PWP’s John “JCD” Dimiceli prepares viewers for what to expect from Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis if they are indeed TNA Wrestling bound.
Reports coming out of Ring Of Honor’s Final Battle weekend have stated that Mike Bennett and Maria Bennett were finishing up with the company. Another report claims they were telling people they are TNA bound for the POP TV debut on January 5th.
If the second report is true, then there is a ton of potential for the duo in TNA. With that said, let’s take a look at just who TNA could be getting.
Maria Kanellis came to fame in 2004, as a contestant in the WWE Raw Diva Search. She would finish 5th in the competition, but would be signed by the company in late 2004. After doing backstage segments, she began to wrestle in 2005. One of her most famous matches came on the February 6th 2006 edition of Raw, when she teamed with John Cena to defeat Edge and Lita.
She would engage in several storylines over the years, the most famous being the angle with on screen boyfriend Santino Marella that focused on her 2008 Playboy Magazine spread. She would continue in various storylines for the next year and a half between Raw and SmackDown. In 2009 she appeared on the NBC hit show, “Celebrity Apprentice.” Kanellis would return to the company in December of 2009; she was surprisingly released from her contract in late February of 2010.
In December 2011, Kanellis announced she would be appearing at Ring Of Honor’s Final Battle, where she would accompany new boyfriend Michael Bennett to the ring for his match. She no longer had her ditsy, fun-loving persona, but instead displayed a new heel persona, and shortly after her debut, she named herself “The First Lady” of Ring Of Honor.
Maria would continue to manage Bennett for their entire time in ROH. She was a major factor in The Kingdom stable getting as over as they did (maybe more so).
Kanellis is perfect to be beside Bennett, and will help get him over with her awesome microphone and promo work. She has also improved greatly in the ring and could be a nice part time addition to the Knockouts Division in TNA.
PWP Nation Radio interviewed the wonderful Maria Kanellis back in 2013, which you can listen to by CLICKING HERE.
From “The Prodigy” of The Kingdom, I don’t think there has been a more improved complete package in 2 years than Michael Bennett. Trained by “Brutal” Bob Evans, Bennett debuted in ROH in 2008. He would start with the company full time in 2010.
Bennett would work under “The Prodigy” moniker until late 2013, and despite a great run as a slimy heel who needed to get his, it was once he dropped the Prodigy name that in my opinion his career finally took off.
Shortly after Final Battle 2013, Bennett joined Adam Cole, and Matt Hardy in the original Kingdom. He would join Hardy in his feud with Mark and Jay Briscoe, and team with Hardy until Hardy left the company. The Kingdom would tease that “Matt was coming back”, however it wouldn’t be Matt Hardy, but instead it was Matt Taven, who would return to ROH and join The Kingdom.
Taven and Bennett formed an amazing tag team. In April of 2015, they would defeat The Bullet Club to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship. After a three month reign with the titles, Bennett and Taven would finally capture the ROH Tag Team Championship in September, holding the titles until Final Battle 2015. This would end Bennett’s run with the company.
PWP Nation Radio also interviewed the great Mike Bennett back in 2013, which you can listen to back CLICKING HERE.
With Mike Bennett, TNA is getting a guy who can be the biggest star in the company, who has the potential to be bigger than Ethan Carter III. Coming from me that’s saying a lot because I thought Carter could be the heel TNA builds around for years. Bennett has a great look, great on the microphone and has the lost ability to be a “cool” heel that instead of you cheering for, you want to see him get his butt kicked.
If positioned and presented right, Bennett could easily be TNA Champ by mid 2016. Hopefully TNA realizes what they are getting.
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