Why TNA Should STOP Making Former WWE Talent Their Champions

[BigBombB]

This is not a condemnation of Drew Galloway as champion. In fact, I saw what Galloway and EC3 did in Evolve, and I thought it was one of the most interesting things I've seen outside of WWE in a long time. Galloway does have star potential but WWE was way too crowded for him to get that momentum.

No, this is in light of some recent releases that TNA would be smart to hire on. Damien Sandow was majorly over in WWE, he could be majorly over in TNA. A healthy Wade Barrett would have some possibilities. And the recent exit of a healthy, charismatic, and young star like Cody Rhodes who made every character he played in WWE work might be a huge boom for the flailing organization. In fact, hiring two or three of the above people could help them land a better television deal.

So why not just bring these guys in, alternate the TNA Title between all of them within a year, and make them all feel special? Why not? It's typical TNA procedure. Except...who are these people outside of the WWE? Who are they really? What makes them worthy of being champion right off the bat, especially when TNA has worked so hard to establish all of these other talents on their roster?

The answer is...they're nobody. Or at least, by TNA audience standards, they should be treated like they're completely new. TNA shouldn't be relying on everyone remembering these guys time in WWE to justify making them champions in TNA. They need to prove it to the TNA audience first. Or, even better, make them stars PRIOR to being made champion.

Let me give a hypothetical example. It'd seem like the "obvious" move to bring in Cody Rhodes, make him champion his first night, and completely burn out his hype in the course of one night. What if, instead of doing that, they just treat him like a big deal and build on the hype he already has before eventually giving him a title shot?

It could be easily done. Have a jobber come out for a match, everyone is just expecting another typical TNA match, when suddenly Rhodes comes out as his opponent. Rhodes runs through him quickly, maybe doesn't even take his entrance jacket off, and makes his official debut. Rhodes is then tasked with making his way up the card, being treated like an "attraction match" as he faces talents of higher and higher value ("Can anyone last longer than two minutes in the ring with him?"). Early on, you can tease what is to come with backstage run-ins with EC3 where EC3 says something like "just remember, this is my company" and Rhodes says something like "not anymore". Then, after a few months, when Rhodes starts facing these guys, it would actually mean something. People would already be hyped to see it. The matches would actually freaking matter.

So TNA, please, stop shotgunning ex-WWE guys to the top of the card and use them for what they're worth instead. You did a great job with EC3, hell, even Lashley has stepped up and is one of the best wrestlers in the world right now, so keep that up. Keep focusing on characters instead of making a shopping list of champions. Your title already has a prestigious lineage, it's time to make the current champion surpass that lineage for the good of the company.

 

[ECPirate37]

I agree they should not be champions off the bat, and I agree that TNA should bring them in. In the past i've been big on TNA pushing their originals, not WWE talent that comes in. And I've been burned out on all of the "Invasions" and "factions" that TNA did, but this could actually be a really cool invasion angle.

Why not have those you mentioned, and maybe a couple of more come in mysteriously, and start leaving people laying out. Kind of like the Aces and Eights to begin with, only this time they won't be jobbers. They key is mystery. Like when Samoa Joe was going to have the "Nation of Violence" but they dropped it before anyone joined.

Having this group would be pretty awesome, and they don't have to win the title off the bat, but just like I said TNA dropped the ball with Aces & 8's because they NEVER let them win anything important (except Bully Ray), by Bound for Glory all the titles should be held by the WWE guys that invaded. Even the women's champion should be an ex-WWE'er. THEN, at Bound for Glory someone from TNA takes all the titles back. Galloway, EC3, and the Miracle are money. They should take some of the titles, but the COWBOY James Storm should win the Heavyweight Championship at BFG. From there, I'm not sure how it would play out, but that would DEFINITELY get TNA ratings.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

The issue isn't putting the title on WWE talents. It's pushing WWE talents over their own because they become available, and shot-gunning (as you noted) the process.

Angle/Joe is a prime example of how bad the booking in TNA can be with this. They landed the hottest name in their history and instead of building it for a solid year, they had Angle winning the title within, I think, three months. Ending Joe's undefeated streak. Just silly.

 

[dsotm5150]

I don't have any issues with former WWE stars being TNA Champion, after all you'd want your biggest name representing your brand, and right now TNA is kind of lacking in homegrown talent. That being said though, they still need to focus on creating their own stars.

 

[BigBombB]

The issue isn't putting the title on WWE talents. It's pushing WWE talents over their own because they become available, and shot-gunning (as you noted) the process.

Angle/Joe is a prime example of how bad the booking in TNA can be with this. They landed the hottest name in their history and instead of building it for a solid year, they had Angle winning the title within, I think, three months. Ending Joe's undefeated streak. Just silly.

I'll give TNA credit though, when EC3 finally lost clean, it was to a young talent with promise. Seems they have been learning from their mistakes at least.

 

[whoopin' ass]

Here's the problem though - people know who they are. This isn't the territory days where fans only know the local guys, both wwe and TNA are national promotions. It makes no sense for them to being someone in from wwe and then act like they are new to the business. Look how poorly that went over for Bryan Danielson. I agree with that has been said in that they shouldn't make them champ their second week there but there is no reason why they need to totally rebuild them before making them champ either. wwe does that purely out of ego. As for putting them over TNA own guys, who is left to do that too right now? This is a business, you push who is going to work out best for your company. If they want to bring in Rhodes and Sandow and push them hard over other guys, how can you blame them? I do think you need to balance it out but who do you think is going to sell more tickets - Rhodes or Robbie E?

 

[TDFG]

ECIII has done great since he went to TNA, I wouldn't have him down as the 'ex-WWE' guy, he isn't a TNA Original, but they've built him up as a TNA man.

I don't see Rhodes going anywhere soon, by the sounds of it he's in a 'Mysterio situation' he's going to have so sit, collect his wage, while waiting for his contract to wind down, terrible isn't it.

Of the rest, Wade Barrett & Damien Sandow are the two I would be interested in, especially Barrett, there is so much freshness in feuds available to him as a heel or a face, the last Impact Tour of the UK didn't sound as if it went overly well so perhaps Barrett is that guy needed to drum up some more interest, I'm not a big fan of National Stables but I wouldn't mind seeing a better version of The British Invasion with Wade Barrett, Doug Williams, Spud & maybe even Magnus.

Sandow. Aaron 'The Idol' Stevens, maybe the gimmick name is already the perfect fit, where he thinks of himself as the 'Global Idol' in TNA and he can quote this & that and try an irritate the fans & rivals by looking down his nose at people.

The best feud for both of these guys is to come in and feud with James Storm, Bram, Jeff Hardy or Eddie Edwards (while Davey is out).

 

[johnbragg]

What kills TNA is when they take an ex-WWE guy who was treated as crap by WWE, and presenting him as a huge acquisition by TNA.

Right now, Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes aren't stars, and TNA shouldn't treat them as stars coming in. They're credible hands, fresh faces relative to TNA, but they shouldn't be in the title picture until they, as TNA characters, earn their way into it. Even Wade Barrett, who was an Intercontinental Champion a little over a year ago and won a King of the Ring, was last seen jobbing left and right for about six months.

IT makes all the sense in the world for TNA to bring these guys in, they're trained hands. What kills TNA is treating WWE Rejects as immediately better than the guys they've got.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

The shotgunning of former WWE talent is the real problem, not so much they are the champs, as long as you build them properly it's not a big deal but it becomes much worse when you do it in the manner TNA does it.

IDR pretty much said my sentiments on it (which wasn't that far off from the OP quite frankly) and it's a big reason why I stopped watching TNA on a regular basis a long time ago.

Hogan's arrival was probably the biggest abuser of this issue, not exclusively Hogan showing up but it was really apparent when he showed up TNA seemingly made an effort to push all of their homegrown talent to the background so these former stars in other companies can show the current TNA talent how it's done when it actuality all they showed was how to take the wind out of TNA's sails. AJ was on a roll at that point, was voted the #1 wrestler in the world by PWI and out of nowhere loses the title to RVD within weeks of him showing up, that's just bullshit. These kinds of things were happening beforehand but that's around the time TNA back office painted the picture of "you know all those TNA guys you've been watching for years? Well they're actually not worth shit so here is some talent that actually matter". Yeah it happened with Joe/Angle, yeah it happened with the Main Event Mafia but at least they still had TNA originals in prominent roles and they didn't treat their mainstays like worthless trash, when Hogan showed up it was all about the former WWE/WCW guys until the inaugural BFG series which was a year and a half later.

Overall I felt these kinds of things shifted TNA's identity from a true alternative to WWE/WCW lite and when that's the identity you're showing to fans there's really no reason to watch.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Here's the problem though - people know who they are. This isn't the territory days where fans only know the local guys, both wwe and TNA are national promotions. It makes no sense for them to being someone in from wwe and then act like they are new to the business. Look how poorly that went over for Bryan Danielson. I agree with that has been said in that they shouldn't make them champ their second week there but there is no reason why they need to totally rebuild them before making them champ either. wwe does that purely out of ego. As for putting them over TNA own guys, who is left to do that too right now? This is a business, you push who is going to work out best for your company. If they want to bring in Rhodes and Sandow and push them hard over other guys, how can you blame them? I do think you need to balance it out but who do you think is going to sell more tickets - Rhodes or Robbie E?

Right, but this isn't what they were guilty of in the past. They were guilty of putting Val fucking Venis over Christopher Daniels. Putting the Nasty Boyz at the combined age of like 168 over Eric Young. Putting Flair in front of AJ Styles.

If Rhodes is brought in, without a doubt, he goes over just about anyone. The roster is thin. They need star power to re-establish themselves.

But the last thing I want to see is Rhodes or Sandow brought in and beating EC3 out of the gate.

The right decisions need to be made.

 

[ShinChan]

First of all, Guys like Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Drew Galloway, EC3 etc are nowhere near WWE Rejects. Reject would mean that these guys don't have potential in them to be a part of WWE. But they have a lot of potential. They are just unutilized ex-WWE talents. Unutilized means TNA could make a star out of them with their booking like they did with EC3.

I have no problem in former WWE wrestlers becoming champions in TNA. But the wrestlers TNA signs should have potential to be a main eventer in future. Like Sandow, Barrett or Cody have.

And I don't want any of the mentioned to get title reigns just in the initial state of their TNA career. TNA should build them gradually with good booking, stars would be surely made out of the so-called WWE Rejects.

Drew was a jobber in WWE in his final days and now he is the TNA Heavyweight Champion. In my view, It doesn't suggest that TNA is a low league thats why he became the champ. It suggests that TNA saw the potential in Drew and used it unlike WWE.

 

[Thepiedpiper]

I agree with most others, WWE is too crowded and they want what it seems as just a few at the top, where as TNA seems to use the underutilized ex WWE talents better Galloway and EC3 for instance.

As for Galloway being a "jobber" a lot of people seem to forget McMahons introduction of "Drew Mcintyre" as a future Heavyweight Champion.

I see nothing wrong with TNA giving ex WWE talent another chance to shine.

Mind you don't bring over the whole roster though...

 

[Rayne]

As for Galloway being a "jobber" a lot of people seem to forget McMahons introduction of "Drew Mcintyre" as a future Heavyweight Champion.

No, people just give more credit to recent events. They also have a very curious habit here of thinking 'jobber' is a pejorative term.

 

[New Hot Fed]

Right, but this isn't what they were guilty of in the past. They were guilty of putting Val fucking Venis over Christopher Daniels. Putting the Nasty Boyz at the combined age of like 168 over Eric Young. Putting Flair in front of AJ Styles.

If Rhodes is brought in, without a doubt, he goes over just about anyone. The roster is thin. They need star power to re-establish themselves.

But the last thing I want to see is Rhodes or Sandow brought in and beating EC3 out of the gate.

The right decisions need to be made.

Yea I will say the biggest difference to where TNA are right now and what they were years ago when they had Roode, Storm, Aries, Joe, Daniels, AJ, etc...is that the roster is pretty thin right now and there are no more "home growns". The only guy I wouldn't have any outsiders to beat is EC3. The others...they are not much. Maybe the Wolves? But as it stands I wouldn't she a tear if Cody would run over most people.

I could see Cody feuding for the X title but who's the Champ right now, Trevor Lee? lol I wish Aries was still there, Cody vs Aries would have been cool. I wish Goldust would leave the WWE too, a Rhodes Bros would help the tag team Div. a lot.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

As has been mentioned already, it's not that TNA puts the title on former WWE guys, it's that so many of them are launched into the title picture almost the moment they arrive on the roster. Pushing former WWE wrestlers primarily just because they're former WWE wrestlers and hoping to piggy-back some buzz from that has been one of the most frequent criticisms of TNA in the last 10 years. I could see doing that once or twice, but TNA frequently has done it without really any success yet continued to do so while hoping to get different results. Once upon a time, they were putting guys like Val Venis, the Nasty Boyz, Mick Foley, Rob Van Dam, etc. over guys like Daniels, Kazarian and AJ Styles all while toxic spews like Abyssamania were going on.

Guys like Galloway and ECIII have done well in TNA but, and I'm not saying this to knock them as it's not their fault in any way, it'd feel and seem much more impressive if it was about 3 or 4 years ago. Guys like Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow and Wade Barrett would be solid talent to add, but they're not game changers and shouldn't be pushed primarily because of time spent in WWE if they make their way to TNA. To be perfectly honest, I wonder if fans cheered Sandow so much because he wasn't getting push in WWE, knew he wasn't going to get pushed and cheered him as a means of giving Vince the finger; yet, I also wonder if interest would've died out if he'd started getting pushed since they wouldn't be flipping the bird to Vince. I mean, we saw it happen with Zack Ryder years back. Wade Barrett is a guy I always liked, but his biggest problem was that he was injury prone; almost every time he was in the middle of a program where he was gaining significant momentum, he'd suffer some sort of injury, usually a bum shoulder, that would put him on the shelf for about 6 months. During the last several months he was part of the League of Nations, he suffered some sort of undisclosed injury that kept him from getting remotely physical right until the very end when WWE started to kill off the group. Rhodes has the most potential as he's younger, had a ton of mid-card success in WWE, has suffered no significant injuries during his near 10 year time in WWE and has the legacy of the Rhodes name. If all of these men went to TNA, I think Rhodes would probably have the most luck getting pushed for his family name if nothing else.