Lance Storm on How TNA Competes With WWE and AEW, His Belief TNA Is Similar To ECW For Creative Approach and Talent Discovery, & The One Quality He Looks For The Most In Young Talent

A recent episode of the Casual Conversation with The Classic podcast featured former wrestler and current TNA coach and producer Lance Storm as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Storm’s thoughts about how TNA Wrestling competes with WWE and AEW and his belief that TNA’s creative approach and talent discovery is similar to ECW.

“I think in a lot of ways we’re more like ECW. Obviously ECW didn’t have the budget and the exposure that WWE and WCW did, but creatively and influentially and finding the youth and the new things, and having to stand out for your heart and your effort, I think TNA is more in that boat.

Obviously, WWE can pay people more money, and AEW can pay people more money. So we have to find those young guys that are going to be big stars and can become big stars in TNA because, you know, Leon Slater wasn’t the most known guy in the world when we first got him. And people know who he is now. And Ricky Sosa was not the biggest well-known guy worldwide when we got him, but we got him now. And people are starting to realize what Ricky Sosa is.”

Storm also gave his thoughts about how that is what made ECW great because not too many people knew who Lance Storm, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, or Rey Mysterio were and how those who watched the product were amazed by it. Storm also gave his thoughts about how TNA is similar to ECW in this aspect.

“And I think that’s what TNA is. It’s like if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. And if you’re watching it, you realize why it’s so great. And it’s like having an amazing youth movement. We’ve got a stacked Knockouts roster. We’ve got a stacked men’s roster. And because we are the little engine that could, we always give the fans everything we can.

No one puts more effort forth now. Not to label anybody else. Everybody’s putting their best foot forward, but man, we got young guys that are giving you everything they can.”

Storm also gave his thoughts about what is the one quality he looks for the most in young wrestlers as a coach.

“I think the biggest things are those that you can tell also put a lot of effort into making their opponent look good, and it’s that hidden quality of the, what they’re doing while the crowd is looking and cheering at the other guy, and I, I always use Rob Van Dam as an example because everybody knows all the great, amazing, creative offense that Rob had. But go back and look at all the insane, amazing bumps he took to make other guys’ stuff look good, and I noticed that. You notice the guy that changes the crowd emotion when you’re not even looking at him, or allows the camera to stay on the other guy because it’s the other guy’s time, and it’s those that see the big picture. because when, you know, your first year or two, you’re like just trying to… I need to succeed. I need to get somewhere I need to, and it’s like, it’s, there’s a lot of eyes in there, my friend. When you realize that it’s not all eyes and we need the we’s and the us, and this is needed for the company, this is needed for my opponent. That’s when you know, okay, these guys really get it.”

Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com, Fightful.com