Vince's TNA Masterplan

Cactus Col

What better way to screw TNA than by stealing it's biggest star.

Reckon Christian left WWE to go to be a big fish in a small pond over at tna? Think again! It's a work one step beyond the Matt Hardy TNA work was. (For those who don't remember it was widely reported that Matt Hardy was due to sign with TNA, thus making his return to WWE all the more surprising).

With TNA slowly becoming a threat to the WWE, and with Christian being stuck just under the glass cieling Vince came up with one of the greatest plans to screw TNA. Let Christian go to the smaller promotion, let them push him as a main event star, establishing his credibility as a title contender, and a fan favourite.

Then when TNA look like finally acheiving ratings, steal Christian back to the wwe, immediatly entering a feud with his brother Edge (who undoubtedly will be the company's top heel).

Sure TNA might benefit short term from the acquisition of Christian, but in the long term it'll be the WWE and Christian that benefit more.

A work to top the montreal screw job!

(of course it's only a theory)

Dragan

I doubt it. For it to work properly the would have needed to big up Christian going over in the first place on there own shows, which they didn't.

J.R.HARTLEY

it does have some merit to it, but there was talk that before eddies passing benoit was ready to jack it in and move to TNA too, i don't think it's a work, you know both christian and benoit were offered smaller contracts than before, so WWE could pay more money for tarts and tits i expect.

Cactus Col

The benoit thing I see as another rumour, started by the WWE to make Christian's move all the more plausible. They never would've let Benoit go to TNA.

Bigging up Christian's move would only alert people to the fact that it's a work, and so would mess the plan up.

Dragan

But it only means anything is the WWE loyal look at TNA while Christian is there.

Other than that it's just bollox really.

Cactus Col

Not necessarily, wwe and wcw had two distinct audiences, while people may be loyal to one promotion, they certainly have an idea about what's going on in the other.

Imagine if Kurt Angle had jumped to TNA, he certainly would have brought a number of fans with him. This will be the case when Christian jumps back to wwe!

Mr.Nice Guy

So WWE deliberately destoyed the momentum Christian had in order to make it seem like he was being misused and they then sent him to TNA? And Christian had no trouble whatsoever with seeing his WWE career put on hold so he could go to a show like TNA?

Nice theory but it's about as realistic as saying Eric Bischoff let things get out of hand in WCW so he could help out Vince and the WWE...

Lita Forever

Everybody loves a conspiracy eh?

Mr.Nice Guy

How about the conspiracy that the whole Edge/Lita/Matt situation was a work that the three of them invented in order to get all three of them over?;)

TheGreatOne

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

How about the conspiracy that the whole Edge/Lita/Matt situation was a work that the three of them invented in order to get all three of them over?;)

That's a way more plausible theory, and what a brilliant work if it was.
I always felt Matt was very quick to return to the WWE, and in the end he still got done over by Edge when he lost the Loser leaves Raw match. Its a situation that might suggest that Matt didn't negotiate any real terms in his favour on his return, which seems a bit weird. Hence, he never left the WWE!!!

Who knows??

Brow

I read rumour has it if WWE get any whiff any TNA snooping around an indy star theyll sign them for the sake of it. And if any TNA star jumps ship then theyll bury them and give them a lenghty no-compete clause so as to label them damaged goods so to speak. Frankie Kazarian is a mild example.

Fozzy

Kazarian left himself though. If I were TNA, I'd be out lookin at A-Train and guys like that!

This is obviously proof that WWE does fear TNA. They've got the better consistent wrestling action. I can see a big WWE guy moving to TNA this year

Brow

Thats why i said a mild example. If you want a better look at Johnny Parisi, absolutely wasted in WWE. CM Punk and Samoa Joe were both eyed up by WWE with each going either way. Joe has flourished where Punk is waiting on the sidelines waiting to be called up to god knows what gimmick. God knows what will become of Sonny Siaki.

Kazarian wised up once he realised he was promised a huge push and after weeks of cold footing he got a minor push on Velocity.

Rubbish. Christian was already on top (fan Wise) in the WWE. He was getting bigger pops then Batista just before he left. It was another ball dropped with WWE.

As far as Mat Hardy goes , wwe have nothing for him any more, and have been trying to bury him .

Mr.Nice Guy

Dre as in Dray wrote:

As far as Mat Hardy goes , wwe have nothing for him any more, and have been trying to bury him .

No, Matt Hardy is getting buried because of an incident at Survivor Series. He was supposed to get chokeslammed in the ring by The Undertaker but he rolled out of the ring instead. He was later heard telling someone backstage that he didn't feel someone of his level should be chokeslammed and it got back to Taker who ended up telling him off in the locker room.

The WWE is now burying him on matches as punishment for offending a veteran. A similar thing has happened to Shelton Benjamin as his 'losing streak' was due to offending a veteran agent backstage. You might remember he was scheduled to have a program with HBK but that was shelved for his stupidity.

Matt Hardy could be a major player on Smackdown and he still gets a big pop when he comes out but it's his own fault for letting his ego get in the way of the business.

antifyre

MNG, you get all the cool stories!

I agree about Hardy, I think we would all rather get chokeslammed in the middle-of the ring by a legend, than get covered on a limo bonnet by Bradshaw....

Stupid MF'er!

Fozzy

Brow wrote:

Thats why i said a mild example. If you want a better look at Johnny Parisi, absolutely wasted in WWE. CM Punk and Samoa Joe were both eyed up by WWE with each going either way. Joe has flourished where Punk is waiting on the sidelines waiting to be called up to god knows what gimmick. God knows what will become of Sonny Siaki.

Punk put a nice spin on it once when he said think about Shannon Moore's situation. He wasn't used to his full potential in WWE, and he was released. But he's got a big house, big car, and he can work just about wherever he feels like now. If Punk was misused, I think he'd be happy enough with the financial side of it, you know that he'd still be one of the best wrestlers around if he were released. IMO, THE best

Christian's havin a great time now though. Teaming up with Sting tonight against the champ. Sting seems to have some good ideas from some of the interviews I've read with him

Motley Crue

Cactus Col wrote:

What better way to screw TNA than by stealing it's biggest star.

Then when TNA look like finally acheiving ratings, steal Christian back to the wwe, immediatly entering a feud with his brother Edge (who undoubtedly will be the company's top heel). A work to top the montreal screw job!

(of course it's only a theory)

OK, i will admit that this does sound slightly plausable, except for 2 minor things

1. TNA would more than likely put in their contract that Christian would have to stay with the company for a minimum of 12 months, by the time he came back he would be gone so long it wouldnt make any difference who he fights, hes hardly The Undertaker!
2. TNA needs the WWE just as much as WWE needs TNA. Do you realise how bad the storylines got when the WCW and ECW were bought out by WWE. In fact, ratings actually skyrocketed for that ECW PPV earlier last year, because people want a choice of what to watch and its good for buisness to have rivals. I dont think Vince cares much about TNA at the moment because its a rival he needs to push his storylines.

Fozzy

I wouldn't say that the ratings "skyrocketed" for ECW ONS. There were still 6 WWE PPV's last year with bigger buyrates than it

Competition is good though, especially when they put on great wrestling

Terry

Fozzy wrote:

Punk put a nice spin on it once when he said think about Shannon Moore's situation. He wasn't used to his full potential in WWE, and he was released. But he's got a big house, big car, and he can work just about wherever he feels like now. If Punk was misused, I think he'd be happy enough with the financial side of it, you know that he'd still be one of the best wrestlers around if he were released. IMO, THE best

the money thing is a big factor. it's like foley says in his (first) book, and i'm not quoting directly but it was something along the lines of 'if you're not in this business for the money, then you're a dumbass'.
this was also covered by the road warriors in their shoot interview. vince had them as tag team champs, but they didn't work for mopnths. they thanked vince for the free money.

getting to the wwf is the goal of (almost) every wrestler because that's where the big money is. of course they also want to wrestle and try to make it to the level of hogan/austin/michaels etc, but not everyone has that chance or ability...or both.
i'd say moore still had some of ted turners money though. if memory serves (and it doesn't serve me all that well) he got a push towards the end of the wcw alond side shane helms and a third person whose name always escapes me as part of the group known as 3 count. a boyband gimmick of sorts with tank abbott as their biggest fan.

Fozzy

julep wrote:

the money thing is a big factor. it's like foley says in his (first) book, and i'm not quoting directly but it was something along the lines of 'if you're not in this business for the money, then you're a dumbass'.

I believe it was "if you ARE in this business for the money, then you're a dumbass"

And I think the 3rd guy was Evan Karagias

Terry

no, i could swear that he said it was all about the money.

evan karagias it was. always forget that dudes name.

Fozzy

I don't know exactly where you're refering to in Mick's book. I don't really get what you're saying either.. There's not a whole lot of money in wrestling, and just thinking about it logically, less than 5% of the wrestlers in the world (more than likely a lot lot less than that) would be earning well over 90% of the money. Anyone looking to wrestle would be much better off financially if they just had a 9-5 job, unless they were certain of getting to the top

J.R.HARTLEY

i'm pretty sure foley said if you are in it for the money you're a dumbass, as mick went to great length to show that after two years of WWF he was earning as much as he earned touring indy fairs and wrestling to small crowds in barns.
plus he constantly mentions the fact that he was on the lok out for bargains in accomadation etc, hardly necessary for a filthy rich person

Fozzy

I think Mick's just a really stingy person as well though. I'm reading Regal's autobiography (which is very very good, btw) and he said Mick "was as tight as a duck's arsehole"

But going by Regal's story, he earned a decent amount from time to time because he was one of the biggest names around. Plenty of times when there'd be no income, so to say it was about the money would be very strange. Actually, Regal wrote himself that he knew he'd have been better off getting a proper job, because he didn't see himself reaching the heights he did

Terry

i'm 99% sure that he said that he was in it for the money. something about the injuries not being worth it if you're not getting paid a great deal of money.
he also comes off as something of a tight ass in his book.
i'd re-read it, but i lent my copy out and never got it back.