The 411 Wrestling Top 5: Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. We take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to participate and give us their Top 5 on said topic. So, onto this week’s topic…

Week 289 – Top 5 Stars to Rebuild TNA With

It’s safe to say that TNA will be undergoing changes with their new TV deal. What five stars would you rebuild the promotion with? (You can use talent already under contract to TNA, but no talent that is currently under a WWE deal.)

Mike Hammerlock

5. Raj Dhesi – So TNA is trying to make inroads in Asia. More performers of Asian descent would help with that. It’s also trying to grow its British footprint. Got a few folks of Indian descent there too. The former Jinder Mahal is young (28) and he has good size (6’5”, 220 lbs.). He can’t use his WWE name (could go back to his Stampede Wrestling name of Tiger Raj Singh), but he spent three years getting fairly regular airtime with the WWE. People will recognize his face. Taking young guys who kind of got the shaft from the WWE and letting them shine is a really good business model. It’s working great with EC3 at the moment and Christian Cage still might be TNA’s greatest hit. Dhesi threw himself into both his Indian aristocrat and delusional headbanger personas. I think he’s a surprise hit waiting to happen.

4. Uhaa Nation – Supposedly he impressed people at a recent WWE tryout. How couldn’t he? He’s built like a mini-tank and he’s got something like a 36” standing vertical leap. Nation is a power/high flyer hybrid. That’s practically like being a unicorn. If TNA actually has the cash to make some signings, then I’d be all over Nation. Tell him you’re not going to make him just like everyone else and that he can keep that awesome name of his. The WWE will strip him of all the things that make him stand out from the crowd. TNA should promise to change nothing about him. He’s not a piece of raw clay to be molded. He’s a diamond that needs the right setting. Nation would become a star in TNA so fast it would make heads spin. He’d be like Joe Part II for that promotion.

3. Adam Cole – The success rate of former ROH champions is absurdly high – CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Seth Rollins, Low Ki, Homicide, Eddie Edwards, Davey Richards, Nigel McGuinness/Desmond Wolfe. All of those guys have moved on to significant roles with the WWE or TNA. Adam Cole is next in line. He’s young (25). He also held the PWG title (another belt with a who’s who list of former holders) for a record 538 days. It’s not a question of if Cole’s moving up to TNA or the WWE, it’s when. I would say Cole’s talent rivals the most successful ROH alumni. I don’t doubt that he can make it in the WWE, but for some reason he’s not there yet. TNA should step into that void. Cole could be an AJ Styles type of coup, a guy so obviously gifted he boosts the credibility of the entire promotion.

2. Tony Nelson – It’s hard to find news about Nelson since he graduated from the University of Minnesota in May. He’s a two-time NCAA freestyle wrestling champion (heavyweight) and came extremely close to making it three times. That’s way more than Brock Lesnar did in his college days. Nelson’s built like an Adonis too. He’s the next All-American super wrestler. It is possible that he could chase an Olympic gold medal in 2016 or he could pursue MMA instead of pro wrestling, because he’s legit. If Kurt Angle sticks around TNA that could be a huge asset in attracting Nelson. As with Nation, another benefit TNA potentially offers Nelson is it doesn’t need to repackage him as someone else. Fitting pro wrestling in with other things he wants to accomplish in life might be something TNA can offer him.

1. Ricochet – He’s having a 2014 to rival anyone. If TNA has a thin dime in pocket it should be spent on signing Ricochet. He’d carry the X Division for a year or two and then move comfortably into TNA title contention. You know how Ryback had that “unlimited energy” slogan? Well Ricochet actually seems to possess unlimited energy. He’s got an arsenal full of holy shit moves. If you want to give wrestling fans the next step in the evolution of pro wrestling, sign Ricochet. If you really want to put total nonstop action on display, sign Ricochet. If you want your fans to brag that TNA has the best pro wrestlers on the planet, sign Ricochet. Right now he’s working for Lucha Underground as Prince Puma, where he may be getting an earful from the artists formerly known as John Morrison, Ezequiel Jackson, Matt Striker and Alberto Del Rio about how the WWE isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. TNA might be able to position itself as a viable alternative. If so, it would have one of the hottest talents in wrestling working for its brand.

JUSTIN WATRY

5. Jeff Hardy – Outside of my number one choice, I am just picking current TNA Impact Wrestling guys already under contract. No use in even speculating on potential signings when the company has no DVD distribution, no live events scheduled, irrelevant pay-per-views, and still no television contract (as I write this in early November). Coming in an number five is probably somebody who SHOULD be ranked higher, but you know – TNA being TNA. Jeff Hardy was as hot as anybody in summer 2009 and was right there running with John Cena, The Undertaker, and DX as top MAIN EVENT faces in the entire wrestling world. I know I write about this a lot, but if you did not live through this time period, Jeff Hardy was as close to being ‘the man’ in WWE as you can get next to Cena. Then his contract expired…and he went to TNA. Personal problems got in his way; those are on him. An absolutely bust of a heel turn took place because SWERVE! Horrible decision. Of course, in 2014, Jeff Hardy was turned into Willow. Yep, that is right. Your number one star in TNA and biggest moneymaker gets a mask put on him, a name change, and turns into a screaming clown. Creative control for the win! Or not. Even so, Jeff Hardy is still Jeff Hardy. Assuming his head is on straight, I await his WWE return in 2015. Hopefully. Until then, he is in TNA and clearly should be front and center.

4. Austin Aries – Same with Jeff Hardy, I am hopeful WWE gives him a good look in 2015 when his deal is up. Age is working against him. However, there have been a few exceptions over the years. Whatever happened with his Tough Enough tryout years ago is water under the bridge. When (or actually if) Austin Aries becomes available, he has more then enough talent to make it in WWE. He has showed that time and time again in TNA during the past few years. Why is he only at the #4 position then? Because he has done next to nothing for what…a year? A year and a half? Seriously, somebody tell me what Aries is currently doing in Impact Wrestling as an on screen character. It is the infamous ‘on/off TV’ placement that has plagued TNA for years. On TV one week, off TV the next, on for a month, off for a month, big story line for a few months, off doing nothing for a while. Put Austin Aries in a meaningful program (no, the X-Division does not count) and get your money’s worth NOW! You do not want him walking out the door like Kaz, Daniels, AJ Styles, Sting, Chris Sabin, Mickie James, Bully Ray, Hulk Hogan, and countless others in the past year…

3. James Storm – Ah, late 2011 and early 2012. Good times. TNA was regularly drawing over 1.5 million viewers per week, even hitting 1.8-2.0 million viewers a couple of times. For taped shows. On Thursdays. On Spike TV. All “excuses” used these days for low numbers. Funny how those were fine three years ago, huh? Anyways, James Storm was dropped like a bad habit in the dreadful Bobby Roode-heel turn nonsense after TNA Bound For Glory. Everything I wrote about at the time…but got the usual responses. Well, right is right, which was yours truly. However, here is the real shame. TNA still had a chance to redeem it all. Actually two chances. First was Lockdown 2012 to beat Roode for the title in front of his HOME STATE CROWD nonetheless. Well, no. This is TNA. They just haaaaaad to shock fans and allow Roode to retain. You know, because you have to SURPRISE FANS! Then Storm goes off television (yeah!) and returns to win the TNA Bound For Glory Series for his full circle story. Only that never happened. Then he spent the next two years doing nothing – like Austin Aries, while he should have been in the main event scene as your top wrestler. TNA seems to finally be getting around to showcasing his talent, but I wonder if the damage is done. Hanging around Manik and Sanada is not quite anything I care for. Nor is suddenly being a savior/cult leader/whatever junk going on. Long story short, James Storm is too good to be wasted (save the jokes) during his prime years. Too good.

2. Bobby Roode – You could probably flip flop Storm with Aries with Roode with Aries with Storm with Hardy with any of the previous mentions. There is no actual list here. Bobby Roode may not be the “It Factor” as TNA claims, but he is the best thing the company has these days. If there is somebody to be taking TNA into the new year, it is definitely Roode (or Hardy for new networks to grasp onto) as champion. Has all the tools and is another man that WWE needs to take a look at as soon as possible. It would be a shame if he retired and never competed at WrestleMania. Never wrestled in front of 80,000 fans. Never watched by 4-5 million viewers on RAW. Never sold truck loads of merchandise. Never made the big bucks. Never shown to the WWE Universe. Would be a darn shame. Roode and other TNA stars deserve that. Their roster is beyond talented and should be showcased in WWE.

1. Matt Morgan – No explanation needed.

DINO ZEE

5. Titan – The CMLL star is only 24, with tons of athleticism and wrestling ability to boot. He could easily be used as a showcase player in the X Division, and with what looks like America possibly getting hip to some Lucha Libre, using him as a tie-in to the movement would be a good idea, in my opinion.

4. Bobby Roode – He’d have to be the “top star” that everyone is gunning for, the two time World Champion, the symbol of established excellence. On top of that, unlike a Samoa Joe or a James Storm, Roode has never really had his legs cut out from underneath him by TNA, so it’s not as much of a project to build him into THE top guy in the company. Making him the focal star wouldn’t be the worst idea.

3. Gunner – Speaking of guys who have had their legs cut out from underneath… I haven’t given up on him… yet. This Sam Shaw nonsense certainly hasn’t done the man any favors, but I haven’t forgotten the momentum he was putting together during the latter stages of his team with James Storm, along with after the breakup. It looked like TNA may have another big face on their roster, but then they saw some jingling keys and forgot what they were doing. Maybe, with a new deal, we could try again with Gunner. Give him a first name. Or a last name. I’m never really sure which one “Gunner” is supposed to be.

2. Jay Lethal – Stealing from Hammerlock here, and with good reason: It’s the right call. Lethal’s ouster during the Hogan era was unfortunate, and while he’s done well for himself in Ring of Honor ever since, it’d be nice to have him back in TNA. An easy threat to either the X Division or World Championships, he’d bring a well known face back into the mix.

1. Máscara Dorada – For pretty much the same reasons as Titan, only Dorada is even better. At only 26, the sky is the limit, and we’d have another incredible luchador to showcase in the X Division, with a possible move to competing for the TNA title as well. If you’ve never had the chance to watch Dorada in action, do yourself a favor and hunt him down.

Jack McGee

5. Rich Swann – Rich Swann is the guy that TNA needs to really reinvent the X-Division. The guy has evolved tremendously over the last few years, becoming a true asset to the WWNLive universe, and also learning a lot during his time with Dragon Gate in Japan. Add in the fact that he has a ton of charisma and he’s the fresh face of the X-Division that the company needs.

4. Gunner – Gunner was actually primed for a run in the main event scene following his feud with James Storm. The feud was a strong one, Gunner performed well in the big time matches, and they took a guy that was essentially a waste/joke and made me care about him. Then they shit the bed with him, and he ended up in the Sam Shaw stuff. But the fact remains, TNA did build him up and the audience accepted him, and they can do it again. TNA fans like Gunner, he works hard and is a guy I feel they want to see go onto bigger things.

3. Ethan Carter III – I was not sold on Derek Bateman at all when he was in WWE Developmental, not completely his fault mind you, but there was just nothing there that made me care at all. I was cautiously optimistic when TNA signed him but, but as Ethan Carter III he has succeeded way beyond anything I could have predicted. He has been a pleasant surprise, and keeps improving as far as promos and character work goes. He’s the kind of guy that looks as if he will only keep improving, and all he needs is some hard working veterans to have some great matches with and put him over properly.

2. Bobby Roode and James Storm – You need veteran presence and credibility, which brings us to Bobby Roode and James Storm. They were mainstays in the tag team division, both have been world champion (Roode currently is) and the faithful TNA fans still love them. They can work the main event programs, they can pout over a rising star (Gunner and or Carter) and you can always pull the trigger on a Beer Money Reunion down the line to get some run, like the recent reunion of the Hardys. Both seem happy to be with TNA, and I am sure they would work hard to help the company succeed and to put over new talent when needed.

1. Uhaa Nation – Uhaa Nation is another guy like Rich Swann I really like. Much like Swann, I have watched Nation grow as a performer through his performances with the WWNLive shows and in Dragon Gate in Japan. Nation is a tremendous performer, who can play the monster role and also do some amazing displays of athleticism that sets him apart from the typical main event guy. There’s been buzz that he’s been on WWE’s radar and has impressed at recent camps. He’s a guy I’d love to see get a chance in a bigger stage because with the proper booking the guy will be a star.