Impact Wrestling

[Kinzu]

TNA's been so good lately. They're telling the best stories and have the best character development in wrestling right now. I should DVR it because I still miss it half the time. Not a fan of their night and time slot, but with WWE's programming I can't think of an obvious better one

I tuned in for their Live debut on POP and it was just awful. Pope and Josh were terrible that night, and the production on the show was just atrocious. I mean instead of a nice build up as to who was going to help the Beautiful People they just immediately started up with Gail Kim's music and had her come out while the announcers were still talking about something else. That could have been a huge moment in the show if done right.

James Storms return was also not done well. The introduction of Mike Bennett was a dud. I just couldn't find anything the entire show I liked, but I sat through all of it anyway. It's just not the same TNA it was back when they had AJ, Daniels, Joe, Jarrett, AMW, Team Cananda, and a legit X-Division. They lost their identity when they started bringing in former WWE/WCW stars and trying to separate their World Title and X-Division more so than it was already. It once again became WCW with the older and bigger guys in the World Title picture with all the smaller guys going for the X-Division.

I thought toward the end Hogan and Bischoff realized some of their mistakes and started doing good things with Bully Ray and making it so the X-Division champ could hand over their title to challenge for the World Title. A lot of damage had been done by this point though so it was going to be hard to repair their image. It didn't help that they lost their contract with Spike not long after as well.

Dixie honestly made 2 major mistakes. She ran off the Jarretts which was a bad choice as it left her with no one capable of running the company from the Wrestling side. She then passed up bringing in Heyman to run things and instead over paid for Hogan and Bischoff.

I agree for TNA to really get better and eventually get a better TV deal again she needs to sale majority ownership to someone else that can bring in a fresh vision and hopefully put the right people in place to grow the company back up again.

 

[futballiscool]

I tuned in for their Live debut on POP and it was just awful. Pope and Josh were terrible that night, and the production on the show was just atrocious. I mean instead of a nice build up as to who was going to help the Beautiful People they just immediately started up with Gail Kim's music and had her come out while the announcers were still talking about something else. That could have been a huge moment in the show if done right.

James Storms return was also not done well. The introduction of Mike Bennett was a dud. I just couldn't find anything the entire show I liked, but I sat through all of it anyway. It's just not the same TNA it was back when they had AJ, Daniels, Joe, Jarrett, AMW, Team Cananda, and a legit X-Division. They lost their identity when they started bringing in former WWE/WCW stars and trying to separate their World Title and X-Division more so than it was already. It once again became WCW with the older and bigger guys in the World Title picture with all the smaller guys going for the X-Division.

I thought toward the end Hogan and Bischoff realized some of their mistakes and started doing good things with Bully Ray and making it so the X-Division champ could hand over their title to challenge for the World Title. A lot of damage had been done by this point though so it was going to be hard to repair their image. It didn't help that they lost their contract with Spike not long after as well.

Dixie honestly made 2 major mistakes. She ran off the Jarretts which was a bad choice as it left her with no one capable of running the company from the Wrestling side. She then passed up bringing in Heyman to run things and instead over paid for Hogan and Bischoff.

I agree for TNA to really get better and eventually get a better TV deal again she needs to sale majority ownership to someone else that can bring in a fresh vision and hopefully put the right people in place to grow the company back up again.

No offense but if you watch one episode of a wrestling show in a 6 month span it's very difficult to critique the creative. When it's well done it's supposed to make sense as long term storytelling. In that regard they're everything I wish WWE was right now. They're biggest obstacle right now is the stigma wrestling fans have towards the brand right now and the genre as a whole being pretty cold right now

 

[Kinzu]

No offense but if you watch one episode of a wrestling show in a 6 month span it's very difficult to critique the creative. When it's well done it's supposed to make sense as long term storytelling. In that regard they're everything I wish WWE was right now. They're biggest obstacle right now is the stigma wrestling fans have towards the brand right now and the genre as a whole being pretty cold right now

I'm going to disagree with that some what. It was their debut show and it was Live. The show needed to be done in a way that drew interest into storylines. I got the sense they treated it more like a PPV show trying to finish up some storylines. The problem with that is it didn't leave much intrigue to tune back in the following week.

I do agree the WWE could do a much better job with storytelling. They spend to much time on 1 or 2 stories which is ridiculous giving they have 5 hours a week of prime tv time. NXT with not even half that time per week tends to build up a better card.

I've always thought the once per month PPV events made it hard to tell good stories. When you have 2 or 3 months to build up the end result usually comes off more impactful

 

[Judge Fudge]

Time of Death: 6/14/2016 @ 6:02

 

[wildturkey]

I'll just keep saying it till I get an answer; how is this company still going?

They've been inches away from death for like 8 years. I just read a story yesterday about them needing emergency funding just to put on a PPV

 

[OregonDucks]

I'll just keep saying it till I get an answer; how is this company still going?

They've been inches away from death for like 8 years. I just read a story yesterday about them needing emergency funding just to put on a PPV

No idea.

I read PWTorch all the time for up to date stuff and every once in awhile they put hope out there that TNA has gotten it right and seems to be heading in the right direction. Then suddenly it goes into the tank and TNA becomes awful again. So what I take from it is that TNA puts on a good show maybe once every 10 episodes?

And answer me this. Why is Dixie Carter running a wrestling promotion!?!?

 

[Judge Fudge]

No idea.

I read PWTorch all the time for up to date stuff and every once in awhile they put hope out there that TNA has gotten it right and seems to be heading in the right direction. Then suddenly it goes into the tank and TNA becomes awful again. So what I take from it is that TNA puts on a good show maybe once every 10 episodes?

And answer me this. Why is Dixie Carter running a wrestling promotion!?!?

Billy Corgan is helping

 

[futballiscool]

No idea.

I read PWTorch all the time for up to date stuff and every once in awhile they put hope out there that TNA has gotten it right and seems to be heading in the right direction. Then suddenly it goes into the tank and TNA becomes awful again. So what I take from it is that TNA puts on a good show maybe once every 10 episodes?

And answer me this. Why is Dixie Carter running a wrestling promotion!?!?

The creative and the storylines have been good for about a year. It's not revolutionary but they've done a solid job taking a handful of wrestlers on their roster, booking them like stars, and putting them in meaningful feuds. If the company would have been run this way in creative for the past decade they wouldn't be on life support.

I'll never understand why wrestling fans delight in the 2nd (at this point probably 3rd) biggest company in the country going out of business. It's less work and national tv exposure for the wrestlers. Less alternatives for wrestling fans in general. It's not a good thing or something I would celebrate.

This was bad timing for them on the technical issues. I don't catch it most weeks but I made a point to watch live last night. I got a kick out of the Brother Nero/Broken Matt segment and it's the night after a PPV. They needed a huge show and the worst possible thing happened instead

 

[Hitman Hart]

I'll just keep saying it till I get an answer; how is this company still going?

They've been inches away from death for like 8 years. I just read a story yesterday about them needing emergency funding just to put on a PPV

I know you were exaggerating, but TNA was turning a profit as late as 2009, right after they canned Jarrett and brought in Hogan.

Its also clear at this point, that Dixie would rather go down with the ship, than sell. Getting cancelled from Spike was where it died, and they've been living off of false hope for the past two years. Ratings have plummeted, the stars that are identifiable with the TNA brand are gone, and they are down to two PPV's each year.

If Dixie gave a shit about TNA, she would have sold to either Spike or Jarrett/Toby Keith in 2013/2014.

 

[Hitman Hart]

I'll never understand why wrestling fans delight in the 2nd (at this point probably 3rd) biggest company in the country going out of business. It's less work and national tv exposure for the wrestlers. Less alternatives for wrestling fans in general. It's not a good thing or something I would celebrate.

Most diehard "wrestling" fans are really just WWE fans. They come to internet forums, and whine about how bad the WWE sucks, but they aren't willing to give anyone else a chance. Its WWE or nothing, for them.

 

[futballiscool]

Most diehard "wrestling" fans are really just WWE fans. They come to internet forums, and whine about how bad the WWE sucks, but they aren't willing to give anyone else a chance. Its WWE or nothing, for them.

I don't mean to sound self righteous. TNA's brand has been run into the ground and it's their own fault. But I view them as a true underdog at this point. I find myself rooting for them. I agree the best option is to sell. Apparently Billy Corgan tried to negotiate for majority ownership recently but thar was a deal breaker for Dixie. If that's off the table, I think the next best option is a big money deal for JR. He'd give them instant credibility and it'd be one last hailmary to see if the company can be saved

 

[Hitman Hart]

I don't mean to sound self righteous. TNA's brand has been run into the ground and it's their own fault. But I view them as a true underdog at this point. I find myself rooting for them. I agree the best option is to sell. Apparently Billy Corgan tried to negotiate for majority ownership recently but thar was a deal breaker for Dixie. If that's off the table, I think the next best option is a big money deal for JR. He'd give them instant credibility and it'd be one last hailmary to see if the company can be saved

Neither did I. TNA has also served up a lot of shit over the years, but the "loltna" meme is ridiculous.

The problem with the big money deal with JR, is there are guys in the company that reportedly there are guys in the company that are getting paid late, or not at all.

Dixie not willing to give up majority ownership at this point is just straight up selfish. She doesn't have the resources anymore to run the company. Give it up to someone that can keep the company alive, and so your staff members can get paid and won't have to worry about job security.

 

[futballiscool]

Neither did I. TNA has also served up a lot of shit over the years, but the "loltna" meme is ridiculous.

The problem with the big money deal with JR, is there are guys in the company that reportedly there are guys in the company that are getting paid late, or not at all.

Dixie not willing to give up majority ownership at this point is just straight up selfish. She doesn't have the resources anymore to run the company. Give it up to someone that can keep the company alive, and so your staff members can get paid and won't have to worry about job security.

I know they've been missing payments but I would assume Dixie can use her personal funds to make one last investment. Before AJ and the Club went to the WWE they were supposedly deep in negotiations with TNA. If Dixie is clinging to control I think she can take one more gamble before the company is out of business

 

[OregonDucks]

I want TNA to make it and become a real threat, means better product from WWE. But TNA has failed time and time again.

They need to focus on their production. Their announce team, the way their entire product is displayed, etc. If they brought in JR I would absolutely tune in as he can turn anything into gold.

The problem is these other promotions are not stepping their game up to try and compete with WWE and the WWE is getting bigger and bigger; therefore it will be harder to even get close to competing with it if another promotion steps up, because the ladder will be that much higher.

I don't know why ROH has not stepped their game up. They have produced a lot of good wrestlers and have a strong loyal fanbase. They need to market better and try and move up the ranks.

Really, right now WWE is the only product for the casual fan to tune into and watch, and follow. I don't even know what channel TNA is on or if that channel even exists outside paying premium cable fees. ROH I thought got a cable deal awhile back, but again have no idea what channel it is on. The other small indy promotions are not on TV and show no interest in trying to do TV.

 

[wildturkey]

I want TNA to make it and become a real threat, means better product from WWE. But TNA has failed time and time again.

They need to focus on their production. Their announce team, the way their entire product is displayed, etc. If they brought in JR I would absolutely tune in as he can turn anything into gold.

The problem is these other promotions are not stepping their game up to try and compete with WWE and the WWE is getting bigger and bigger; therefore it will be harder to even get close to competing with it if another promotion steps up, because the ladder will be that much higher.

I don't know why ROH has not stepped their game up. They have produced a lot of good wrestlers and have a strong loyal fanbase. They need to market better and try and move up the ranks.

Really, right now WWE is the only product for the casual fan to tune into and watch, and follow. I don't even know what channel TNA is on or if that channel even exists outside paying premium cable fees. ROH I thought got a cable deal awhile back, but again have no idea what channel it is on. The other small indy promotions are not on TV and show no interest in trying to do TV.

ROH needs money. They're owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns a lot of local station affiliates (like ABC or NBC affiliates). That's why their TV show will air on those networks. But its not an overly wealthy company so there's really only so much they can invest in at a time. They've recently invested into a new set with video boards and have upgraded lighting for their arenas and that stuff isn't cheap. They've also bumped up talent salaries as well to guys like the Briscoes and Young Bucks to keep them on the roster. But there's only so much they can do at a time. They either need more investors with deep pockets or Sinclair the company will grow and thus can devote more of its profits to growing ROH.

 

[anotheridiot]

Turner only made WCW great because he did not need money. It was like a tradin places bet for a dollar to beat Vince, and ended up making a bundle selling it. I read a few articles that the TNA PPV last week was almost not done, but was not sure if it was just propaganda or what. I just dont see why Vince wants to keep them down when his product was hotter than ever when he had stiff competition.

 

[Hitman Hart]

My earlier post was geared towards the hardcore fan that post on boards like wrestlingforum, PW Forums, Wrestlezone, etc. Not casuals.

Turner was willing to take the losses on WCW from 1988-1993, because pro wrestling always did good ratings on the superstation..dating back to the early 1970s. He was very grateful for it. Bischoff really turned things around once he came into power. TNA will never have that type of rope with a network.

FWIW, I know I've typed this thousands of times, but Dixie is the problem here. From all reports, Spike liked Jarrett, and they also liked Bischoff. Once both of those guys were out of the picture, and it was only Dixie left, its no coincidence that TNA was dropped. Dixie is not a reliable business partner. Spike knew that, and Destination America (even though, TNA was a terrible fit for that network to begin with) quickly found that out.

Spike is still more than willing to have wrestling on its network, but they want control. They don't want to deal with a goof like Dixie Carter.

 

[futballiscool]

My earlier post was geared towards the hardcore fan that post on boards like wrestlingforum, PW Forums, Wrestlezone, etc. Not casuals.

Turner was willing to take the losses on WCW from 1988-1993, because pro wrestling always did good ratings on the superstation..dating back to the early 1970s. He was very grateful for it. Bischoff really turned things around once he came into power. TNA will never have that type of rope with a network.

FWIW, I know I've typed this thousands of times, but Dixie is the problem here. From all reports, Spike liked Jarrett, and they also liked Bischoff. Once both of those guys were out of the picture, and it was only Dixie left, its no coincidence that TNA was dropped. Dixie is not a reliable business partner. Spike knew that, and Destination America (even though, TNA was a terrible fit for that network to begin with) quickly found that out.

Spike is still more than willing to have wrestling on its network, but they want control. They don't want to deal with a goof like Dixie Carter.

People like to talk about how "bitter" the Hitman is but this interview from over 3 years ago about TNA is so prophetic it's almost eerie...

 

[Hitman Hart]

Bret has the same complaints that many members of the IWC have, yet those same people try to label Bret as "bitter".

Funny how that works. Bret is right more times than not, and that video is no exception.

Russo has no business being in a professional wrestling promotion, not named WWE. His writing style is tailor made for the WWE's brand of wrestling, while it is an absolutely disaster for companies like WCW and TNA, which were more reality and in-ring based.

 

[futballiscool]

I think Russo brought a certain type of creativity and outside the box thinking to WWF when they needed it. It's a cliche at this point but I agree with the consensus opinion that he needs a filter like Vince to reign in his ideas. The Rollins turn on the Shield was so great because there are hardly ever high profile turns now. If you keep swerving the audience it loses a little of its shock value each time. Russo's WWF stuff was great but in WCW without McMahon for checks and balances it was an incoherent mess