Paul Heyman looks at WWE and TNA’s rosters and finds them lacking in fresh young talent. He illustrates the situation with the kind of imagery you’d expect from the man behind the original ECW:
A really talented lap dancer has a better chance of being discovered and recruited into professional wrestling than a decorated athlete who is trying to decide between WWE/TNA and UFC/MMA.
Heyman says that the problem isn’t a new one. In fact, it’s one that Jim Ross tried to bring to the attention of the McMahons five years ago when he was still head of talent relations:
“If we don’t address this problem now,” JR once said in a passionate pitch on Air McMahon, “we’re going to pay a heavy price for ignoring the situation in 5 years.”
Heyman doesn’t blame John Laurainaitis for the lack of improvement in the subsequent five years, though:
His hands are tied. His department is under the direction of Stephanie McMahon-LeVesque, and despite the fact the Chairman understands”new, unique, different,” Vince has screwed up when it comes to the matter of finding and developing new styles and the superstars who will define those new ways of presenting the age old product.
Heyman doesn’t think TNA’s doing any better:
TNA-branded (an oxymoron if there every was one) headliner Samoa Joe turns heel so he can be the subservient second banana to former WWE main eventer Kurt Angle on TNA’s television show. Then, Joe does nothing to make the audience hate him. Nothing to make the audience view him with contempt. Nothing to make the audience have disdain for his character. Nothing to make the TNA fan base want to pay to see him get his ass kicked, his face smashed, his shoulders pinned to the mat.
For crying out loud, didn’t anyone in pro wrestling learn from Brock Lesnar at UFC 100?
He goes on to call WWE and TNA’s lack of interest in scouting this weekend’s Dragon Gate USA debut show a sign of their arrogance and puts over the talent that will be appearing on the show, which his apprentice Gabe Sapolsky is booking. He compares Dragon Kid to Rey Mysterio, saying he represents DGUSA’s style in the same way that Rey represented lucha in the mid-’90s. He also thinks former WWE talent Ken Doane is someone that the majors should be looking in to.
