Random idea: Bring in Bobby Lashley, Derrick Bateman, James Storm and Eddie Edwards as a stable
 

I think that all four have the opportunity to jump sometime soon. I was thinking about how they would all fit into WWE programming, and I kind of just figured it would be something to bring them all in together as a group of renegades who feel like they've been forgotten or overlooked (that old chestnut).

Bobby Lashley: A former two-time World Champion that had to deal with a prejudice office.

Derrick Bateman: A diamond in the rough that was let go because of his "attitude," and because the big stars were threatened by his potential.

James Storm: "There's nothing really for you in NXT." Meanwhile, Bobby Roode waltzes in and gets given a title opportunity.

Eddie Edwards: Arguably the best technical wrestler in the world (according to himself), and when the WWE sign up everybody on the independent scene, who do they conveniently miss?

Each guy would have a completely different vibe to them. Bobby's the hoss with swagger. Bateman is shredded, but is a "louder" personality. Storm is the old veteran sipping his beer. Edwards is the smaller in-ring whiz. Put them on SmackDown and have them attack The New Day and Bobby Roode leading to an eight-man tag at WrestleMania.

I don't see Edwards being brought up to the main roster without a stop in NXT. The rest of the idea I love, could even tease the likes of EY/Roode/Styles/Joe joining them.....

Eddie Edwards seems like the most "NXT" out of all of them, but I think he would help round out the group. I doubt he would get a massive push out of it all, and would probably be the guy there to take the falls or just make shit look good.

Managed by Don West.

I was thinking Arn Anderson, but they don't really do managers anymore.

I would be super down with this.

was EC3 really let go because of his attitude?

i could never figure out how they let that guy go. he has everything the WWE likes

I've got no clue. Maybe they thought he was too wet behind the ears or something? Kind of a "go learn a new hold," and then he went to TNA and got really good and has just been there since. He definitely had big paws, and now he's finally put it all together.

or bring Storm in as a face that eventually gets fucked over by Roode....or make em tag team champs.

I'd also put the US Title on Derrick Bateman very, very fast. I originally had Roode as US Champion dropping the belt to Bateman with some teases of Roode/Storm coming out of it, but you could do Bateman beating Woods and getting to the Roode stuff another way. But get the strap onto Bateman quickly so he further "stands out," even though Lashley is the "leader."

Also have Bateman cut promos on his own about how every time you boo him you're booing America and when people boo him he yells at them "Stop booing America!"

Yeah, you could do that. They'd make a fine tag team. You can't use the Beer Money name though. And you can always get to that down the line.

This is also a way to bring in Bobby Lashley and "test the waters" with him. They very often like to make guys prove they want to be back, to sort of "humble" them. Bobby working with The New Day and Bobby Roode isn't too high profile. And it also gives the WWE an excuse to play "Glorious Domination" at WrestleMania, and it's unlikely Roode will have any other program that calls for that.

They'll probably want to put The New Day & Roode over, sadly, because that's how they learn those guys for not being their guys, but as I said, you've got Edwards or Storm there to take the pin and protect Lashley and Bateman, somewhat.

Cola Money

Haha! The Carbonated Coalition. The Carbon Copies.

Pepsi Pals

Ginger Beer Money Inc

Royal Cola Rumblers

RC has mad history in the pop renaissance. first diet :eek:

Yo rez, shut up bro.

Dietnamic Dudes

nah...this beautiful face can't shut up sometimes, pal

Faygos of Fear

You know what, you're right. I'm sorry. Carry on.

that...

sounds like an ICP concert

It essentially is.

EC3 still has the most annoying promo delivery I can imagine.

The way he awkwardly over-enunciates his words. It's obnoxious. And not in a good heel way.

He's the best promo in TNA, probably.

Besides Eli Drake.

And Dan Lambert, somehow.

Lashley and Storm - hell yeah.

Other two guys - no idea who they are.

Unless Eddie Edwards is the funny British Ski Jumper, but I somehow doubt he'd become a wrestler.

Nah, he's a bit of a plain indy geek. Was in a tag team with Davey Richards where they were "serious technical rasslers." Got a trial in the WWE, but when they were told to go home early, they kind of ignored it, haha. I think it was Davey who got pancaked and they were worried he was hurt, but he was like "Nah, I'm real, let's do this," and the WWE was like "Yeah, we're not giving you a spot."

They both went to TNA, but Davey left and Edwards got a run with their title, I think. He also just recently NOAH's GHC Champion. Like, he lost the belt last week or something, probably because his time with them is coming to an end.

Derrick Bateman was an NXT guy. Jacked to the gills and had a lot of personality. Kind of goofy/obnoxious, but you kind of liked him. He was paired with Daniel Bryan and I remember them doing some funny shit together. Then they never really did anything with him, he was funny with Fandango in NXT Redemption, and then they released him and he went to TNA.

You take that filth out of this thread, Mr. Thrilla.

I'm struggling to think of a name for them. I didn't want to simply fall back on old gimmicks like the Four Horsemen, because it will pale. I came up with "Epochalypse," but that's a mouthful. Groups that are just named like "The Renegades" or shit kind of annoys me, because it also feels like a placeholder name.

How about Rushmore? You've got four of them, and they think they are the faces that are now defining SmackDown. I also want Bateman to have that cheesy over-the-top American gimmick -- like an edgelord that wants to be respected for being young and rich and a product of the opportunities others fail to take -- so that would kind of fit.

You don't think Drake is a good promo?

I absolutely loathe Eli Drake. I think his catchphrases are the worst. They don't even mean anything. He's trying so hard to do a Rock promo, but he's got none of the natural charisma. It's forced like a club promoter trying to pretend they're interested in you to try and sell you something.

Maybe he's a really nice guy in real life, but in a non-heel way, he irritates me to the point where I can't watch a show he is on. He is by the far the most annoying try-hard in wrestling. At least he's trying, I guess.

I'm sorry, you're just wrong about this one. Beyond the catchphrases, his cadence is natural, his material is poignant, and he oozes confidence. Tell me who is a better promo in TNA besides MAYBE EC3?

Also, and this is a fair question for you...do you watch Impact?

Think he was just a victim of the yearly roster cuts at the time. Know Maxine had some attitude issues leading to her release although related to frustrations at being stuck in NXT and WWE unwilling to consider a call up for her.

Fucking love Catrina. That was the best thing to happen to her. And me, I guess.

Wait are allthese guys not in Impact any more? Who the hell is left over there?

They're all still there. It would be a lot cooler if they weren't, though.

He's an unnatural try-hard who overacts. Comes off like he's a kid playing wrestler who's a bit soft in the head.

Eli Drake is a natural though.

Sorry, Noid.

So anyone answer the other question. Besides EC3, who is a better promo on Impact?

Ah, Konnan. But he doesn't wrestle.

James Storm has left, and I feel that Eddie Edwards is about to leave. Bobby Lashley is rumored to be leaving too.

El Patron. James Storm. Pretty much anyone who is believable and doesn't seem like a kid sending in an awkward video to a YouShoot promo looking like he's auditioning to be a wrestler.

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It's like The Miz if he didn't actually have charisma and tried REALLY hard to manufacture it.

You realize I was talking about Eli Drake, right?

EC3 does sound weird sometimes, yes. I was touting Drake for the past page and a half though.

I should have said "besides EC3, who on Impact is a better promo than Eli Drake", that line of thinking stemming from Noid being so our on Drake. My bad.

I think EC3 is entertaining on the mic, but I get your point.

Oh. You were talking about EC3 being the best promo other than Drake earlier and I didn't realize you'd switched it up. MY BAD.

But the "besides EC3" isn't necessary. Drake is the best period. Not even sure I'd have anyone at a close second.

I'd put Konnan at second after some thought.

Excited for Noid blowing a fuse when he sees this Eli Drake blowing session though.

You apparently missed it a month ago when he spent like 2 pages of a thread basically making it seem like he literally vomits when he sees Eli Drake or hears him cut a promo. It was insane. Still baffled at his level of hatred for the man.

I don't get that at all. He's money. Also, there's NO way Noid watches Impact if he barely watches WWE. Just seems bizarre.

Hm, Lashley has the look, wouldn't be stupid to bring him back.

James Storm, too, though I'm not really familiar with his work.

I'm largely going to ignore it. You've taken the hatred literally, as if I actually obsess. I've seen promos and he bothers me. That's it. Destor, can you please close and get rid of this thread now. I will not be associated with any pro-Eli Drake nonsense.

His catchphrase is to go "Dummy! Yeah!" over and over again. What the fuck does that even mean? If you can explain it to me in a way that makes sense and isn't lame, I'll let you pick a tattoo for me. He's always waiting for it to catch on, but no one really gets it, because it doesn't make sense and no one is really a fan of Impact Wrestling or cares about him.

I honestly hope he does explain it to you and makes you get a "Dummy! Yeah!" tattoo.

I'm not a huge fan of the catchphrase either, but it's pretty short-sighted to behave as if that's all he ever says.

No one on Impact touches Eli Drake on the mic. Fact of life.

I see what you did there.

I was watching OSW Review and they were talking about the time Bryan and Bateman had to do a "love connection" type game (where the Rookie answered questions and the pro guessed what they said) so they made up completely random pre determined answers regardless of what the question is. It was hilarious

If he doesn't want me to overlook him, then he shouldn't have the worst catchphrase since "Hoorah!"

It's got to make sense, remember.

That's the one I keep going back to in my head. :lol:

I also remember them doing some weird stretching segment. Like Bryan was making him "watch tapes" of something. I can't remember the details, but I remember that being so odd it somehow worked.

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Whole episode is great but the part I'm talking about is at 43:50

Would you call him “Derrick Bateman” or “Ethan Carter”?

I think Ethan Carter would be better, but I see Bateman being more likely.

After the Hardy ordeal they seem to be fine with talent keeping their names. EC3 would be way better than DB2.

There were some vignettes cut while he was in WWE still for a "USA Guy" gimmick. I say bring him in with that. Over the top patriot gimmick. Would work well with annoyingly over the top promo delivery.

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I would actually bring him in as Derrick Bateman. I've thought about this, because the Bateman name means next to nothing. But no one really wants to be reminded of the Carters on WWE television either. Bateman can actually tie his history in with Daniel Bryan, and the idea that he was cut from development is kind of a good thread for him to come back with.

I would, however, take notes from TNA on how to do his entrance theme.

I'd actually do a toned-down version of this. I wouldn't want it to be too over the top, but I would like to give him, without saying as much, kind of an alt-left kind of gimmick. As I mentioned earlier, give him the US Champion and have him talk about how he's the greatest representative of the United States, and that whenever you boo him, you boo American Greatness. I'd probably make his moniker "The American Classic" or something.

How set are we on having these guys as a group?

I’m not sure I like the aesthetic of these 4 together, but I do like some of the ideas that have been suggested for the individuals.

I LOVE the aesthetic myself. It's one of my favorite things about it. I'm sick of a bunch of dudes who all look the same or come from one place blending together as a team. Bobby Lashley as the ripped hoss, Derrick Bateman as the clean-cut American-flag draped prototype, James Storm as the gruff older veteran in the cowboy regalia and Eddie Edwards as the, frankly, generic indy looking guy in long tights.

They do cover all the bases as a group.

They will all come in and have a first match against Dolph Ziggler, then get stuck in boring feuds cos creative will have nothing for them.
The WWE roster is too crowded at the moment , no one should be bought in till they get rid of people.

I feel like TNA was going for a Lesnar-type with Lashley but they butchered it horribly. Wouldn't mind seeing him get a good run as an unstoppable legit fighter on Smackdown. Mainly because I just miss when true credibility was something you could find in more than just one part time guy.

Also, I somtimes forget Lashley was once handpicked by the fucking president to represent him. They could definitely use that in whatever they do.

No need to get rid of people. Just give Smackdown a B show instead of having 2 for the 3 hour show and let some of the other guys just be jobbers. They TRY to make everyone relevant at some point and in doing so, bring down everyone else. Some guys should just exist to make the rest of the guys look good. It seems like there's a handful of true main eventers and then EVERYONE ELSE is a midcarder. There should be more levels.

I understand the need for a jobber , the original reason I'm guessing Mahal was bought back and the re hiring of Hawkins.
If Smackdown was to get a B show you know it wouldn't just be made up of clips of what happened on the main show and maybe a Match involving The Ascension.

Kind of like what WWE was going for with Lashley after Lesnar left.

It would. Speaking ideally though. The fact that the 3 hour show has 2 extra shows and the 2 hour show has none makes no sense.

There's enough talent to get a women's match, a tag match and a singles match with some midcarders on a B show every week along with some of those backstage interviews they usually save for WWE.com. Would be useful in theory.

Sorry meant to say that it would be full of clips.

In theory that would work a treat , but there's a sense of overkill at the moment with the programming. The apathy that is shown to 205 live by a crowd who is ready to leave and for the most part has no interest in seeing these guys wrestle.

Having 205 Live AFTER the main show also makes no sense.

Completely agree , they should still have the main matches on Raw but film 205 live either before Smackdown or at Full Sail.

There are definitely big problems with the WWE that would get in the way of anything. At the top they need guys who can be credible stars. The B-show idea makes sense, I guess, but is that going to help anyone, really? Who really got a rub from Velocity (even though I used to love it)? I do think that cycling talent in and out more frequently is better for the talent and better for the health of the industry, in general. I wouldn't want to see them go, but imagine what Fandango & Tyler Breeze could do as a cocky heel team on the independents. No, they wouldn't draw 10,000 people, but they could have some great matches and create buzz which would allow them to come back when they have their routine down as a team.

Ideally with a B show, you're showcasing guys you normally wouldn't want to spend time on the main show on and giving them a chance to show what they can do outside of getting squashed. Done right, it's a useful tool. (See: Creepy Johnny Curtis)

Yeah, but you'd need to actually write stuff then. I can't see them writing more stuff. It will just be extended matches.

Don't see Eddie coming to WWE ever. NXT is his ceiling if he does. EC3 has to be EC3, none of this Derrick Bateman bullshit. Lashley return would work but maybe not for him also wanting to do MMA. I like James Storm but see no use for him in WWE at all.

Plus Derrick Bateman died in a fire work factory explosion.

Why? No one knows who that is.

To be fair no one would really know who the hell Derrick Bateman was. He would be more famous off his run as EC3.

Although it may mean that would have to link him to Dixie Carter which I don't think they would do.

Call him BJ6

Lol, more people would have seen NXT than TNA. I do think the internet would have read that is his name and stuff, but no one watches TNA, haha. No one.

Call him VK3 and give him a frat boy gimmick with Hornswoggle in college.

Im not saying that TNA has a massive load of viewers , but most fans are gonna have no recollection of a guy who jobbed a lot on old NXT shows.