Impact wrestling thread - It's a Don West tribute thread now!

[UK Kat Von D]

I think WWE are more interested in growing their own talent from scratch now, but are still happy to give a chance to an Indy guy if they think there's something they can do with them. They got burned hiring Amazing Kong and Sin Cara, so its fair to think they might just be a bit more cautious who they sign. It says a lot that Styles was offered a contract and Richards was offered a trial

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Because Styles actually works for someone. He's a TNA wrestler on very good money for someone of his standing, and they offered him a deal to say "if they dont want you, we will". If AJ Styles had no employer, the ball would be firmly in WWE's court to offer him whatever they wanted to. The comparison isn't even a fair one. Everyone in the world would be after AJ Styles, because he's one of the best wrestlers in the entire world. New Japan would take him. AAA have said they would take him. He'd be all over the scene over here. Every US indy would book him. If there was no WWE option and no TNA option, AJ is one of the guys who would not starve on the indy and international circuit. Richards gets by because he'll put the graft him, but he hasn't got a quarter of the leverage and upside Styles has.

 

The fact they offered a 36 year old TNA wrestler a contract speaks volumes about where they are in their hiring process these days. They would NEVER have thought about signing him a few years back. It amazes me when people talk about how WWE wont hire indy wrestlers anymore. Its plainly obvious Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole will be on the WWE books in the next few years. Some wrestlers you just look at and know they are in a holding pattern waiting for the phone to ring.

Edited December 7, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[PunkStep]

I think WWE are more interested in growing their own talent from scratch now, but are still happy to give a chance to an Indy guy if they think there's something they can do with them. They got burned hiring Amazing Kong and Sin Cara, so its fair to think they might just be a bit more cautious who they sign. It says a lot that Styles was offered a contract and Richards was offered a trial

Davey Richards' reputation precedes him, though. I'm surprised they even gave him a trial, so I think that in itself is a testament to how seriously WWE take indy talent these days.

 

Being burned with Kharma wouldn't make them cautious with indy talent, more cautious with women wrestlers if anything. What happened with her obviously had nothing to do with her being an indy talent. That could've happened to any female wrestler. Sin Cara wasn't an indy wrestler per se, as we're really only talking about the US indy talent here. He was a Mexican megastar that was used to a completely different style and wwe were silly enough not to stick him in development first.

[Forrest]

The same WWE that's just given Davey Richards and his mate trial bookings in NXT?

 

Isn't it a trial because they don't want to sign many more Indy blokes though?

 

Yes it is. Amazing how they will sign people from outside sports with zero experience on the spot, yet this is their mentality with the Indy guys.

 

Why exactly is it such a bad thing that they're signing people from outside sports? If these people are willing to work and put in the graft, why shouldn't we have people from places outside of wrestling? It's no different from when all these Indy workers started out in shitarse town halls. Wrestling is supposed to be a cultural stew of wild and wacky characters, not a bunch of identikit chop merchants. I personally think that if you lots of people from different countries and backgrounds descending on your company, and you can put over the fact that these disparate characters are travelling from all over the place to fight for a shot to be your world champion, that can do wonders for your outside perception.

 

I don't understand this belief that wrestling should just be for "proper" wrestlers. It's no different from if you or me wanted to start getting in the ropes, except that these people are probably far more athletically suited. I find it to be a very elitist way of looking at things. Similar to when people bemoan TV writers on the creative team. If they're bringing something new to the way wrestling works, shouldn't we be applauding that?

[Vamp]

I have no idea who this Extreme Tiger bloke is, except I just googled him and this picture came up:

Anything Jack Evans touches is usually shit.

 

Extreme Tiger was a AAA guy. I'm pretty sure he left earlier in the year and is on the indy circuit now but I'd be lying if I said I remotely followed his career. In AAA he was one of the guys who'd work really shitty TLC matches on the big shows which had no rhyme nor reason whatsoever.

 

He's not as shit as Jack Evans though. Nobody is.

[Forrest]

I remember he was featured heavily on a compilation of Mexican garbage matches with guys like Damien 666. It was fucking shite. I'm all for suspension of disbelief, but I draw the line at referees adjusting lighttubes balanced across two garden chairs. I wanted to love it, but I couldn't. He could be very interesting in the X-Division though.

[pgi86]

Xtreme Tiger's also a guy who Konnan and Vampiro used to praise years ago saying he's this great high-flyer, the next big thing and "the next Rey Mysterio". That always cracked me up (because of how wrong it was). Tiger was quite shitty initially, though not as shitty as his buds Joe Lider and Crazy Boy. He got better over the years, but he's still not someone who I'm particularly excited about watching when I see his name on the line-up. AAA's got a bunch of high-flyers who are way better than him. That said, he's a logical signing for TNA (if indeed signed). A free agent (i.e. no affiliation to either CMLL or AAA), works cheap, has experience wrestling outside of Mexico and supposedly speaks *some* English too. All in all, he's a decent pick-up, I'd say. Adds some lucha spice to the roster and brings a different style to the table than what they currently have.

Edited December 7, 2013 by pgi86

[King Pitcos]

I don't understand this belief that wrestling should just be for "proper" wrestlers.

It's just a cupful of the same stream of shit that morons have been swallowing and regurgitating for years. If you've got a QWERTY keyboard and a low IQ, your favourite thing to do is to complain about WWE holding down wrestlers from the indies. Their solution is usually that Heyman or Cornette should be running wrestling instead of the McMahons.

Edited December 7, 2013 by King Pitcos

[thefallenangel]

TNA isn't TNA without AJ Styles.

[King Pitcos]

TNA isn't TNA without AJ Styles.

You can't blame AJ Styles entirely for TNA being TNA.

[PSF]

TNA isn't TNA without AJ Styles.

 

Not what your Sig implies

[Vamp]

Totally Needs AJ?

[Socrates]

Quite enjoyed Thursday's Impact. Like Spud's role. Liking EC3 heeling it up. Loving Zema Ion as the Bro-Mans DJ.

 

TNA are overall doing a really good job of creating pretty good heels. Need some solid faces though.

 

Pretty much everything they did made sense on Thursday. Which is a nice change.

[PowerButchi]

TNA is becoming a nice little TV show now, and that's all it needs to be. It's found it's level. Basically as TV content rather than a full blown promotion.

[FLips]

I can't stand it. It's fell from my weekly routine of things to watch and did so about 4 or 5 weeks ago. I think the last episode I watched fully was the one before BFG.

Just really shit tv.