Fifth Horseman
And I am AWESOME 
Posts 107
Registered 1-14-2006 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 1-22-2010 at 04:30 PM |
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TNA, post-Hogan, and what you would do
If this belongs in fantasy booking, by all means, move it there.
After a couple of Impacts and a PPV (and I've read some spoilers for upcoming shows), I think we're starting to see where Hogan, Bischoff,
et al are taking TNA. What would YOU do, given what you've seen so far?
I tried to think of five things, but as I type this on the fly from work, it might be four, or six. Some major, some minor.
1. Rebrand the Global title and start a tournament for it. The setup - Hogan calls out Eric Young and tells him that when he got to the company, he
wanted guys that could either talk or wrestle. He's seen Young talk, but he hasn't seen that Global title defended yet. Furthermore,
he's getting rid of the worthless title that a guy who needed a belt to feel good about himself before quitting TNA decided to give himself
(long-winded, yes, but that's Hogan). So, seeing how that title will be defended in the US of A, by the best wrestlers on the continent,
it's now the North American title, and the tournament starts tonight.
Book a 7-man tourny (giving Eric Young a bye), fill it with the upper-midcarders, and give it to a guy who can be considered the unofficial number one
contender to the World title. Preferably, someone with TNA cred, like a Chris Daniels.
2. If Ric Flair is going to continue mentoring AJ Styles, he has to get him a bodyguard. Flair never went anywhere without Arn, or someone to throw
in a challenger's way. The ideal guy would be Tomko, who has the history, and it'd be easy enough to have Flair orchestrate a
reconciliation between the two. Or if you want a wildcard, bring back Chris Harris!
3. Use the X-division like WCW used the cruiserweight division. Early in the show, with great matchups, to show how good those guys are.
(Semi-spoiler alert!) The new champ is more of a ground wrestler than a flyer, but regardless, let the X guys go.
4. Bye bye Bubba.
5. Keep the 4-sided ring, but lose the ramp. Like Bubba, it brings nothing to the telecast and eats up too much real estate.
6. Foley and Jarrett - less time on my screen. If the storyline is that they have no power anymore, then put them in the ring, or put them in a
minor storyline.
Just my thoughts. Yours?
[Edited on 1-22-2010 by Fifth Horseman]
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MayhemNX
And I am AWESOME 
Posts 122
Registered 11-18-2006 Location Web City Member Is Offline Mood: KwisatzHaderach
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| posted on 1-22-2010 at 07:27 PM |
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I like your ideas. I think this is probably going to get fantasy shuffled, but anyway..a few of my own.
1. I do like the rebranding of the Global title, but to the TV title. Maybe even rehash the SMW thing like Lucky was suggesting. If the challenger
wins for 5 weeks straight, he gets a World title shot. It'd be great for the Angle thing right now, where he's constantly trying to win
these matches and keeps getting closer and AJ would just get more and more desperate as he tries to cost him the title.
2. TNA has one of the best Tag Divisions out there. Beer Money, British Invasion, Lethal Consquences, 3D, Machine Guns, Bucks and probably someone
else I'm forgetting. Put the tag belts on an actual team, let the singles guys who were actually getting over with the crowd be near the main
event, not just given the tag belts for something to do.
3. Make the Nasty Boys and the man who ate Scott Hall go away please.
4. Have a storyline bible, like TV Shows, Novelists, and Comic Books do. Jot down what has happened to this character, and even a brief note on his
motiviation for doing so was. Maybe make a little cross index for things like "People who have earned title shots in story." You can look back at
these things and have hard proof they happened because most fans will remember, as we're watching a story and tend to remember such details.
5. If Flair is doing the AJ thing, I agree, but give him a Horsemen style stable, eventually leading to AJ learning far too much from Flair and
kicking him out of the group for some slight. Possible members...Daniels...Wolfe...Joe...Tomko...Harris..Rob Terry..with Flair as the Dillion part.
6. Remind us that all actions have consequences, not just the ones near the main event. Rob Terry interfered? Well now he's in a handicap match
with Mornandez. Kennedy used the knucks? Now it's a thumbtack match with Abyss as punishment.
It was like teabagging a bear cub in front of its mother. The sheer shocking audacity of it is the only thing that saved you.
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LuckyLopez
Reeks of WCW 
Posts 11182
Registered 2-13-2003 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 1-23-2010 at 03:06 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MayhemNX
4. Have a storyline bible, like TV Shows, Novelists, and Comic Books do. Jot down what has happened to this character, and even a brief note on his
motiviation for doing so was. Maybe make a little cross index for things like "People who have earned title shots in story." You can look back at
these things and have hard proof they happened because most fans will remember, as we're watching a story and tend to remember such
details.
With the exception of the title shots, which TNA is notorious for being too liberal about handing out until a bunch of guys have title shots they
never use, I think TNA is actually pretty good at this. They make mistakes but to some extent in a story this complicated I think you can forgive
minor flubs, but in general they tend to at least acknowledge continuity. That's something they get a lot of grief with cross-company by
referencing stories from ECW, WCW, or WWE but its something I think they do with everything. Christian and Rhino are old friends who trained together
and worked together in WWE, they feud for months in a bitter rivalry after Christian betrays Rhino destroying their friendship, 6 months later
Christian's been betrayed by his allies and can't find any help so in a moment of desperation he turns to Rhino only Rhino can't
believe the audacity of him doing that after what they had been through.
That's just one really good example but I think they do it a lot in little things. So Cal Val and Jay Lethal still hate each other 18 months
after their failed wedding and if you watch she tossed Jay's coat to the ground before every match. If Matt Morgan and Abyss are put together
in a random face tag they allude to their past tag team and feud. When Daffney feuds with Taylor Wilde the reason for her anger stems from 6 months
earlier when Taylor brought Daffney in as "The Governor" and then did nothing for her career. And having read spoilers it sounds like there's
another nice example of it in a week or two.
So I agree with the idea but in general I think TNA has this under control. They just need to keep better track of the title shots they hand out.
Otherwise I don't really disagree with anything said. I actually really, really like the ramp but if they can't find a way to create more
ringside space then it probably doesn't bring enough to the product to compensate for what it takes away. And while I'm all for AJ
getting an "enforcer" I think its best that you don't surround him with a stable of 3 active wrestlers. First, to avoid the inevitable
negative Horsemen comparisons because recreating greatness rarely works out except to get negative comparisons. Second, because TNA loves its
dominant heel stables with sEx, Planet Jarrett, the Christian Coalition, and the Angle Alliance and after a year of the Main Event Mafia I could
really use an extended period where the guys at the top are just the guys at the top and not a giant stable war.
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Shannon Soze
rOOkie
Posts 44
Registered 6-14-2009 Member Is Offline Mood: forgiving.
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| posted on 1-23-2010 at 03:52 AM |
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With Flair and AJ, I don't get a Horsemen vibe, because the Horsemen was always centered around keeping the World title on Flair. I do,
however, get an Evolution kind of vibe from them. Much like how Triple H got cleaned up and polished and wearing suits when he hooked up with Flair,
AJ can go from good ol' boy AJ to slick duds and Rolex watches AJ. As for who may comprise the rest of Evolution 2.0, maybe Daniels (AJ's
best bud and already a sharp dresser), Eric Young ( a good worker and no stranger to suits), and Rob Terry, after a good makeover. I don't
expect Young and Terry to be the next Orton and Batista career trajectory wise, but that should make a pretty decent bunch.
And it would kick ass if they got Motorhead to re-do AJ's "I Am" theme song. Imagine Lemmy wailing "You uhhhhhh, you uhhhhhh.....I am, I
am!"
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LuckyLopez
Reeks of WCW
Posts 11182
Registered 2-13-2003 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 1-23-2010 at 05:03 AM |
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Daniels would be a natural fit and I'd also love a heel Matt Morgan as the "enforcer." I just don't think it makes sense to even put
the numbers together to create a natural comparison to the Horsemen. Its tempting, of course. I'd fantasy book Horsemen or a reasonable
facsimile (which is all Evolution was anyway) but
And hell, even conjuring up "Evolution 2.0" is probably a mistake. Its hard to call Evolution "great" when we're talking about the Horsemen
but it was pretty damn good and easily the best stable in wrestling since the nWo/DX. And its a WWE thing. So while its silly because its just a
stable, and its silly because Evolution was a ripoff of the Horsemen, you will inevitably get WWE marks calling any Flair/AJ stable a ripoff of
Evolution.
So if it makes sense for storytelling purposes I'm all for putting guys like Daniels and Morgan with AJ and Flair in nice clothes and a
Horsemen/Evolution type vibe. And even though I'd ideally like Rob Terry and Eric Young to never step foot on TV ever again the same holds true
for them, MCMG, Hernandez, Beer Money, Orlando Jordan, Kendrick, Generation Me, or whoever. But I just don't think it makes sense to put
together a stable just because you have Flair managing the World Champ. I get it. I have the same impulse. But unless there's a real story
reason I just think it will draw unnecessary comparisons.
That being said I think I'd really enjoy it if Daniels and Tomko came in and they present it like:
"We told you you were full of it and arrogant."
"Yeah, you were right. But fuck it. I'm champ, get with me and I'll use the power to help you guys."
"If you can't beat them..."
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kiez
And I am AWESOME
Posts 228
Registered 10-23-2002 Location Nottingham, England. Member Is Offline Mood: Bitchin'
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| posted on 1-23-2010 at 02:17 PM |
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I think AJ and Flair are enough by themselves...although I wouldnt mind a Evolution type Faction.
Alot needs to change in TNA. I was one of the guys happy with alot of what TNA was producing, but I agree they werent getting as far as they needed,
to be a Major threat to WWE.
But of all the stuff since Hogan and Eric came in hasnt gave me alot of confidance in TNAs new direction...
The Ring im ok with, but it seems small..a 20x20 would be better. Space is obviously a problem as the ringside area is what 3 feet apron to barrier?
Could they expand the seating or move stuff around to fit in a new, bigger ring and get rid of the stupid ramp?
"Hogans friends" need to go. FAST. Im fine with people coming in and getting a quick buck, but at the expense of better talent, already there? No.
Why are any of these guys even here?? They dont bring any new fans. How many people have tuned in just to see the Nasty Boys or Val Venis?
They need to showcase the amazing talent they already have.
Definatly change the Global Title...the name sucks ass.
Get rid of the Love Sponge guy...I dont know who he is and I dont care. He brings nothing to the table, for me anyway.
I dont want to see NWO in any form, at all..Its old news and reeks of WCW...I dont want this for TNA. I want new and exciting, not Nasty boys.
I want TNA not, as many people have said, WCW2010. I dont want a rehash of the old, I want new.
We fight like men, but bitch like women.
John "Realest of the Real" "Thug Life" "True Soldier" "Stone Rock-a-Mania" Cena -BlackDragon
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MayhemNX
And I am AWESOME
Posts 122
Registered 11-18-2006 Location Web City Member Is Offline Mood: KwisatzHaderach
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| posted on 1-23-2010 at 07:46 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by LuckyLopez
With the exception of the title shots, which TNA is notorious for being too liberal about handing out until a bunch of guys have title shots they
never use, I think TNA is actually pretty good at this. They make mistakes but to some extent in a story this complicated I think you can forgive
minor flubs, but in general they tend to at least acknowledge continuity.
I'm wasn't really saying they were guilty of this sin...yet. The point I was driving at was that with the somewhat fluid nature of the
roster at the moment (Hell, TNA's roster has always felt like a come and go as you please kind of place) this is something that needs to begin.
Especially with Bischoff and Russo around, who apprently can't remember details to save their lives, as evidenced by WCW.
As for the Horsemen/Evolution idea, what I was going for with that (I realize I need to explain myself better the first time) is that AJ is apparently
the "next Flair." Ric Flair was a leader of men. He was a guy that by being next too, others could achieve a level of greatness as well. You
associated with Flair and you could write your own ticket for the most part...*cough Paul Roma..cough.* Than AJ needs to aspire to be that same type
of guy, the one others flock too to try to just get a little taste of what he's got, that AJ mojo.
Depending on how long AJ's going to be champ/heel/top gun, you could draw it out over months, with AJ scouting talent, maybe bringing in people
we've never heard of (Or have heard of, being internet wankers) from ROH, Japan, etc, who all want to audition to earn a spot to be AJ's
bestest friends evah!
Also, a quick sidenote. As a goofy thought, Rob Terry looks like a total meat head, and I just thought it would be funny if he tried to cash in his
X-Division title at inapropos times, like when the champ isn't around or in matches for other titles. Just a goofy thought.
Tenay: And Big Rob has just tried to cash in his title shot against...the Nasty Boys?
Tazz: I gotta tell you Tenay...that's not the smartest use of that shot..
It was like teabagging a bear cub in front of its mother. The sheer shocking audacity of it is the only thing that saved you.
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TommyD420
Showstopper 
Posts 751
Registered 12-30-2005 Location Worcester, MA Member Is Offline Mood: Smurfy
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| posted on 1-23-2010 at 09:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by LuckyLopez
Daniels would be a natural fit
Weren't they just feuding oh, say, a month ago?
Yeah, he'd be a natural fit, but they'd have to resolve that first, to me.
http://www.examiner.com/x-22126-Worcester-County-Progressive-Examiner
I write things. You should read them.
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DrBoz
Showstopper
Posts 635
Registered 1-2-2006 Location Indiana Member Is Offline Mood: Crescent Fresh
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| posted on 1-23-2010 at 10:19 PM |
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RE: AJ/Daniels feud:
That was a whole month ago. Who can remember that far back? The Age of Hogan erases the past. Plus AJ and Daniels are both heels this week, so they
can be friends again.
As far as an AJ faction goes, I wouldn't mind if it was strictly a "Future of TNA" type group. I'd like them to focus on taking all the
titles in TNA. To that end, my vote would be to include MCMG (tag titles) and Wolfe (Global/TV/Whatever title), and maybe Daniels (X-division).
Might be nice to keep the X-division as a separate entity from any sort of faction, just to have something unique with a story separate from anything
going on faction-related. Plus I struggle with including Daniels in any sort of "Future" faction.
I'd definitely keep the Knockouts stuff separate though.
Initially, I was thinking it could be good to have a rival faction, or perhaps another group that simply disagrees with the Futures view of themselves
as the future of TNA. But now that I think about it, I'd rather just keep one group and have random people/teams challenging for belts along
the way. Too many factions gets to be too much, and ideally I'd rather see the one faction establish some dominance for a period of time. I
fear having another big group could threaten that. Perhaps after a while a group of people get together to rise up, but I'd prefer short-term
dominance first.
The problem is, I struggle seeing AJ as the guy leading a group, especially the group as listed above. This isn't to say he's an awful
personality or anything, but I really can't see him being the dominant personality in a group consisting of Daniels, Wolfe, and MCMG.
AJ's probably the LEAST dominant personality in that group (minus Sabin). But maybe this is actually a good thing, allowing for him to
eventually get taken out from within. The AJ I like best is the scrappy one where no one believes in him. I'm not yet able to make the jump to
seeing AJ as THE player in TNA. Perhaps that's why Flair is there for now.
Random Snooki quote: "I tried to eat, but I couldn't get it in my frickin' mouth, 'cuz I'm disabled."
Knowledge is power Snooki. Knowledge is power....
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