Who could top Kurt Angle?

[Xero]

TNA has seemed to bring in former WWE stars in growing status increments. First we had Rhino, then Christian, now Kurt Angle, possibly the biggest coup since Hulk Hogan went to WCW.

My question is, realistically (no Triple H or Vince McMahon's, anyone with "jobs for life"), who could top Kurt Angle in big-name, main event status who is currently in WWE, going to TNA as a "surprise"? Someone marks would recognize and say "holy shit what's he doing on TNA!?" (if they could find it in the first place).

And no, Chris Jericho is not a bigger name than Kurt Angle.

[King Steve]

Possibly RVD. I would say he's just about as big of a name as Angle.

[Arnold HamNegger]

FINALLY, THE ROCK HAS COME BACK TO ORLANDO!

[Jeritron]

how about your sig Xero?

[King Steve]

I thought he meant current WWE wrestlers. Obviously The Rock, Austin, and others like that but I thought he meant on the current roster.

[Jeritron]

you're right. I didn't realize he meant currently. Realistically, nobody currently in WWE could really top him, aside from HHH, HBK, Taker, Foley, Flair and Cena. They're all set there for life tho.

I think Edge would be a pretty big jump.

[King Steve]

I'd say the closest one that's actually possible is RVD and that could happen this year.

[Jeritron]

RVD is a big jump, but he's just a notch below Angle in terms of how big a deal he is. At the most generous he's at the same level. So it's not like its topping him.
I'm gonna have to say Cena. Or Batista. Just because they've pushed them to the moon and they're not exactly "in the family" yet like Taker, HBK, Flair and obviously HHH

[The One]

Rob Van Dam is far less of a name figure than Kurt Angle. HOWEVER RVD has more hardcore loyal fans who would fallow him to TNA. I think RVD would be TNA's best bet for a massive ratings spike.

[Mr. Nerfect]

When you actually watch wrestling, Rob Van Dam is one of those guys that just reads "star". I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but if he jumped to TNA, it would be a huge gain for them. I don't want to argue about whether or not he is a bigger name than Kurt Angle. Jeritron and King Steve have it right, though, in my opinion.

If a guy like The Undertaker, Triple H, Edge or Shawn Michaels jumped, they'd need to change their in-ring name. Team 3D much? They're almost guaranteed to lose their star aura once that happened.

Although they are not currently wrestling, The Rock and Mick Foley would both be huge gains to TNA if they could score them. The Rock lives in Miami, and he's good friends with Jarrett. I don't know why it hasn't happened yet. The Rock appearing anywhere but the WWE basically puts them over huge. Mick Foley isn't as big as The Rock, or even Kurt Angle, but he's entertaining, and if he worked a hardcore match with Abyss, I can see TNA being a fun place to be.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Van Dam is their best bet. Like The One said, RVD has such a loyal fan base and even the ones who have kinda stopped watching him would turn on TNA to see if "The Whole Fuckin Show" had returned or if it was just the same watered down RVD they're getting from WWE.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Neither Foley or Rock would go to TNA though, they see WWE as a catylist to shill their respective projects. Something TNA wouldn't be able to do effectively.

[KingofOldSchool]

Taker could simply be Mark Callaway and do his ABA gimmick. He'd still be majorly over.

Triple H could call himself Paul McMahon.

HBK = Sean Michaels

Edge would be over just being Adam Copeland with his same persona.

[Destor]

K-fed.

[Bad Company]

Booker T, maybe not mainstream, but he'd be fucking sweet in TNA. He'd also get misused to hell.

[Pepsi Man]

As for Team 3D, I don't think their namechange is the reason why they're not as big of a deal as they once were at all. I honestly think it's TNA's booking. They were HUGE when they first got there and can STILL get the crowd going if used right. The problem is they're jobbing to LAX or other random ass teams 75% of the time they're on the screen...and their feud with the James Gang (now known as VKM) was a major letdown, in my opinion.

[Fox]

The only people I could think of that would top Kurt's jump to TNA would be Stone Cold, The Rock, Undertaker or Shawn Michaels. All of those guys are long-time mainstays with WWE, long before Angle ever joined, and the fact that they would be willing to leave their hometown for new waters would be huge.

[.44 Magdalene]

Shane McMahon.





Likely? Fuck no. Plausible? Not really. Could I easily think of a scenario that could spark this sort of crazy, mixed up world destroying bullshit, though? Hellsyeah. Especially if Daddykins naively let his son own his own copyright / character properties before the falling out.

Just think about how hard TNA fans would shit when "HERE COMES THE MONEEEEEEY" hits the P.A. Not to mention the resident conspiracy theorists.

[PullMyFinger]

Only other person would be Stone Cold (who doesn't wrestle anymore) or The Rock (same shit).

[FourFifty]

No one on the current roster can top Kurt Angle.
Part of what made Angle such a huge shock was the fact that the WWE let a huge star go to begin with for health reasons, just for him to jump onto another paycheck asap.
Unless HBK is caught plowing Steph in the ass and Cena is filming it, no one will have the same reaction that Kurt had.

[NeanderCarl]

I can definitely see The Rock going to TNA in a Hogan-style shocker, and possibly even bringing TNA neck and neck with WWE. For this to happen, though, Rock's movie career would have to dwindle and TNA would have to pay big bucks. Not unthinkable, and I think if TNA can survive, we could see this is a few years.

Don't forget Hogan's original WCW deal was for six months and just a few PPV/Clash appearances, to work around his movie career. WCW were willing to pay big for the name value of having Hogan and the extra exposure/media press they would surely get. It worked, and even re-ignited Hogan's desire to wrestle on a regular basis. Could the same mutually beneficial deal transpire between The Rock and TNA? I wouldn't bet against it.

[NeanderCarl]

Other than Rock, you have Austin who, considering his rocky relationship with WWE, is always a possibility (depending on his contract status at any time), Jericho (who I would consider close or maybe equal to Angle from a mainstream star power status), arguably Sid Vicious, Hogan and Foley.

As far as current WWE stars, there's RVD who is almost a cert to end up in TNA later this year anyway. Naturally, Undertaker and Michaels would make a HUGE difference to TNA, but are both extremely unlikely.

The main issue is, unlike the Monday Night Wars era, the water-tight contracts WWE stars sign nowadays, as well as increased internet exposure, mean you're very unlikely to get a shock jump, a la Lex Luger, the Outsiders, Waltman etc. in the modern climate.

If somebody is due to jump ship, chances are a large percentage of the audience will know about it weeks in advance. It's hard to provide that kind of shock/surprise element in today's wrestling business, and that's a shame.

[Theo Dious]

If somebody is due to jump ship, chances are a large percentage of the audience will know about it weeks in advance. It's hard to provide that kind of shock/surprise element in today's wrestling business, and that's a shame.

Occasionally they manage to pull something off, like the whole Matt Hardy return.

[blake639raw]

I can definitely see The Rock going to TNA in a Hogan-style shocker, and possibly even bringing TNA neck and neck with WWE. For this to happen, though, Rock's movie career would have to dwindle and TNA would have to pay big bucks. Not unthinkable, and I think if TNA can survive, we could see this is a few years.

Don't forget Hogan's original WCW deal was for six months and just a few PPV/Clash appearances, to work around his movie career. WCW were willing to pay big for the name value of having Hogan and the extra exposure/media press they would surely get. It worked, and even re-ignited Hogan's desire to wrestle on a regular basis. Could the same mutually beneficial deal transpire between The Rock and TNA? I wouldn't bet against it. Yeah, but the difference is that Hogan sucked at acting. The Rock isn't exactly struggling in Hollywood. He has blended in fine as an actor. Hogan always seemed kind of cheesy. Pretty much, wrestling was what Hogan knew how to do. He probably wouldn't land many big roles in Hollywood, so he went back to wrestling.

As great for the business as it would be, it ain't going to happen. TNA needs to stop throwing money away by signing guys who were popular 10 years ago. The "name value" argument is overrated. Sting doesn't really bring much to the table now, and to be honest, he hasn't done a whole lot for TNA in my book. Nothing that one of their homegrown talents like Killings could have done, at a much lower price tag. TNA has alot of great talent, but unless they push some new guys (meaning not WWE rejects) to some top spots, they won't make it. TNA is going to continue to lose money by signing WWE guys at higher price tags, with no change in their horrendous booking at all. I also predict when they go under, Kurt will bury the promotion and say that he was the only one there worth a damn.

[NeanderCarl]

I also predict when they go under, Kurt will bury the promotion and say that he was the only one there worth a damn.

He will also say that half the roster were being paid in ice-cream, that Samoa Joe once passed away during a match and Angle had to bring him back to life without the fans noticing, and that he has agreed to work a 3-on-1 handicap MMA fight where decapitation is legal and fully expects to win the fight and become the highest paid person in any capacity on the face of the Earth.

This is because Kurt Angle is insane, and needs immediate help.

[Shadow]

Occasionally they manage to pull something off, like the whole Matt Hardy return.

Right you're going to be slated for death real quick.

[Stickman]

Tito Ortiz :shifty:

[Arnold HamNegger]

Occasionally they manage to pull something off, like the whole Matt Hardy return.

:?:

That was pulled off as well as John Bobbit's penis.

[Xero]

I don't know, when he first did it it was pretty awesome.

But then we realized it was a work. It was one of those rare times that "it's a work" doesn't register right away.

[Theo Dious]

That's all I mean, that you didn't know it was coming, and then it did.

And I seem to remember that Bobbit's penis was pulled off rather successfully. It just didn't stay off. Which, really, does accurately describe the full playing-out of Hardy's return.

[Xero]

That's all I mean, that you didn't know it was coming, and then it did.

And I seem to remember that Bobbit's penis was pulled off rather successfully. It just didn't stay off. Which, really, does accurately describe the full playing-out of Hardy's return.
Woah woah woah, back the truck up. Who the fuck is Bobbit and why did someone pull off his penis? And how did it not "stay off"?

Edit: Nevermind, figured it out.

[Theo Dious]

Woah woah woah, back the truck up. Who the fuck is Bobbit and why did someone pull off his penis? And how did it not "stay off"?

Edit: Nevermind, figured it out.

Wait, do you mean to say you thought this was something that happened in the ring?

[Xero]

My mind isn't on penises being pulled off when I'm on TPWW.... usually.

[Theo Dious]

Well it's not like there's never been a wrestling angle involving the potential removal of genitals.

[Xero]

SHRINKAGE!

[Xero]

I CHOPPY CHOPPY YOUR PEE PEE!

[Theo Dious]

I'm fairly certain that this thread has now degenerated to the point where only rampant Khali-chopping can mercifully put it to rest.

[Xero]

You haven't seen how off topic we can get. I've seen threads started about Goldberg and end up being rants about how Andre the Giant was behind the Screwjob.

[Destor]

I love TPWW. Every other faggot ass site would close a thread like this at this point, but not TPWW. (Good times.)

[King Steve]

This is the best site I've been to yet.

[Shadow]

Yeah the whole Matt Hardy return thing was interesting...the first five seconds. After that, it just got boring really really really quick.

And that's something seeing as how I'm a Hardy fan.

[Arnold HamNegger]

That's all I mean, that you didn't know it was coming, and then it did.

And I seem to remember that Bobbit's penis was pulled off rather successfully. It just didn't stay off. Which, really, does accurately describe the full playing-out of Hardy's return.

:lol:

Yeah, much like Hardy's return, the tip/beginning was successful....but the rest was just left there hanging to die.


JOHN BOBBIT'S PENIS....er I mean...MATT HARDY WILL NOT DIE! :rant:

[Xero]

COME SEE ME AT RING OF HONOR! ROH!

[Theo Dious]

You haven't seen how off topic we can get. I've seen threads started about Goldberg and end up being rants about how Andre the Giant was behind the Screwjob.

So Bret got screwed by a dead guy? That means that the Undertaker and Paul Bearer must have been involved as well.

Right to the top, people, right to the top.

[Theo Dious]

JOHN BOBBIT'S PENIS....WILL NOT DIE! :rant:

Every once in a while I wonder how Mr. Bobbit's reattachment functions these days.

[The MAC]

Benoit would be on top of my list. I mean he may be the U.S champ (or whatever the fuck he is saddled with now) but the guy has all the tools to create massive interest in TNA.

[NeanderCarl]

I dunno, Benoit is only really a draw to wrestling purists. I've never met a casual (ie. mainstream) wrestling fan who has ever told me that Chris Benoit is their favourite wrestler.

[94 SVT Cobra]

To be honest, even tho hes been there for a WHILE, Edge jumping over would be pretty over the top. Angle wasnt exactly new when he jumped ship either.

[Destor]

Every once in a while I wonder how Mr. Bobbit's reattachment functions these days.He's a porn star now, so to answer your question: very well.