I'm assuming that anyone that has wondered in here knows the current situation with Joe teaming with the Stinger.

My question is, do you think that this is a step in the right direction with Joe or a step into the wrong?

Obviously, the right direction as it elevates him to main event status. For all the bitching about the old-timers, this is actually the way to elevate a new guy. Now to see if they follow through, and put him over huge, or kill his heat.

This is actually a pretty risky way to try and elevate him. I mean, it's pretty much all or nothing. They decided to skip the slow burn and just go for the gusto. I hope it works out, but I have my doubts.

I may have to agree here with LFV. It's not that Joe's not ready for the main event........that's not the case. They looked as if they were going the slow burn route which would have worked well. Sometimes when that process is sped up, it really hurts the guy they are attempting to push.

It's a good thing. If this had been the WWF, Joe would've come out and then gotten a beatdown at the hands of Luger/Bagwell/Steiner. They brought out 3 mainstream names and then took a rising star and said "he's better than these guys."

It's a good IDEA, but if they screw it up, they've pretty much branded Joe as "The Guy who Runs the X Division, but can't hang with the Big Guns".

Yeah, but that's not saying much. I'd say Jarrett is light years better than those guys himself.

If it were WWE, he would job to Lawler.

If they don't put him over in this, he goes on to be the next Monty Brown. It'll be a huge setback, and he'll have to work his way all the way back up the ladder.

There won't be any working up the ladder for him if they fuck it up. It'll be X Division for life.

Yeah but the beauty of this is you can have Jarrett pin Sting to continue their thing and it doesn't do anything to Joe.

Exactly, which is why there is no point in involving Joe in the first place. They aren't the kind of guys that'll give Joe the rub just by being in there with them. He needs to go over on them, otherwise it's just pointless.

I think, though, that Joe is an enforcer type in this role. He's there to be a counterbalance to Steiner.

The thing to worry about is why Joe is actually tagging with Sting. If they don't explain that, that will mess up a lot of things. Up until this point, Joe has been a loner, and fairly disrespectful. Teaming with Sting can ruin that image.

He should dominate the heels, then turn on Sting with a "I play second fiddle to noone" type routine.

That would be awesome on so many levels

I was thinking they should explain it as Sting thanks Joe for the help and Joe goes all "I'm not doing this to help YOU, I'm doing this for ME" routine.

Yeah, and then leaves Sting laying in a bloody heap.

Sting will never put over Joe.

I could definitely see Sting putting over Joe. I don't think Sting is a bad guy, and he probably sees Joe as someone he could "make".

I fucking hope so. THAT would definately help out Joe....

Sting definitely would and WILL put over Joe. He said about a million times before debuting with TNA that Joe was one of the guy he wanted to work with more than any other. Sting knows that if someone is gonna compete with the E, they need a stud to drive it. Joe is the guy, obviously, and I think he'd be willing.

I like the elevation, although I would have preferred the slow burn that they've taken. I really wanted Joe as X Champ v Jarrett as World Champ feud that revolved around the prestige of the individual titles, but that was just my fantasy route.

I see Joe and Sting beating their asses, and then Joe kicking Sting's ass too, going with the "this wasn't for you" thing that somebody suggested.

Oh, and to whoever said they have made Joe the "guy that runs the X Division, but can't hang with the big boys", that is just a plain bullshit statement. Yes, he runs the X Division, but he hasn't even had any interaction with anyone else until now.

Fuck, I missed a lot here too.


The Good: Joe is going to be seen on the same level as the current crop of "main eventers", and winning against them will always help.


The Bad: He's still X-Division Champion! What was the god damn point of giving him the belt if he's leaving to move up the card?


The Ugly: Joe is a face(?) and Jarrett's a heel. Draw your own conclussion, and hope it won't happen.

Not sure what the conclusion is I'm supposed to be drawing here.

My only hope is that Joe keeps the X Title (which he never should have lost) and has the eventual face-off with NWA Champ Jarrett, as I mentioned earlier.

Otherwise, yeah, they should have left it off of him, cause now they have to go about having him lose it and save face, again.

The conclussion of Jarrett vs. Joe? You honestly don't know where I was going with it?

Fine. Jarrett going over Joe. If that happens, I will forever salute TNA as being stupid. I'm no Joe fan, but even I know that right now he's probably going to be the top guy in the company within 6 months, and having him job to Jarrett will be the most bone-headed thing they can do.

They could could give Ki the belt somehow without Joe losing it, and he could basically play the role that Joe is now, but it'd work better within the X-Division as he's a lot smaller.

I'm split on what I want them to do with Joe though. Turning on Sting has been brought up and could work well, but I'd hope they'd go the "lone wolf" road with Joe after that, instead of aligning him with Jarrett and Steiner, as that would be Monty Brown all over again.

They could also have Joe pin Steiner to contine build to Jarrett/Joe...

Scrooge I didn't pick up on your lead there because I don't even see it as a remote possibility. That would be likened to Hogan pinning Goldberg in the GeorgiaDome. I'm sure people mentioned it, but honestly, even the fuck-up Fed of all fuck-up Feds wouldn't be that stupid.

I like Joe turning on Sting, but still having no alignment with the heels. Very Steve Austin-esque, when it was fresh.

I wouldn't put anything past TNA. One of the biggest things they did to kill my love for the company was from the April 30th, 2003 weekly PPV. For 4 months, they were hyping up Raven/Jarrett, and I easily was pushing for TNA harder than ever before to become a serious threat to WWE, which was drizzling shit at the time. Raven/JJ was easily the most anticipated TNA match of all time, and what did they do?

They made Raven look like a loser. Despite hand-cuffing Jarrett, interference of no less than 12 people, and various weapon shots, Jarrett STILL went over with 1 "stroke." Thankfully one section of the crowd littered the ring with garbage. Ever since then, I can't trust anything with Jarrett.

See also: Rhyno. I don't like Rhyno, but you put him over 10 people in 1 night, then job him to Jarrett a week later?!?

Wrong direction. As I feel Joe should not be a main event worker until he improves on some of his flaws. TNA will look like an embarassment to the common fan, if they push Joe as their top guy.

This is why I've always been completely against making Joe, an unbeatable monster.

And, if they do job him to the Jarrett, Steiner, etc... likes, then the smarks are going to bitch and moan and hate TNA.

Woah, a Joe hater? Don't see much of you all on the net these days, and for good reason I thought.

What are his flaws that need improving in your eyes?

Joe is the best worker in the US right now. Flaw that.

Judging by the 30-ish matches he's had on Impact since he debuted, you can't fault anyone for not believing that he is.

I can't see Joe as anything else besides an unbeatable monster, really.

I am curious as to what the flaws are. Not that he doesn't have any, but they cetainly aren't glaring.

Unfortunately, being a great worker means just about nothing when it comes to pushing someone.

Flaws: Joe looks fat. He's never shown he has speaking skills, or charisma (or been given much of a chance to).

His look does matter. Not just in drawing the popularity of the normal fan. But, say put him against Steiner. If you're someone watching Joe and Steiner for the first time, you'd think it's laughable that Joe would beat the tar out of him. And part of the reason smarks excuse this, IMO, is because they see Joe is a fat, out-of-shape blob like most of them... but, I don't want to get into another argument about that. :P

The only plus he has is he puts on great matches... but, many common fans don't give a shit about that. That's the nature of the business.

And, I'm definitely not a Joe hater. I've enjoyed many of his PPV matches. While I don't agree that he's the undoubted best worker in the world like most online folks do... he is very good in the ring.

It's just that making him the star of your wrestling company, is very risky. Especially for TNA, who's trying to draw in new fans.

I'm glad I'm not arguing this again. (rubs the wound on my ass from the beating I got last time)

The "he looks fat" argument goes all over the place.

It worked for Dusty Rhodes. That's all I can say.

That, and have you ever had your ass kicked by a fat guy? They look slow, but they hit hard.

From an impartial stand-point. Rhodes was a lot more colorful than Joe, though, and spoke a blue-collar working mans game.

this is very true.

None of those flaws from Leena hold any weight for me.

First, Joe has been given limited chances to speak, and has done just well (unlike Styles), and has a natural charisma about him that is evident in and out of the ring (again, not to pick on Styles, but something he doesn't carry either).

And Joe's "look does matter?". I agree, precisely. You can put him in their with Steiner, or get as big as you like (Abyss, hell, Kane, Taker) and I would buy him just kicking the tar out of them. I wouldn't go that route, but I would definitely buy it based on his "look" and "persona".

And the fat thing is just the most tired argument in the world that I think holds no water at all. I don't really have a response to it, because it is such a non factor, and just isn't true.

Oh, and yes, Dusty was FAT. Joe is "not skinny".

It's hard to rate Joe on the 2-3 promos he's cut in TNA in the last 10 months, so I'll just say "I'll wait before I make a conclussive opinion.". Still a lot better than "Going to KFC Southern Hick" A.J. Styles.

To the smark community, look doesn't matter much, we want entertainment. I'll give you that. But say you're a channel surfer, and you flip on Wrestling and see Joe vs. some random small guy like Sonjay Dutt. Now they're not a "real" fan, and are a casual viewer. You don't think the look of the people they're seeing is going to effect their decision to keep watching?

Can't argue that one. Dusty was just grossly out-of-shape looking. I say looking because like Joe, he too could wrestle marathon matches every night if need be.

It it a good point, that Joe's look will not draw casual fans. However, If the fans are drawn in by something else, and see what Joe can do, I think he can definitley get over, even with a casual audience.