Gun to Your Head: Hire 5 Big Names for the Brand Split

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Because Vince McMahon has gone (more) insane and is also telling you to get in his model of the spruce moose.

As for me padding it out to five would be tough, but what got me thinking about it was all the Kurt Angle talk on WOR recently. Also, Meltzer today was mentioning how American Alpha are great in the ring, but not particularly good on the mic. Pairing them with Kurt could fix both. I wouldn't mind Kurt returning in that capacity as their manager under a one strike and you're out rule. However, I doubt Angle would ever be that level headed.

I'd probably hire Tanahashi and Okada just because I'm a NJPW mark. This would make things interesting since it would create so many interesting match ups. Also, it would force NJPW to freshen up their main event scene. It would be a hit to NJPW no question, but Naito and Omega really looking great lately it wouldn't actually kill them. Plus, Tanahashi has said he's going to retire soon. Perhaps signing with WWE could benefit him by erasing that, "What if?" in his mind even if he chooses to still retire.

Other than that I guess they could also bring the Hardy Boys back. Those dudes aren't getting any younger. They'll probably still be duct taping themselves together 10 years from now like Sabu and Terry Funk still do, but WWE hasn't used Sabu or Funk for a while now either. Might as well have that last Hardy run while they can still move around somewhat.

With these signings WWE would not only attract different kinds of fans, but by weakening NJPW and TNA (which is a zombie promotion anyway) it pretty much declares, "f*** you! We ARE wrestling."

Just some thoughts. Not saying even I agree with the five I mentioned fully, but if Vince pointed a gun to my head and asked for big names I guess that is what would come out

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

Roderick Strong

And the other four is Dylan.

[Feargus McReddit]

Going realistic here (because WWE aren't going to get Okada and Tanahashi unless they want to pay BIG money) and not counting anyone from the CWC because I see a good chunk of them signing really soon...

Adam Cole: He's so marketable and so mainstream friendly, I'm shocked WWE haven't been driving vans of money to his house to try and change his mind.

Big Damo: Needs to work on his selling but I genuinely haven't seen a big man like him since Claudio Castagnoli.

Marty Scrull: A tough one because I could have fit other UK talent like Sha Samuels (a dude who never gets talked about in these discussions for reasons I don't get) or Martin Kirby or Rampage Jackson or a bunch of others but there's a reason Scrull is where he is in the UK scene. He's top class in ring and with character.

Drew Galloway: He's talked a lot of talk but you know what? He's improved leaps and bounds in both promo and in ring. He's a tremendous talent and imagine him now against guys like Cesaro, Owens, Zayn, Styles etc. If WWE gave him an offer, he should jump and get the hell away from TNA.

Mr. Touchdown: CHIKARA has talent more companies need to give a proper sniff to in terms of TV ready. Mark is one of them. Great character work, fun worker and can bring a lot to a company like WWE. Give him an inch bit of work and get him out there.

[Main Event Mark]

Jay Lethal, Kenny Omega, Riccochet, Sydal, Drew Galloway. Alt: Cheeseburger.

[Big Bad Kahuna]

Well there aren't too many BIG names left anyway. Angle, Hardys, RVD, Goldberg for the masses, who else?

I'd take:
Ricochet (has some nerd indy buzz, great look, very talented from what I've seen, surely WWE bound soon anyway)

Okada (big, handsome, charisma, abilities, fairly young)

Zack Sabre jr (big nerd indy buzz, super talented, bigtime charisma)

Moose (certainly someone Vince would love)

Motorcity Machine Guns or The Addiction to have a great vet team around

Other good choices: Drew, Masters, Lethal, Tanahashi, Omega

[Grand Papillon "The Banker"]

Based on the thread title, Dynamite Kid???

[revolver86]

Don't know about the other 4, but if a gun is pointed at my head, Kenny Omega is the name I drop, without hesitation. Dude is a friggin star.

[Soultastic]

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian would be my first pics. A little on the old side, but they are very crafty veterans and one hell of a tag team. Given proper match and mic time, they can help the product a lot and teach the rookies a little something or another.

Kenny Omega would be perfect, even if I'd end up feeling like shit for continuing to dismantle the Bullet Club. Sorry, Gedo.

Kyle O'Reilly too. If you wanna fill the submission wrestler spot, don't settle for ZSJ, hire someone who actually has a sense of psychology.

Finally, if I can legit hire anyone at all, no matter the circumstance, I assume buying the rights to the gimmick is not out of the question, so Pentagon Jr. Even if AAA keeps the gimmick, he's talented enough to make a new one work.

[Ecks Ecks Ringout Ecks Ecks]

Well, if I had a gun to my head, I'd probably panic and start stammering out the names of random wrestlers.

Then we'd end up hiring Snitsky, Hiroshi Fukuda, El Hijo del Ice Cream, Ding Dong #2 and the exhumed remains of Uncle Elmer.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Jul 4, 2016 17:08:07 GMT -5 Ecks Ecks Ringout Ecks Ecks said:

Well, if I had a gun to my head, I'd probably panic and start stammering out the names of random wrestlers.

Then we'd end up hiring Snitsky, Hiroshi Fukuda, El Hijo del Ice Cream, Ding Dong #2 and the exhumed remains of Uncle Elmer.

Zombie Uncle Elmer vs. Roman Reigns at WM 33! Make it happen Vince!

[Final Countdown Jones]

For an actual "big" name, the Hardys. I agree that another run is inevitable and that if they're best used while they're still mobile. I'd sign them for a couple years, use them as a solid entry into the division, give them a decent reign with the tag titles leading up to a grand Wrestlemania retirement angle, because they're names big enough for a Wrestlemania retirement angle to actually work. End their WWE careers with a thunderous, tens-of-thousands chant of "Thank you Hardys". Then, they can get a Legends deal, go back to wrestling in the backwoods of Carolina, and leave with some dignity. But, I would not under any goddamn circumstances split them up or have them feud. They stay a unit through to the end; Triple H is said to be a big tag team guy and if his future means more effort on that divison, genuine star veterans like them to put it over is a huge boost.

Aside from that, echo the Richochet, Kenny Omega, and Jay Lethal love because I think those are the three guys I like best who are currently not signed and who hold a chance to be signed. All three are great prospects.

[EyeofTyr]

Matt & Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Ethan Carter III, and Shelton Benjamin, if you want to go the big name route.

If not going that route, I'd go for Eddie Kingston, Kenny Omega, Jushin Liger, Dalton Castle, and Jay Lethal.

If he hadn't burnt bridges and descended into some half downward spiral, half faux parody of one, I'd say Paul London could have a solid run. Especially after finding his charisma and mic skills after leaving the company now years back.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Jul 4, 2016 17:38:05 GMT -5 EyeofTyr said:

Matt & Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Ethan Carter III, and Drew Galloway, if you want to go the big name route.

If not going that route, I'd go for Shelton Benjamin, Kenny Omega, Jushin Liger, Dalton Castle, and Jay Lethal.

Ethan Carter III is a bigger name than Jushin Liger?

Even if we're just going by North American exposure Liger was at least on WCW programming during its peak and had that one off in NXT where he was treated like a big deal. ECIII has killed it in the waning years of TNA, but it's just that the waning years of a company that was never that big to begin with.

If you asked a random guy on the street who either was though I bet he'd have no f***ing idea either way.

[EyeofTyr]

Jul 4, 2016 17:40:43 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

Jul 4, 2016 17:38:05 GMT -5 EyeofTyr said:

Matt & Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Ethan Carter III, and Drew Galloway, if you want to go the big name route.

If not going that route, I'd go for Shelton Benjamin, Kenny Omega, Jushin Liger, Dalton Castle, and Jay Lethal.

Ethan Carter III is a bigger name than Jushin Liger?

Even if we're just going by North American exposure Liger was at least on WCW programming during its peak and had that one off in NXT where he was treated like a big deal. ECIII has killed it in the waning years of TNA, but it's just that the waning years of a company that was never that big to begin with.

If you asked a random guy on the street who either was though I bet he'd have no f***ing idea either way.

Maybe, but I was thinking more of people that could work the regular schedule and that had been featured on the main programming more recently. While Liger overall has a bigger legacy, to most of WWE's modern fans he's only been seen on a NXT special. And, while he's still held together fairly well, I doubt he could do more than a part timer schedule and working as a trainer for the center.

[Tea & Crumpets]

The Hardyz are big names but I've been so out of the TNA loop that all I've seen of them in years is the hilariously terrible contract signing vignette from recently. Can they even go at all in ring or (as far as they could) on mic anymore? If so then sure, I'll grab em.

But assuming I don't pick the Hardyz, my five are: Muta just to get a match with Undertaker and give a bit of buzz to the other Japanese acquisitions, Ricochet because he's gone from a skinny little flippydo to an all round package in the last 8 years, Chuck Taylor because Chuck Taylor is awesome and has always had excellent chemistry with Ricochet, Eddie Kingston because he has been that dude for years and all he needs is to get in shape and he'd be a beast, and Dalton Castle because it's a long time since I've seen a dude come from the indies with that level of personality. He reminds me of the late Larry Sweeney in many ways, but with a more WWE-friendly look.

Jay Lethal is great and all but I fear he'd get lost in the WWE machine, I'd also be tempted to say Chris Hero because goddammit I want the KoW in WWE but he's gone way too Terry Gordy for WWE to EVER want him back.

[EyeofTyr]

Jul 4, 2016 17:50:52 GMT -5 Tea & Crumpets said:

The Hardyz are big names but I've been so out of the TNA loop that all I've seen of them in years is the hilariously terrible contract signing vignette from recently. Can they even go at all in ring or (as far as they could) on mic anymore? If so then sure, I'll grab em.

But assuming I don't pick the Hardyz, my five are: Muta just to get a match with Undertaker and give a bit of buzz to the other Japanese acquisitions, Ricochet because he's gone from a skinny little flippydo to an all round package in the last 8 years, Chuck Taylor because Chuck Taylor is awesome and has always had excellent chemistry with Ricochet, Eddie Kingston because he has been that dude for years and all he needs is to get in shape and he'd be a beast, and Dalton Castle because it's a long time since I've seen a dude come from the indies with that level of personality. He reminds me of the late Larry Sweeney in many ways, but with a more WWE-friendly look.

Jay Lethal is great and all but I fear he'd get lost in the WWE machine, I'd also be tempted to say Chris Hero because goddammit I want the KoW in WWE but he's gone way too Terry Gordy for WWE to EVER want him back.

Not too sure how recently you've seen Kingston, but honestly the guy's shed a ton of weight the last two years. He isn't by any means Cesaro, but he's definitely in far better shape than he's been in about any other era of his career.

[PsychoGoatee]

RVD, Christopher Daniels, Colt Cabana (I know), anybody who was big in 2006, I don't keep up with the indies or New Japan presently.

[Tea & Crumpets]

Jul 4, 2016 17:59:18 GMT -5 EyeofTyr said:

Jul 4, 2016 17:50:52 GMT -5 Tea & Crumpets said:

The Hardyz are big names but I've been so out of the TNA loop that all I've seen of them in years is the hilariously terrible contract signing vignette from recently. Can they even go at all in ring or (as far as they could) on mic anymore? If so then sure, I'll grab em.

But assuming I don't pick the Hardyz, my five are: Muta just to get a match with Undertaker and give a bit of buzz to the other Japanese acquisitions, Ricochet because he's gone from a skinny little flippydo to an all round package in the last 8 years, Chuck Taylor because Chuck Taylor is awesome and has always had excellent chemistry with Ricochet, Eddie Kingston because he has been that dude for years and all he needs is to get in shape and he'd be a beast, and Dalton Castle because it's a long time since I've seen a dude come from the indies with that level of personality. He reminds me of the late Larry Sweeney in many ways, but with a more WWE-friendly look.

Jay Lethal is great and all but I fear he'd get lost in the WWE machine, I'd also be tempted to say Chris Hero because goddammit I want the KoW in WWE but he's gone way too Terry Gordy for WWE to EVER want him back.

Not too sure how recently you've seen Kingston, but honestly the guy's shed a ton of weight the last two years. He isn't by any means Cesaro, but he's definitely in far better shape than he's been in about any other era of his career.

In honesty I am basing it on several years ago, but that's interesting to hear. Back in 07/08 I was thinking "Damn if he could tone up he'd be a great fit for WWE", as it is now at 35 I'd be amazed if he ever got the call but I'm still a fan, he's easily one of the best promos I've seen on the indie scene by a country mile.

[saintpat]

Dalton Castle and four Boys.

[Heinz Doofenschmirtz]

Pentagon Jr, King Cuerno, and Mil Muertes in as close as you can get to their current gimmicks. (I'll take Matanza Cueto as well)

Addiction as a tag team with the idea of moving Daniels to a manager. Then have an angle where Kazarian and Daniels look for a new partner.