OK, WHAT DOES TNA NEED TO GET BETTER?

[blueraider2]

thanks for chiming in adamsmasher.

[swarm]

ok...Hoyt is 6'5, Adam Smasher is 6'2, Abyss is 5'10 and AJ Styles is 2'2.

neilybob, don't always believe what you read about wrestling ya old goat.

[Vidtek]

swarm said:

ok...Hoyt is 6'5, Adam Smasher is 6'2, Abyss is 5'10 and AJ Styles is 2'2.

neilybob, don't always believe what you read about wrestling ya old goat.

Very funny. I'm laughing...no really. 2'2", that's taller than Rey Mysterio!
Big Time

[ewt]

As far as height and weight I tend to lean to PWI. Not always accurate but I feel it's pretty close.

Side note my 2 year old is actually taller than Rey Mysterio.

[swarm]

I really, really think Abyss is like 6'2 and wear lifts. I'm sticking to it until proven otherwise.

[BDS]

I'm 5'11", and Abyss is about a half-foot taller than me in real life.

[swarm]

Damn Larry is a credible source.

[BDS]

swarm said:

Damn Larry is a credible source.

Not usually, but you'll have to trust me on this one. I saw him from about two feet away as he came down the ramp at an ROH show, so I got a pretty good feel for him.

What amazed me about him was how wide he was at the shoulders. Dude's big, he's just not 6'8".

[traviz]

Back to original topic, what does TNA ned to get better?

MORE MUSICAL CHAIRS!

In fact, that very well could be the main event on a forthcoming TNA PPV. I mean, did you see the way those guys were SELLING the fact they were dissappointed by not winning this event. This is what good wrestling was built on!

[blueraider2]

in the words of charlie brown"aargh".

[Wildfire]

I'm gonna take a shot at the topic at hand...
(Note: this post is assuming that Jeff Jarrett read my fed forum posts and hires me to be head booker, firing Russo)

What TNA needs #1

* Homegrown Champ: Ex-WWE guys shouldn't be put over.. at least not right away. For the Heavyweight Title... I would have had Abyss go over last night, then turn face, and feud with (and beat Christian/Tomko.. Meanwhile, James Mitchell sets up a stable to go after him... maybe a re-packaged Ron Killings as the centerpiece

#2:

Austin Starr massacres Nash and Shelley, and tells everyone he refuses to use such a silly name. Back as Austin Aries, he demolishes Sabin and Senshi in turn and brings some credibility to the X-Division Title... Meanwhile, Daniels should also be beating people, away from the title picture.. then, say, 5 of 6 months down the road, turn heel and feud with Aries

#3

LAX should continue to decimate people

#4

Senatonin would actually win a match, and be a viable heel team in the mid card

#5

Joe would take 6 months off, due to an ankle injury, and come back in better shape, killing people, and get the belt in short order.

#6

Kurt Angle would only wrestle occasionally, and instead would be Robert Roode's new manager




Just a few things off the top of my head... comments?

[BDS]

wildfire said:

I'm gonna take a shot at the topic at hand...
(Note: this post is assuming that Jeff Jarrett read my fed forum posts and hires me to be head booker, firing Russo)

What TNA needs #1

* Homegrown Champ: Ex-WWE guys shouldn't be put over.. at least not right away. For the Heavyweight Title... I would have had Abyss go over last night, then turn face, and feud with (and beat Christian/Tomko.. Meanwhile, James Mitchell sets up a stable to go after him... maybe a re-packaged Ron Killings as the centerpiece

I agree with the homegrown champ, but I disagree with your choice. It should be Joe.

wildfire said:

#2:

Austin Starr massacres Nash and Shelley, and tells everyone he refuses to use such a silly name. Back as Austin Aries, he demolishes Sabin and Senshi in turn and brings some credibility to the X-Division Title... Meanwhile, Daniels should also be beating people, away from the title picture.. then, say, 5 of 6 months down the road, turn heel and feud with Aries

I'm normally against stupid gimmicks, but I love the Austin Starr thing. He does such a good job and is so over-the-top about it, it's funny.

wildfire said:

#3

LAX should continue to decimate people

Agreed.

wildfire said:

#4

Senatonin would actually win a match, and be a viable heel team in the mid card

I think their best use is as a vehicle to get the only person in the group that's worth a crap, Raven, over by his repeated canings of them for losing.

wildfire said:

#5

Joe would take 6 months off, due to an ankle injury, and come back in better shape, killing people, and get the belt in short order.

Not in short order, but I largely like this idea. I'd rather he come back in six months and have a heel champ dodge him for as long as possible to stretch out the chase, personally.

wildfire said:

#6

Kurt Angle would only wrestle occasionally, and instead would be Robert Roode's new manager

I prefer Traci Brooks' boobs to Kurt Angle as Bobby Roode's manager.

[Wildfire]

I like Traci's boobs too, but not as a manager.. maybe she could valet for Storm or Harris (whoever doesn't get Gail Kim)

I know you love Joe from RoH.. and I agree he's awesome there... he's just not been the same in TNA, IMO... As for a long title chase.. he's been chasing long enough, hasn't he?

As for Austin Starr.. I agree he does the gimmick well, I just hate the gimmick... maddog mentioned over on the Deuce that he'd like to see Nash on commentary with Konnan and Cornette... I don't know about Konnan (he's a bit too one note for me) but I think Nash as the heel announcer would rock... Mike Tenay can to PBP or replace Jeremy Borash and well, Don West can stick to shelping James Bond marathons (sorry,man, I know you like him, he just doesn't do it for me)

That way we can dump the ho paparazzi thing and make Shelley a good heel, as he has shown they can do so in RoH, and would be good foils for any upper X-Division face.


Incidently, I have NO IDEA what to do with Petey Williams... I don't think I like he as a face, but the X-Division is kinda heel-heavy, so maybe... but the American Patriot from Canada thing as got to go.

[BDS]

wildfire said:

I like Traci's boobs too, but not as a manager.. maybe she could valet for Storm or Harris (whoever doesn't get Gail Kim)

Valet, manager, whatever. It's all the same to me. Whatever keeps her boobs in a push-up bra and a business suit is good by me.

wildfire said:

I know you love Joe from RoH.. and I agree he's awesome there... he's just not been the same in TNA, IMO... As for a long title chase.. he's been chasing long enough, hasn't he?

Yes. As of right now he's been chasing for long enough. But if he takes six months off, then it needs to be another long title chase.

wildfire said:

As for Austin Starr.. I agree he does the gimmick well, I just hate the gimmick... maddog mentioned over on the Deuce that he'd like to see Nash on commentary with Konnan and Cornette... I don't know about Konnan (he's a bit too one note for me) but I think Nash as the heel announcer would rock... Mike Tenay can to PBP or replace Jeremy Borash and well, Don West can stick to shelping James Bond marathons (sorry,man, I know you like him, he just doesn't do it for me)

First off, we'll agree to disagree on the Austin Starr gimmick. You hate it, apparently, and I think it rocks almost as hard as Adam Vinatieri beating the Pats this weekend.

Nash definitely needs to be on commentary, and I think the Tenay/Nash/Konnan booth would be flat-out awesome. However, I think if you do that, you take DW and make him a heel manager. Don West coming out and cutting angry, screaming, hard-sell promos would immediately be one of the five best things in TNA.

wildfire said:

That way we can dump the ho paparazzi thing and make Shelley a good heel, as he has shown they can do so in RoH, and would be good foils for any upper X-Division face.

Nothing to disagree with here, but I hate what they've done with the X-Division. It's nothing more than a cruiserweight division now, where it was special before. They need to add a little shine back onto the belt and make it special again.

wildfire said:

Incidently, I have NO IDEA what to do with Petey Williams... I don't think I like he as a face, but the X-Division is kinda heel-heavy, so mayvbe... but the American Patriot from Canada thing as got to go.

Agreed.

[Aquinas]

A few random Pros/Cons

PROS
1. James Mitchell -- great, great old-style manager....his days with Abyss may be numbered..would be nice to see him get a stable of some sort.
2. Most of the "X-Division" stars -- they seem to be wallowing in a Kevin Nash promotional video series right now. Most of these guys are flat-out talented, even if half of them have weak personalities. Get them in the ring more, doing what they do best
3. Abyss -- I like the guy. Not the most original persona by any stretch, but I think he's an effective character. They've built him up well.
4. Sting -- relying heavily on older stars isn't healthy, but I think he's a plus more than a minus to their roster. He got the belt and lost it -- keep him out of the title picture and developing the Abyss feud


CONS
1. Vince Russo -- no explanation needed
2. Voodoo Kin Mafia -- more desperate WWE flaming. Lame.
3. All-over-the-place stories -- would it kill them to keep things going week to week with some consistency? I really thought the Abyss-Sting-Christian thing was developing well, but I'm not sure they are going to keep it up. And what's up with weeks of build up to "Serotonin" only to have them be a bunch of useless jobbers? Reminds me of Glacier in WCW.
4. An occasional clean finish on a main event would be nice....I know the weekly shows are a setup for the PPVs, but it'd be nice to see a match without a run-in once in a blue moon.

[Subvert69]

The Voodoo Kin Mafia has got to go. They need to realize by now that WWE is not paying them any attention. If the WWE is not paying attention then nothing is getting accomplished except wasting time.

I agree about giving Seratonin an actual win. I have never understood the idea of changing a persons gimmick and giving them some promo packages just to have them lose every match.

I like the X-Division but they need to enject some life into it. Austin Starr and/or Alex Shelly could do this is they give them the chance. The X-Division seems to be stagnant lately with the same guys exchanging the belt.

Stop with the tweeners. Too many guys are stuck in the middle and as a fan who do I root for or against. Is Christopher Daniels a face for fighting Chris Sabin or a heel for crossing Jerry Lynn. Is Kurt Angle a face for chasing Christian into a cage or a heel for angle locking Joe's girlfriend. There needs to be some character consistancy.

That's a start for me.

[dukedave]

subvert69 said:

The Voodoo Kin Mafia has got to go. They need to realize by now that WWE is not paying them any attention. If the WWE is not paying attention then nothing is getting accomplished except wasting time.

I agree about giving Seratonin an actual win. I have never understood the idea of changing a persons gimmick and giving them some promo packages just to have them lose every match.

I like the X-Division but they need to enject some life into it. Austin Starr and/or Alex Shelly could do this is they give them the chance. The X-Division seems to be stagnant lately with the same guys exchanging the belt.

Stop with the tweeners. Too many guys are stuck in the middle and as a fan who do I root for or against. Is Christopher Daniels a face for fighting Chris Sabin or a heel for crossing Jerry Lynn. Is Kurt Angle a face for chasing Christian into a cage or a heel for angle locking Joe's girlfriend. There needs to be some character consistancy.

That's a start for me.

I agree with your post. The problem with TNA is that they want to make wrestling more like real life with all this tweener BS. In real life, not very many people are all bad or all good. I understand where they're going but where they are going is to tardland.

We are tuning in to escape real life and want our heels to be heels and our faces to be faces. Austin is a once in a lifetime tweener and even he couldn't stay a tweener for long. Everyone who has ever been labled a tweener eventually had to be pushed in one direction or the other and unfortunately TNA has no direction to give.

[Hegemony]

I don't watch wrestling to escape, because that implies that we are all escaping to some unspecified place that may be different depending on one's own subjectivity. I think that a skilled booker can play with the "shades of grey" idea. The trick is to not insult your audience's intelligence, which TNA does with great regularity. Having some consistency in your characters' motivations means that they can still have complex personalities that don't totally subscribe to traditional definitions of "heel" and "face" as long as they are consistent from week to week or show to show. Having a character, such as Angle recently, that switches back and forth from heel to face each week is not a complex character, it is lazy storytelling.

[swarm]

hegemony said:

I don't watch wrestling to escape, because that implies that we are all escaping to some unspecified place that may be different depending on one's own subjectivity.

It's called your imagination. Same reason we all play this awesome game.

[blueraider2]

swarm said:

hegemony said:

I don't watch wrestling to escape, because that implies that we are all escaping to some unspecified place that may be different depending on one's own subjectivity.

It's called your imagination. Same reason we all play this awesome game.

nothing wrong with escaping imo.