TNA announces developmental deal with OVW

[neil's bitch]

To be honest this is a good move IMPO. Makes them seem more big league rather that small time. I Know OVW are doing lots to get them selves out there also, so its not a completely random move.

 

They've got a working deal with ROH and i think some of there guys hav turned up in smaller Japanse promotions recently.

 

A good step forward for them. Farming system, Re-vamped x division, focus on the younger guys.....I'm actually interested in TNA at the moment.

[pgi86]

Has Cornette said anything then? He's booking it, and all his pals like Kenny Bowlin are there. Is Cornette going to do what he did last time and pretend he isn't bothered and just go along with it, or is he waiting to get sacked again? I dont think Cornette has walked out of any promotion. He just gets the sack and bashes them via the internet. Also, the only thing TNA should be hammered for in this thread is that they didn't do this in 2006/2007. Not that its "sloppy seconds". Which is ridiculous to say.

Actually, Cornette stepped away from OVW earlier this year to focus on ROH. He still has a good relationship with OVW though and hence ROH using OVW's arena for TV tapings, which apparently they will continue to (according to OVW's Twitter).

 

Word has it Al Snow has been booking OVW for a while now. Since he's also one of TNA's agents it would make sense if he continued to do so going forward. Still though, it would be interesting to see if TNA will send in some of their backstage people to help out the OVW crew (Danny Davis, Al Snow, Rip Rogers, Nick Dinsmore).

[Halitosis Romantic]

Has Cornette said anything then? He's booking it, and all his pals like Kenny Bowlin are there. Is Cornette going to do what he did last time and pretend he isn't bothered and just go along with it, or is he waiting to get sacked again? I dont think Cornette has walked out of any promotion. He just gets the sack and bashes them via the internet. Also, the only thing TNA should be hammered for in this thread is that they didn't do this in 2006/2007. Not that its "sloppy seconds". Which is ridiculous to say.

Actually, Cornette stepped away from OVW earlier this year to focus on ROH. He still has a good relationship with OVW though and hence ROH using OVW's arena for TV tapings, which apparently they will continue to (according to OVW's Twitter).

 

Word has it Al Snow has been booking OVW for a while now. Since he's also one of TNA's agents it would make sense if he continued to do so going forward. Still though, it would be interesting to see if TNA will send in some of their backstage people to help out the OVW crew (Danny Davis, Al Snow, Rip Rogers, Nick Dinsmore).

 

From that list, they should be sending their guys to learn from the OVW folks.

[robrage]

Well who would you have rather they tie up a deal with? It's not 'sloppy seconds' at all. It makes perfect sense.

 

CZW for me ! lol

[air_raid]

Don't get me wrong: I'm a TNA fan. It just screams of sloppy seconds to me.

 

But it's not seconds. It's not even firsts. It's training guys for the future and then the ones that look to have top potential get given their chance for national exposure.

 

In a way it's a good chance to one up WWE if they can take the "graduates" and make them into name stars for their company, something WWE haven't really done for ages. OVW gave WWE Brock Lesnar, Dave Batista, Randy Orton and John Cena. What have FCW done for them?

[fye]

Don't get me wrong: I'm a TNA fan. It just screams of sloppy seconds to me.

 

But it's not seconds. It's not even firsts. It's training guys for the future and then the ones that look to have top potential get given their chance for national exposure.

 

In a way it's a good chance to one up WWE if they can take the "graduates" and make them into name stars for their company, something WWE haven't really done for ages. OVW gave WWE Brock Lesnar, Dave Batista, Randy Orton and John Cena. What have FCW done for them?

 

surely Barrett, Gabriel and Slater who are still around from NXT came through FCW, Mason Ryan and Brodus Clay too who are both being pushed, dunno about Ezekiel Jackson, etc. I realise none of them are stars like those above but most of them have only been about for little over a year. OVW's record cant be ignored but FCW have contributed too surely

[air_raid]

surely Barrett, Gabriel and Slater who are still around from NXT came through FCW, Mason Ryan and Brodus Clay too who are both being pushed, dunno about Ezekiel Jackson, etc.

 

Time will obviously have to tell as other than Lesnar who was pushed to stardom from the off, Orton, Cena and Big Dave obviously had plenty of time to develop before they started looking like stars, but comparing the reactions (or lack of) that the Nexus boys are getting after over 12 months on the main roster (given their "big push" last summer especially) to their OVW equivalents, Cena, Orton and Batista by summer 2003 were on their way to being high-profile heels (admittedly Orton and Batista through association with Trips, but that's an indicator of the faith the company had in their potential). Jackson's been around longer still, and after a relatively high-profile association with Bertie Del Rio, they sent big bad Brodus back for more learning.

 

Time will still tell.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Also, the big advantage of this is that some useless cunts in TNA might be sent down there full time. What was good about a developmental league, is some of the shite that ends up debuting in TNA, usually dont have a character. Gunner for example was shit when he first turned up. Now he has firey tights! Devon would be perfect to help out the OVW staff by training wrestlers down there. Kid Kash could teach some of these X Divs how to work as a flyer. Offer Fit Finlay a contract and let him sort the lot out. Send Football Boy down to OVW for a few years and help him develop a personality. It might give the likes of Mark Haskins something to do until they think of something for him on TV.

[Retro Red]

Don't get me wrong: I'm a TNA fan. It just screams of sloppy seconds to me.

 

But it's not seconds. It's not even firsts. It's training guys for the future and then the ones that look to have top potential get given their chance for national exposure.

 

In a way it's a good chance to one up WWE if they can take the "graduates" and make them into name stars for their company, something WWE haven't really done for ages. OVW gave WWE Brock Lesnar, Dave Batista, Randy Orton and John Cena. What have FCW done for them?

 

I think there's a key distinction here. It's not like TNA have turned up on OVW's door the minute WWE dumped them with a bouquet of roses and a bottle of wine telling them they've always loved them. OVW hasn't been a dev territory for 3 and a half years, TNA need a dev territory so why not go where there is a proven track record?

 

After all, if WWF hadn't taken a chance on one of WCW's sloppy seconds then we'd never have had Stone Cold Steve Austin. I'd mark that down as a bad thing.

 

And as for what FCW has given WWE, Percy Watson is what.

[Retro Red]

Also, the big advantage of this is that some useless cunts in TNA might be sent down there full time. What was good about a developmental league, is some of the shite that ends up debuting in TNA, usually dont have a character. Gunner for example was shit when he first turned up. Now he has firey tights! Devon would be perfect to help out the OVW staff by training wrestlers down there. Kid Kash could teach some of these X Divs how to work as a flyer. Offer Fit Finlay a contract and let him sort the lot out. Send Football Boy down to OVW for a few years and help him develop a personality. It might give the likes of Mark Haskins something to do until they think of something for him on TV.

 

This. TNA's roster size is disgraceful because they keep guys on the payroll in case they improve on the indys and WWE snap them up (Case in point being Aries, he was bland as dishwater then parted ways with TNA only to return after a few years much improved. If WWE had shown any interest in him earlier this year then TNA would have lost their chance with him). With OVW in place, these guys can be sent there to grow and develop and come back to TNA less of a total blank slate.

[Sixteen Degrees]

Having OVW as a developmental group is a good deal.

 

However, bare in mind how WWE used OVW. A lot of the guys were spotted by the scouts, signed and then sent to OVW for training/seasoning. Your Ortons/Cenas/Lesnars/Batistas were found by WWE scouts and then sent ot OVW. So, while OVW trained the guys and got them ready, they didn't provide the raw materials.

 

Imagine a superstar as a meal at a restaurant: OVW or FCW are the kitchen. They take the ingredients, season them and make them better then they came out. But if you have rotten ingredients, you get rotten food. So having OVW on board is a great move but TNA will also need to help source better quality ingredients if they want to churn out new main eventers. Hopefully the TNA name/brand will help do that.

[Loki]

Problem is, Sixteen Degrees, that TNA probably have as good a scout network as WWE if not better - most of their roster also wrestle the indies. So they'll hear about good prospects all the time, they just have no way of preparing them for TV without sticking them on Xplosion.

 

OVW is a good choice, lots of experience there and talent. Bizarre that WWE's new dev territory is right around the corner to where they run tv, but there you go.

[simonworden]

Do OVW still have local TV as that was always part of why WWE liked them that the wrestlers got used to working the TV product. I would imagine that learning to work in the OVW arena is like a junior version of working in the Impact Zone

[pgi86]

Do OVW still have local TV as that was always part of why WWE liked them that the wrestlers got used to working the TV product. I would imagine that learning to work in the OVW arena is like a junior version of working in the Impact Zone

Yes, they still have local TV. The TV show is uploaded on their website as well, a couple of weeks after it's been taped. They do weekly TV tapings every Wednesday night. They also run 3 or 4 house shows per month, usually.

 

Anyway, some additional information via PWInsider:

 

The TNA-Ohio Valley Wrestling relationship that was announced yesterday was the brainchild of Bruce Prichard, who was very familiar with the OVW developmental system when it was associated with WWE and pitched the idea to TNA executives several months back.

 

Prichard's selling point to TNA was said to be that the lion's share of WWE stars that broke through as top-tier talents came through OVW's seasoning, which would be correct, although many of them were signed by WWE prior to being sent to Louisville.

 

A visit was arranged with several Execs, including Prichard, Eric Bischoff and Jeff Jarrett, visiting the Davis Arena so they could get a feel for the venue and the way that Danny Davis operates. That actually went down a few months back as well, so this had been in the works for some time.

 

The new relationship will allow TNA to send potential talents they want to evaluate as well as younger TNA talents to Louisville, where they can gain seasoning in the ring from trainers like Rip Rogers and also experience working weekly TV and house shows.

 

Basically, everything will come from the existing OVW camp as opposed to OVW expanding operations to include additional responsibilities for a TNA developmental program.

 

I am told there are no current plans to sign a slew of independent talents to developmental deals, but the OVW deal will make it easier for the company to develop new talents when they come across someone they do want to sign and develop.

 

The deal will also allow TNA the chance to monitor the regulars working OVW TV, which will be beneficial for Ohio Valley Wrestling as they'll gain new students seeking to break into TNA, much as they did previously with a huge influx of wrestlers trying to earn WWE developmental deals. OVW is a big winner there, as it places them back on the forefront of the map in a major way as the TNA relationship provides them an immediate conduit to new potential students, which will only help their bottom line and talent pool.

 

I am told the deal will have no effect on ROH taping TV at the Davis Arena, as that's the company renting the space from Danny Davis, so they would be free to do so going forward.

[Leary of Doom]

This is a very good move for TNA, and if it helps shift the focus to home grown independant talents over former WWE stars and offer an alternative product, this is a very good thing!