Amazing Red - Not GOOD enough for TNA?!?

PWTorch.Com (yes, there ARE those of us who don’t have a single-minded, blind loyalty—we’re the ones that know ALL sides of the story, heh heh heh) is this week reporting this incredible item:

“Amazing Red's TNA contract expired and he's not expected to be brought back as a regular. Dusty Rhodes and Terry Taylor are not high on Red at all, with their thoughts being that he doesn't project a personality and since his knee problems, he hasn't been able to make up for that inside the ring...”

This is NOT happening, is it? I always thought Dusty had a fairly good sense of what was truly STUPID in this business we love so much. But now I’m not so sure.

Red is one of the Trilogy of reasons TNA is still in existence today. The other two are AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn. Together, the three of them MADE the X Division what it is. Their talent and drive, and above all, STYLE, helped TNA limp through it’s first few months on the brink of collapse and was what brought all those weekly viewers in.

And now Dusty Rhodes and Terry Taylor don’t think he’s good enough?

In the immortal words of Calvin of dearly departed “Calvin and Hobbes”…

WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU?

Red has had at least 3 five-star matches that I can think of off the top of my head since coming back from successful surgery. Two of them were with Petey Williams. Yes, he’s a bit slower than before. Yes, he’s limping occasionally to and from the ring. But IN the ring…from my standpoint (and that of his devoted fans, like myself) he hasn’t lost anything.

DO YOU HEAR ME RHODES? ANYTHING!!

Yes, he did come back too soon. Yes, he’s not able to do as many highspots as before. But those he does do he NAILS. His work with Williams and Chris Sabin since returning from his knee injury is proof of that.

And since when was it absolutely necessary to “project a personality” to get over? Granted, it helps. But then again, I can name a number of wrestlers who are well respected both in the business and with the fans who have little to no personality, with no disrespect to their wrestling abilities. Two of the most loved and respected wrestlers of the last ten years, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, had no shred of a personality when they were getting started in this business (Dean still has none…). It was their TECHNICAL prowess that got them over. Benoit finally developed part of a personality when he jumped to the WWE.

But that’s not the point. The point is this: if you are skilled enough performer – which Amazing Red DEFINITELY IS – a personality will develop eventually…IF one is required. So far, it isn’t.

I know from local promoters and bookers who have dealt with him that Red is an intensely private, and intensely shy, young man. He prefers to remain anonymous outside the wrestling ring. He’s not your average “Hulk Hogan” who has to have the spotlight on him 24/7. That makes it a bit difficult to project a “personality” of the sort that TNA apparently feels he needs to have. Notice that this so called “personalty” problem has not affected him in the slightest when he performs in Japan. They like their wrestlers to have “personality” too. And yet, he’s incredibly over when he performs there. Why is that? Could it be, as usual that the average Japanese promoter actually values SKILL over everything else? Horrors, what ARE they thinking of?

And if you’re absolutely INSISTANT on this point, then do what promoters have always done when this type of problem has arisen…give the man a MOUTHPIECE.

It isn’t necessary to turn him heel to have a manager either, although a heelish-acting Red could be really interesting in the same vein as Petey Williams has been My friend “GQ” John Rodeo would make a GREAT mouthpiece for a performer like Red. Or actually, would have made, seeing how he’s in semi-retirement these days…

But there are plenty of young indie performers out there who could get the job done. Somebody like Jenny “Looney” Lane, for instance. She’s great at what she does. Or Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, as a wrestling manager (there’s a shocker these days) – you could snatch him up before he is able to sign that WWE development deal that Tough Enough probably earned him.

Or what about Nidia? She’s good on the stick as well as in the ring.

My point is, it is my fervent believe that the reports from this week’s PWTorch are Dusty Rhodes and Terry Taylor’s own spin on the old “creative has nothing for you” spin. And in this case, it’s not for the real reason…that they simply want to build their own stable up, and not rely on a truly talented young individual who at the age of 22 has already given his knees to this sport, and who put TNA on the map and KEPT THEM THERE for the first year with help from AJ Styles, Jerry Lynn, and later on Chris Sabin and Frankie Kazarian.

So you don’t think Red “has it” anymore?

Let me ask you one last question, Rhodes…you think Kevin Nash does?

The answer to that question says it ALL, doesn’t it?