"Would You Sign...?": Austin Aries (Vol. 2)

[terrylee]

Alright, I think the last edition of this series was successful (Featuring AJ Styles), so I'm continuing it with volume two of my "Would You Sign.." so and so for the WWE" concept.

Again, some of these may come off as no-brainers, but think from the WWE's perspective - would there be a place for them? Or would they just linger in the midcard and fade into obscurity? It's all on you.

For our second edition, we'll be turning to a big name in the indy scene, and my personal favorite wrestler, "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived", Austin Aries.

TNA fans might recognize Austin "A Double" Aries (or Austin Starr) from way back, but for those of you that don't know him, Austin Aries is (and this is with slight bias, as I am a huge fan of his) one of the best wrestlers in the industry right now. Aries has worked for a ton of the major promotions in the indy scene - ROH, Chikara, and NWA, to name a few.

While Aries doesn't have a high flying style like Matt Sydal/Evan Bourne, nor the level of technical brilliance that Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan possesses, he's achieved a near-perfect balance of all the different aspects that makes a wrestler. Terrific on the microphone...

[YOUTUBE]xfrx4_wCWeg[/YOUTUBE]

... a brilliant in-ring technician that knows how to work the crowd, able to do moves off the turnbuckles or springboarding from the ropes, possessing unique and creative moves (such as the Crucifix Driver & Headstand Dropkick, as seen in the video below) and submissions, Aries is a complete package - but would you sign him?

[YOUTUBE]8fD7ocPhOTo[/YOUTUBE]

So the questions are as follows:

1. Would you sign him?
2. How would you debut him? Straight to FCW? NXT? Straight into the shows like Sin Cara? What would be his first feud? And so on and so forth...
3. What would his long-term career in the WWE be like? Eventual champion? Midcarder-for-life? Hall of Famer? Future endeavored from the get go?

Feel free to add any more details as you see fit, and if this first thread is a success, then I'll continue the series.

Go!


PS: For the sake of this series, we're assuming they would all want to come, so no need for arguing about whether or not they'd REALLY want to come. It's all hypothetical and we're under the assumption they'd be willing to sign, even if they're anti-WWE in real life.

​

 

[jellmoo]

1. Would you sign him? - No. He has little to no real name value outside of diehard fans, is undersized and would likely have a great deal of trouble using his movest on the considerably larger WWE talent, and was unable to achieve any real success in TNA. He just isn't a good fit for WWE.

2. How would you debut him? Straight to FCW? NXT? Probably NXT. Experience isn't really his issue, trying to get over with the crowd and getting some name value is.

3. What would his long-term career in the WWE be like? Little to none. I can't even see him mimicking the success of Daniel Bryan. He would be unlikely to taste any real success and would eventually be released.

 

[Jason Scene]

1. Would you sign him?
If I was in the WWE, first of all I'd raid ROH of their talent, first of all because they're better than a lot of what WWE currently had. One thing they aren't though, is big, which gives McMahon a boner. But in reference to Austin Aries, I think you left out his attitude. Austin has a record of blaming others for his misfortunes. When he was in TNA and didn't get over, he began to become difficult and eventually sat out his contract. He has badmouthed TNA on many occasions for the way they "treated him." But in reality everyone knows that he didn't get over, because in TNA, although he was good it wasn't Austin Aries that we were used to.

On talent both on the microphone and in the ring, he's one of the best. The guy is old school, he just does the job and does it while entertaining those who watch. His ROH stuff going into last years Glory by Honor was some of his best heel work, and he can be a good face or a manipulitive heel.

Due to his many talents, yes I would sign him to the WWE.

2. How would you debut him? Straight to FCW? NXT? Straight into the shows like Sin Cara? What would be his first feud? And so on and so forth...
Okay, first of all you have to take into account that knowing WWE, he wouldn't be under the name Austin Aries. They'll probably change it in some format. Then what do you do with him? You send him to FCW for awhile and let the WWE do what they usually do, dumb down his talents. Triple H is now in charge of talent development, so chances would be they'd start running vignettes for his impending debut before debuting him on RAW or Smackdown.

Personally I'd prefer him on SD! It was and still is the more wrestling orientated brand so stick him on there, and let him take out a couple lower-card wrestlers there. Then, depending on whether he's a face or a heel, stick him against someone like Cody Rhodes or Rey Mysterio. A possibly angle which just popped into my head, would be if Drew McIntyre began referring to himself as "The Chosen One", and Austin challenges him for that nickname or monickor.

3. What would his long-term career in the WWE be like? Eventual champion? Midcarder-for-life? Hall of Famer? Future endeavored from the get go?
I'd imagine if they built him right, eventual WWE IC or US Champion, but I can't realistically see him ever hold the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship if he ever did join the WWE. Could it happen if people get behind him like they did CM Punk? Possibly, but personally, and I'm an ROH fan saying this. Wouldn't see it happening. I could see him being in an almost R-Truth style role. Because chances are, that's how WWE would use him.

 

[Savior with faith 101]

1. Would you sign him?

For sure i would sign Austin Aries. As you have pointed out he is one of the best in the business, if not the best outside of the big 2 companies. Ive seen him wrestle 3 times in person, once vs Daniel Bryan and also team with other independent stars and he has twice been in the match of the night and once outshone by a classic by Tyler Black and Nigel McGuiness. Whether the leader of a faction or as a solo wrestler he knows how to work a crowd and how to put on a really good match.

2. How would you debut him? Straight to FCW? NXT? Straight into the shows like Sin Cara? What would be his first feud? And so on and so forth...

I would go in a different direction with Aries. Id debut him as a manager of another debuting Wrestler or even as a manager of a faction. He could manage a group of "indy" wrestlers including the likes of Tyler Black, Evan Bourne, Daniel Bryan etc and use his mic skills to get these guys over using their wrestling skills. Eventually have the group struggle in matches so he steps in the ring to show how its done. He could comfortably slot into this role and sit out the wrestling side for 2-3 months while slowly teasing an in ring debut which would build excitement towards this.

3. What would his long-term career in the WWE be like? Eventual champion? Midcarder-for-life? Hall of Famer? Future endeavored from the get go?

The only thing that would stop Aries going all the way to the top would be Austins own attitude. As someone else has rightly pointed out he did throw away his chance with TNA (although no one really knows what happened) and there were reports that he had a chance with WWE and he didnt impress with his attitude then either. Hopefully as he has grown older he has matured and would be able to take advantage, if he did i could see him main eventing Wrestlemania with the likes of Punk, Miz, Morrison and the others who seem to be destined for that main event slot.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

No, I wouldn't sign him. From all accounts he's a ******** backstage who thinks he's hot shit. When really, he's the ONLY guy who was a big name in ROH in 2006ish who hasn't made really much of anything for himself. there's a reason for that. He doesn't sell, he doesn't tell a story in the ring unless being led (like vs Danielson) and he doesn't have the same raw intensity he used to have. Plus he doesn't have name recognition to make up for it as far as putting butts in the seats.

he basically has no qualities you'd want from a mainstream guy. Now CHRIS HERO on the other hand, holy shit.