Roxy

Styles very well SHOULD be the the face of the company. He's not a huge monster, but he's not a tiny cruiserweight, he's got the perfect build, athletic as anything, innovative as heck. He's original, has an awesome look to him, and why isn't this guy world champion? Because they keep putting former WWE guys over him. But I think his role will grow as the company progresses on it's upward track because he's been there since day one, and he's always been synonamous with TNA. He almost gives it an identity at times.

Y 2 Jake

A.J. Styles is probably too small to be a true face of the company. Just like Joe was too fat. You need somebody who looks impressive on posters for them to be a long term big star. That mostly means adhering to the publics perception of what a wrestler should look like. Certainly if you're to be a full time headliner for the company.

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Roxy

There isn't usually ONE face of the company though, there never has been. Even in Hogans days, guys like Savage and Piper were just as big and represented the company just as much. Kind of like now Cena, Trips, Taker, Shawn, Jeff and Rey are all the faces of WWE. I mean, if you HAD to pick one, it'd probably be Cena, but he isn't even main-eventing atm. AJ really isn't that small either, he's no smaller than Angle.

Y 2 Jake

Hogan was the face of the company even when Savage was champion. He still headlines all the shows, he was still the focus of the main storylines, he still saved the day. All Savage was doing was holiding the world title and preparing for the day when he lost to Hogan.

Yeah it's Cena. He's promotes the company more than anybody else. Notice how Cena always has an important match at the big shows. They'd never put him against The Miz at Summer Slam or Survivor Series.

True. But Angle was a legitimate athlete. I'm not sure how well known he was after the Olympics, but I'm sure he's got name value at the very least. But Kurt Angle was never one the top star in WWE. Mostly down to his size as well. But I'm basing my post as if TNA is the same as WWE, when it's not. It could work for that promotion.

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Roxy

TNA isn't the same as WWE, in which size isn't an issue, it's more about agility than size when it comes down to it. People tune into TNA to see what's going on, and they'll take a small interest in guys like Angle, but Styles and wrestlers like The Guns are the reasons they stay and watch. He has the look of a star, he's kinda like that all-american good guy kind of character, he has a solid look and his in-ring skills are fantastic. AJ has ALWAYS been TNA, he's been there from the start, he's the poster boy, and he's like the biggest babyface the company has. That is why he can be the face of TNA.

Y 2 Jake

Agility was the reason people initially tuned into TNA. Now for most it's a mixture of habit, something different, former WWE stars and the hope that TNA might actually become good.

I don't know if A.J. has the look of a star. He's boyish in his looks. I can't think of many superstars that are like that. In a real fight I wouldn't pick A.J. over many. Just on looks alone you understand.

His mic skills could also be an issue. He can talk, but he's never going to be brilliant. The accent might also be a problem.

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Mr. Sam

The accent did seem a bit silly for about a month or so after I'd heard it.

Otherwise, I think AJ looks alright on the posters, Jake.

I was about to find an example of a poster with him as the centerpiece that looked really good, and then I was going to lap up your tears. Unfortunately, I can't find one.

They do exist though. I'm sure of it.

Kizza

You talk about TNA having a John Cena. What happened with John Cena when he started to become the franchise player? He got tremendous hate. Who says everyone won't turn against AJ if they have him "crammed down our throats week in week out." What's to stop the audiences starting to hate on AJ for being a dominant champion. The problem is though, that Cena looks like a dominant guy. AJ is what, 5'10? Predominantly known for him flying moves. Cena looks like a guy who could take a guy on like Big Show and win. AJ? I couldn't take him seriously against a big guy, who TNA would eventually have to throw at him.

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Mr. Sam

He remains the biggest draw in professional wrestling today.

Because he does flips. It's official that people never tire of people that do flips. Fortunately, AJ is otherwise quite well-rounded.

I don't think TNA are retarded enough to book AJ as a dominant champion. I don't think TNA fans would turn on him if they did though. I mean, they didn't even book John Cena as a dominant champion. He was the constant underdog.

Yet, like I said, booked like an underdog.

But he was booked to make it look like he couldn't.

So you're saying you wouldn't take AJ seriously against Abyss, Matt Morgan or... does Hernandez even qualify as a big guy? Sting's taller.

iamthedestroyer

If you owned a wrestling company would you honestly vest your financial future and successes in Matt Morgan and Hernandez? They both could make nice upper card filler monsters, but they are not future championship material.

I always thought TNA didn't just miss the boat, but the whole damn fleet when it came to Monty Brown. He had a decent character, he was no Ricky Steamboat but he could do what is expected of him in the ring, and most of all was marketable as hell. He looked like a star, something that no younger TNA guys have going for them at the moment.

Beer Money are both wild cards. I think it'd be a worthy experiment to attempt an uppercard face push for James Storm. The redneck alchoholic worked for Sandman and Austin......Robert Roode is pretty solid as well.

Styles is TNA's biggest F-U to it's hardcore fans. This guy was voted by the same people who purchase their product as their MVP for something like 2-3 years in a row, and ended up as a finalist the year he didn't win. Yet with all that he really hasn't been seriously pushed since 06-07. He's one of the X Division guys who is dynamic enough to be a Main Eventer. He sucks on the microphone but can stand out as marketable to non-TNA fans if he is made to be the only Lightweight in the Main Event as he'd be "That guy". As soon as the "Heavyweight" belt is dilluted with light weights he'd lose his effect to stand out in that division to non TNA fans.

A large chunk of TNA's World Championship division is basically the Main Event Mafia, Sting, Mick Foley, and Jeff Jarret. They are all 40+ years old.

TNA is going to be in a really bad place if Angle defects to the WWE when his contract ends. TNA needs to put over new stars when guys are on their way out. Maybe I'm forgetting something, but who did Christian put over on his way out? The MEM? They were already over.

Knowing there was a good chance Christian was heading to the WWE he should have been used to put over somebody like Alex Shelley who was getting a lot of air time at the time with the Foley angle. (My timeline might be screwed up)

Now I'm just ranting.