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TNA, What now?

Well Scott, seeing as how TNA is more or less the walking dead at this moment, my question is what do you think happens to most of the talent now?  Who could break out in any way?  I believe that James Storm, Austin Aries, and Bobby Roode are safe and will make a fortune in the indies and Japan, Kurt and Ken Kennedy are persona-non-grata in WWE for more reasons than I can think of, Matt and Jeff Hardy may squeak in somehow if they change their act, EC3 and Bram could be brought back to NXT because they're both young and have matured in the ring, but I doubt that Eric Young, Jesse Goderz, Homicide, or Abyss will get any attention from the WWE.  Who looks more promising to you in making it in this business?

I think they'd probably bring EC3 back unless he's completely burned all his bridges.  Bram got nailed on a DUI so I doubt they'll bother with him.  I can see the Hardyz coming back for a Royal Rumble appearance or two or RAW Retro deal where we get to hear about how great the Attitude Era was yet again.  I think Aries could probably make a fortune in Japan, as you noted.  He's pretty much perfect for the Bullet Club and he's exactly the kind of guy they love.  The rest are gonna have to be Indy 4 Life, I'm pretty sure, unless they get deals with whatever GFW ends up being.  

Comments

  1. Bram is married to Charlotte, right? That could be his life line to WWE


    Scott nailed EC3, no reason not to bring him back unless he burned bridges.


    Hardyz could get a NAO like run.


    Angle's the million dollar question. He's so important to the history of the company you'd think they'd figure out a way to make it work.

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  2. Here's the thing with Angle. As a full-timer he'd be a potential behavioral disaster IMO but I actually think he has value as a possible trainer in developmental and a part-timer that could help the young guys get to the next level with good programs. What better guy to put Rusev over than a former U.S. Olympic gold medalist?


    It really just depends on his relationship with Triple H.

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  3. I don't see why WWE would pass on any of these guys mentioned. They brought fucking old, fat ass Samoa Joe in, and even let him keep his name and he doesn't fit the WWE-type AT ALL. So why would they pass on obvious talents like Roode and Storm and Aries and EC3? Seems they've shifted their attitude towards bringing in TNA or Indy guys. They've plucked nearly every name Indy guy out there; Jon Moxley, Tyler Black, Sami Callihan, Kevin Steen, El Generico.


    This doesn't explain why they low-balled AJ Styles, but those Bullet Club guys are no doubt doing better in Japan than they would starting in NXT. Obviously, we'll see TNA cast-offs in Japan/ROH if they don't get signed by WWE, but like I said, why wouldn't they take a shot with these guys?

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  4. I hope they give Bateman a shot; he proved in TNA he can be an asset when given the opportunity, hopefully WWE will bring him back in the fold and try something with him.

    Don't really care about the rest as much as a Roode fan I am; their roster is already bulging to the point of guys getting lost in the shuffle and NXT is equally loaded. Maybe you can stuff more guys down there but I prefer it to be a true development with a couple of notable veterans as opposed to bringing in a bunch of guys pushing 40 at the cost of their newer blood.

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  5. Million buys in 3 words - Lesner. Young. Wrestlemania.

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  6. GFW is in desperate need of some main event talent, although it would be a lot better if they could get their hands on them before their summer tour.

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  7. Food for thought, I think some TNA guys would have a hard time passing WWE drug tests. Just my opinion, but I think most of their roster is juiced up. I mean, look what happened to Chris Harris. (Once he went to WWE, got off steroids, and debuted as Braden Walker, he became a shell of a wrestler.) Xavier Woods is the only TNA guy to make it WWE, and he's never struck me as a PED user.

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  8. They need to get their hands on a TV deal, but they need main event level talent to get that TV deal. It's a catch something...something

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  9. Eric?
    Darren?
    or
    Renee?

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  10. I do think Jesse has a chance to go to WWE and he has steadly shown improvement, Taryn could go back to WWE since Drew isn't there, some of the other women may get a look too (but not Gail Kim , too many bridges burned). I love Jeremy Borash and think he'd be good for NXT as an announcer but being someone whose been with TNA since the beginning will probably prevent that. EC3 will probably return to NXT, Spud is such a loveable dofus it'd be a shame if WWE didn't at least give him a look, but he'd be great full time in Chikara. Dvon and Bully child really get Rhyno like NXT deals, be great to have an established tag team to work with the NXT tag teams. Edwards is welcome at WWE anytime he wants as long as he leaves Davey behind I think as well. MVP is probably welcome back if he wants.

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  11. All of them. And the winner gets the Mae Young Memorial trophy.

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  12. Yup, perfect role for him imo. One comeback match then a background role. Dude is 46, I didn't realize that until recently.

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  13. The biggest prospect they need to bring back, even to NXT - Galloway. He's been insanely good on the indies since he left WWE; his ICW work alone has been spectacular, in ring and promo

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  14. I can envision HHH and Vince the moment TNA goes under looking at Anderson and going "Misterrrrrr Unemployed!

    Unemployed!"

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  15. Aries has burned many WWE bridges after the Tough Enough thing

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  16. Even when they were jobbing him out, he was one of my favorites to watch. He's really fucking good.

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  17. What was that?

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  18. AverageJoeEverymanMay 23, 2015 at 8:41 PM

    It's a show where people try out to become part of the WWE. But that's not important right now.

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  19. Angle and HHH never really got on that well.

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  20. He was supposed to be the main focus of the Austin hosted Tough Enough. He was going to be the one who excelled at everything due guys experience and then WWE decided last minute to drop him from the site before filming and he didn't take it very well.

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  21. Bram is married to Charlotte, so maybe they'll give him a job so he can support Ric.

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  22. What's the point of signing Bram if Lois is dead and they can't reunite them with Sharon?

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  23. I don't think WWE hires a single one

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  24. If he can bury the hatchet with Warrior he can do it with Angle.

    BTW, who is EC3?

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  25. I would lay good odds on what you said.

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  26. I hope so just cause I miss him getting ZERO reaction on his entrances

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  27. I could see Taryn getting a look - she's a decent worker and has the 'diva' look. Unless the company is still pissed about her past issues with Drew.

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  28. That plodding music coupled with him slowly walking to the ring is one of the worst entrances ever.

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  29. Just give me a Kurt Angle blu ray set and I'll be happy. That's all I care about.

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  30. As would I. If they really wanted anyone like EC3 or Terrell, they would have stolen them already.

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  31. OT; Oh my word this recent Bobby Heenan photo

    http://i.imgur.com/D9vilpa.jpg

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  32. Naw, they just have to get some tips from the WWE guys on how to beat the tests. Lot of juicers in the E now.

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  33. Has there been any new developments on this? Or we still just going by Meltzer's report.


    I'm not saying he's wrong, just wondering if there is anything new.

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  34. I feel like we've been talking about the inevitable death of TNA for 47 years now.

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  35. Well, it least he still looks better than Ultimate Warrior does now.

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  36. In all fairness, that's because for all of the 13 years of it's existence TNA has looked to be on the verge of death. It's only being kept alive by the seemingly unending and un-monitored cash supply of Panda Energy.

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  37. Its "survival" is meaningless, as its death also would be. Anybody with $50 million in resources can probably keep a minimal wrestling promotion alive indefinitely.

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  38. Not gonna lie, loved his entrance. I miss full screen entrances

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  39. You know, this all raises an interesting question: is it worse to be an inactive wrestling promotion with no TV & not running live events, or an active one losing money and unable to pay their employees? Is there a difference?

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  40. Ethan Carter the 3rd, portraying Dixie's relative. Formerly Derrick Bateman in NXT.

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  41. One puts on shows and the other doesn't? I assure that the former is preferred by wrestling fans.

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  42. Nothing other than Destination America's continued silence, and Dixie Carter's non-denial clarification-forthcoming-in-July response to the matter.

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  43. But if the wrestlers aren't being paid, is that better?

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  44. At this point DA's silence is speaking volumes. If what Meltzer said wasn't true, they would probably be quick to squash the rumor for fear that it would hurt ratings. They have nothing to gain by lying to the audience since it would only have a negative impact on their company's image. So the most likely explanation at this point is that Meltzer reported the true, TNA is getting cancelled, and DA is being silent about it a) so the audience doesn't leave b) to give TNA some time to prepare.

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  45. Ugh that douchebag Daniel Cormier is now a UFC champion and Weidman retained. Only heel who lost tonight is Browne.

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  46. "Better" has different meanings depending on your perception.


    If you're a wrestling fan, having shows is "better".
    If you're a wrestler, getting paid for your work is "better".
    If you're Dixie Carter, having something that soothes your ego is "better"

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  47. He was already in NXT. He could have been on the main roster, but got arrested a few times and released by WWE.

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  48. Lesnar. Mayweather. Obama.

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  49. DA won't overtly confirm the cancellation until July or August when they start hyping their fall lineup. Until then they'll want to preserve what viewers they do have as long as possible. There's always a slim chance too that DA might decide to change the parameters of the deal, pay them less to air on weekends or once a month. Who knows? It's likely an ongoing matter, but the core of what Meltzer said--that DA discovered the difficulty in selling ad time on a wrestling show--is probably true, and has screwed the pooch for DA's plans for Impact. The dropping of shows & changing timeslots would seem to back that up.

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  50. Yeah. It's kinda sad, in seeing some people defend TNA when the TNA they're defending is one that died off long ago--if it ever even really existed to begin with.

    It reminds me of that movie about Jay Leno and David Letterman, and Letterman wanting The Tonight Show so bad, until a friend tells him he wanted the Johnny Carson version of the show, and that show no longer existed. It's the Jay Leno show. So Dave gives up and signs with CBS.

    Fans are pouring their heart & soul into a company that stopped being the company they want it to be years ago.

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  51. Jerry Seinfeld says the same thing about Conan O'Brien in 2010.

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  52. You don't really know this though. I prefer this version of TNA to any version since 2009. So if anything I want them to stick around more now than I have since 2009. They are hitting a creative groove thats enjoyable to watch if nothing else. I much prefer this version live than the "Immortal" bullshit we got.

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  53. I wasn't aware you were privy to not only their private lives but their drug use habits thats pretty awesome.

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  54. They might have low balled Joe as well. For whatever reason Joe has always carried more of a fan base or a vocal fanbase I should say than Styles. I suspect because Styles was in TNA pretty much his whole career while Joe went around with ROH and PWG quite a bit developing a bigger connection with those types. That being said if they gave Joe a similar offer they gave Styles but he's getting a big cut of the merch that could be interesting. Or even when Styles was available NXT touring wasn't really something that was going to happen but now that it is maybe they're offering Joe a larger portion of the gates since I suspect thats why they're bringing him in in the first place.

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  55. I wonder how TNA guys can even afford steroids on the shitty payoffs they're getting.

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  56. Because HHH didn't really have issues with Warrior other than getting squashed and that was a Vince thing not a Warrior thing. Its not like Warrior picked him out of a line up and said "this guy is the guy I'll squash". To where as guys like Angle or even Punk down the line are guys he would have had issues with himself. Its a lot different to mend someone elses fences than to mend your own.

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  57. He's 46 and he's been in TNA longer than he was in the WWE thats crazy. He was in the WWE from what 99 through 06 so seven years and he's been in TNA 9 years. Damn a decade in TNA damn near.

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  58. I don't begrudge anyone liking what they are right now. Adversity seems to have brought something out of them. But we are talking about a company that prior to the network change alienated nearly half their audience over time. The change further halved their audience, and it has continued to narrow since. The sad irony is this latest crisis isn't even their doing: Destination America just didn't do their due diligence before getting in bed with them.

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  59. But the Immortal Era gave us this!

    http://sescoops.sescoops.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/0014.jpg

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  60. Aries has burnt a LOT of bridges. He's persona non grata at ROH and since they work so closely with NJPW, I don't see Bullet Club in his future.

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  61. Given how utterly desperate All Japan is however, they would make him the Triple Crown Champion rather quickly. It's not like he's any worse than Suwama or Akebono.

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  62. A decade or so ago I thought he was going to be dead within a year, so good for Bobby for still being alive and kickin'. I remember hearing an interview with him right after he got cancer and he was so remarkably upbeat and funny. "We're all gonna be looking up the asshole of a daisy sooner or later."

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  63. Even the characters in the recent Lukas Haas movie "Meth Head" had more of a happy ending than the TNA company itself will end up having, that's downright tragic.

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  64. Eh...unless there's something I don't know ROH won't turn down the pay day if brining in the first 2 time champion

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  65. If you think John Cena, Big E, and Ryback are clean, I have a bridge to sell you ;)

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  66. I don't know if they are clean or not. I wouldn't speculate on someone's drug use with no knowledge of what I'm talking about. But hey its the internet lets just say shit.........because science

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  67. I agree but I took it as you saying "whatever you might have liked about TNA is long gone so don't mourn its death" when in reality I like TNA as much now than I have since right after Wolfe came in and started fucking shit up. I agree but if DA didn't come along I'm not sure they would be on TV at all. I suppose if anything it has bought them some more time and now that Corgan is inovlved maybe he knows somebody that knows somebody that can get them on some other low rent network. Of course I think the problem lies in the fact that the networks are essentially funding them now and the advertising they are getting back on it isn't worth it. I think if they were funding themselves it would be a lot more interesting to a few networks.

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  68. "Science, bitch!"

    Somewhere, Jesse Pinkman is smiling.

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  69. Yeah I didn't simply mean the product so much as what the company became behind the scenes over time. There were so many times when they had something the fans liked and instead of sticking to that they would go off in a direction that only they seemed interested in. They killed off their PPV, killed their house shows, and eventually got dumped by their network. And now when they should be reaching out to fans and attempting to broaden their audience they instead seem content to narrow it down to their most loyal, ironically while delivering what is by most accounts a solid product, yet on the verge of being cancelled through no fault of their own. It is unfortunate, but they are where they are through their own decisions, and we see a lot of their fans treating it like they just need to find the right angle or some wrestler to get really hot and they'll have a shot of getting back to where they once were. That's just not gonna happen. The people steering the ship have shown themselves incapable of avoiding the rocks. The ship may never sink, but only because they're steering it onto the beach of the tiniest of islands that appear on so few wrestling fans' maps.

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  70. Well...Roddy looks pretty good.

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  71. I never understood what really went on with Galloway and his wife to make WWE sour on him so quickly. This was a guy getting the rocket push to the point that they even had Vince himself describe him as 'the chosen one' during a show. Then things go south and he spends the next three years as a comedy jobber? What gives?

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  72. Did he burn bridges this last time? I know he did before, but not sure if he did when he came to TNA this last time.

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  73. E-Steroids.com


    Quality Steroids. Low, low prices.

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  74. Ummm, what?


    Joe and Styles were in PWG and ROH and the like at pretty much the same time. Hell, AJ vs Joe was supposed to Main Event the first PWG show. AJ and Joe were both MASSIVE in the indies around the same time.

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  75. And doing a ridonculously good job of it, I might add. One of the few consistent bright spots in TNA since 2012. WWE would be stupid not to snap him back up if the inevitable happens.

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  76. That's like 173 in TNA years.

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  77. HHH or not, I do think Angle is a hell of a lot more likely to return to WWE than Anderson. Two WAY different boats there.

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  79. I meant later on when AJ worked mostly with TNA while Joe was ROH champ.for two years

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  80. Is it true that TNA was named in honor of Mike Teney?

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  81. No it's how they say Tennessee in Nashville where the company was founded.

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  82. I think WWE has many good new talents, but what they need are some veterans like Bubba Ray, Hardys or Abyss which can bring their current talent to new levels.

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  83. None of those four are exactly top-notch workers, they were all "characters", and working with them isn't likely to make them better talents, all they'll do is make the inexperienced guys look inexperienced.

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  84. But they can bring the new guys more over than when the new guys beat also new guys. You can't go up the standing ladder if you only face guys which are on the same level as you are. I think WWE need someone like Mick Foley who is a main eventer but it won't hurt if he is making the job.

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  85. Mike TeNAy.


    IT WAS RIGHT FUCKING THERE THE WHOLE TIME?!

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  86. Buffalo HopscotchMay 24, 2015 at 5:59 AM

    What did he do?

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  87. Bring back Drew! :D

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  88. Man they had some scrubs in Scream 3

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  89. He talks about what happened a little bit on his Talk Is Jericho appearance. Basically he got beat up by his girlfriend, and the company lost faith in him ever being taken seriously as a result, IIRC.

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  90. Is akebono the guy Big Show faced at WM? Or is that a different akebono?

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  91. Of course he knows this for he is a smark and they speak for everyone!

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  92. I thought it was a case of "not hitting a woman". That should be something that's commended. Then again they do back mayweather.

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  93. Bram could get a look if only because he's married to Charlotte


    I'd be interested in Abyss to see what he could do - Vince loves his crazy giant monsters and Abyss can actually work. Make a new Wyatt Family member or something.

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  94. Well, yeah. They could feasibly make money off Angle.

    The flip side is that every day Angle is around is a day you wake up worrying that today is the day he's found dead in a hotel room.

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  95. Destination 'Murica has better things to do. Have you seen the new episode of Extreme Amish Bigfoot Decks?

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  96. The thing with Jeff Hardy is that when he comes back, they'll punish him via jobbing and they did that last time he returned as he was Khali and Umaga's personal punching bag for a few weeks.


    BUT...he still got over HUGE to the point they were forced to make him a world champ (the last time before Daniel Bryan where the company listened to the fans). Jeff, whether you like him or not, connects with the crowd in an odd way that if he came back, he may job to Kane and Big Show but still get over again. Not sure WWE wants to risk that since they are more controlling now than ever before.

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  97. They already had Bram. He was the original Viktor in The Ascension. I think they know him pretty well.

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  98. Abyss would be an interesting addition although not sure he endeared himself to WWE during Cookie-Gate. I wonder how healthy he is as he's had some crazy violent matches in his career and taken some hard bumps.

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  99. They don't need a headcase with all that baggage. Need a guy who can do high flying? You have Neville and Rollins. Need a guy that all the teen girls scream about? Every female wrestling fan on earth wants to fuck Dean Ambrose.

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  100. I agree, they don't need him. But it's more of a hypothetical if the Hardys came back to WWE. They did make the company a lot of money and Vince loves his dolla dolla bills.

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  101. Reports were that the WWE already told TNA talents to not waste their time attending the tryout camp in June.

    Sad if they close EC3 out, but the rest? Hard to really find fault with a blanket dismissal.

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  102. I don't think Bubba would fit in the dressing room. He's very outspoken and always thinks he's right since he's a vet and all that. But a lot of guys there have been with the company longer than him now and wouldn't listen to him. If Bubba came in now, he'd basically be a newbie and not sure he'd want to do that.

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  103. The thing about EC3 is that he was tweeting it up during the DeMott affair. That may definitely hurt his chances of coming back to the company.

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  104. Final day of the Premier League season today! NBC apparently has all the games across it's channels, hope everyone's settling down to watch!

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  105. StartIng Unforgiven 06. This should be a nice gem. Outside of the main event I have no knowledge of this show lol

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  106. Melina looks amaaaazing

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  107. and he's about 1000 times the person.

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  108. I've read things like this but from everything I know it's just not true. Aries issues with ROH were exclusively with certain management that no longer exists (and for good reason). He and Delirious are friendly and I think they'd welcome him back with open arms. He rubs some people the wrong way because he isn't afraid to speak his mind, but he's also pretty respected in the lockeroom because of it.

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  109. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.May 24, 2015 at 8:27 AM

    I'm pretty sure Joseph Park was created as a way to protect him physically since he'd taken so much damage over the years.

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  110. Man, and for what. :/

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  111. How do you know all of this? We're you involved in the hiring process or something? Becaue this is the first I've seen any of this and it contradicts what Aries has said himself in interviews. Interesting.

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  112. I dont just based on conjecture and hearsay, I hope it's not torture because I'd love to see Aries in the WWE

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  113. I'm gonna see Piper next weekend.

    This does make me sad though.

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  114. So bully Anthony Johnson, who used to fight 35 POUNDS lighter and almost died from a weight cut, and oh yeah also beat up his girlfriend, is the face in this scenerio? But I agree, fuck Weidman. He's been way too cocky since the first time Anderson beat himself vs. Weidman.

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  115. Oh I'm fully aware of Rumble's bad persondom but Cormier is the fakest, most unlikable person ever. I really wanted him to lose and cry again. It's like voting. I don't like Rumble or Vitor but they were definitely the lesser of two evils.

    Browne losing to over the hill Arlovski and eating a few of his own back of the head punches on the way down was gratifying.

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  116. I'd like to give her a look. Actually I did, when she was au naturale on that Treme show. Niiiiice.

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