Originally Posted by AlexiR:
“Kurt Angle has only been 'blackballed' in the sense that he can't pass the medical tests WWE now requires of all in-ring talent. With that in mind that he's still working for TNA probably isn't a great thing. Indeed one of my biggest issues with TNA at this point is that they're still booking Angle as an active wrestler and letting himself slowly kill himself on their dime. One of the most shockingly responsible things WWE have ever done is insist Kurt Angle slow down (which is why he left the company in the first place because he wasn't happy about that directive).
It also fundamentally misses the point that he was enormously successful in WWE prior to going to TNA so I really don't know how he strengthens this idea that TNA somehow give opportunity and chances to talent that wouldn't or couldn't thrive in WWE. Angle did. That's why TNA signed him.
Once again Jeff Hardy was exceptionally successful in WWE and if it hadn't been for his incredibly public and well documented drug issues he likely would have been even more successful. This notion that its great he has a home in TNA because he couldn't or wouldn't have found success in WWE is patently untrue. And again I'd suggest that TNA hired and pushed the guy despite his incredibly public and well documented drug issues maybe isn't something to be celebrating.
Bully Ray is a 43 year old man. WWE have absolutely no business signing him and pushing him. He was brought back for one night only for a cheap ECW related pop in The Royal Rumble. And again he actually achieved quite considerable success in WWE and ECW prior to going to TNA which is why they signed him.
And absolutely no one imagined that CM Punk, Daniel Bryan or Seth Rollins would amount to anything in the WWE. More than a few people felt it was madness for Prince Devitt/Finn Balor to sign with WWE but all signs so far indicate that's going to work out pretty well for him as well. This notion that these talents can't break through within the WWE is untrue.
So that leaves you with Eric Young. A talent who I don't think should ever have risen beyond comedy mid carder anyway.”
Okay, I wasn't really saying that WWE is a terrible place where talent can't thrive, I was saying that personally, I'd rather see people who WWE currently aren't interested in, on TV rather than not.
Angle and Hardy can't work in WWE right now, and you're right that it's almost certainly for medical reasons. You may think it would be better for them personally if they were forced to stop working altogether, but I personally feel that's their decision, and if they want to work, and an audience wants to watch them (and that includes me), then they should be allowed to. TNA gives them that opportunity.
I think there is a cultural dimension to it too, albeit a small one. For example, I really like Bully's TNA character and I want to watch it. Given how they used him recently, WWE obviously think it's worthless. So that's another reason I'm glad TNA exists - they air characters, angles and people (like EY too, actually) who I enjoy and we can assume we wouldn't currently get a chance on WWE TV. Not that WWE TV isn't sporadically very good, in a different way, and within the parameters of their house style.
As for Aries, I kind of agree. I think if you could go back in time and things happened differently, he could have been CM Punk and Daniel Bryan combined. Although again, you can't deny there is a culture clash element to Punk and Bryan in WWE. Although Punk managed to become a big deal, he was somewhat sidelined as champion and, famously, ultimately couldn't get along with the company and departed in pretty dramatic style. Bryan is blatantly held down, despite being their most over star by some margin. So yes, Punk and Bryan have had success in WWE, but clearly they are somewhat at odds with the culture and politics there, no?