Anyone who has followed his character development over the years should not be surprised to see "The Monster" Abyss topping this list. While his in-ring work has always been above average, and his ability to keep up with the smaller and faster X Division stars has been admirable, the writing behind his character has been abysmal, to say the least. When James Mitchell joined the big man as his manager and mouthpiece, it was one of the best moves TNA management had made to that point. After all, Mitchell was one of the most talented talkers in the entire industry so for him to tell the story of Abyss, to help get the character over to a mainstream audience, was an appropriate move. What was not was TNA's attempt to give The Monster a convoluted past, in the same vein as Kane and the Undertaker over in WWE. "The Icon" Sting had been responsible for bring a more human side out of Abyss, something that Mitchell tried to quell. To do so, he revealed that Abyss' mother shot his father and, instead of allowing mommy dearest to take the fall, the giant took the blame. And here is where the story descended into stupidity. Mitchell, in an attempt to control Abyss, threatened to call the cops and reveal his secret if The Monster did not continue to follow his orders. There was just one problem with that logic: he had just told a worldwide viewing audience the secret, an audience that likely included a cop or two. Abyss, a simpleton, did as he was told. At least for a while. Then, to really put an exclamation point on the entire ordeal, Mitchell revealed that he was Abyss' father. With the soap opera elements coming week after week, the entire history of the character took a hit as management attempted to add depth to a character that really did not need it. And like most TNA stories, this one spiraled out of control until it just ended, without any real repercussions or career growth for the primary performer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0MrRlscznw
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
