Abyss to WWE?

[Powder]

The main page has a story that Abyss is "reportedly heading to the WWE". Why? Why bring in another 45 year old who is past his prime? I would have loved to have Abyss come to the WWE around 2004-5 when her was at the height of his career and he could have had a program with both Mick Foley and Undertaker.

What is the point on bringing him in? There are few hardcore matches, and they do not need another "monster", they have Braun and McIntyre, and IF Lars Sullivan can move past his anxiety. The WWE does not need 45 year olds, they need youth.

[LifeLostInRewind]

Abyss left Impact? When?

[Powder]

Here is the report:

Sonjay Dutt and Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer Abyss are expected to start working with WWE soon after making their exits from Impact, according to PWInsider.

Impact officials announced the departures to the rest of the roster in an e-mail, wishing the two veterans well. The departures were said to be amicable both both Dutt and Abyss. It was said that the company did not want to hold back both men from pursuing better opportunities that they were offered.

Dutt had been working on the Impact creative team with Jimmy Jacobs, Don Callis and Scott D’Amore, taking on a significant role. Abyss had been working behind-the-scenes as a producer. Abyss was the longest-tenured performer in TNA/Impact history, starting with the company back in 2002. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame last October.

Now , if Abyss is coming into the WWE as a producer, then ok, but please not as a wrestler.

[Prime Time]

I imagine he'll come in, get a few quick wins to establish himself as a monster, then will put someone over. That's the difference between him and the other guy mentioned - he's not a long term project so he can be a big win for someone you want to make.

[Oliver]

WWE always needs an experienced hand behind the scenes for agenting/producing. If Abyss has been doing that in Impact, it certainly won't be a bad thing to have him around.

[LifeLostInRewind]

I was an Abyss mark when I watched Impact so I have the biased opinion that I'd like to see him get a push in the WWE. I think a Kane vs Abyss feud would be pretty neat if Abyss has at the very least a similar character to what he had in Impact.

However, you are right that he should probably not come to the WWE as a full fledged wrestler. I, however wouldn't be upset if he did, though.

[Team Farrell]

The WWE does not need 45 year olds, they need youth.

Why does it matter how old someone is if they can get the job done? AJ Styles is tearing it up at 41. It doesn't matter how old someone is, it matters if they're being used in the best way possible.

I expect he'll come in as a producer, probably in NXT at first. I think they'd be silly not to have him come in for a few shots at Full Sail, maybe leading to giving someone like Velveteen Dream that establishing win in some sort of gimmick match. But that would be it.

Then again, they've had Adam Pearce for how long and never used him in the ring even for a one off?

[Powder]

I mean, why bring in a 45 year old? Push Strowman and give him a title run. Push Lars when he can debut. Use McIntyre. The WWE has their own monsters. Hell you could even make Rusev back into a monster easily.

If Abyss was 10 years younger and the WWE could get 5+ years out of him then sure, but if not then I do not see the point.

Also AJ Styles came into the WWE when he was 38, a full 7 years younger than Abyss currently is.


Kane vs Abyss
Foley vs Abyss
Taker vs Abyss

Three feuds that should have happened from 2002-20010.

[Team Farrell]

Now that we're on the topic of Abyss, how is he remembered? Does he go down as one of those really great guys to have never gone to WWE? Or is he just a decent hand and a hardcore guy who worked for Impact in the 00's?

With his style, personality, size and what he was willing to put himself through, would he have been another Mick Foley if he'd come around a decade earlier? Could he have been a massive star in Japan and Puerto Rico if he'd come around in the 80's?

[Powder]

Was Abyss really great? I mean he was a good hand who made his name as a hardcore guy, as you said.

How was he on the Microphone? Foley was second only to Heyman on the mic, could Abyss talk? if not then I do not see him as another Foley, but he could have been perfect for a foil to Taker, Kane and Foley from 1996-2002.

Wasn't James Mitchell his manager for a long time because of that?

[Prime Time]

Abyss could talk pretty well. Are we comparing him to Foley, though? Because not many people come up that well against Mick at his best.

[Powder]

I didn't mean to compare him to Foley outright, I meant to answer the question of "could he have been another Foley?"

I mean Kane for instance, when he finally talked was passable, and then he got much better, and could hold his own.

[Prime Time]

Right, gotcha. Well I think if wrestling had done more to keep the effect of a lot of the stuff he was willing to do special he'd have been a bigger name, so yeah, can see the point about him being a huge deal in another time and place making a lot of sense.

[Team Farrell]

I mean, I'm not sure Abyss is an all time great performer up there with the likes of Rock and Hogan, but I wonder if he came along at the wrong time.

By the time he was really getting noticed, guys were killing themselves with weed whackers in CZW so the novelty of Hardcore had worn off somewhat. But he can still take a hardcore match and bring out the art in it. I think that's what sets guys like he and Foley apart. A lot of guys are willing to endure punishment, but guys like Abyss and Foley can make it high art.

Abyss proved pretty versatile as a performer and character with Joseph Park. If given more than just "you're a monster, be a monster" he can talk.

Ultimately though, it's the brutal stuff that got Foley noticed enough to go to ECW and get a microphone. He wasn't known as a promo guy in WCW. His hardcore stuff in Japan and that reputation got him in to WCW. His brutality in WCW got him noticed and got him over and got him a mic in ECW. His mic work in ECW (and constant prodding by JR) got him signed to WWE. And the rest is history. I wonder if, in a different time, Abyss could have made it big in Japan and Puerto Rico, gotten that shot on the US stage and run with it.