The wrestling world's worst kept secret was finally revealed at the Victory Road pay per view on Sunday night. Taz officially makes his debut for TNA after walking away from WWE.
Taz Debuts in TNA
When it was announced that Taz was going to be putting down the headset and walking away from his job as the color commentator of Smackdown, wrestling fans just assumed that he was done with the business.
A few days later, though, it was discovered that he was very much interested in still being involved in the wrestling business; just not with WWE.
The former ECW World Heavyweight Champion started dropping hints through the internet that he was very much interested in the other wrestling company (TNA).
Speculation began to spread even further when TNA started running a storyline where Samoa Joe had a mystery advisor telling him what to do. Wrestling fans were quick to put two and two together.
There's been a handful of instances lately where a wrestling storyline has been changed because the internet wrestling community were already aware of the plans (Christian vs Jeff Hardy immediately comes to mind).
There was a fear that TNA was going to change up the mystery advisor storyline because everyone knew that it was going to be Taz. However, the company did the right and went through with it.
Taz showed up at the Victory Road pay per view and he had the best seat in the house (ringside) to watch Samoa Joe force Sting into submission.
Another Dimension For Joe
Taz may never wrestle a single match for TNA, but his impact for the company could still be huge.
His main thing right now is that he adds an entirely new dimension to Samoa Joe, a guy that TNA has pinpointed as a centerpiece to their company.
As great of an in-ring performer as Samoa Joe is, he is still overlooked by the majority of the internet wrestling community. Those that pay close attention, though, know that he puts on some of the best performances in the business.
However, he still lacks credibility with the certain portion of wrestling fans that are afraid to view something other than WWE.
Bringing in a guy like Taz, who has already established himself with that demographic group, can only be a positive thing for Samoa Joe.
From a character standpoint, Taz might even make Samoa Joe a tougher fighter. He already has established that he's tough. His character can become tougher with a mentor who many considered to be the toughest in the original ECW.
TNA Tidal Wave
There's going to be a major influx of former WWE stars in TNA pretty soon.
Victoria has already crossed the line. Taz just did as well. Bobby Lashley is about to do it as well. It's safe to assume that Mr Kennedy will be picked up by TNA as well; he's just too talented to not be signed. Umaga has a chance as well.
Combine these guys with the recognizable faces that are already on the roster, and TNA has just become that much more appealing to the advertisers and corporate sponsors.
Closing Thoughts
Always felt that Taz could have been used more in WWE as an on-screen character (perhaps ECW GM?). He showed a lot of personality during his stint as a commentator there. He's going to get a chance to show more of it in TNA, which was something that he really wanted. |
