TNA Gut Check

In professional wrestling, the TNA Gut Check is a contest staged by the American professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a means of recruiting new talent. Since April 2012, the TNA Gut Check has been featured in regular segments on Impact Wrestling, the flagship television program of TNA.
==Seminars==
TNA staged its first "Gut Check" on October 16, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia. The event saw entrants rated on the basis of their performance in five categories: back bump, mat techniques, ring interviews, "running the ropes" and "squat challenge". The female and male events were won by Jaime Dauncey and Jon Bolen respectively, with Dauncey and Bolen rewarded with a US$4,000 cash prize and a subsequent appearance on TNA programming. In 2005, Dauncey was signed to a developmental deal by TNA.
TNA holds seminars at venues around the United States and Canada, hosted by TNA backstage employees such as D'Lo Brown, Pat Kenney, Brian Hebner and Jeremy Borash. The seminars, which last two hours, cover promos, drills, simulated matches and in-ring work". The seminars are aimed at "prospective professional wrestlers, announcers, managers, valets and referees".
A number of wrestlers have been awarded contracts with TNA after participating in Gut Check Seminars, including Crimson and Jesse Sorensen. From April 2012 onwards, TNA began inviting a small number of participants in the seminars to wrestle a tryout match on Impact Wrestling.
==Television segment==
In April 2012, the TNA Gut Check began featuring as a regular segment on Impact Wrestling. Contestants wrestle a match against a TNA wrestler, after which their performance is evaluated by three judges. Contestants who receive a "yes" from at least two of the judges are awarded a contract with TNA and sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, TNA's developmental territory, for further training.
The original judges for the TNA Gut Check were the semi-retired wrestler Ric Flair, the road agent Al Snow and TNA's Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations, Bruce Prichard. On May 31, 2012, Flair was replaced by the color commentator and retired wrestler Taz.
TNA Gut Check contestants have featured in a number of angles:
*After Joey Ryan was refused a contract on the May 31, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, he began a campaign against the decision on Twitter and YouTube that was spearheaded by the results of an online poll showing that 87% of respondents felt that he should have been awarded a contract. Beginning on the June 28 episode of Impact Wrestling, Ryan began appearing in the audience of the Impact Wrestling Zone during Gut Check segments, heckling the judges. On July 21, 2012 at the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla show "Threemendous III", Ryan used the Tazmission - the signature submission hold of Taz - to defeat his opponent, Famous B. At Bound for Glory 2012 on October 14, 2012, Ryan defeated Snow to receive a contract with TNA. *On the July 19, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sam Shaw was attacked by the Aces & 8s stable while being interviewed by Jeremy Borash. Shaw went on to wrestle Doug Williams in a tryout match one week later.
===Contestants===
Contestant 	Tryout date 	Opponent 	Decision date 	Bruce Prichard	Al Snow 	Taz / Ric Flair	Decision 	References
Alex Silva 	April 26, 2012 	Robbie E 	May 3, 2012 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Successful 	
Joey Ryan 	May 24, 2012 	Austin Aries 	May 31, 2012 	No 	Yes 	No 	Unsuccessful	
Taeler Hendrix 	June 21, 2012 	Tara 	June 28, 2012 	Yes 	No 	Yes 	Successful 	
Sam Shaw 	July 26, 2012 	Douglas Williams	July 26, 2012 	Yes 	No 	Yes 	Successful 	
Kris Lewie 	August 23, 2012 	Gunner 	August 30, 2012 	No 	No vote cast 	No 	Unsuccessful	
Evan Markopoulos	September 20, 2012	Douglas Williams	September 27, 2012	No 	No 	Yes 	Unsuccessful	
Christian York 	November 1, 2012 	Zema Ion 	November 8, 2012 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Successful 	
Wes Brisco 	November 22, 2012 	Garett Bischoff 	November 29, 2012 	Yes 	(D'Lo Brown), Yes	No 	Successful 	
====January 2013====
Contestant #1 	Contestant #2	Tryout date 	Decision date 	Judge's pick	Bruce Prichard	Al Snow	Danny Davis	Decision 	References
Jay Bradley 	Brian Cage 	January 10, 2013 	January 17, 2013	Jay Bradley 	Yes 	Yes 	(Taz), No 	Successful 	
Ivelisse Vélez	Lei'D Tapa 	February 28, 2013	March 7, 2013 	Lei'D Tapa 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	Successful 	
Adam Pearce 	Magno 	March 28, 2013 	April 11, 2013 	Magno 	No 	N/A 	No 	Unsuccessful	
Adam O'Reilly 	Brian Howe 	June 20, 2013 	July 4, 2013 	 	 	 	 	 	
==See also==
* WWE Diva Search
* WWE Tough Enough
==External links==
*TNA Gut Check website
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Category:Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Category:TNA Gut Check