Would TNA main-eventers sell out a high school gym show?

I’ve booked high school gym shows, some successful, some not. Even the ones that we booked that were not successful had better main events than what TNA has in store for its Slammiversary pay-per-view with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young defending against MVP.

Not sure what EY and MVP think they’re worth on the indy circuit, but I can tell you what a promoter would be willing to pay them: $750 apiece, tops, and that might be generous. And I don’t know any indy promoters who would book Eric Young and MVP in their main event. I know that I wouldn’t.

Neither is more than a novelty act. Young, God love him for being willing to work hard, but he’s at best a decent worker in the ring. MVP doesn’t even have that going for him: his whole gimmick is the name that he came up with for himself in WWE.

It says a lot about where TNA is that creative there is selling a pay-per-view around this as the main event. The roster has talent – Bobby Roode, James Storm, Kurt Angle, Gunner, Magnus – but it’s kind of a been there, seen that deal with the guys that you’ve seen over and over and over.

You want to give TNA creative credit for trying to create new stars, but recycling a TNA original in Young and a WWE jobber in MVP is not creating new stars.

You’d also want to see TNA get on samoa joe to finally get his fat arse in some kind of decent shape so that we could see what he could do wrestling at 235, 240, instead of the flabby 295 or greater that he’s carried for way, way too long. TNA has invested too much time into a guy that just isn’t believable as a bad-ass because he looks too much the part of lard-ass.

Get Joe in shape, have him and Roode take turns carrying the ball, bring up some of the young guys from Ohio Valley (Jamin Olivencia is a star waiting to break out) to mix things up from time to time, and TNA might have a shot at getting some momentum.

This Eric Young-MVP crap has got to go.

– Column by Chris Graham