Gut Check

[Chris]

TNA started Gut Check a few months ago as a way to give new guys an opportunity to earn a contract. So far two people have been turned down, and three have gotten the contract.

Alex Silva - The first participant, got the contract but it is widely believed that he wasn't supposed to and Flair changed his answer at the last second.

Joey Ryan - Was turned down, but has made more than twice as many appearances on Impact than any of the winners.

Taeler Hendrix - Accepted, hasn't appeared since, but is in OVW.

Sam Shaw - Same as above, trained by Team 3D

Kris Lewie - First person to not get at least one "Yes" answer.

So what do you guys think of the Gut Check concept? Should it continue, or do you think it's run its course?

 

[John McHenry]

From what i've seen of it Gut Check has always been just an angle to push Joey Ryan. It certainly is nothing like what it was supposed to be.

 

[The New F'n Show]

Yeah it's been a waste. Nothing really has come out of it at all.

 

[Chris]

I agree with the above, the Joey Ryan stuff has been good, but we get that once a month, and that Lewie match was so terrible. It's lasted long enough, they need to get Ryan on TV every other week at least now, instead of once a month and end Gut Check somehow.

 

[Andrew]

I don't mind GutCheck but they really need to develop and have a better standard.

I like seeing new guys come and get a chance but it needs to be displayed better than it is now.

 

[Troy]

It certainly hasn't turned out like I expected and it is a bit disappointing in it's execution. The fact that they vote them in and then send them straight to developmental kind of defeats the purpose of airing it on Impact. At least with Tough Enough it was a seperate show so you knew that they wouldn't walk right onto tv. If TNA could develop this into a Tough Enough style program, kind of like they are doing in the UK, I think it would work better.

 

[Deezy]

American idol type shit doesn't work for a show wrapped in kayfabe, and all of a sudden this shit is in the middle?

Makes no sense.

 

[TKK]

It was a good idea in theory, but it's turned out so badly. One of the two guys who didn't get a contract has gotten more air time than anyone else. Also, they need to stop using viewer's sympathy as a way of getting their talents over. Their personal trials and tribulations don't make me want to get behind them and whoring them out on television just shows that they have nothing besides that to get themselves over. Joey Ryan came in with a gimmick, what you should do, and he instantly got a following.

 

[Troy]

It was a good idea in theory, but it's turned out so badly. One of the two guys who didn't get a contract has gotten more air time than anyone else. Also, they need to stop using viewer's sympathy as a way of getting their talents over. Their personal trials and tribulations don't make me want to get behind them and whoring them out on television just shows that they have nothing besides that to get themselves over. Joey Ryan came in with a gimmick, what you should do, and he instantly got a following.

I agree. I don't want to know anything about their personal lives, if they are on Impact then I expect them to be in character and I want to know about the gimmick and not about the person behind it. If you have an entertaining gimmick then it will get you over.

 

[The Cork]

It looks rigged as hell considering the only legit name they've had on there has been Joey Ryan.....

You'd figure if they wanted something like this to be a success then they would go after the better known free agents, like your Morrisons, Carlitos and even CHIKARA/PWG guys.

I don't know where they find these bums but none of them have been contract worthy, thats if it isn't a fix and they are already TNA office employees or some shit.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Bring on the sleaze!

 

[Kiffy Lube]

If this leads to Joey Ryan getting a proper push in the company... And guys working hard in development in the meantime? What is wrong with it? I know personally I was hoping for more Indy talent I was familiar with but I'm sure TNA knows most of the people that watch their product also know a bit about the Indies so they have to search a bit.

I don't see it ending when Ryan gets on the "actual" roster either which means they could work towards another angle maybe for someone else? I don't know but if Joey Ryan ends up getting where his talent and charisma should be... How could this be an ultimate failure within in just the first few times they've done this? It's doing what it's supposed to be doing building future stars.

 

[Troy]

If this leads to Joey Ryan getting a proper push in the company... And guys working hard in development in the meantime? What is wrong with it? I know personally I was hoping for more Indy talent I was familiar with but I'm sure TNA knows most of the people that watch their product also know a bit about the Indies so they have to search a bit.

I don't see it ending when Ryan gets on the "actual" roster either which means they could work towards another angle maybe for someone else? I don't know but if Joey Ryan ends up getting where his talent and charisma should be... How could this be an ultimate failure within in just the first few times they've done this? It's doing what it's supposed to be doing building future stars.

The problem I have with it that if the people they hire are going to be shipped right off to developmental then it shouldn't be shown on Impact. Why do we need to see this during Impact when in the end it doesn't matter as all as we won't see them for another year. To me it would make more sense if they ran it like the X Division contract series they run, these guys wrestle matches to prove themselves and to "win" a contract and are used regularly on tv once they win. I don't know why TNA are showing us their developmental signings, it would be like WWE airing their dark matches before events and then having them judged. I wouldn't want to see that because it means nothing for the program.