Why you shouldn't piss people off

[Slyfox696]

For those of you who pay attention to WWE Smackdown, you might recognize this image:

That's Vladimir Kozlov, standing over WWE Champion Triple H. Vladimir Kozlov has received a huge push in the WWE, and is now working at or near the main-event scene. So what, you ask?

Well, Vladimir Kozlov was given to the WWE by none other than Jerry Jarrett. Maybe that name sounds familiar. You know, he's the one who started TNA, and is father of Jeff Jarrett.

Instead of bringing Oleg Prudius (Kozlov's real name) to TNA to try and get him a contract, Jarrett (partly out of spite, one would have to assume) took this monster of a man, a potential superstar in wrestling over to the WWE, TNA's competition. Kozlov signed with the WWE back in January of 2006.

But, what if TNA had gotten their hands on him first? How would Oleg Prudius have fit in with TNA, and their attempts at becoming a major player in wrestling?



*Note, this is not a WWE vs. TNA thread. Don't care to read about who would use him better. Please just discuss the hypothetical of Prudius in TNA, and how it would have worked.*

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Well Koslov isn't a major player yet, he's feuding with Triple after all. But if TNA had got hold of him I guess they would have done the same with him as they have with Matt Morgan. I hear that guy has got potential. Yet TNA have never once done anything with him, and it doesn't look like they will anytime soon.

Koslov would be wrestler #4 in a Monster's Ball match at Bound For Glory. He'd be treading water for the rest of the year.

 

[MNF]

Actually Sly, in his Monday Night Mayhem interview, Jerry Jarrett revealed that he indeed tried to get Oleg into TNAwrestling, but Jeff Jarrett told him that Dixie Carter (TNA President) didn't want someone who could not provide immediate divendends? I assume that meant make money?

Anyway, I think Oleg would of been in a feud with Abyss. I don't think he would be close to the main event just yet.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

Well I don't think Kozlov would really be anything really big in TNA. Kozlov isn't extrodinary enought to get massive heat on his own. WWE has done a great job with pushing Kozlov as a big heel and he's feeding with the top 2/3 stars on Smackdown(HHH & Hardy). In TNA Kozlov would be given the same push as Matt Morgan, where he would dominate jobbers but never really get big. TNA in the last few years really haven't made their own mainevent players, I mean Sting, Booker, Christian, Nash, Angle, ect were already maineventers before coming to TNA, and really only Jarrett, Joe, & Styles are homegrown Mainevent talent. Kozlov would either dominant jobbers, or be put into a random tag team or stable but I couldn't see him get as big as he is in WWE.

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

To be honest, I don't think that TNA could have used Prudius. At the time, he was very green and very sloppy and TNA doesn't have a developmental system for him to have trained in while they brought him along. And to sign the guy and then spend years training him themselves would only make people question how TNA spends it's money. I mean look at the facts.

1. Oleg has spent a long time in WWE's developmental system. I mean when was this whole signing that Jerry Jarrett orchestrated announced? 3 years ago? 4 years ago? TNA was heavy into the X-Division then and how long he spent in developmental only goes to show you how green and uncultivated his skills were. If he were as huge as is his now back then they why did it take so long?

2. Oleg has been to all three of WWE's developmental territories. DSW was for pretty much everybody that WWE signed on a whim and just wanted to see if they could do ANYTHING. His size is the only thing that saved him as this is the SAME territory that churned out such quality superstars as "The Man Bear" Sylvester Turkey. Then he moved on to OVW, but only because DSW closed it's doors. Now OVW has a reputation for creating one of the best crops of big men turned superstars that WWE had seen in a long time. The only thing that they could find for him was as a henchman and sidekick to an Kurt Angle rip off. Then when WWE severed ties with OVW, he was switched to FCW. keywords being, "when WWE severed ties with OVW". That tells me that this was his last chance to show something.

3. Wasn't Oleg Prudius called up to the roster sometime about a year and a half ago? Or was that two years? You see, it's hard to remember, because his time on the main roster was over quicker than a hickup. Yeah, they started him off with the whole "audience appearance" gimmick that they did for MVP. Only problem was that it didn't do a THING for him. Didn't get him over. Didn't even really get him noticed. Before long, he was back in OVW.

Pretty much, I will tell you this. The ONLY reason why Prudius made it up the the main roster is because of WWE's New Talent Initiative. Oh wait, I mean the "You're sat on your ass in developmental long enough, now go out and make us some money or get the hell out of our company bitch" policy. You saw the same thing with alot of former OVW stars as this is what WWE does prior to big developmental talent dumps. Prudius was on the bubble and so they figured that they could have him get some heel wins against subpar talent and then feed him to an up and comer. Problem is that Prudius rose to the occasion and proved that he FINALLY has what it takes to be on the main roster......for now.

 

[Father:_Polley]

You know something, I actually thought about this the other day... namely why the hell would Jerry Jarrett hand Oleg Prudius to Vince and it puzzled me. I mean sure, Prudius is raw talent and needed someone to take him on and make him into a wrestler, excuse me, entertainer, but if he was as good as Jarrett thought, why not make him his pet project.

My only conclusion to this would be that he wanted Vince to do the work and eventually Koslov repay Jarrett's loyalty and come to TNA at the height of his run.

Simply put, I think Jarrett recognised that Prudius could be good, and wanted him to be good, but TNA just doesn't have the training facilities yet to have made him good with TNA. Now, with Booker and 3D's schools its hard to think he'd do the same now, but I think Jarrett just wanted to give the guy his shot at being a wrestler

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Cmon now. Its not even a close thing. Kozlov isnt really THAT great ,a dnt hats with a pretty decent WWE push behind him, noit TNAs shit booking. They do nothing with everyone. Is Kozlov turly more impressive than Matt Morgan?? no. Has he done anything?? fuck no. I really dont think it wouldve made the least bit of difference or worked well at all. they wouldve had no idea what to do with him. shit, WWE almost fucked it up at first. so you KNOW TNA wouldve blew it.

 

[Rusty]

Hm, its a tough one. I think if TNA signed him, they would have most likely wasted him. However, I could have seen Oleg Prodius in a similar role to what Matt Morgan is in right now. He could have easily been booked as a monster heel feuding with the mid-card faces in TNA like Jay Lethal and Petey Williams. He could have easily been a main eventer in TNA, but I just couldn't see this guy get past the mid-card with the company. Jarrett wasted a good opportunity to sign a good heel. I think Kozlov is pretty good in the ring, but he doesn't put on classic matches very often.

He isn't a huge asset to the WWE so I doubt TNA would have booked him strongly at all. I doubt he would have won any titles in TNA. He could have been used as a manager for Beer Money or even Team 3D. But I could also have seen Kozlov released after joining the TNA roster after just a few months. TNA does tend to push the ones who don't deserve it *Cough* Nash *Cough* and tends to leave the ones behind that have the talent.

The guy has the look and size to become a superstar, so why Jarrett didn't employ him is beyond me. Kozlov most definately would have accepted any offer from TNA. But as NorCal mentioned, I just get the feeling TNA would have gave him a lame push and gimmick and wouldn't build Kozlov into a successful TNA superstar.

 

[Fizzy]

I think that TNA and Kozlov would be great with each other. TNA needs some big monster like heels on the main event scene. I think Kozlov could have a great feud with Abyss, and Kevin Nash. Sure Kozlov still needs some work but i do think he has a very great amount of potential. I just think that TNA would be easier for him to access that. I do agree that Jerry made a hugh mistake in giving him over to WWE without even giving him a try. So yea i think he made a mistake, and that Kozlov could have been great in TNA.

 

[14-Year Old Virgin]

Hmmmm, I keep seeing people make the Kozlov & Morgan comparision. Which in my mind means they would start him off as this beast of a wrestler and then push him into tag team wrestling for BOOGER T and his ******ED AS FUCK ACCENT to hog the spotlight with a makebelieve title. Hell Even TNA realizes that BOOGER T could not carry TNA. Hence, the Legends Title. LOL Anyways, Morgan was demolishing people and becoming a easy main eventer and now that the MEM (NWO) has been replayed AGAIN, its time to set all the REAL Talent aside and focus on them. Atleast AJ & Joe is going to benefit from it. I could see them doing the SAME THING with Kozlov. TNA needs to stop rehashing old storylines and think of something NEW, & EXCITING.