Because the pro wrestling/MMA combo thing has worked out SO WELL before...
Honestly, thoughts? Rampage strikes me as a good personality for wrestling, and we know he can powerbomb... ;-)
King Mo: Not a star, not a legitimate contender.
Honestly, thoughts? Rampage strikes me as a good personality for wrestling, and we know he can powerbomb... ;-)
Rampage: Legitimate star, legitimate contender.
There's your difference. If TNA brings him in doing a Tyson enforcer deal, that could be something usable. And he's a legit PPV and ratings draw within MMA. I give this move seven thumbs up.
Totally agree with Scott on this - have Rampage cut through the chaff like a hot knife through butter and build and build to Rampage vs. Angle. Basically, take everything WWE did with Lesnar in 2012 and do the opposite.
ReplyDeleteRampage was the guy that really hooked me into PRIDE -- more than Cro Cop and more than Fedor. I loved when he shut Dana White up and beat Liddell the first time in the Grand Prix.
ReplyDeleteJust keep him off the Red Bulls.....
He's a big personality and a true star but in his MMA endeavors he's going to meet the same fate as King Mo.
ReplyDeleteIn the past few years his style has devolved from wrestler-boxer to boxer with decent wrestling defense to pure boxer. I don't know how that happened or if there's even precedent for that in MMA but it happened which makes him very exploitable. He's very vulnerable in Bellator given that there are a lot of low skill grapplers in low level MMA that shouldn't pose much threat to Rampage but could very easily hold him down for a 3 round decision given how he's devolved as a fighter.
So my advice to TNA is, whatever they want to do with him, do it now, do it fast and make the most of him as soon as possible. Because he's going to get exposed very very quickly. MIght not be his first fight, might not even be his second (Bellator has to have learned their lesson about protecting vulnerable talent by now, right?), but it's coming so strike while he still has value.
This could be really useful for TNA if they use Rampage to make a big star out of one of their guys. I mean, it's not like Rampage himself is gonna ever become a regular presence who tours and does weekly TV and headlines more than 1-2 PPVs, right? So the key is using him to pop a buyrate or two, and give that rub.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, ideally that would mean picking a guy that you want to build around (James Storm, Roode, Aries, Magnus— someone at that level) and building to a big PPV match and BAM, put your guy over strong.
Now, perhaps Rampage already has it in his deal that he can't do any jobs, which is very possible. In that case, maybe build to a tag match involving Rampage where his partner comes out of it looking like a big star.
Basically, I hope TNA plans on using Rampage to build someone that could actually make a difference for them AFTER Rampage has made his handful of appearances. Potentially big opportunity here.
Impact rating: 0.8
ReplyDeleteBOOOO. The way he'd always just be like 'yeah, ok, whatever dude' to Taz was a nice contrast to tenay's overreaction to everything taz says.
ReplyDeleteYeh, I was thinking exactly this.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing they're hoping this works out as well as King Mo, right?
ReplyDeleteThat's my point - he shouldn't 'work' matches at all, really. Bring him in with the "I'm not a wrestler, I'm a FIGHTER" gimmick and let him just beat the hell out of anyone and everyone up to the midcard, then murderize Hogan (which will make everyone super happy here and bring actual media coverage to TNA) - Angle is the protector of WRESTLING, challenges Rampage to a no holds barred whatever, triumphs, protects wrestling forever.
ReplyDeleteMaybe now Mike will actually be able to talk given Todd's constant refusal to shut up. It's like nobody told Todd he was supposed to be the sidekick, not the main freaking announcer.
ReplyDeleteThey need to can Taz too and either promote JB back or just let Tenay do the show by himself.
Either way, this is not a blow at all. Can you honestly put Todd and Caleb Seltzer together and be able to tell the two apart?
It will work about as well as the Pacman Jones signing did.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, expect him to last about two months before Kurt Angle buries him in a comedy skit to seal the casket on his TNA run.
Dixie brings Rampage to the ring. Homeless AJ interrupts.
ReplyDeleteDixie screams YOU RUINED IT!
Rampage joins A&8s and is appointed ringside enforcer at Bound for Glory.
Rampage betrays A&8s, quick counts Bully Ray and Homeless AJ wins the title.
Tenay screams 'The Homeless AJ era has begun!'
TNA becomes the biggest wresting company in the world.
Or something like that.
Seven Thumbs Up is a trick I used to do at parties.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really comment in the "how to save TNA" thread but this feeds into my perception of the problem with TNA. The WWE didn't beat WCW with a single move, they had compelling, entertaining TV for a year before beating WCW in the ratings. TNA is looking for a silver bullet. Rampage is a great pick up, if people are watching an entertaining, enthralling show when they watch as a curiosity.
ReplyDeleteIf Rampage is my generations Mr. T, then I would like to respectfully withdraw from my generation.
ReplyDeleteGreat move. I'd like to see him K.O. Bully Ray on an episode of Impact.
ReplyDelete0.81 now
ReplyDeleteI'm so far behind on internet acronyms. I imagine it's negative, but what's "SFA"?
ReplyDeleteIt doesnt state why here but I'm sure we will find out shortly
ReplyDeletehttp://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/31616-todd-keneley-out-as-tna-announcer
On the bright side, this is sure to benefit Botchamania.
ReplyDeleteTaz really seemed defensive with him...like more than what his character should be.
ReplyDeleteJoe and Angle should form a stable with him and say they are sick of professional wrestling being about skits, comedy, motorcycle gangs and everything but what happens in the ring.
ReplyDelete"Nine thumbs up" what the hell is that?
ReplyDeleteHuh. I kinda liked him.
ReplyDeleteDrop Taz and bring back Don West. His enthusiasm was pretty infectious.
Hard to make somebody a star when they have a no contact clause in their contract.
ReplyDeleteIf you are gonna throw money at the MMA fad, then throw money at the people who are gonna give u a return on ur money.
ReplyDeleteHas King MO done anything for TNA in the close to 2 years he has been associated with them or is he stealing checks as well?
TNA is terrible.
I'd much rather see Rampage play BA Baracus again. We need another A-Team movie, dammit!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen it before either but based on context I'm guessing "shit fucking all."
ReplyDeleteI love Action Jackson. Carl Weathers all off up dis biznitch
ReplyDeleteFoo'
ReplyDeleteKing Mo and Rampage can sell the shit out of anything, so if they can even work a little bit, it should work out great for TNA.
ReplyDeleteThat's it.
ReplyDeleteRampage was the first MMA fighter that I was a fan of. Okay not true it was Ken Shamrock by default because he was in WWF but Rampage was the first guy where I watched MMA and said "That's my guy". It sucks to see he's had so much of his spirit sucked from him and he is so content to just stand and swing his fists.
ReplyDeleteThis could be beneficial for TNA but just based off how Rampage has been these last few years? I don't think he'll be all in and he will just go through the motions.
TGGI
ReplyDeleteDidn't stop them from making him a champion though.
ReplyDeleteVince beat WCW by simply waiting for them to implode.
ReplyDeleteI would have guessed sweet fuck all.
ReplyDeleteIn November of 1997 if you would have bet a large sum of money that WWF would win the wrestling war you're either a WWF fanatic or a goddamn psychic. History gets compressed but Stone Cold didn't become a star overnight after KOTR 96, Bret Hart elevated him at Survivor Series 1996 and made Austin at Wrestlemania 13. There are a ton of what ifs about the WWF/WCW war: what if Bret hadn't left? what if Austin had to retire after SummerSlam 97? What if Bischoff regroups and tries pushing new guys instead of sticking with the same things? What if Turner doesn't sell his company?
ReplyDeleteBut at one point WCW had won the ratings for 82 or 84 straight weeks. The ascendency of the NWO coincided with a nadir for the WWF (when they were regularly trotting out guys like Alex the Pug Porteau, the Goon, and retreads like Barry Windham as "the Stalker" and Tracy Smothers as Freddy Joe Floyd).
"In November of 1997 if you would have bet a large sum of money that WWF would win the wrestling war you're either a WWF fanatic or a goddamn psychic."
ReplyDeleteVery true. But I'm talking about Vince himself... he knew things that were only rumours to the rest of us. He knew the incredible amounts of money they were bleeding. He knew how incredibly disorganised and toxic the WCW backstage was, in comparison to his own.
The only thing that really could have saved WCW was the Time-Warner deal not going through. That's the only way WCW was going to keep having $50 million+ per year plowed into it. Vince knew it then, we know it now.
WARNING (from the future) : Rampage join the New Main Event Mafia, is hit on the head with a hammer by Tito Ortiz, disapear and is never seen again from that day.
ReplyDeleteWARNING : it doesn't.
ReplyDelete