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

[garynysmon]

While Magnus has the worst music in wrestling history, I really can't get behind him. Which is a shame, as he rules in everyway but that bloody entrance theme.

 

Not true.

 

Matt Morgan has the worst music in wrestling history.

 

You are both wrong. Chavo Guerrero has the worst music in wrestling history, by far.

 

 

Seconded. (Although Kevin Nash had an atrocious theme in TNA for a while).

[Ross18]

Magnus theme itself is not bad. It's the fact the intro to it doesn't seem to link up or flow well with the actual theme.

 

But yeah. I've always seen Magnus as the type to go to WWE. Think he will eventually end up there. I also don't think he'll win the BFG Series but I'd imagine with the way things are going with him at the moment that he'll be in the top 4.

[Loki]

I was sure Roode would go to WWE, and that seems less likely now, so I don't think Magnus is a lock either.

 

Put it this way - in its 10+ year existence, how many TNA stars has WWE signed up and pushed?

 

None. Not a sausage.

 

If I was a good wrestler plying my trade in TNA, I'd look at that track record and be suspicious that anyone coming in with the stank of TNA on them was automatically doomed to fail. This must be what Roode has done, as I think Ian alluded to earlier.

[garynysmon]

I was sure Roode would go to WWE, and that seems less likely now, so I don't think Magnus is a lock either.

 

Put it this way - in its 10+ year existence, how many TNA stars has WWE signed up and pushed?

 

None. Not a sausage.

 

If I was a good wrestler plying my trade in TNA, I'd look at that track record and be suspicious that anyone coming in with the stank of TNA on them was automatically doomed to fail. This must be what Roode has done, as I think Ian alluded to earlier.

 

Lo-ki ended up on NXT. What a disaster that was.

[UK Kat Von D]

Out of the TNA guys who have gone to WWE who out of them were actually any good? Off the top of my head Chris Harris was the biggest failure, but he had hardly proved himself of any value in TNA besides AMW, which James Storm can take a lot of credit for. Monty Brown was put into ECW and left due to family issues IIRC. Kazarian failed, but he was shit up until recently anyway. It hardly like they made AJ Styles a jobber

 

Edit: As for Low Ki going on NXT that's hardly a shocker or a bad move. Wernt all new guys coming through that way at the time? Coming off NXT hardly harmed Barrat and Bryan. Low Ki failed because he is shit

Edited June 26, 2013 by Tattoos are gay

[PowerButchi]

CM Punk did alright.

[PowerButchi]

Magnus seems like a top media guy as well. You see him presenting Strongman and stuff and he's really polished.

[Loki]

CM Punk did alright.

 

Blink and you missed him in TNA though. He came into WWE from ROH, which is (strangely) a much more acceptable route.

 

Perhaps the reason also that nobody really worthy has made the jump is that WWE regularly offer them much worse deals than TNA? If you're Bobby Roode and are making 400k a year, and you get offered a downside guarantee of 150k or something, that's hard to stomach. And that speaks of an in-built disrespect for TNA which I think is crazy, as there's no other company that is set up to give wrestlers a better grounding in tv. Someone who's been on Impact for a few years will have learnt a lot of stuff that chaps off the indies will never have had the opportunity to experience. IMO, there's no better place for WWE to raid.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

If you look at the people who came from TNA to WWE, the failure was their own fault. Chris Harris turned up in the worst shape of his life. Monty Brown was never fully committed to WWE and eventually left for non-wrestling related reasons. Ron Killings has been employed for years and he had a good 4 or 5 years in TNA, so he did alright. Low Ki won NXT and made it to TV. And they never sacked him because he was an ex TNA wrestler. Magnus is totally going to end up in WWE soon. He isn't even an established name or anything. He's been up and down the card so much, you wouldn't pick him out of a lineup if you were an average wrestling fan. I bet more people know that CM Punk worked for TNA than Magnus does.

 

I was listening to Kevin Steen's interviews where he talks to Michael Elgin and another one with Adam Cole. They said would you go to TNA if they offered you a deal and they both said no. Nobody wants to work for TNA unless its their only option. Everyone grew up watching WWE. To most of the business, its the only place to be. You can earn more money getting yourself in a WWE game than you can all year in TNA.

 

Perhaps the reason also that nobody really worthy has made the jump is that WWE regularly offer them much worse deals than TNA? If you're Bobby Roode and are making 400k a year, and you get offered a downside guarantee of 150k or something, that's hard to stomach.

Bobby Roode isn't making $400,000 a year. He's on about $100,000 per annum. You can make more in WWE on a developmental deal if you are a decent size name. If TNA were in a position to be handing out $400,000 a year deals, you'd have people lining up to sign for them. And if Roode had a contract worth that much, you wouldn't have the talent relations department falling a sleep at the desk and letting his contract expire without them noticing.

 

The reason WWE doesn't go for TNA wrestlers is because the promotion is filled with people TNA hire because they didn't want, or the TNA roster has decent contracts and you only need to leave the house 4 times a fortnight as opposed to 4 to 5 times a week traveling all over the country. Most of the TNA established wrestlers are in their mid-to-late 30s. AJ Styles isn't going to go to WWE now.

Edited June 26, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[Duke]

Low Ki won NXT and made it to TV. And they never sacked him because he was an ex TNA wrestler

Which, if you consider he referemced TNA blatantly on NXT, was a minor miracle in itself

[ColinBollocks]

It'll be interesting to see who's still with TNA in a couple of years time. It's become quite clear that any proper success is ages away (if at all), due years of having a Russo-shaped scarlet letter around their proverbial neck. It's going to take years and years of solid programming for them to re-build consumer faith.

 

All the proper stars are on sweet deals, but I'm sure most crave a bigger spotlight.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Blackson Jackson

[garynysmon]

I'm sure most crave a bigger spotlight.

 

I suppose even the staunchest TNA wrestler would have to look back at their career without a big stadium show on their CV as somewhat of a disappointment.

It's been proven in the past with RVD and Kevin Nash, who both said the same when leaving. People used to ask them if they'd retired when they were regulars on Spike TV every week.

That's always puzzled me though. Not suggesting for a moment that either is lying, but even a cursory glance on wikipedia would show that they're wrestling for TNA. We must be talking ultra casual fans here, who aren't the type who'll tune into TNA or anything except the big WWE shows.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

A lot of people consider leaving WWE retirement. When I was a kid, I'd see Tatanka advertised for the empire, and I'd think he was doing it like when Jim Montgomery would do the 6 a sides round our local pitch. I didn't for a second think he was doing it to make a living. If they knew about their outside WWE bookings, they probably think Nash and RVD were in TNA because they didn't have the passion for it anymore or whatever. A large number of WWE fans dont consider TNA or any other wrestling promotion worth anything. Even the people watching it dont. If they did, more than 6000 fans would have bought their PPVs each month. WWE is pretty much the whole market. Their recognition compared to any other company is so large, its quite shocking.

 

On this subject, Christian didn't want to go to TNA last year for that one off appearances because he thought it would devalue him. Konnan said Christian used to be depressed working for TNA because their house shows were like working veteran halls.

Edited June 26, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[Loki]

Bobby Roode isn't making $400,000 a year. He's on about $100,000 per annum.

 

I very much doubt that. I'm sure he's not in the Sting/Angle/Hardy bracket of salary, but his tenure and position mean he'll be making more than that. He and Styles and a couple of others must be on decent green. It's an academic argument though, as neither of us actually know.

 

I also take wrestlers' claims over which company they would or wouldn't work for with a massive pinch of salt. I could say I'd never work for Microsoft all I want, but if they actually offered me a job and a decent wage I'd probably be there like a shot.

 

You pain such a bleak picture of TNA in this thread, Ian, but I'm not sure you're not just drinking the koolaid from disgruntled ex-employees too much. A lot of he-said, she-said. I reckon Bobby Roode loves going to work each week, Magnus too.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

TNA is pretty bleak. They've been sued countless times by employees and they've let loads of talented wrestlers go because they cant afford them.

 

$100,000 for not going on the road much is a good deal. Why would TNA pay Roode and Styles $400,000 a year? You pay wrestlers based on what they could make elsewhere. Could Roode and Styles get a contract with WWE worth more than $100,000 a year with the dates they have at their age? There's no chance they could. That's how its always worked in TNA. Its why Alex Shelley left.

Edited June 26, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay