Welp, It's Summer Again and Matt Morgan's Getting A Push... God Help Us

[Con T.]

Listen, I know it's TNA, and they're kind of inept. But no matter what, there's always one constant; everyone who works for TNA seems to think Matt Morgan will be the next thing. The Russo regime pushed him, the Hogan regime pushed him, and it's always that he's this monstrous blue chipper.

And I just have to wonder; why? Seriously, why is this guy still going to be a thing, in TNA's eyes?

I suppose I should be candid on this; I do not like Matt Morgan

I do not like him in TNA.
I do not like him in any way.
I do not like his awful promos.
I do not like him, he ruins shows.
I do not like how his matches suck.
I do not like how I give no fucks.
I will never pay to see him fight
His retirement will be a delight
I do not like him, he is quite bland
"But he's a star!" TNA demands
He isn't a star; he never was
Still, he gets pushed, because... Well, because.
I do not want him on my TV.
I do not want him; please let me be.
I'd like for him to go far away.
The day he's fired will be a great day.
When he arrives, the crowd dies a death.
I think I'd rather snort crystal meth.
I hate his beard; it looks like a bush.
So, why does this man still get a push?
I'd like to know if he has a fan,
To explain the appeal of this man.

 

[Alex]

I like the guy. He's not one of my favourites but he certainly has things going for him. From an overall standpoint he's got more going for him than any other big man on the TNA roster. He's got pretty decent ring work for a guy of his size. His mic skills aren't terrible. I mean it doesn't sound forced when he talks (in my opinion)

I mean what are your views on the other big guys in TNA like Knox, Rob Terry, Doc, Crimson and Abyss/Joseph Park??

 

[Thriller Ant]

The thing with Morgan is that he could easily get put over as a monster in TNA. He's got a good look, he's much larger than most of the roster, and his mic skills aren't terrible. The problem is that he's had so many pushes aborted that he can't be taken seriously any more unless he gets a major repackaging.

 

[akathelaw]

You can center a company around a good big man with charisma. Obviously Hogan is your prime example. "Diesel" knew what he had and took it to WCW to make obscene amounts of money. Brock Lesnar was the hot performer in WWE when Rock and Stone Cold left. When you look at a 8x10 of Morgan along with the guys I just named, it's definitely understandable why there would be interest in pushing the guy.

Imagine if The Rock never evolved out of the Rocky Maivia persona, or was too timid to go full bore into the over the top Johnny Bravo/Duke Nukem character everyone knows. I feel like Morgan has sat still for too long in the "Blueprint" persona that was his introduction to the business.

What Morgan lacks is the proper attitude. He comes off annoyed that he hasn't been the top champion yet. He shouldn't be annoyed, he should be aggressive and competitive. He should strike fear into his opponents with a look. Honestly Rob Terry is going to end up surpassing Morgan as far as proper attitude goes. Morgan has good ability in the ring, but TNA has failed to direct him into a moneymaking role. He's a long term midcarder, another great talent who lacks the intangibles TNA never figured out how to produce.

 

[Con T.]

I like the guy. He's not one of my favourites but he certainly has things going for him. From an overall standpoint he's got more going for him than any other big man on the TNA roster. He's got pretty decent ring work for a guy of his size. His mic skills aren't terrible. I mean it doesn't sound forced when he talks (in my opinion)

I mean what are your views on the other big guys in TNA like Knox, Rob Terry, Doc, Crimson and Abyss/Joseph Park??

Can you name one great Matt Morgan match?
He's a member of a crappy batch.
Joseph Park is the best guy, I say
His gimmick works well in TNA
I can't say the same thing for old Matt.
When he's in the ring, the crowd goes flat.
At least Knux and Doc are somewhat new
And Aces & 8's will help them, too.
Matt's been there for years, with no success
He can't connect with the audience.
My opinion of Crimson skewed
By the awful Crimson/Morgan feud.
Rob Terry's at least a sight to see
And is good to provide comedy.
All these men have redeeming traits.
Matt Morgan does not; the mid card's his fate

 

[ThePrawnCurry]

Its Russo.

Why does anyone think that he will ever really understand the business of getting someone over by just hanging around for long enough?

TNA will stay a joke with this loser at the helm

 

[ECWcyrus]

I don't get the hate on Morgan. He's not perfect by any means, but the guy can talk and is decent in the ring.

The big problem I see is the fact that TNA has really given him a stop and go push. If they actually stick with him, I think he could be a solid main eventer.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Morgan has never shown me anything worthwhile. What's sad is that other people feel that he has shown them something.

People call him a good talker. He certainly isn't a bad one. I'd call of him more of a confident talker myself. He says things convincingly which makes people think it was actually worth listening to.

People say he's a decent worker. I see that as being more of a "Hey, he's ok for a big man" kind of rationale. For a big man I guess he is ok. If the big man you're comparing him with are Mark Henry, Giant Gonzalez, The Great Khali & Test.

People say he has a good look. He certainly doesn't have a bad look. Then again, his good look probably refers to him being very tall.

There's a reason Morgan hasn't made it yet. He's crap. Him being crap is also the reason he'll never make it.

 

[Bryan Is A God]

I thought Morgan will be the next big thing in 2009.. Morgan has run his course in TNA, there's not much to do with him anymore. They tried pushing him and it failed.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I've only watched TNA since 2010, so I can't comment on what Morgan did prior to that. but since then, when has Morgan been pushed hard and failed? I can think of only once. the only time I think Morgan was pushed to the main event and failed, was when he left Immortal/Fortune and then had a feud with Hardy for the title. but I don't think that was all Morgan's fault, as much as how he was used. I don't even think that Morgan push was planned. Anderson at the time was feuding with Hardy, but then Anderson had a legit concussion. there wasn't much time and they needed someone else to fill in. all/most of the other wrestlers were all involved in story lines. enter Morgan. he turned on Immortal/Fortune to become face. IMO Morgan face alone isn't a good thing. but then he went on and on and on and on and on and on (you get it) about how bad concussions were. I got so sick and tired of hearing him talk about concussions.
IMO this Morgan push is different. in part because he comes off as a heel. the times I have seen him he is mush better as a heel. I think he was at his best when he was heel and had both tag team title belts.
I think Morgan is good on the mic. he has an impressive look. how he can "wrestle" to me isn't very important at all. I don't even pay much attention to how he wrestles, and don't really think that should be much of a factor.
I don't think he should become a world champion, but I don't see any problem with him being around the main event level as a heel.

 

[Haight]

Any momentum, or chance for a push Morgan may have had, died last week when he lost to Sting. He didn't just lose...he lost cleanly, in the center of the ring, via a submission hold executed by an older man. Not only that. Sting was just toying with Morgan with the first Scorpion deathlock and Morgan could have easily swung 2 feet to his left and grabbed the side ropes. Instead he takes the longer route forward. Horrible ring awareness. Then Sting applied the submission hold for real and Morgans arms were well within reach of Stings legs. How he didn't manage to get out of that hold, is still a mystery to me. The icing on the cake is the Carbon Footprint, a devastating finisher that has put guys like Jeff Hardy away, seemed to have absolutley no effect on Sting. Somethings going on here. In order to keep Morgans chances for a push alive, that match needed to end in a time limit draw or something. Then it would come down to politics and Hogan would have to make a decision. But the way I see it, You can't keep talking about how you're the answer to Hogan's prayers for months, then end up losing as bad as he did. His only option is to go to Aces & Eights at this point. BTW, if Morgan does go to Aces & Eights, I hope they shred that damn robe to pieces!

 

[flyinbukta]

Morgan has never shown me anything worthwhile. What's sad is that other people feel that he has shown them something.

People call him a good talker. He certainly isn't a bad one. I'd call of him more of a confident talker myself. He says things convincingly which makes people think it was actually worth listening to.

People say he's a decent worker. I see that as being more of a "Hey, he's ok for a big man" kind of rationale. For a big man I guess he is ok. If the big man you're comparing him with are Mark Henry, Giant Gonzalez, The Great Khali & Test.

People say he has a good look. He certainly doesn't have a bad look. Then again, his good look probably refers to him being very tall.

There's a reason Morgan hasn't made it yet. He's crap. Him being crap is also the reason he'll never make it.

So he's not a bad talker, and he is a confident talker (which is the most part of making what he says relevant, with all of it being scripted, and if you've actually listened to what anyone in TNA says, you can tell that all of it is scripted, no matter what they'd have you believe - not to mention that nothing anyone says in TNA is worth listening to, and I love TNA). So, with being confident being the main necessary criteria, I'll take that as pretty good.

For a big man he's okay. I can't think of that many better big men off the top of my head. Kane, Taker... now I'm drawing blanks. If he was handled the way the Big Show was handled, he'd be as good as Big Show, because Show isn't great in the ring, he's barely even good, but you can buy into him. Sometimes how you're handled is all you need to look good in the ring. So he's okay in the ring.

And he doesn't have a bad look. He has a fairly awesome look if you ask me. If he hit the right exercises a little more to get a bit more ripped, he'd be properly awesome in terms of look. He's tall, but not lumpy (like most big guys in wrestling nowadays are), and he genuinely looks like he can move quickly in the ring (and does so sometimes). So, in your opinion, he's got an okay look.

Pretty good + okay + okay = crap?
Are you using an Isenberg grading criteria?

Matt Morgan has been crap. He strikes me as someone who either feels more entitled to be a main player than he is, or who doesn't really care about wrestling. And I think that has contributed to him never reaching the levels that worse big men have got to.
I mean, if someone doesn't want to work at it, how can anyone be expected to let them?

But I think that Matt Morgan can be good as at least an upper-mid to lower main event player, if he can get over that hurdle. But, tapping out to Sting when Sting locked in the least painful-looking Scorpion Deathlock ever on him won't help that.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

TNA pulling the rug out from underneath Morgan is a popular belief for the reason of Morgan's struggles, but I don't buy into it. I honestly can't remember one Morgan moment on he mic or in the ring that blew me away, or really caught my attention. Not one. His match with Kurt Angle at Bound For Glory a few years ago wasn't horrible, but it wasn't anything memorable. His best of three series with AJ Styles was also forgettable at best.

Morgan is more entertaining as a heel, and I think he did his best work as the delusional and narcissistic dick, who held both tag team title belts. Morgan has the size and right look to be a destructible monster, and with a mouthpiece, he could have a chance at a resurrection. Just have Morgan come out and destroy everything in his path without saying a word. Then a manager can talk him up as a big threat and unstoppable force, similar to Heyman/Lesnar.

But I doubt it would happen, because Morgan hasn't given TNA a reason (or reasons) to transform him into a legit main eventer. Maybe he'll pop up in the world title picture as a chaser, or in #1 contender matches every now and then, but that's it. At some point, you need to accept the fact Matt Morgan isn't that good, and he doesn't have the "wow factor."

 

[ABMorales787]

Its Russo.

Why does anyone think that he will ever really understand the business of getting someone over by just hanging around for long enough?

TNA will stay a joke with this loser at the helm

Russo left 2 years ago. You living under a rock or something?

Morgan's a flash in the pan. The only reason there's ever any traction to his character('s) is because he's a really big dude. Then he grabs the mic and sounds like a Jr. High jock. He's certainly made major improvements over his career, but they fall short in comparison to the rest of the TNA roster.

 

[go_patriots11]

Totally agree with this post. I've always hated Matt Morgan and anytime he is on my screen I can't help but change the channel. He just screams bland to me and to be honest I think it's his name. The name "Matt Morgan" has 90's jobber written all over it. It's almost like you were playing a wrestling game and it was the default name they would give your created superstar. At this point I do believe he is damaged goods. Theres absolutely nothing he could do at this point that could make me take him seriously as main event.

 

[blockanWo]

Whilst Morgan has bored me in the past as a face, I have been a big fan of Morgan's since his return with Ryan a few months back. He suits a heel far better.

However...

Any momentum, or chance for a push Morgan may have had, died last week when he lost to Sting. He didn't just lose...he lost cleanly

Is exactly right. The entire last 6 months is now wasted. His giant build up is now nothing but talk. Any plans for him to challenge for the title are now just garbage.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I've seen some talk about how Morgan's momentum was killed when he lost clean to Sting, but I don't think that's the case. he didn't get pinned or submit, he passed out. he didn't give in to the pain, he held on so long that he passed out. I think that made him look strong despite the loss. he did control most of the match if I remember correctly. when Morgan first passed out, it reminded me of when Steve Austin passed out from the sharp shooter to Brett Hart. now Austin was also bleeding at the time, so that gets taken into account as well.

I personally don't want to see Morgan face Bully anyway. wouldn't that automatically put Morgan into a face type role? regardless it would be too soon for Morgan to take on Bully anyway. whoever was facing Bully wasn't going to win anyway, so had Morgan beat Sting and then went on to lose to Bully I think that would have hurt him more than passing out to Sting.

whatever Morgan's wrestling ability is, it doesn't matter. he's a big guy, he doesn't need to be a good "wrestler". people aren't going to watch Morgan for some good wrestling moves.

 

[mlp420]

Nobody is going to remember that he lost a match in a late April episode of Impact in the long run. Especially to an guy like Sting. I love how people try to sound like experts when exaggerating match outcomes. The problem is we have no clue where they are going with the guy. They write this shit out months in advance now.

 

[ThisisBDub]

I do not like him in TNA.
I do not like him in any way.
I do not like his awful promos.
I do not like him, he ruins shows.
I do not like how his matches suck.
I do not like how I give no fucks.
I will never pay to see him fight
His retirement will be a delight
I do not like him, he is quite bland
"But he's a star!" TNA demands
He isn't a star; he never was
Still, he gets pushed, because... Well, because.
I do not want him on my TV.
I do not want him; please let me be.
I'd like for him to go far away.
The day he's fired will be a great day.
When he arrives, the crowd dies a death.
I think I'd rather snort crystal meth.
I hate his beard; it looks like a bush.
So, why does this man still get a push?
I'd like to know if he has a fan,
To explain the appeal of this man.

The single best thing I've ever read. On topic I agree Matt Morgan has done nothing entertaining in his life. Single most entertaining thing he's done wasn't even his idea. (the stuttering gimmick gave to him by WWE creative)

 

[Lowdown]

I have no problem with Morgan, but he's not who I tune in for week in and week out. He definitely is or could be the feature big man. But like previously stated his pushes peeter out after all the build. He was looking like he could just take the championship anytime he wanted, yet it crashed and burned with the loss to Sting the other night. He could play a part in the title match at Slamiversary, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's not on TV for a few weeks either. Still, at the end of the day it's whoever TNA feels the need to push. Morgan ended up being another catalyst towards Hogan and Sting's war with A&8's.

 

[lowandmighty]

At the moment, I do share the view that Matt Morgan is kind of crap and boring.

However, I'm a little bit on the fence for this issue because he is a very big dude, and I like wrestlers to be big so I want him to become successful and make the TNA champion credible.

The only thing is he just isn't aggressive and angry enough and his finishing move looks kind of slow, weird and has an air of counter-productiveness about it.

I've been waiting for him to be repackaged in a way that makes him dominant and powerful and I've been waiting a long time, its like when you try to grow marijuana and you wait and wait and it turns out the seed was a dud or the plant grows but never really produces any buds.

So far all he has going for him is the beard.

 

[Alex]

Can you name one great Matt Morgan match?
He's a member of a crappy batch.
Joseph Park is the best guy, I say
His gimmick works well in TNA
I can't say the same thing for old Matt.
When he's in the ring, the crowd goes flat.
At least Knux and Doc are somewhat new
And Aces & 8's will help them, too.
Matt's been there for years, with no success
He can't connect with the audience.
My opinion of Crimson skewed
By the awful Crimson/Morgan feud.
Rob Terry's at least a sight to see
And is good to provide comedy.
All these men have redeeming traits.
Matt Morgan does not; the mid card's his fate

The sad thing is I can't. I've been racking my brains and I just can't think of a standout match. The thing is i still believe it's more creative's fault than his. In the past TNA have dropped the ball with lots of talent (The Pope, Alex Shelley etc) so I still believe that (in part) creative is at fault for Morgan not getting over.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I like Matt Morgan. He's not an all time favorite or anything but, in my opinion, he's shown too much talent over the years to have been used the way he has for his time in TNA.

Morgan has a great look, he's pretty damn athletic for a guy his size, has shown solid overall ability in the ring, has a great physical presence, has shown genuine personality and is pretty decent on the mic. I don't think Morgan is perfect, every wrestler has some shortcomings no matter what, but I don't really know why TNA hasn't pulled the trigger on the guy.

When I look at the main event picture in TNA right now, I'm of two minds. On one hand, I'm just not interested in seeing Sting, yet again, get a title shot while in the role of TNA's savior. I think they missed an opportunity to finally put Morgan over the hump and make him a consistently top guy. On the other hand, we've seen Matt Morgan in such a spot several times already and it just never ends well for him. TNA has had a formula for Morgan that looks something like this: build him up & give him a strong push for a few months, give him one or two shots at the title, doesn't win the title and then it's back down to the undercard & mid-card limbo to wander around with no real purpose for the next few years.

Even if Morgan did get the spot instead of Sting, it'd still be kind of hard to get excited about it. As I said, we've seen Morgan in this spot before too often. At this point in time, I don't think Morgan is the right person to take the title from Bully Ray. Maybe, just maybe, if TNA starts booking Morgan consistently like a true force, then he MIGHT be the guy to take the strap come Bound For Glory.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I like Matt Morgan. He's not an all time favorite or anything but, in my opinion, he's shown too much talent over the years to have been used the way he has for his time in TNA.

Morgan has a great look, he's pretty damn athletic for a guy his size, has shown solid overall ability in the ring, has a great physical presence, has shown genuine personality and is pretty decent on the mic. I don't think Morgan is perfect, every wrestler has some shortcomings no matter what, but I don't really know why TNA hasn't pulled the trigger on the guy.

When I look at the main event picture in TNA right now, I'm of two minds. On one hand, I'm just not interested in seeing Sting, yet again, get a title shot while in the role of TNA's savior. I think they missed an opportunity to finally put Morgan over the hump and make him a consistently top guy. On the other hand, we've seen Matt Morgan in such a spot several times already and it just never ends well for him. TNA has had a formula for Morgan that looks something like this: build him up & give him a strong push for a few months, give him one or two shots at the title, doesn't win the title and then it's back down to the undercard & mid-card limbo to wander around with no real purpose for the next few years.

Even if Morgan did get the spot instead of Sting, it'd still be kind of hard to get excited about it. As I said, we've seen Morgan in this spot before too often. At this point in time, I don't think Morgan is the right person to take the title from Bully Ray. Maybe, just maybe, if TNA starts booking Morgan consistently like a true force, then he MIGHT be the guy to take the strap come Bound For Glory.

I agree with the last part.

Morgan is not the best wrestler on their roster. Not at all. If you compare Morgan to Austin Aries or Bobby Roode, he pales in comparison and I don't think this is fair.

Matt Morgan is a big guy. As a big guy, he should be graded on a whole new scale. Big guys have limitations and they function in a different way than other wrestlers. Athleticism is not a requirement for a big guy. It's a plus, but it doesn't have to be there. All a big guy needs is a look, fluidity in the ring, mic skills and proper booking.

Morgan has all of those things, but they are half baked. Why he wears a damn golden cape and golden tights is beyond me. It makes him look like a goof. His hairstyle makes him look like a goof as well. You wanna be booked as a badass? Look like a badass. Spiky hair and golden tights are not badass. They're goofy and look even goofier on a 7 feet tall grown-ass man.

Mic skills wise he has it down pat. It can be improved but it works. In the ring he can get the job done. Think of the last botch Morgan did. Exactly.

Point is, TNA can have him be their monster, their badass, their force to be reckoned with. They can book him as a scary ass powerhouse, but for some reason they don't, they never have. Why? It's beyond me. However, the potential will always be there. Whether Morgan or TNA will capitalize on it is for us to see.

Right now though? Morgan is right where he should be, if not higher than he should be. For that talent, this is the position you have. Yes, you grew a beard. What else is different, Matt?

 

[waylon p]

Matt Morgan has all the tools to be a major champion that Kevin Nash had: size, looks, build, microphone skills and the ability to execute reliably enough wrestling moves to fill out a Raw vs Smackdown toon.

I think he is only missing one major factor that Nash had, as far as on camera work. I am unsure how to put this, how to word it succinctly.
A major push from Vince McMahon is one way to say it. Not just because Vince made Nash a superstar; although that certainly is a huge factor in why Nash fared so much better in his career. When Vince had Morgan, he and his creative team had been scraping the bottom of the gimmick barrel so long all they could think of was "a guy who stutters.". Nash was given a cartoon character. Once he could embrace, sublimate and eventually transcend the cartoon character, he found he had the ability to create a sophisticated character from the starting point of the cartoon. This sort of evolution is not only good storytelling in general, it is the only sort that works more often than not in wrestling.

Matt Morgan is trying to create a sophisticated character from the starting point of a sophisticated character. He rightly eschewed the lame attempt at a cartoon character that was thrust upon him by Vince, but never replaced it with another cartoon. What he is trying to do has been pulled off before, but it has an extremely high failure rate. He has stacked the deck against himself.
Not that these problems are entirely his fault. If he was as old as Nash or Mark Calloway, he could have been around during a time when building a successful cartoon character was easier. It may be that it is too late for him to pass himself off as anything simultaneously over the top and cool. I think that Matt should search long and hard until he finds a quality about himself that is sort of geeky but slightly cool, and exaggerate it and its importance in his life until he has a persona that people will buy. once it is successful, THEN he can be the thinking man's wrestler that he so obviously wishes to be.

I know he will never be the best wrestler ever, but He is better at it than Hogan ever was. Hogan got by on charisma and character. So did Nash. Morgan may not have shown the sort of charisma they did, but he actually does have some, it just needs to be nurtured in the garden of a persona that fans can get behind.