Hulk Hogan announces Impact Wrestling to Go On The Road

[Loki]

Yes they have. By all measurements besides the Smarkometer they've been a bigger success than any other major company apart from WWE and WCW since the end of the territory era.

 

I've often wondered about the lacklustre response to TNA over the years, particularly from websites like PWTorch. TNA has had plenty of bad moments, as any fed does, but it's also have plenty of great moments and they never seem to get the credit they deserve for it.

 

My best guess, and it's only a theory, is that they started in 2002 at roughly the same time that ROH did. But TNA wanted to be sports entertainment, wanted to pick up the WCW mantle and compete with WWE, where ROH wanted to be the super-indy, appealing to the internet fans and put on action closer to the cruiserweight style. At that moment, the wrestling journalist community, and internet wrestling fans, were forced to choose a company to support, and most of them seemed to plump for ROH.

 

The fact that TNA has thrived and evolved into a worldwide franchise where ROH hasn't, seems to have only aggravated the situation. ROH's success has been impressive over the years, in that they've survived and continued to put on shows, but if its early supporters were hoping for a wrestling revolution, they didn't get it.

 

I've followed TNA more than WWE for the last 5 or 6 years, basically because it's been more entertaining. The WWE throws out the odd intriguing match once of twice a year, but otherwise seems content (as well they might be) to just carry on as normal with their normal product. TNA have that drive forward that makes them mix things up periodically and at least try to improve. They'll almost certainly never get to by the same size as WWE, but I admire the ambition.

[Bosco Blick]

I think its a good thing there starting to leave the impact zone, although I think attendance will drop quickly to 1-2K. In my honest opinion they should try and use smaller venues, perhaps those used by ECW on occasion (Hammerstein Size) and create a different feel.

 

In fact I have seen a few ECW tapings where they used arenas and the fan cam clearly shows how awfully empty they were

 

thats assuming they draw 1-2k fans in the first place. Didnt they only draw something like 600-700 on recent house shows in NY state?

 

I was surprised yesterday watching Impact, they showed some highlights of some of the shows they did in NY, and I think it was the Buffalo show (looked like an outdoor arena?) and the stands were virtually empty. I don't know if TNA is bigger here than it is there, but I can't imagine them having such a low attendance over here, I think partly because we rarely get the opportunity to experience the major promotions here, but still.

 

I think every PPV should be held away from the Impact Zone, and they should easily be able sell out some of the more moderately sized arenas. I'm a bit skeptical that they could constantly sell out Impact tapings though, and to be honest, the last thing I want TNA to turn into is what ECW were perceived as, a bingo hall promotion.