Joey Styles article about TNA

[JoeDirt 0]

"TNA...FREE ADVICE FOR TNA FROM SOMEONE WHO IS IN THEIR DESIRED DEMOGRAPHIC AND HAS SEEN THE RISE AND FALL OF ECW

 

Every wrestling reporter has opinion of how a wrestling company should be run. So why is my advice any different or better. My argument would be that I am a 33 year old male who would watch a good wrestling alternative to WWE and I have juggled my marketing career with a career as a pro wrestling performer/associate television producer/direct marketer and I saw exactly what led to the rise and fall of ECW.

 

Now that I have presented my credentials for all to judge, here is some free advice for TNA (which I would be happy to elaborate on privately if they asked me to) because I genuinely want them to succeed:

 

1.) Find another WWE or WCW Champion to win and lose the NWA Title

 

Jeff Jarrett is a credible champion if for no other reason than he held the WCW title. TNA needs another former WCW or WWE Champion (Sting, Nash, DDP, Scott Steiner, Goldberg, Austin, etc.) to sign a contract agreeing to beat Jarrett and then within six months, convincingly drop the title to a TNA made champion (Monty Brown, Raven, etc.). Pure wrestling fans can scream bloody murder for A.J. Styles to get the belt again but it is a bad marketing move and never should have happened the first time. A.J. Styles is barely 5' 7" tall and barely weighs 180lbs. He is truly phenomenal as a performer but unless he uses the same "special supplements" that Chris Benoit and Eddy Guerrero used to bulk up to a rock solid 220 lbs., he is not a heavyweight and thus, should not be champion of the heavyweights. His holding of the NWA Heavyweight Title made TNA look minor league when compared to WWE's World Champions, even JBL. Good or bad, WWE sets the standard for what major league wrestlers look like and muscles sell more tickets and merchandise than work rate. It is a sad truth of the industry and it will never change etc.

 

2.) Have somebody under 35 years old who is from New York or Los Angeles book with Dutch Mantell and Jeff Jarrett and I don't me either because I am not "cool" enough for the job.

 

Southern wrestling deserves to be relegated to WWE nostalgia footage in today's American pro wrestling industry. TNA needs to be young, cool, fast, loud and edgy or it comes off as a poor copy of WWE.

 

The exact opposite of cutting edge is a WWE-inspired half-assed racial stereotype. Years ago, I told Simon Diamond he needed a more serious character like "Fighting Irish" Pat Kenney. A wholesome, educated, morally sound "good guy" who could still be hardcore. Instead, a few southerners come up with an Irish character that included jig dancing, leprechauns, Lucky Charms cereal, Irish Spring soap and lots of miscellaneous green stuff. How do you think those same southerners would feel about a WWE redneck wrestler with no teeth and no shoes having sex with his own sister and pigs? The most successful wrestling characters are the wrestlers' real life personas exaggerated.

 

Even Joey Styles was just Joe Bonsignore exaggerated. I'll readily admit to not being cool but blushing at every sexual reference and claiming to watch CSPAN but not MTV was done to make me a more entertaining television character. Making me a "goombah" would not have have worked because while I am an Italian-American, I am third generation born in this country and the character would have been forced and transparent.

 

3.) Drop the dead weight!

 

You know who they are. Friends or not, there are some people drawing a check from TNA who are not bringing revenue back into the company coffers. That is bad business. With only one hour of weekly TV and one monthly pay-per-view, quality of talent is much more important than quantity of talent.

 

In short, TNA is run by smart and savvy people who are very capable of building TNA into a profitable company and it my sincerest hope that they do so.

 

Joey Styles"

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

1.) Find another WWE or WCW Champion to win and lose the NWA Title

 

Jeff Jarrett is a credible champion if for no other reason than he held the WCW title. TNA needs another former WCW or WWE Champion (Sting, Nash, DDP, Scott Steiner, Goldberg, Austin, etc.) to sign a contract agreeing to beat Jarrett and then within six months, convincingly drop the title to a TNA made champion (Monty Brown, Raven, etc.).

While a good idea, the fans that know of TNA would see this as nothing more than a cheap ploy to get press. If anything, they need to find somebody that is a well-known name to smarks and marks alike, liked (or at least respected) by both, and a good enough worker (despite age) to make the matches interesting from the time he wins it until the time he drops it. Scott Hall might actually be the perfect choice, despite never winning the WWF Championship or the WCW World title. He is still known as both Razor Ramon and as an Outsider (you would actually be amazed at how many of my friends still call him Razor, and these are the friends that haven't watched wrestling in nearly a decade), and can work very well when motivated (and he seems to have always been motivated in TNA, most likely because of the more relaxed work schedule).

Pure wrestling fans can scream bloody murder for A.J. Styles to get the belt again but it is a bad marketing move and never should have happened the first time. A.J. Styles is barely 5' 7" tall and barely weighs 180lbs. He is truly phenomenal as a performer but unless he uses the same "special supplements" that Chris Benoit and Eddy Guerrero used to bulk up to a rock solid 220 lbs., he is not a heavyweight and thus, should not be champion of the heavyweights.

What about Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart? Neither of them were ever as big as the other WWF Champions of the era, but both were seen as legitimate champions and threats to the title when they were challengers. Why? Because they were booked as GOOD WRESTLERS that knew how to work their magic in the ring. If AJ is booked the same way, then he can be seen as credible among the giants. Notice the success of the Abyss/AJ Styles feud in TNA (and yes, it was a success, as it produced good, heat-filled matches that fans wanted to see). Abyss is a HOSS~!, bah gawd, and AJ Styles is a mere cruiserweight. AJ looked legit when beating on Abyss because he played to his strengths (his speed, his wrestling ability, and his kayfabed pain tolerance) and was made to look like a threat. If the company plays to a smaller wrestler's strengths, then the smaller wrestler will look credible against larger opponents.

His holding of the NWA Heavyweight Title made TNA look minor league when compared to WWE's World Champions, even JBL. Good or bad, WWE sets the standard for what major league wrestlers look like and muscles sell more tickets and merchandise than work rate. It is a sad truth of the industry and it will never change etc.

It has changed, though. In the past 7 years, the average height of WWF/WWE Champions has gone from over 6'5", 300 lbs., to roughly 6'3", 250 lbs. Smaller wrestlers with more skill have become more prolific now than ever before, and in the next 20 years, I don't have much of a doubt that the bigger, power-based workers will be more of a sideshow attraction than the Cruiserweights are. Of course, that might just be wishful thinking, but a good worker that is of average height/weight will get over better than a shit worker that's a giant.

2.) Have somebody under 35 years old who is from New York or Los Angeles book with Dutch Mantell and Jeff Jarrett and I don't me either because I am not "cool" enough for the job.

DAMN FUCKING STRAIGHT! Hell, me and Mike have some good ideas, TNA. Hire us! Hire Triple R! Hire somebody that knows what the fans want to see and is willing to shake things up a bit to try to make the product as good as possible.

Southern wrestling deserves to be relegated to WWE nostalgia footage in today's American pro wrestling industry. TNA needs to be young, cool, fast, loud and edgy or it comes off as a poor copy of WWE.

But WWE is trying to be young, cool, fast, loud, and edgy. How would being what WWE is trying to be not make them look like a poor copy of WWE? The only way to not be compared to WWE is to offer better wrestling, better storylines, and a better overall product. I love the format of Impact, and I will admit that the format of most shows (with an emphasis on the matches themselves) is a good marketing standpoint to make them a viable alternative, but they do need to be tweaked and modified to make the company prosper.

The exact opposite of cutting edge is a WWE-inspired half-assed racial stereotype. Years ago, I told Simon Diamond he needed a more serious character like "Fighting Irish" Pat Kenney. A wholesome, educated, morally sound "good guy" who could still be hardcore. Instead, a few southerners come up with an Irish character that included jig dancing, leprechauns, Lucky Charms cereal, Irish Spring soap and lots of miscellaneous green stuff. How do you think those same southerners would feel about a WWE redneck wrestler with no teeth and no shoes having sex with his own sister and pigs? The most successful wrestling characters are the wrestlers' real life personas exaggerated.

I dunno...I don't think Mark Calloway used to be a real zombie...

Even Joey Styles was just Joe Bonsignore exaggerated. I'll readily admit to not being cool but blushing at every sexual reference and claiming to watch CSPAN but not MTV was done to make me a more entertaining television character. Making me a "goombah" would not have have worked because while I am an Italian-American, I am third generation born in this country and the character would have been forced and transparent.

Nothing new here, but Joey does further prove a point.

3.) Drop the dead weight!

 

You know who they are. Friends or not, there are some people drawing a check from TNA who are not bringing revenue back into the company coffers. That is bad business. With only one hour of weekly TV and one monthly pay-per-view, quality of talent is much more important than quantity of talent.

Nobody in TNA is bringing revenue back into the company. TNA is losing money. Dead weight, in this case, would be nearly everybody, since those that could draw have been buried to the point where even their diehard fans don't watch them in TNA, and those that could never draw are still kept on the card because they can get a live reaction or two. The problem isn't so much shedding the workers that they've buried, but building the workers up to mean something. Chris Sabin went from the supposed savior of the X-Division to being just another X-Division wrestler, and AJ Styles went from two-time NWA Heavyweight champion of the World to feuding with a midcard heel, and losing his X-Division title to two non-X workers.

In short, TNA is run by smart and savvy people who are very capable of building TNA into a profitable company and it my sincerest hope that they do so.

Nothing in the past year of TNA's existence has proven to me that it is run by smart and savvy people that are capable of turning TNA into a profitable company. The company needs a shakeup from the roster to the writing staff and back again, and will not go anywhere without one. Either Mantel needs to get fired, or JJ needs to get a career ending injury, before big changes can occur.

Joey Styles

Corey Lazarus.

[AmazingRen 0]

How come everyone is saying the same thing for TNA to do, but they still won't listen? They do need a younger guy to help since neither guy knows what the 18-34 demographic wants.

 

 

As much as you guys would love to see AJ with the world title he's right. The champion should never be shorter than his manager (see: Russo and Styles). AJ and Kash having the title would make TNA look weak now that there on TV. Both guys are too skinny and bulked up enough (see: Eddie and Benoit who are both short, but are JACKED enough to look like heavyweights) to be champ. Hell. Sabin looks more of a heavyweight than AJ does. That's why Siaki, Truth, Lynn, Monty, Abyss, Chris Harris, and Raven should be pushed more as the main event players for TNA.

 

As for the over 35-year-old wrestler to beat Jarrett for the title Sting and Raven are the only guys I would accept. I still don't understand why Raven hasn't been champ yet. Jarrett is sooo damn afraid to let someone be more over than him it's not even funny. If Impact! is still a Sunday Night Heat show (which I have a feeling it will be) and that don't have a two-hour show by the time "Victory Road" comes then they should just take Impact! Off the air and do it ECW style. Which is tour around, make watchable PPV cards (Daniels v. AJ, Lynn v. Raven, Sabin v. Alex Shelley), and have a PPV every 2 months.

[Guest Staravenger]

Jerry Lynn I doubt would EVER get a push like that. The guy was pretty much gone last year until someone thought about bringing him back last fall. Besides, he's barely above Styles in terms of heavyweight look. He looks about 5'10", and looks to be only about 215 lbs. That's Cruiser/Light-Heavyweight/Jr. Heavyweight material.

 

Push. Abyss. Damn it.

[Michrome 0]

AJ's by far the most over guy they have. TNA is supposed to be different than the WWE, not a second rate copy. If they have a champ that smokes both of the WWE champs, that's a damn good thing.

[Guest Coffey]

I wish I was on TNA creative. Being able to make suggestions, at least, would give me a reason to get up every morning.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

1.) Find another WWE or WCW Champion to win and lose the NWA Title

 

Jeff Jarrett is a credible champion if for no other reason than he held the WCW title. TNA needs another former WCW or WWE Champion (Sting, Nash, DDP, Scott Steiner, Goldberg, Austin, etc.) to sign a contract agreeing to beat Jarrett and then within six months, convincingly drop the title to a TNA made champion (Monty Brown, Raven, etc.). Pure wrestling fans can scream bloody murder for A.J. Styles to get the belt again but it is a bad marketing move and never should have happened the first time. A.J. Styles is barely 5' 7" tall and barely weighs 180lbs. He is truly phenomenal as a performer but unless he uses the same "special supplements" that Chris Benoit and Eddy Guerrero used to bulk up to a rock solid 220 lbs., he is not a heavyweight and thus, should not be champion of the heavyweights. His holding of the NWA Heavyweight Title made TNA look minor league when compared to WWE's World Champions, even JBL. Good or bad, WWE sets the standard for what major league wrestlers look like and muscles sell more tickets and merchandise than work rate. It is a sad truth of the industry and it will never change etc.

 

Ok, what the hell? This is a contradiction and a half. I figure using AJ Styles as champion doesn't come close to making you look as minor league as hiring all the WWE/WCW flunkies that can't cut it anymore. Also, giving washed up WWE/WCW wrestlers the NWA Title just to bounce it over to a TNA original talent is a BAD idea. Why would you want to do that? I could understand if he was talking someone on the Hogan/Austin/Foley level.....but we know at this point that's not happening and if that's what he meant, then Joey is a little more disillusioned than he appears. Having Styles as your champ already gives fans a alternative to anything they have in the WWE because you would NEVER see that style of wrestler get the attention that he does.

 

2.) Have somebody under 35 years old who is from New York or Los Angeles book with Dutch Mantell and Jeff Jarrett and I don't me either because I am not "cool" enough for the job.

 

Southern wrestling deserves to be relegated to WWE nostalgia footage in today's American pro wrestling industry. TNA needs to be young, cool, fast, loud and edgy or it comes off as a poor copy of WWE.

 

Now this I don't understand. Just GET SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WRESTLING AND ISN'T A FUCKING RETARD. That is it.

 

The exact opposite of cutting edge is a WWE-inspired half-assed racial stereotype. Years ago, I told Simon Diamond he needed a more serious character like "Fighting Irish" Pat Kenney. A wholesome, educated, morally sound "good guy" who could still be hardcore. Instead, a few southerners come up with an Irish character that included jig dancing, leprechauns, Lucky Charms cereal, Irish Spring soap and lots of miscellaneous green stuff. How do you think those same southerners would feel about a WWE redneck wrestler with no teeth and no shoes having sex with his own sister and pigs? The most successful wrestling characters are the wrestlers' real life personas exaggerated.

 

I admit I would agree with how terrible this gimmick came off, but ummmm......he didn't HAVE to do it, and he apparently came up with it on his own....so.....

 

3.) Drop the dead weight!

 

You know who they are. Friends or not, there are some people drawing a check from TNA who are not bringing revenue back into the company coffers. That is bad business. With only one hour of weekly TV and one monthly pay-per-view, quality of talent is much more important than quantity of talent.

 

Yep. I agree with this 100%. Who is the dead weight? He wouldn't name them.......I WILL.

 

Dead Weight = Goldylocks, Jeff Hardy, TNA/NASCAR analyst guy from impact, Dusty Rhodes, Larry Zybyzsko, Glen Gilberti, Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger, Erik Watts, Anyone related to or resembling a Harris brother, BG James, Konnan, Michael Shane, David Young, Onyx, Hotstuff Hernandez...........must I continue?

 

In short, TNA is run by smart and savvy people who are very capable of building TNA into a profitable company and it my sincerest hope that they do so.

 

I am as optimistic as humanly possible......but I haven't seen anything to prove that statement true........

[Magus 0]

My Thoughts...

 

1) I agree that they need some big names, but those names have to be able to work decent matches and be willing to put over TNA's wrestlers. That rules a lot of guys out, but a few remain. Sting can still go and will put most others over no prob. Hall can work when he's encouraged properly, and he doesn't have Nash's ego. Terry Funk would put over Shark Boy if you ask him to. DDP may have a few matches left in him. Foley is a possibility, but he may not want to piss off McMahon. Get rid of Jarrett, and have guys like these mingle in the main event to get TNA over as a major promotion.

 

What I don't agree with Joey on is his comments about AJ Styles. To me, TNA was built on the X Division, so it should be highly respected as not just a Cruiser division. The X Division should be as important as the NWA World Title division (notice I didn't say "heavyweight" division). Its like TNA has two major titles. Anybody who is over enough can be in the World Title scene, no matter what his weight. But not just anybody can be in the X Division. That's what makes it cool, and if the X Division workers are over enough to compete for the NWA Title (like AJ is), then let them.

 

2) I COMPLETELY agree on his assessment of the booking team. They're fucking inept. Joey's point about Pat Kenney is right on target. I still think that TNA should focus on the wrestling while WWE focuses on the "entertainment" though. But focusing on traditional pro-wrestling doesn't mean you have to book like its the 80's. The characters can't be corny and the angles have to tell a legitimate story, not just "they hate each other!" You can be traditional and even family-friendly while still having edgy characters and storylines. That's what people want.

 

3) As for dead weight... there's only a few people in TNA who annoy me really. Russo, Goldy, Gilberti, Watts, Hammond, even the owner himself. Basically, people who shouldn't be there, but are because of connections. James and Konnan still have some name value, and as I said, if they are willing to put others over and can work a decent match, they're okay. Dusty and Larryland get on my nerves, but if they were used better it wouldn't be so bad. The Championship Committee isn't a bad idea, TNA just fucked it up like they do everything. If TNA spent more time trying to get over the guys they have instead of just hiring more, they wouldn't have so much dead weight. Hell, what the fuck are they paying Jeremy Borash for anyway?

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

Why not put Dusty at the announcers' table? He proved on the Benoit DVD that he can absolutely hilarious and its better than him trying to be a thrid member of America's Most Wanted.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Hell, what the fuck are they paying Jeremy Borash for anyway?

I believe that, aside from being a ring announcer, he is also one of the chiefs of talent (meaning he finds wrestlers to bring in) and an executive producer of the show. Until the hiring of Sahadi (sp.?), I think Borash was the one making the video packages.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Until the hiring of Sahadi (sp.?), I think Borash was the one making the video packages.

Even more reason to fire him.

[Guest Staravenger]

I'm surprised no ones mentioned Don West. Most marks for TNA I talk to seem to hate the guys guts. I personally think he's gotten a lot better than when TNA first started. So excited for a headlock...

 

As long as Jeremy Borash doesn't do commentary, let him do whatever jobs he wants.

[Magus 0]

I like West. Although, if they were to put him as backstage interviewer, and bring Shane Douglas in as the color man, it'd be a lot better. Douglas would be a better color man, and West would probably make a very good interviewer.

 

Borash should be shot. I like the ring announcing and "boxing style" intros to World Title matches... but anybody can do that. They should get rid of Borash and let someone with a better voice be the ring announcer, but they won't since he's all up Jeff's ass.