wrestling / Columns
The 8-Ball: The Top 8 Wrestlers TNA Should Push
Hey, it’s almost WrestleMania. Perfect time for a TNA column. Seriously, I don’t know about you, but I’m just about WrestleMania’d out at this point. It’s going to happen and it could be anywhere from awful to awesome. In the meantime, TNA continues to remake its roster. It actually boasts an impressive amount of new blood compared to two years ago, which makes it an 8-Ball-worthy subject. TNA has a pile of new talents to push. Exciting times.
Some ground rules here. First, champions aren’t eligible because they’ve already gotten pushed. That means the Wolves don’t make this list. For the record, I’m going with the current TV timeline champions. I am up to date on spoilers, but I have not disqualified anyone who has won a belt on an unaired taping. Also, I’m staying away from former TNA World Heavyweight Champions. If you’ve held the top prize in the company, you’re ineligible. Good news, that automatically disqualifies Magnus, aka the worst champion in company history. This rule only applies to men, since almost the entire female roster has held the Knockouts belt at one time or another.
WARNING: SPOILER CONTAINED. There is one person on this list who constitutes a complete spoiler. If you don’t want to read about someone who popped up on a TNA One Night Only special and is now on the roster, then don’t read below. Because that is totally in there.
Lots of near misses: Gunner, Rockstar Spud, DJ Z, Tigre Uno, Tyrus. Spud really stepped up in his recent match against Ethan Carter III. Gunner’s a bit odd because it seemed like he was getting a push last year only for it to fizzle. He’s the most glaring loose end in the company at the moment. Tyrus, the former Brodus Clay, has been way better than I ever imagined since he arrived in Dixieland. Anyway, the eventual run date of this column creates some complications as some belts will change hands. It’s WrestleMania season, which could push the run date back a few days, which in turn could mean a belt changes hands in the TV timeline (if you get my drift). That played a slight factor in my picks.
Enough with the rules and cryptic references to spoilers. TNA’s got some pushing to do. Let’s get to it.
He held the X Division Championship for three months last year and is the most obvious breakout candidate of the Revolution. James Storm and Abyss are where they are. Manik’s already turned into the faction’s whipping boy. Khoya’s a big piece of meat, but he’s young (24) and inexperienced in the ring. Sanada’s been trained by the Great Muta, he’s wrestled all over the world and he represents the sort of opportunity TNA blew a few years back with Kazuchika Okada (not that I’m putting Sanada on even footing with Okada). Yet Sanada knows just about every move in the book. He’s also bigger than than a lot of X Division guys. Supposedly TNA is making a global play, so pushing the most talented Asian on the roster would make a metric ton of sense. They even could have Sanada and Khoya tag with Sanada as the workhorse and Khoya hitting the occasional power move.
I know what you’re thinking, “Hey, what’s Camacho doing here?” Spoiler time, winning Gut Check is what he’s doing here. As an aside, Gut Check also features Chikara’s comedic genius, Ashley Remington (under the name Dalton Castle). Sounds like it might be worth watching. Myka — real name Tevita Fifita, real father Haku/Meng — will be hitting the TNA roster in the very near future. Best of all, he gets to be a Pacific islander again. When he was in NXT at the end of his WWE run, he started showing more in the ring than they ever allowed him as Hunico’s ineffective bodyguard. Who knows, maybe he could form a supergroup with Sanada and Khoya. They could call themselves Asia. Only time will tell.
Currently he’s working the comedy side of the business. No problem with that, especially since he’s goofy fun. Yet he’s also one of the better known talents on the TNA roster thanks to his run with Brooke on The Amazing Race. Sometimes wrestling is an easy business. Put the guy who’s spent good chunk of time on primetime network television into high profile angles. Impact is chasing eyeballs on Destination America (ratings up one week, down another). Casual fans who recognize Robbie E’s face might give TNA a shot if they see he’s being featured. He can still work the comedy end of the block, but have his jackassery get him somewhere. Make him an idiot with a purpose, or at least uncanny luck.
Brooke almost made this list too (based her Amazing Race run with Robbie E and being preposterously hot), but Havok should be a staple in the Knockouts division for the next decade. We need Havok-Kong II, and this time Havok needs to get the win. She’s big and agile, the perfect foil for whatever parade of Barbie dolls roll into the company in the future. Havok gives the division legitimacy. TNA needs her back and on a rampage. Taryn Terrell also is doing a solid job as the KO champ and I expect she’ll be one of the top women in the company for the next few years, but she doesn’t qualify for this list since she’s wearing the belt.
It must be a little awkward for Galloway (the former Drew McIntyre) to be working in a promotion with his ex wife, Taryn Terrell (formerly known as Tiffany in the WWE). That relationship did not seem to end well. However, uneasy as that may be, it’s still got to be way better than working for Vince McMahon. I don’t know why Vince treated Galloway like garbage. He’s got the size, the look, he’s capable in the ring and he’s functional on the mic (if you’ve got a Scottish accent, just yell a lot – it works). TNA wisely debuted him as a big deal, taking on the BDC. He should be in the main event mix by the end of the year. TNA sometimes takes heat for over-pushing former WWE guys, but I think it’s smart business to take wrestlers people thought the WWE failed to utilize and give them a spotlight. It’s like fantasy booking except that it’s real. If TNA gets it right with Galloway, the fan reaction should be, “See, I told you the WWE didn’t appreciate what it had with this guy.”
When he rolled into TNA last year, he basically saved Magnus’ ass. I don’t know if Bram is legit tough, but he sells it like no one’s business. He’s sadistic and bloody and if TNA lets him continue down his currently path of violence and mayhem, he may turn into the most popular guy on the roster. Mind you, I’m the guy who thought hitting Magnus in the skull with a cue ball was a face move. Bigger picture is Bram does an excellent job of playing a thug with an unrestrained id. He makes it feel natural. Fans dig wrestlers who nail their gimmicks, no matter how much of a menace to society that gimmick may make him or her. For instance, if a wrestler does a fantastic job with a kitten eating gimmick, after a while fans are going to pop whenever he grabs a kitten and a bottle of chianti. Bram is 100% invested in his character and he treats every match like it’s a chance to stand out. Dude gets it. I’d love to see him take down some of TNA’s old guard.
He’s been the secret hero of TNA ever since the switch to Destination America. King has been aces on the mic and every time he hits the ring, it’s a hot match. Given him one line in a segment and he’ll nail it. It might just be a case of a guy who’s been around long enough that he’s kicked his game up to a new level. That happens. Kenny King certainly seems to be more of a polished pro these days. Credit to TNA for giving him a platform and getting out of his way. If he were in the WWE, he’d be stuck as a Cryme Tyme knockoff. Instead he gets to be cocky and sarcastic and clever. It would be nice to see King take over the BDC from MVP at some point. He’s too good to be content as a second banana for too long.
If EC3 isn’t TNA champion soon, the company is dropping the ball. He’s the quintessential heel. Rips you apart on the mic, makes you wade through an ocean of crap to get your hands on him and then he turns out to be way better than you ever expected in the ring. He is so easy to hate. He’s been on an 18-month climb, easily the best thing TNA has done in ages. It really feels like he’s on the verge of taking over, like it’s just a matter of time before he ascends to the top of the mountain where no one is going to be able to topple him. Again, it’s not because he’s the baddest dude on the planet or the world’s best ring technician. It’s because he gets this shit. He’s the entitled rich boy who’s almost as good as he thinks he is. Smarmy bastard makes your head want to explode. He should dominate TNA for the next year so that when someone finally beats him, we think it’s a seminal moment in world history.
I take requests.. The purpose of this column is to look forward. What could be? What should be? What is and what should never be? What would make more sense? 411 has plenty of columns that count down and rank things that happened in the past. This is not one of those columns. The Magic 8-Ball is here to gaze into the future. If there’s someone or something you think should be given the 8-Ball treatment, mention it in the comments section. I might pick it up for future weeks.
