The Straight Shooter (MUST READ for all TNA fans)

[The Paragon of Hardcore]

I didn't write this... this is from a monthly column in Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) written by a man named Dan Murphy. I don't know how many of you actually read PWI (the best damn wrestling mag ever) but I wanted to share this with everyone and get their opinions...

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Watching TNA is like watching Charlie Brown running to kick that football, only to have Lucy pull it away every single time.

You would think that good ol' Charlie Brown would have learned his lesson by now. After all, Lucy has been pulling the football away for more than 50 years now. But every time Lucy offers to hold that ball, Charlie takes the bait and winds up sailing through the air and landing flat on his back.

Waugh! I can't stand it. Rats!

I don't like criticizing TNA. But how can anyone with a conscience idly stand by and watch Charlie run at that ball when the outcome is so obvious?

The crux of TNA's problems is this: The company is unable to develop its own stars and cultivate them to the main-event level. Faster than you can say "Monty Brown," the company changes direction and picks up any WWE/WCW (and now ECW) castoffs it can snag and tries to recreate history, instead of creating its own history. And every single time, TNA winds up lying on its back, having missed the football yet again.

WWE developed a unique concept to introduce new talent with NXT. TNA may want to consider following WWE's lead.

Here's my humble suggestion, offered free of charge. Consider it my charitable contribution for the year.

TNA is trying to recapture the magic of ECW. The original ECW was unique because it was an alternative to the status quo, not a rehash of characters and storylines. Instead of forging its own unique identity, TNA has been reduced to bringing in the aging ECW crew for a tired nostalgia act.

Imagine this: TNA invites 16 independent wrestlers to compete for a roster spot. Each episode of Impact features two singles matches. After all 16 wrestlers have received two matches, fans would be able to vote on which wrestlers advance to the next round and which wrestlers are eliminated.

No votes from pros, no immunity. The fans would make the call. And TNA would be forced to listen.

The 16 would pare down to eight, then down to four, and then down to the final two. Those two finalists would then compete in a singles bout on pay-per-view. Give them 30 minutes to shine or bomb. Then, regardless of whoever won the match, the fans would get to vote to determine which wrestler recieves the roster spot.

A competition like this would add a new element of excitement to Impact. It would introduce the cream of the crop of the independent circuit to TNA fans. It would be an opportunity of a lifetime for the 16 wrestlers selected. And it would be the sort of fresh, unique concept that TNA has lacked for a long time now.

As long as I'm playing fantasy booker, let me go one step further. Here are the 16 wrestlers I'd sign up:

Claudio Castagnoli. WWE dropped the ball on the Swiss blue-chipper. He's ready for the national stage.

Tyson Dux. Ontario's best and brightest could rule the X Division.

Jonny Puma. Effortlessly blends comic timing with solid ring work.

Steve Corino. The veteran of the crew still has a lot to offer.

Papadon. New York-based "Master Of The Mat" brings a smash-mouth style that helps him stand out.

Vance Nevada. Isnt' the U.S. hungry for "Mr. Beefy Goodness?" The Western Canadian veteran is ready for the spotlight.

Zaquary Springate III. Imagine a younger, fitter, more charismatic William Regal.

J.D. Maverick. Mr. April Hunter has paid his dues and deserves a shot.

Matt Cross. "M-Dogg 20" is nimble, acrobatic, and poetry in motion.

Tommaso Ciampa. Exudes intensity and defiance and can captivate a crowd.

Metal Master. Expert grappler could probably give Kurt Angle a run for his money.

Sterling James Keenan. Pittsburgh-based punk is a regional superstar with a style similar to C.M. Punk.

Oliver John. NWA standout has been hailed as an old-school master; a rivalry with Corino is a natural.

Pac. European star can defy gravity with moves that have to be seen to be believed.

Kevin Steen. Big man can fight and fly, and delivers a vicious piledriver.

Brodie Lee. "Big Rig" is bound to eventually decapitate someone with that big boot of his.

These 16 indy stars would be sure to attract attention and actually make Impact interesting to watch again. If the idea took off (and it would), TNA could run the competition with another 16 wrestlers or potential Knockouts. A Knockouts competition with Sara Del Rey, Cheerleader Melissa, Mercedes Martinez, Angel Orsini, and a dozen other top indy starlets would reinvigorate the Knockouts division overnight.

Frankly, what does TNA have to lose? The product has grown stale at best, and downright laughable at worst. Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven? In 2010? That feud was played out in 2001.

There are a lot of great wrestlers in TNA, but their talents are being wasted by a promotion that just can't seem to get its act together. TNA needs to stop running for that football once and for all. And that means its time to stop relying on tired retreads and to start looking for new blood.

[President Jeff]

Its a good idea, having fans vote for who advances and stuff, but don't forget legit the voting was for that top 10 ranking thing they did. It be the same thing all over again and TNA would fuck it up.

TNA is so hard to watch. Everything they do is make no sense. Last time I watched TNA was I turned it there and Flair and Foley we're having a Hardcore match and these guys we're bleeding bad and Flair doing bumps on Thumb tacs. Like, WTF is that, this is 2010, theres no need for that shit now especially with Flair and Foley, they got nothing to prove and it did nothing for the product to do this on FREE TV.

That's another thing about TNA, they give so much stuff away for Free, which makes no sense cause they make most of their profit from PPV buys

[SalTal]

I too like the concept. But it's this type of approach to TNA booking that has actually seen it go from good to average to worse in my opinion. I mean, this idea is good for, what? A month? Six weeks? Then the company has a new talent, maybe two (you couldn't hire any more, otherwise it makes the whole thing redundant) and then what?

TNA just doesn't seem to have a long term idea as to what it is trying to be. It seemed overnight that the EV2.0 appeared. At least when the WWE restarted the whole thing, there was weeks and weeks of lead-up, fans almost demanding that it be brought back. They let it naturally come. TNA just forces things: the fans wanted to see new and exciting wrestling, and they bring in 50+ year olds. The fans wanted to see new talents, and they hire every ex-E talent they can get. The fans wanted an alternative to WWE, and instead they get WWE-lite.

So yeah, I just don't see any value in the short term ideas without an approach that first changes the long term value of the company. At least I know the E are building up for long term things (to Mania, for a long feud), and I know that the people who are at the top will stay there for more than the length of time it takes the company to sign the most recently released superstar from another company.

In saying all that, don't take that as a defense of WWE booking, because it currently sucks as well. Just not as much as TNA.

[Assassin]

The one thing going for WWE over TNA is there actually starting to push there young guys. TNA started this and did well until they brought in Hogan Flair and Co. After that things have went downhill quickly. TNA needs to get there heads out of the clouds and stop trying to beat WWE which they'll never do. And just go back to what made them stand out back when they were in Nashville and when they first came to Orlando.

Until they do this TNA is going to have a bad TV product and fans that will be unwilling to buy there PPV's.

As for the original post I think that if TNA were to bring in Claudio & Kevin Steen they would be a hit for the crowd. I would bring those two in first over anyone else.

[JD Storm]

the Indy wrestler idea would be great for TNA's short term. what they need is to plan for the long term. this would mean firing the idiots in their booking staff and hiring people who have a clue what they're doing.

once they do that, fire all these washed up hasbeens. find a bunch of indy wrestlers, such as the ones listed for the tournament....hire them obviously. at least give them a chance to prove themselves to the fans. if they catch on, give them regular jobs. get wrestlers from Japan & Mexico, too.....don't rely soley on American or Canadian talents.

what TNA needs to do is a "hard reset" with their storylines. they really need to start over. this will have the best chance of success if they do a drastic enough change of their roster, first. otherwise, don't bother with it.

[reginald]

I totally agree with the analogy of Charlie Brown and the football. TNA needs to find the right balance between using the older guys to elevate the younger guys, because the way it stands now, the "homegrown" talent is playing second fiddle to the old timers. If you look at WWE booking right now, they're using the established guys to help put over the newer guys, and while it's not perfect, they're elevating new stars, and in the case of Sheamus and Barret, elevating them extremely quick.

In terms of the Indy Wrestler idea proposed in the column, I think it's great in theory, but knowing how TNA would put it into practice, it would only result in a wasted opportunity.

[JD Storm]

agreed on the WWE point. they may not have a perfect system for pushing the younger talent, but they're at least trying. i think the only thing that WWE needs help with is getting the young wrestler to stand out more. whenever i try watching WWE, it feels like there's something missing with their personalities.

back when wrestling was hot, you could mention a wrestler & even the non-fans knew who they were. do the same thing now with the current stars & you'd get a blank stare.

[Matt Ward]

Matches that i would love to see TNA hold

Kevin Steen vs Samoa Joe

The Kings of Wrestling vs Motorcity Machine Guns vs Beer Money Inc vs The Briscoes

The Kings of Wrestling vs Motorcity Machine Guns vs Beer Money Inc vs The Briscoes

That match pitts the top two tag teams in both companies

Serena Deebs vs Angelina Love

Sara Del Rey vs Sarita

Rodrick Strong vs AJ Styles

Kenta vs Kurt Angle

Colt Cabana vs Jay Leathal

["The Madman" Ebon]

Sara Del Rey vs Victoria...Tara would be great, so would Death Rey vs Mickie James

TNA completely wasted Raisha Saed/Cheerleader Melissa im not a huge fan of women's wrestling but she's really good in the ring

I like the matches pitting those 4 tag teams, throw in Haas and Benjamin and you have a very good tag division, especially if you swing a deal with New Japan and bring back No Limit and bring in Karl Anderson and Giant Bernard, as well as Prince Devitt and Ryosuke Taguchi vs The Young Bucks


and give Davey Richards and Kurt Angle an hour and they will give you a wrestling match that we will talk about for decades




I am hoping once TNA goes to complete shit Mark Cuban jumps in and buys it and ROH, hires wrestling people that are also intelligent like Paul Heyman, Raven, and Konan (steal him from AAA or use him as a consultant) and let them run creative


and the first thing they should do is have Vince Russo and Jim Cornette fight to the death and then shoot the winner in the head cause neither of them can book worth a shit