Heyman Says TNA is "Not Ready" For Him

[Troy]

In an interview with MMA Hour Live, Paul Heyman talked about the possibility of working with TNA Wrestling:

"They're not ready for me. They're not there yet. I kind of have self-justified my own interest in TNA as a network of stock and ownership. I left pro wrestling in December 2006 and I haven't done one shoot DVD, one convention appearance, one cameo. I haven't done anything on wrestling."

Heyman confirmed that TNA has reached out to him many times in the last year but he didn't take it seriously until Dixie Carter contacted him and offered him potential ownership points and stock, as well as potential side projects with Spike TV. He concluded though that they weren't ready for his ideas, particularly using things from MMA to influence wrestling. He also said that TNA is not looking long term and only wants short term solutions and that they don't have their own vision for what they want to be.

Heyman added that he would get rid of everyone over 40 in TNA if he was in charge, saying their place is to be used for promotional events, autograph signings, and video games, but not as the core, noting that TNA's focus seems to be on former ECW guys in their 40s, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair.

"If you were over 40, I'd chop your f***ing head off. I want a guy who is entering the prime of his career and shape him and mold him."

"Imagine if all they did the entire show was promote the Beer Money vs. Motor City Machineguns match and had Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and the ECW guys saying they needed to see that match and said these guys are the future now. Then, if you put that match in the main event - as opposed to the middle of the card with no follow-up - and produce and present them as the main event. Then, if 'you buy this product, this is the progressive type of presentation we are going to present to you.' Instead, you have Hulk Hogan in his 50s thanking ECW guys in their 40s before the ECW guys are beat up by a group led by Ric Flair in his 60s."

Interesting to hear his thoughts about TNA and the contest rumours about him being brought into the company.

With "potential ownership points and stock, as well as potential side projects with Spike TV" that is an enticing offer for anyone and you can see why he would be interested in it.

I like his thoughts about what he would do to TNA, introducing some MMA influence is smart since it is so popular right now. You need to take advantage of what is popular culture at the time and introduce it into your product.

I like his idea of sacking everyone who is over forty and his comments about TNA only looking short-term which is so true. TNA need to focus on the future rather than pushing guys well past their best for a quick buck. His idea pushing the tag team match in the mainevent is the type of booking TNA needs rather than the crap it has now.

His final sentence is the most damning of all.

After reading this I would really like to see him given the spot in TNA to see what he can do with the company because his version of TNA sounds like something I would watch.

What do you think about his comments? Do you agree with him and do you like his idea for what TNA should be?

 

[fieldingmellish]

The Machine Guns/Beer Money series reminds me of the Joe/AJ/Daniels feud in '05, where they didn't tack on any stupid storylines and just let them go out there and have great matches. When is TNA going to realize that this is what people want to see? The biggest buyrate they've ever done is for Lockdown '08, which was headlined by a 'worked shoot' between Joe and Angle that they gave a serious buildup and treated like the result actually mattered. The older guys still have a role in getting younger talent over, but they need to take a step back and realize that their glory days are over. TNA has a nucleus of young talent that it should be priming to be their top guys 18 months to two years down the line. They should also be accentuating the things they do better than WWE, namely the tag division and the x division.

 

[Troy]

I completely agree with you, when TNA have simple storylines that focus around one person or team having an issue with another person or team and then wrestling it works. It worked so well with Joe/Styles/Daniels, they were just allowed to wrestle and it produced some of the greatest matches in TNA history. MCMG's and Beer Money have had some great matches since they weren't held back by a silly gimmick or storyline.

The older guys do have a place in TNA but only a few are needed and they need to be on jobbing duties for the most part. They will still be over and it will be valuable for the younger guys to get the wins over them. WWE don't have a lightweight division anymore and so the X-Division should be a major selling point as should their tag team division since WWE ignore their tag team division.

 

[Brock Lesnar]

The story is the TNA Tag Team Championships. That's a great thing, because it really gives the credibility where the credibility is due. There's the belt, and there's the guys fighting for it. They want to be the best in the world, and holding that belt means the world to them. It becomes less about why they're fighting, and more about what they're fighting for. Heyman's got a fucking great point of view.

 

[fieldingmellish]

That's very true, if the belts are over they become a storyline in their own right. The problem in TNA and WWE of late has been that the belts have become meaningless. One of the things I like about ROH is that they make a big deal of champions and title changes.

 

[Keith]

Spot on altough in wrestling a great character does not need a championship to get over [see Jake Roberts and Ted Dibiase as proof of that] on the other hand a promotion should make wins and loses important and titles.

Heyman is very much from the old school and has a great wrestling mind. As well as what he did with ECW he was also a big part of the NWA/WCW, and I love what he did on Smackdown in 2002. TNA is a sinking ship, and for me as a fan totally unwatchable right now. If they have any chance of turning things around someone like Heyman needs to come in and be given full creative control. I am not so sure why he wants to get involved in the finacal side of things, thats not really his strong suit. But if TNA get him on board and give him full control then I will start tunning in again, not before.