Predicting Which TNA Stars Could Make It in WWE, NXT

It's been a week since Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc) broke the news of TNA Wrestling's imminent demise.

According to an excerpt from Meltzer’s report, “While (Destination America) considered the ratings good, the ratings were not good enough to justify the cost of the programming. The other problem was that so many regular station advertisers specifically did not want to advertise on the show.”

Recently, TNA wrestler James Storm told Adam Davey of v2 Wrestling Podcast (h/t ProWrestling.net) that TNA higher-ups have reiterated to him that "There''s nothing to worry about. TNA is owned by a billion dollar company, Panda Energy, so the money is going to be there."

If Meltzer's report is correct, there's no doubt that some TNA performers like Kurt Angle and The Hardy Brothers will be able to find work in other promotions (think Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling) or ride off into the sunset doing paid appearances thanks to their days in the WWE.

Others (The Wolves, Bram, Drew Galloway) will likely head back to the indie circuit.

The big question is, could anyone from the TNA Wrestling roster get the call from WWE? Earlier this month, another Meltzer report (h/t Wrestling Inc) stated that “WWE is not interested in anyone from TNA, even if they were willing to go through a tryout camp first.”

WWE should rethink that stance.

While the majority of TNA’s roster wouldn’t contribute anything that WWE or NXT don’t already have, there are some diamonds in the rough that could make an impact (pun intended) in the company.

Bobby Lashley

Lashley found success early on in his WWE career, first signing with the company in 2004, then making his main-roster debut a year later.

A former ECW world champion, United States champion and No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship, Lashley even competed in two WrestleMania events (22 and 23). Unfortunately, his WWE career was cut short by a shoulder injury and he was released in 2008.

Since then, Lashley has worked MMA with multiple outfits—including Strikeforce and Bellator—and found success once again in the wrestling ring with TNA, holding that promotion’s World Heavyweight Championship twice.

If he ever decided to stop competing in MMA, Lashley could jump directly to the main roster in WWE.

His mic work leaves a lot to be desired, so he’d have to be paired with a manager who could do the heavy lifting on promotions. Someone like the next person on this list.

Ethan Carter III

For my money, Carter—better known as EC3—is one of the top 10 mic workers in professional wrestling. The guy simply knows how to work a crowd and sell himself, a talent many seasoned wrestlers either continue to struggle with or simply don't have.

Carter was in WWE’s employ for a long time, working Ohio Valley, Florida Championship and NXT between 2007 and 2013.

During that time, he worked the ring with a lot of familiar names: Dolph Ziggler, Santino Marella, Curtis Axel, Ryback, Los Matadores, Adam Rose and Xavier Woods, to name a few.

Whether WWE believes in EC3 in the ring or not, finding a spot for someone with a natural gift for promotion—possibly on commentary or as a heel manager—shouldn’t be hard. Plus, with the emphasis WWE is placing on social media, there might not be anyone in the industry better on that medium than EC3.

Austin Aries

Aries has had success wrestling pretty much everywhere—TNA, Ring of Honor, Dragon Gate—yet hasn’t ever received the call from WWE. Even if the rumors of TNA being cancelled aren't true, Aries might be on the market. Cageside Seats reports that Aries' TNA deal ends next month.

If he's in play, WWE should jump at the chance to sign him.

Aries will never be a main event wrestler in WWE. He could, however, fill a valuable role as a strong midcard presence  battling guys like Stardust, Dolph Ziggler and Neville.

More likely, though, Aries would find the greatest professional success as a full-time member of NXT.

Aries could act as player-coach for up-and-coming roster members. An opportunity to work in both NXT and for independent gigs—similar to what Samoa Joe is doing for the company, per PWInsider.com (h/t Wrestle Zone)—has appeal for Aries, according to his interview with Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com earlier this year.

Who from TNA Wrestling do you think could make it in WWE or NXT? Let us know in the comments section.