With TNA Hardcore Justice in the books, my question is: Now what?
While the PPV was a mixed bag at best, some of the talent on the show did do enough in my eyes to possibly warrant a future in TNA. Below are the folks who I think could help TNA as they move away from ECW nostalgia and (hopefully) towards the future.
CW Anderson
CW Anderson had a very solid showing against Too Cold Scorpio, and he definitely seems to have plenty to offer inside the ring. I would love to see CW brought into TNA to tag with Desmond Wolfe, because Wolfe needs SOMETHING to do other than remain a glorified jobber.
In fact, with Beer Money and Motor City Machine Guns nearing the end of their five-match series, an Anderson-Wolfe team could be just the right combination for adding much-needed depth back into the TNA tag division.
Too Cold Scorpio
Scorpio showed some real sharpness in the ring vs. CW Anderson at Hardcore Justice, including his moonsault legdrop finisher that was pretty impressive to even think about executing at his age.
Should he want the gig, Scorpio could definitely help TNA in the X Division as a veteran who can mentor younger talent during matches, and the flashes he showed last night were enough to sell me on seeing more wrestlers like him over less talented guys like Orlando Jordan, who has been a complete waste of time in TNA.
Tommy Dreamer
I am not sure where Tommy Dreamer goes from here, but my hope is that Dreamer hangs up his boots as far as wrestling is concerned. Where Tommy can really help TNA is behind the scenes, especially if he truly has an in now with Dixie Carter.
If Dreamer can unseat Vince Russo as TNA’s lead booker, that would be enough for me in terms of Tommy making a positive difference for the company. And if Dreamer can manage to figure some things out and bring TNA into a more cohesive, logical direction for the FUTURE, that would be an absolute welcome sight to see.
Not saying this will happen, but I guess I am just being a “dreamer” right now.
Stevie Richards
It was fun seeing Stevie Richards back in TNA. Now that the Dr. Stevie gimmick is behind him, Richards — who looks to be in great shape — has a chance to jump right back into TNA if he can find the right character to explore.
Sometimes people (including myself) forget just how awesome Stevie was in WWE as Steven Richards, leader of the Right to Censor. He held that group together with some great mic work and actually was able to get the RTC over as a stable that fans loved to hate. Looking back on it now, CM Punk has a very similar role right now as the leader of the SES, and Steven’s work back then was almost a precursor to that whole persona Punk exudes so perfectly today.
My point is this: Stevie Richards proved last night just how underutilized he has been in TNA, though this could be his choice so that he stays healthy and fresh. Either way, I hope he finds his next gimmick and that TNA gives him the leeway to run with it.
Sabu
I liked the RVD vs. Sabu match last night, though it obviously wasn’t perfect. The spots definitely had a “stop and start” feel and there was no real flow to the match. However, Sabu did more than enough to prove he is still exciting to see in that ring, and he could do wonders for TNA on a part-time basis.
I wouldn’t want to see Sabu taking up too much time in regular spots, but if he popped up from time to time in an Ultimate X match or had a few gimmick matches with Jeff Hardy and others, that could be fun to see.
Before I sign off for this week, I just wanted to note some of the other candidates I left off this list because they’ve already been part of the TNA fabric in a significant fashion. Team 3D, Mick Foley, Rhino and Raven have all been integrated into TNA in the past, so we can only wait and see what happens (or doesn’t happen) with them.
As far as the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion is concerned, I think RVD will now be able to fully focus on his future rather than his past, and by dubbing this week’s iMPACT as “The Whole F’n Show”, I think we can all agree that RVD will be just fine as he continues his foray into TNA.
That’s all from me this week – CB.
