Crimson's Wrestling Career Is Headed in the Right Direction

He has the look of a madman, the body of a bodybuilder and the scowl of someone who just wants to hurt his opponent in the ring.

For Crimson, the future of TNA IMPACT and the new face on the block, success is as high as he is willing to climb.

When he came to IMPACT, he was billed as Amazing Red’s brother. When he hit the ring, everyone stood and took notice. Tall, angular, vicious and confident. TNA executives hit the jackpot in signing the 26-year-old to a contract and he has not missed a beat since.

Crimson (whose real name is Tommy Mercer), has been in the ring with some of the best IMPACT has to offer including Abyss and most recently, Matt Hardy. He turned them back just as he has done everyone else since coming to the company In December of 2010.

Crimson’s demeanor, his style and his stalking persona remind experts of a another superstar, Goldberg, who did the same thing—struck fear in his opponents and just beat them up one by one en route to a streak of more than 180 wins before he finally lost a match.

Crimson has a streak too. And impressively, he is climbing the ranks of the unbeaten and more popular performers on the roster.

At Slammiversary on June 12th, Crimson faces his toughest task in Samoa Joe, another wrestler who knows something about winning streaks and running through his competition.

If the corporate brass have anything say in how the former Army Airborne member and a participant in the Iraqi war will succeed, it is in their best interest to continue to build his persona the same way Goldberg was handled, but with a longer leash. IMPACT needs Crimson to not be a face and good for television, they need him to be GREAT for the future of the company.

IMPACT’s new style and brand will serve the rookie well. It also means that with proper development, championship gold is within his sights. 

When WCW was drowning, Hulk Hogan once told Eric Bischoff the best thing for the company to do was have Hogan, who held the WCW world title at the time, to drop the belt to Goldberg in order to help promote the up and comer and to help spike ratings. At the time, it worked and Goldberg was an immediate success.

Maybe that same style and creativity by Bischoff, Mick Foley and TNA writers will lead Crimson down the path of similar success.