TNA NEWS and DISCUSSION THREAD

[Craig H]

Good points.

[EN090]

I don't see how it hurts their station. It's not like TNA draws shit relative to everything else on cable. There's a built in fanbase.

But I really don't know what the company can do at this point to really grow short of a complete reboot rebranding overhaul.

Hopefully that would be a condition of the new network picking them up. Announce team change would be a good start, even if it is Josh Mathews.

[E.J.]

Who else do they have on payroll that could help facilitate that rebranding? Dixie wouldn't be doing that alone I hope.

[EN090]

At this point, no one. I certainly don't trust Gaburick to do it.

Honestly, as long as Dixie is still around, nothing significant will change.

[Cristobal]

The upside to WGN America would be it's a quick way to bring some eyeballs to your network.

The downside is that it's not extremely profitable from an advertising standpoint (because wrestling) and brings more headaches then your average cop show. Additionally, if the perceived demographic (young white men, and yes I know that's not accurate, perception trumps reality) doesn't really fit the strategy WGN America creates, it's not a particularly attractive proposal.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

I don't see how it hurts their station. It's not like TNA draws shit relative to everything else on cable. There's a built in fanbase.

 

But I really don't know what the company can do at this point to really grow short of a complete reboot rebranding overhaul.

 

Honest to God, Jae, you have me wondering:

 

If TNA shut down today forever, would they make just as much if not more money running "best of" shows on WGN and pumping DVDs into the $1 bin at Wal-Mart? I know it seems like I'm being an asshole toward TNA because that's all I've ever been when they come up, but honest to God, what generates more revenue: EC3 vs. Sanada in a 1/3 full high school gym, or Sting vs. Hogan, Angle vs. Joe, or Savage/Styles/Hardy vs. Outsiders and Jarrett on DVD? Even some sort of po-dunk VOD service, maybe?

 

As far as branding, I mean, Jesus, it's been almost five years and they still can't decide whether it's TNA or Impact Wrestling (similar to when they first started, and the two people I knew who still watched wrestling after the Invasion bubble burst said "Hey, man, did you catch that NWA PPV?") I mean, you had Ed Motherfucking Ferrara making Tits n Ass jokes 30 seconds into the first PPV-- no one there thinks long term or knows fuck all about how to brand that product so it's actually more attractive toward consumers, sponsors, and prospective networks. Which is scary, given that Dixie supposedly comes from a PR background.

 

It's sad, really. And, for anyone who grew up a WCW kid, astonishing, as well.

[jaedmc]

I personally don't think there's anything left for them to do. I don't care one way or another whether they exist in their current form. Them dying won't make wrestling better, so I can't really wish for it, though at this point it's become exciting to figure out just what exactly will do them in. 

 

And they've got problems beyond just financial/booking. Pick a guy in the WWE that you became totally sick of. Someone where they'd been start stopped pushed, changed from baby face to heel and back again, and then just spinning their wheels to the point where you don't care about them at all. Alberto Del Rio? Randy Orton? Miz? Sheamus? Their whole roster has become that. It happened to Joe. It happened to AJ. Jeff Hardy. James Storm. Austin Aries. Who on the roster is worth getting excited about? You can't be excited about anyone rising up the ranks because there are no ranks. They're all just equally guys doing whatever. Sometimes they have a belt. Sometimes they don't. I hate Cena, but at least he's clearly THE ONE, and everyone is chasing that. 

 

I don't want TNA to die, but it's sadly the only interesting thing I could see them accomplishing with what they've got now.

[Tromatagon]

Whole roster of Mizes is really fucking mean to say dude

[jaedmc]

Hey, I was throwing names out there as examples. You chose Miz. That's on you.

[Technico Support]

 

I don't see how it hurts their station. It's not like TNA draws shit relative to everything else on cable. There's a built in fanbase.

But I really don't know what the company can do at this point to really grow short of a complete reboot rebranding overhaul.

Hopefully that would be a condition of the new network picking them up. Announce team change would be a good start, even if it is Josh Mathews.

 

The announcers would be a good start?  I disagree.  A name change would be a good start.  The name "TNA" is an embarrassing, Russoesque shitshow. 

 

Christ what a fucking idiot Russo is.  I imaging him and Jarrett patting themselves on the backs back in the day over their wit and edginess.  "Dat's a double ontonder bro!"

[EN090]

You should check out Russo's Raw fantasy booking on his website. My favorite is the "Hillbilly Hell" match between Harper/Rowan and Goldust/Stardust.

And yes, name change would be a given. Just go all in on Impact Wrestling and change the name I tthe actual weekly show.

[Bustronaut]

If they had actual infrastructure in place anymore it'd be fine, but at this point whomever they were talking to would likely almost do better to start-up their own fed with all of TNA's production people, if not for the cost of rings/cameras/etc.

[Craig H]

You should check out Russo's Raw fantasy booking on his website. My favorite is the "Hillbilly Hell" match between Harper/Rowan and Goldust/Stardust.

And yes, name change would be a given. Just go all in on Impact Wrestling and change the name I tthe actual weekly show.

 

When Hogan was brought in, I thought that's what they were going to do. The branding and advertising changed. Yet somehow, it's still TNA. Christ. Impact Wrestling is, I think, I pretty good name for a pro wrestling company. If they want to go with a three initial name, then just go by Impact Pro Wrestling. It sounds good.

 

"Hey, there's an Impact Pro show next weekend, want to go?"

 

"Sure, sounds good."

 

It sounds a little indy-ish, but it also sounds like a national company.

 

What Jae said is completely true as well. There is so much start/stop with the majority of the guys on that roster. Also, I don't know how the hell it happened, but TNA became a roster of "dudes." You have a roster that largely consists of:

• This dude
• That dude
• Dude over there
• Duder right here
• Some dude
• That big dude
• That one dude with the beard
• That other dude with the beard
• Roids dude

Slight exaggeration, but you get what I'm saying. Remember when WWE was like that? Shit was so homogenized, but they managed to transform themselves into a company with strong characters. Even if TNA can't fix their start/stop problem with pushes, they have an even problem with a roster of dudes. They have some established guys that stand out, but there's nothing special about them anymore. That itself is an issue of the start/stop pushes.

 

What a headache to try and fix this shit.

[StretchMediatedHypertrophy]

In their defence, I think they've handled Lashley pretty well. Bobby Roode is the ace, and Storm is emerging as the super-nemesis now. I think they've put themselves in a difficult situation for the reasons people are saying, but I do see somethinh of an attempt to mitigate that.

[nate]

I could honestly support TNA more if they went 110% behind being a WWE parody fed, but do with their WWE lite characters what WWE is failing to do. The Wyatts not getting over? That's ok, because the Storm Family is doing just fine. In fact, every character in the group has the last name "Storm:" Manik Storm, Sanada Storm, Abyss Storm, and they're working on getting Davey Storm (but you can almost bet it'll end up being Eddie Storm that goes in the group).

[The Nature Boy]

I could honestly support TNA more if they went 110% behind being a WWE parody fed, but do with their WWE lite characters what WWE is failing to do. The Wyatts not getting over? That's ok, because the Storm Family is doing just fine. In fact, every character in the group has the last name "Storm:" Manik Storm, Sanada Storm, Abyss Storm, and they're working on getting Davey Storm (but you can almost bet it'll end up being Eddie Storm that goes in the group).

 

Can we bring in Lance Storm as James Storm's Canadian uncle?

[nate]

Yes. For God's sake yes. Why are we thinking of this shit, while the booking committee start-stops shit?

[greenbat]

Whatever happened to that Japanese WWE cosplay group? Give them the book.

[caley]

You should check out Russo's Raw fantasy booking on his website. My favorite is the "Hillbilly Hell" match between Harper/Rowan and Goldust/Stardust.

And yes, name change would be a given. Just go all in on Impact Wrestling and change the name I tthe actual weekly show.

I like how Russo's booking features a ladder match given away on Raw for free.

[Craig H]

Wouldn't be the first time. Weren't there two free ladder matches on Raw? I know one had Eddy in it. SmackDown! had a TLC match.

[Larry Rydell]

I would only want to see a TNA invasion of WWE if the "invasion" consisted of Dixie coming out to announce that she had "purchased advertising time" from USA and then bringing out The Menagerie, Bromans, Rock star Spud, EC 3, Shark Boy, and every other "geek" gimmick in the company out for a concert by DJ Zema Ion.

The lights go out and when they come up Kane and Undertaker are in the ring and proceed to destroy everyone in the ring in a sick semi-shoot, complete with Ion eating an unprotected chokeslam through his own turntable/mixer board and Spud taking a Last Ride over the top rope to the arena floor.

[StretchMediatedHypertrophy]

 

You should check out Russo's Raw fantasy booking on his website. My favorite is the "Hillbilly Hell" match between Harper/Rowan and Goldust/Stardust.

And yes, name change would be a given. Just go all in on Impact Wrestling and change the name I tthe actual weekly show.

 

 

To be fair, having Mark Henry feud with Sheamus as an insincere heel is better than Big Show pretending to be BFF with the guy who broke his leg three years ago. Milk and chocolate cookies?!

[Zakk_Sabbath]

 

 

You should check out Russo's Raw fantasy booking on his website. My favorite is the "Hillbilly Hell" match between Harper/Rowan and Goldust/Stardust.

And yes, name change would be a given. Just go all in on Impact Wrestling and change the name I tthe actual weekly show.

 

 

To be fair, having Mark Henry feud with Sheamus as an insincere heel is better than Big Show pretending to be BFF with the guy who broke his leg three years ago. Milk and chocolate cookies?!

 

 

Now there's an idea: right after the main event, Roode invites everyone out for milk and cookies ala Andy Kaufman at Radio City. C'mon man, who doesn't love free milk and cookies?

[Big Fresh]

I would only want to see a TNA invasion of WWE if the "invasion" consisted of Dixie coming out to announce that she had "purchased advertising time" from USA and then bringing out The Menagerie, Bromans, Rock star Spud, EC 3, Shark Boy, and every other "geek" gimmick in the company out for a concert by DJ Zema Ion.

The lights go out and when they come up Kane and Undertaker are in the ring and proceed to destroy everyone in the ring in a sick semi-shoot, complete with Ion eating an unprotected chokeslam through his own turntable/mixer board and Spud taking a Last Ride over the top rope to the arena floor.

Replace "Undertaker and Kane" with "Heath Slater and Titus O'Neil".

[Hollywood Cibernetico]

If Vince ever purchased TNA, the last episode of Impact must start off with Titus cutting a promo on the entire locker room. Give that man 10 minutes and an open mic.