The Land of Second Chances

Over the last two weeks former mid-carders have returned to WWE to appear on developmental show NXT. The February 18 episode saw Rhyno decisively beat Elias Sampson in his short comeback match while the February 25 show featured the return of 'The' Brian Kendrick, complete with video package to let anyone not familiar with him know exactly what he's about. Unlike 'The Manbeast' he lost his match, but it was a much more high profile deal, a main event bout with number one contender to the NXT championship Finn Bálor.

Understated red jacket on Kendrick there.

While neither Kendrick nor Rhyno have signed new contracts with WWE both have had profiles added to NXT's website roster section. Neither man wrestled more than the one match lready mentioned at the most recent set of tapings so this indicates that they're going to be involved with the show long-term. Without a contract they remain free to accept bookings elsewhere, essentially making NXT another indy on their schedule. Which benefits them as they remain free agents with their profiles being raised with the NXT appearances. It should see them get more non-WWE work. Meanwhile it benefits WWE because they get two guys who appeal to NXT's target audience of "smart" fans and gives the relatively inexperienced roster two well-travelled lads to work with and learn from.

It's a development that moves NXT a step closer to becoming its own entity. It adds two guys who can wrestle the current indy style that NXT partly takes its inspiration from, which is what helps to give it its own identity. This is important to note as expanding NXT is something Triple H (the man in charge of the group, not Vince McMahon) has mentioned he feels could be achieved in several NXT-related interviews.

Kendrick and Rhyno are two of the best guys that could have been brought in. They have very different styles, Rhyno being a big, brawling behemoth and Kendrick being a smaller, more technical guy. They even have different backgrounds in the business, with Rhyno having made his initial impact by Goring anyone and everyone through tables in ECW and Kendrick being one of the early standouts of Ring of Honor. They're both familiar with the WWE style but different enough that they can bring out different things in matches. And, as mentioned, helping the NXT roster to learn is a large part of why they've been brought back.

It will be interesting to see if other former mid-carders will return in the future. There's no shortage of wrestlers who had loads of talent and never got to showcase it on WWE television because of the way shows are timed. There are obvious guys like Evan Bourne, Shelton Benjamin and Carlito, along with people who'd be easy to overlook like Steve Blackman and Sean 'X-Pac' Waltman.

A guy like Paul London would be interesting, especially considering his tag team history with Kendrick, but with his well documented dislike of the WWE system that's unlikely. John Morrison would be great too, though his current deal with Lucha Underground and his pursuit of acting and comedy gigs makes an appearance from him unlikely.

An ideal female additions to NXT.

It's not just guys either. Lisa Marie 'Victoria' Varon and Mickie James are two female wrestlers currently not under contract to a wrestling promotion. One of them would be an ideal addition to NXT's already strong women's division. He signing of one of these two women (or someone similar) is actually far more likely than any of the names mentioned above. They'd be filling the role Kendrick and Rhyno are for the guys.

While the entire purpose of NXT would be negated with the signing of all of these names bringing in one or two could be interesting for the satellite league. It allows familiar faces to be seen in a new light and to have their abilities fully appreciated. That said I'm perfectly happy with the way the men's roster is right now. Rhyno and Kendrick provide a perfect balance and are the ideal long-term additions from the ranks of former mid-carders. Either of them taking on the current crop of NXT headliners is an appealing prospect. As is the thought of them facing off with the alleged-to-be-incoming Samoa Joe. Should he sign the roster will become so packed with feature-worthy talent it'll be tough to make use of everyone already there. So the last thing we need is an influx of returnees. Still, it's nice to idly think about candidates for the veteran spots.

Total Nonstop Alterations

Recent developments in TNA have made me wonder about the company's creative direction. There's clearly a long term plan in place. Several months' worth of storylines involving Bully Ray fooling everyone into thinking he's a reformed character while secretly being the President of Aces and Eights can attest to that. But are feuds pitting Ray against 'The Hulkster' and Sting really what TNA fans want to see? I know I'm not interested, and I find it difficult to believe I'm the only one. TNA's improved over the last two years but it's still a promotion awash with nonsense and performers who aren't pulling their weight.

Things aren’t beyond saving though. There are numerous things that could be done to make TNA a more enjoyable viewing experience. I've come up with a list of suggestions that I think could improve the TNA product. They’re listed below, and anyone at TNA who happens to be reading this is welcome to use them.
 
Go all the way with Christopher Daniels: 'The Ring General' has been one of the most entertaining things on Impact for almost a year now. What started as a seemingly throwaway pairing with Frankie Kazarian has had staying power and has shown that the twenty year veteran is still capable of reinventing himself and staying relevant. Effective heels tend to end up receiving cheers from crowds who appreciate how good they are at their job so it says something about how good Daniels is that he remains capable of getting the desired reaction.
 
Daniels could have made a very effective top heel. The focus on the Aces and Eights group, and his incompatibility with it, made that impossible. That shouldn't stop TNA continuing to give him things to do. Nor should it preclude him from consideration as a future world champion. 'The Fallen Angel' is one of TNA's greatest assets. He should be the star of the company's next long term booking cycle.

Lead heel material

 
Make Magnus and Samoa Joe a tag team: They've already been reunited through the magic of battling Aces and Eights. Have them announce on Impact that they've decided to reform their tag team because they realise they can succeed together. If and when they do split, don't rush it. That's a scenario that could be used to bring Magnus into main events.
 
Make Robbie E and Jesse Godderz a tag team: It's been acknowledged that they have similar gimmicks. Why not embrace that and have them work as a unit? It's not like either man is anything special alone.
 
Should the writers be inclined they could even grant the combo an ECW-style entourage, perhaps installed to protect them from the monstrous Rob Terry (who can be downed with a… erm… framed picture). They'd already have Tara, a great character who I think excels when placed in a group setting. They could bring back Cookie. They could give them a bodyguard, maybe some plucked from the list of cuts suggested below.

Gunner could be put with them to run interference. Give him a bizarre costume (as was done with the Musketeer and Mitch in the Simon and Swinger group) and you could get some laughs (and some incredulous looks). Is getting laughs a bad thing? Not with these guys. Robbie E, Jesse and Tara are all well established as comedy performers in TNA.
 
Once they've feuded with Rob Terry they could move on to Eric Young. A programme between comedy performers would be a nice change of pace, and there'd be lots of matches to book if EY were still hooked up with ODB.
 
Finish the Aces and Eights angle: It's been running for a year now. It took months for the group's members to be revealed. The final line-up is uninspiring or detrimental to the product. It could have been used as a tool to make bigger stars of the likes of Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco. They've found themselves playing even less important roles than they were when they were Team Angle 2.0. Instead it’s just been an excuse to hire a truckload of former WWE guys.
 
It's a boring, uninspiring plot that's outstayed its welcome and has nothing left to offer. If the goal was to make Bully Ray the heel champion then the objective has been achieved. 'Calfzilla' is good enough to go it alone from here, perhaps retaining Devon for their history together and to play up the Team 3D reunion.
 
The writers need to come up with something new. Something that's not a knockoff of the nWo. We've seen plenty of those. Put wrestling at the centre of stories and make wins and losses matter instead.
 
Get rid of the TV title: Let it go with Devon or, if he sticks around, stop him wearing it. Seriously, it's worthless.
 
Make Taryn Terrell a wrestler: Having a gimmick referee for the Knockouts division seemed like a peculiar idea to begin with. I assumed it was going to lead somewhere. It hasn't. The most notable thing Taryn's been involved in has been an accusation of iffy officiating. Not exactly thrilling, is it?
 
Why not have Gail Kim reveal that she's lodged a complaint against Terrell that will prohibit her from officiating matches for the foreseeable future? That would excuse Taryn from ref duty and allow her to enter into a feud with Kim, using the excuse that she remains a TNA contracted performer and a trained wrestler. She's not on par with the rest of the Knockout crew but she might learn by association. Failing that she could always be put in a tag team.

She learnt that move from Mae Young, you know

 
Improve the Knockouts division: Fairly broad point? Yeah, but I've got several suggestions that don't fall neatly under their own headers.
 
First of all, hire Ivalice Velez. She was far more impressive than Lei'D Tapa in their match on the February 28^th Impact. The audience connected with her too. That's a very good indication that someone warrants a contract.
 
Lei'D Tapa, who was signed in Velez's place, could be built up as a monster heel. Treat her like a modern day Awesome Kong. Have her stand in the aisle to watch KO matches for several weeks before attacking someone like Mickie James or Velvet Sky to setup her first programme. Maybe even allow her to beat the champion for the title in her first official match as a Knockout. That could make her a star immediately.
 
Of course for that to work fans would have to care about the division and its performers. That's not a tough thing to achieve. Viewers want to care about the Knockouts, they're just not given much of a chance to do so. Give them all their own characters again, along with something to do. That could include bringing up some of the ladies assigned to OVW to help flesh out the ranks (so to speak) and reactivating the Knockout tag belts.
 
Release some wrestlers from their contracts: I know Matt Morgan only re-signed last summer but what's he done since returning? Nothing. He's been with the company since 2007, which is more than enough time to carve a niche for himself. That he hasn't means he probably never will. The story of Morgan becoming frustrated with his lack of opportunities before becoming serious and targeting the champ had been done to death too.
 
Joey Ryan has transformed into a spectacularly banal character since getting a regular gig with the league. He could be released and not be missed.
 
RVD is another guy that has nothing to do in the current TNA. He's a man trading on past glories. He's still fine in the ring and better on the mic than he was in his prime but he's faced everyone of worth and done everything of interest. Give someone else a chance to reinvigorate the X Division.

Contract expirations are underrated

 
The entire A&E roster is ripe for a firing too. That includes Mr Anderson. TNA have floundered about with him for so long, switching him rapidly between heel and face, that he can't be cared about anymore. As I mentioned above, perhaps keep Devon around if there's a purpose behind it.
 
Finally, get rid of Hogan and Bischoff. The latter's not an on-screen performer but he's just as useless as 'Thunderlips'. Neither man has done anything to make TNA a more known brand or a more profitable company. There has been a distinct lack of fresh and entertaining programming too. The company has simply kept churning out the same WWE-inspired weirdness it has for years. If they knew how to improve things they'd have done it by now.
 
Make better use of Sting and Kurt Angle: By which I mean make both men part time. Use them as special attractions. Have Sting appear on Impact only to build up pay-per-view programmes. Have Angle replace Hulk as the General Manger and keep any wrestling matches he has either for PPV or for specially hyped episodes of Impact.
 
Restock the roster with young talent: Recruit fresh blood. The X Division in particular is bare. Why not make an offer to John Morrison. I'm sure one's been extended before but try again. He could attract fresh eyes to the X league. Longer term he could progress to wrestling for the world championship.
 
Kenny Omega and Sonjay Dutt should be natural choices to bring in. Both men would improve the booking options of the roster and make good challengers for Kenny King. How about the Young Bucks (or Generation Me as they were called in TNA) and BLKOUT? Those are four guys who could work in both the X Division and the tag division, another area of TNA programming that could do with some work.
 
Closing statement: The TNA roster is need of a shakeup. The product has been the same for so long that nothing feels fresh, no matter how it’s dressed up. The only way TNA is going to improve is with a refresh of the roster and a different tack being taken when it comes to concocting long term booking plans. Bully Ray having the title isn’t a problem, but pretty much everything else is.

Back on Form

Last night's Bound For Glory pay-per-view presented its audience with no less than five championship matches. Four of those saw titles change hands. While some of the switches were good moves (Tara dethroning former tag partner Miss Tessmacher and Guerrero and Hernandez capturing the doubles straps) it was still far too much for one show.
 
The approach is worryingly similar to the TNA of three or four years ago. Back then matches took place with little rhyme or reason and championships changed hands so frequently that their importance was severely diluted. TNA has done if good job of restoring some lustre to those battered prizes over the last year. Bound For Glory 2012 felt more like a step back than a step forward.
 
If the company felt the need to have so many prizes change hands then they should have planned things out better and had some changes take place on different dates. Rob Van Dam's X Division title win is a perfect example of a switch which didn't have to take place at BFG. Defending champ Zema Ion could have wrestled RVD to a time limit draw, setting up a rematch on IMPACT or at November's Turning Point show. Even a deliberate DQ to set up a return encounter would have been better than a cluttered card.

The man who replaces Austin Aries at the top of TNA

 
The multitude of new champs crowned on the undercard diluted the importance of Jeff Hardy's TNA title win in the main event slot. 'The Charismatic Enigma's' victory over Austin Aries would have meant more had it not had to share the night with Tara, Guerrero, Hernandez, and Van Dam's wins.
 
The show itself was mostly enjoyable. The main event was a fittingly well-crafted encounter and while I wish 'A Double' had remained the world champion for a while longer I can't fault the decision to move the belt on to Jeff Hardy considering the reaction his win got.

The interaction between Hardy and Aries should prove a highlight of Thursday’s IMPACT and I imagine we’ll see them clash for the title over the course of the next few PPVs. I hope their inevitable match at Turning Point is of the same standard. Hopefully the rest of the card will be too, but with a few less title changes. Remember, TNA: less is more.

Knocked Out

Over the last ten years TNA has managed to do a few things better than their chief rival WWE. One was the innovative X Division. While the X athletes have had some rocky spells over the years they are currently on the way back to becoming an important part of the company’s programming again. New signings are swelling the ranks and the booking team seem determined to make us care about the belt with the X again.

Another area TNA used to outperform WWE in was the booking of their female talent. In 2007 the company became serious about featuring women as wrestlers and established the Knockouts division. Performers such as Awesome Kong, Gail Kim and the Beautiful People were hired to fill the ranks. They did everything the company could have hoped for: they produced excellent matches and got over.

While the TNA Knockouts division is still superior to WWE’s Divas league it is has seen far better days. The recent departures of both Angelina Love and Velvet Sky, two of the promotion’s most over wrestlers and stalwarts of the women’s division since it was introduced, indicates that TNA is no longer serious about promoting the Knockouts.

Mickie James, shown here as Knockouts champion, could still attract viewers if TNA booked their female wrestlers better

Part of the problem is the signing of Brooke Hogan. She has been brought in as the authority figure of the Knockouts division, a move that has predictably lessened the amount of airtime the existing roster receives while also making Hogan’s daughter the focal point of the division, rather than the wrestlers. It’s a pointless role created to give Hogan’s firstborn something to do.

TNA still has some excellent Knockouts on board. Gail Kim, Mickie James, ODB, Tara, Madison Rayne and Sarita are all solid workers and make a great foundation to build a division around. Brooke Tessmacher and Taeler Hendrix are both still rough around the edges but could and should improve if they’re allowed to keep working with such a talented locker room. Meanwhile the creative freedom TNA grants its employees should ensure that the women continue to have their own voices.

Perhaps the best news for fans of the once mighty Knockouts division is that Kharma, formerly TNA’s Awesome Kong, has been released from her WWE contract. If TNA want to get serious about their women’s branch again she is the ideal person to sign.

The question is whether or not that’s actually what TNA wants. Letting talented performers walk away makes it seem as though the women aren’t a priority for the company right now, and the slapdash booking and decreased time backs that up. If that is the case then things need to be reconsidered down in the IMPACT Zone because promoting the Knockouts as competitive athletes and relatable characters is a very simple way of attracting a new audience and differentiating themselves from WWE.