was NWA champ, Ted DiBiase was main eventing all over mid south, Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, Greg Valentine, Rick Rude, Road Warriors, Curt Henning, Roddy Piper etc , all big stars before Vince signed them. TNA signing failed 3rd stringers like Morrison, Carlitto, Benjamin, etc isnt going to elevate their program.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

1. John Morrison needs TNA a lot more than TNA needs John Morrison. In fact, TNA doesn't need John Morrison at all, because despite the fact that he got relatively over a couple times in WWE, that does not make him as hot a commodity as the dirt sheets and sites like WrestleZone are making him out to be. At the end of the day he's still an athletic gymnast with a mode'ls body and the personality of a bathtub fart.

Frankly he's no better than Carlito, Shelton Benjamin or any of the other physically talented but personality-lacking 'talents' released by WWE over the years.

2. Your storyline reeks of Alliance v. Invasion all over again, especially with guys like Anderson and RVD (especially) playing a part in the entire thing despite having been with TNA for a significant amount of time.

3. No more stables, please. Not now. Let's talk about this when the singles era falls flat, but can we please keep the focus on Storm/Roode for now?

 

[MFR0mack]

Morrison a hot commodity? I don't think so. He floundered in the E after getting chance after chance. He has no charisma and cowers behind Melina like a little bitch. Don't forget you're gonna have to sign her to. Morrison isn't going to go anywhere if she can't sign as well.

He didn't "flounder" at all, it's funny how people let their memories get changed. The guy was a heat-seaking missile in MNM, playing a great heel to the crowds as Johnny Nitro. When he switched to John Morrison in ECW, playing the arrogant, elitist heel, fans flocked to boo him like mosquitos to light, but once he turned face & switched brands, he was always heavily popped during his entrances and his matches. He literally stole the show at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber earlier this year, along with putting on classic matches with Sheamus & The Miz and completely had the crowd behind him before he got injured. He doesn't need Melina to make himself a star and she doesn't need to be signed for him to consider it.

I agree just signing wwe talent is not an answer. When Vince was building wwe he was signing established main event stars, guys already known to wrestling fans. Hogan was main eventing in AWA, kerry von erich was NWA champ, Ted DiBiase was main eventing all over mid south, Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, Greg Valentine, Rick Rude, Road Warriors, Curt Henning, Roddy Piper etc , all big stars before Vince signed them. TNA signing failed 3rd stringers like Morrison, Carlitto, Benjamin, etc isnt going to elevate their program.

Sure when Vince was building WWE he signed main eventers... But how about at the company's most crucial time, when it was going out of business? 1995 to 1997, all sources acknowledge WWE was in a deep financial hole it was having trouble getting out of. Signing Bret Hart to a multi-million dollar contract they couldn't afford on top of paying Shawn & Undertaker $750,000 a year wasn't helping anything. How'd they get out of that hole? Well, with talent signed from WCW. Diesel, Goldust, Triple H, Farooq, Brian Pillman, Mick Foley and Steve Austin, just to name a few, were among the ex-WCW talents that WWE signed to build within its own roster. People look at this signing shit all wrong. It's not that they're ex-WWE guys, it's that they're guys with talent that didn't get a chance to do their full thing one company, so they get the opportunity to do it in another. Just like WCW guys that were getting misused in the early 90s, they all got their chance to shine in the WWE.

 

[DeathClutch]

Without getting into fictional storyline that in all porbability won't come into fruition; if JoMo wants to become a professional wrestling "World Champion" he needs to head off to TNA as they're his best chance of that feat. His style would give a unique blend to their show and he'd have an abundance of talent to work with but I'm not sure if he has the desire to drop down to TNA in terms of money and the fact TNA is looked at as the minor league I'm not sure JoMo wants to be in that enviroment

 

[ECW Dan Selby]

This has all really been covered tbh, but my main problems with this are:

*Morrison isn't main event, in WWE, or TNA.
*He doesn't have the ability to carry an angle of that magnitude.
*I think TNA have just turned a corner (TNA stars pushed, OVW deal) - Fans are perfectly happy with this notion, and rightly so.

WWE influxes can only get you so far, and that's always short term (a few .1's on the rating, perhaps). Longer term, TNA must create their own stars that are property of TNA.

Selby

 

[MFR0mack]

This has all really been covered tbh, but my main problems with this are:

*Morrison isn't main event, in WWE, or TNA.
*He doesn't have the ability to carry an angle of that magnitude.
*I think TNA have just turned a corner (TNA stars pushed, OVW deal) - Fans are perfectly happy with this notion, and rightly so.

WWE influxes can only get you so far, and that's always short term (a few .1's on the rating, perhaps). Longer term, TNA must create their own stars that are property of TNA.

Christian & Tomko weren't main event, either, until they went to TNA. But you gotta stop looking at these guys as "WWE influxes." They're not. They're free agents signed to a contract to perform in WWE. There's no reason for them to not work in other companies when they no longer work in WWE. I already pointed out the example that "WCW guys" are eventually what made WWE huge. Because they weren't looked at as "WCW guys," they were looked at as talent. Guys you look at as "WWE guys," TNA looks at as talent. They can easily create their own star out of someone that comes from another company, being from another company does not prevent that.

 

[akrassikauda]

No No and Hell No Morrison does not belong in TNA. He'll be back where he was in WWE. ROH is the right place for him. There are more wrestlers in ROH that fit his style than TNA plus since ROH puts more emphasis on wrestling working on his in ring craft will better him in the long run and it'll be hard to get lost in the shuffle in ROH everyone has something to do there. TNA might have him get over real quick then start having him job to the geriatrics for no reason at all. Morrison and WWE are tired of each other but bridges have not been burned going to TNA burns those bridges and Morrison knows this. Everyone knows Vince can't stand to mention anything TNA at least with ROH WWE doesn't see a potential threat and why would Morrison go to TNA some of the complaints he had with WWE is in TNA.

 

[Larry]

Enough about what he should or shouldn't do. Let's look at what he's GOING to do. It was reported that John Morrison has NO intentions of going to TNA, he's not resigning with WWE, and in fact what he wants to do is try to get into acting. SO there you go, end the speculation, that's what it is. He's done with wrestling for the foreseeable future. I think getting shit on despite his efforts in WWE has soured him on wrestling in general and that's why he doesn't want to continue with it.

He's been fucked with enough, dealt with enough politics, been looked down on for all the wrong reasons enough, that he is finally done traveling with the circus and wants something else. I can't blame him, nor should anyone else. After having his manhood questioned because he didn't want to cause problems backstage with the Batista situation, having a problem with Bitch Stratus trying to run the show on him and Melina and getting shit on for that, being pushed down even when he was getting the big pops and stealing the shows, and being made into a jobber after all his years of hard work with the WWE, I don't see why he would want to walk into another situation that he can only imagine would be similar or worse.

TNA isn't run half as well as the WWE, there is obviously a great deal of politics involved there, and who knows what kind of heat he'd get if he came in and ya know, was successful. You know the "TNA Originals, who built the company" would be pissing and moaning because he came in and got somewhere, and he probably doesn't want to deal with any of it, and who could blame him? I wouldn't want to go to the land of misfit toys to have all of them hate me and shit on me too, why would he? I think it sucks because I like him a lot, he's one of my absolute favorites and I thought he would have a bright future, but it appears that it's true that if you're not "One of the Boys" or just willing to be run into the ground, you can't make it in the WWE, they make you a whipping boy.

I think it would have been a good idea for him to go to TNA if he wanted to continue wrestling opposed to ROH because of the obvious advantages like pay, scale, and exposure. TNA is just bigger period and still on cable so that would be the logical choice. I was thinking that he could show up as a heel and faces Jeff Hardy, and that they could have a great program together. Morrison could basically reprise the character he played in ECW and work in perfect contrast to Hardy. BUT, none of that is going to happen now. He's done being shit on and isn't going to risk dealing with it again.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Just one thing, one reason why WWE started succeding in the Monday Night War is because they were focused on their product and not belittling WCW in their major angles. TNA doesn't need to keep taking potshots anymore, they have a credible feud going, the OP's ideas are pointless and bland.

 

[Lowdown]

While Morrison is gifted athletically, that's where it ends. Entertaining the thought that TNA would want him, it wouldn't be beneficial to stick him in a stable right away, especially if its going to be similar to the Invasion angle, and everyone knows how that turned out. Perhaps if he does leave WWE, Morrison would be better suited in ROH or DGUSA. But in TNA, he would flounder IMO. Not taking away his accomplishments thus far (at least as a tag team partner), but it doesn't seem that he would fit right.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

According to something I read on PWInsider.com a little while ago, allegedly, there's strong interest from TNA officials to bring in both Morrison & Melina and have them work as a couple.

Morrison's original WWE contract expired sometime earlier this month but signed an extension to work shows that he'd been advertised for. His last day is said to be Raw this coming Monday. Allegedly, JoMo has been unhappy and has been looking forward to leaving WWE and the feeling seems to be mutual as WWE hasn't really even tried to convince him to stay.

According to what I read, the top idea floating around right now seems to be making Morrison the centerpiece of TNA's X Division and to have him work a program with Austin Aries. If what I read turns out to be how it actually is, then putting him in the X Division is the best way to use him in my opinion. In some ways, Morrison puts me in mind of Kazarian in the sense that they're both highly athletic, are good inside the ring, have the whole pretty boy thing going on and can't cut a promo to save their lives. They just have the same strengths and weaknesses and Kazarian is pretty much X Division for life I think.

I'm assuming that the 90 day no compete clause will be in effect so, again if this is how it ultimately turns out to be, it'll give Aries a nice long run with the title. At the same time, it'll kinda give a sense of Aries just kind of spinning his wheels until Morrison arrives. I'd say some will be a little put off with TNA pushing another ex WWE guy so prominently and ahead of other guys currently in the X Division, but I don't see anything else to be done. Aries needs a high profile feud against someone with some star power in the X Division and someone to generate interest. The 3 or 4 guys aside from Aries that make up the X Division right now just aren't doing it. Aries already holds several victories over all those guys anyhow and it doesn't look as though TNA is interested in bringing in a relevant X Division great to do anything with Aries.

 

[dwith]

I think they would kick ass, and really help boost the tag team slump their in. I used to love the tema of JOHNNY NITRO, and JOEY MERCURY, managed by the lovely MELINA. I don't see wher it would be a bad thing for TNA at all unless your a hater, but the team was successful.

I think it would be a excellent way to bring them all in to TNA, and get some ole school fans from back in the early 2000's interested right off the bat.

Would anyone else like to see a reformation of MNM in TNA. I'm not talking rehashing WWE product either. WWE is the one I think who prematurely broke these guy's up, and I say why not let a company that has tag team divisions capitalize.

 

[Jackal960]

In all honesty, TNA does NOT need new wrestlers. When you list their existing talent it will be a long list, and not a bad one. However, you will see that the company doesn't use their full potential. MnM is not an upgrade for TNA, just adding new wrestlers to their existing already fine ones. The problem is more about using the full potential of the talent they have. If MnM reformed in TNA, good for them, it might be fine for the division. But in reality, TNA can find a similar tag-team from their current roster, they don't need to import.