MVP keeping his options open, including cash strapped TNA

Although he hasn't actually worked for WWE since his departure in 2010, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) still gets questions to this day asking if and when he'll return stateside to work for Vince McMahon and co.

His answer is always the same: It could happen, but there's no telling when.

That being said, he's got plenty of options, including simply staying with New Japan, the promotion he's been with for years now. He's been just as successful there as he was here in the States and working there doubles as a dream come true for him.

That kind of appeal doesn't exist back home.

But, again, there are options. Surprisingly enough, that includes TNA, a company barely hanging on (literally, in the case of Dixie Carter and Hulk Hogan) to the few stars it has left. Here's a bit from MVP's interview with the Busted Open Radio show on Sirius 92 and XM 208:

"That's the beautiful thing of having options. As I understand it, when I gave my notice to New Japan they made it very clear when I wanted to return, the door was open for my return. Now that All-Japan (Pro Wrestling) is trying to kick things up, (Masahiro) Chono is there, my good friend Low-Ki is there, I understand that D-Lo (Brown) is there, I've been told there is some interest on that side of the street. Domestically, when I left WWE, I was told that the door is still open. I was there when they were here in Houston recently for SmackDown and I came by and said hello, gave hi-fives to everybody and there was no serious conversation about a potential return but if there was a discussion and I would definitely be willing to talk and that's kind of where we left it. Same thing with TNA. I'm always willing to talk but it's just not there right now. The scene is real interesting. WWE is banged up with injuries and a lot of young guys that they are trying to make. TNA seems to be restricting financially. Domestically, it is an interesting time right now to see what happens now. I'm just kicking back with my feet up and seeing how things develop but there's no telling."

The TNA bit was interesting enough to warrant a deeper probe:

"It's an option for two reasons. Your wrestling fans will understand me but your WWE fans will have no idea what I'm talking about. The first reason is when I started training in Duke 'The Dumpster' Droese's warehouse wrestling school, I was training to be a professional wrestler and I thought at that point of my career if I had the chance to wrestle in Puerto Rico that would be pretty damn cool. Then Norman Smiley took me under his wing and started polishing me up about Japanese wrestling and that was my goal. I wanted to wrestle in Japan, that was my dream! As luck would have it, I was able to spend time in WWE. So for me, I'm a professional wrestler, I'm not a 'WWE superstar'. That's where I made my name and that's where I had most of my fame and success but before that I wrestled in the territories of Puerto Rico, in the independents, had my time in WWE, had my time in Japan, so if I were to go to TNA, TNA would be another chapter of my wrestling career like the guys back in the day that did territories. You did time here and time there and that was your career and that's kind of how I see myself. I don't see myself as Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola, I see myself as Cola, I'm not branded and I go wherever I want to go. The second reason why I would go is Samoa Joe. As far as the Japanese style, wanting to go and having that kind of match, Samoa Joe is a guy that I wanted to wrestle for ten years and I think Joe and I can do some epic, epic damage to each other."

If he does return to the U.S. it seems likely WWE would be the ultimate destination, if only because the company can actually afford to pay his salary. TNA is no position to be adding higher end talent and while MVP was certainly no Hulk Hogan, he's also no Luke Gallows.

Either way, are you Cagesiders interested in seeing MVP on your television again?