Impact wrestling thread - It's a Don West tribute thread now!

[hallicks]

You know what I mean...at least I'd hope you do. Them going to Monday and back has ruined their reputation and made them seem WWE-lite more than having their show on a Thursday.

 

I'm not sure how you separate them. They scurried back to Thursday after dying against raw, so doesn't putting Thursday in the title highlight that particular failure?

[air_raid]

Suspect the actual translation is more like: We'll be filming shitloads of backstage stuff so that we can tape a million episodes in one night without burning out the live crowd.

 

I also like to think of it as "we now have a smaller roster because of budget cuts... so we're going to overexpose everyone that's left."

 

I have honestly lost count of the amount of times I have read "the wrestlers worked hard to put on a good show but it was ruined by the booking."

 

That's TNA to a nutshell. That's why I always look forward to, attend and enjoy the house shows, but find the TV a chore. The matches themselves are decent, sometimes good, but the presentation of "this is why these guys are fighting" is usually rubbish.

[Vamp]

All they need is good simple stories, then let the few really good wrestlers they have turn it into gold. Let AJ just wrestle. Let Joe kill people. Let Aries be Aries. Let Roode be a cunt and after a while give him some ducks to look at so we all love him again. Send Angle to put on great matches. Bad Influence will be fun. Gunner can stomp around looking like the most intense man in the world. Sign a few new people for those guys to work with. It's really simple.

 

The problem is a lot of that's been diminished. AJ's just been wrestling in TNA for ten fucking years. Joe used to kill people but they can't recapture the lightning, its diminishing returns. They probably shouldn't be relying heavily on Angle going out there and putting good matches on either. AJ and Joe are pretty much depleted. They're never going to be bigger than they are now, and they're never going to use much either. That's a way to create a decent but dull product.

[pryko]

I'd like to point out a positive from last nights show. Dixie Carter looked hot.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

TNA's problem has been a lack of imagination in its 11 year history. The ideas seem to the old Golden Carrot shit. Going on the road, going live, Mondays etc. But they haven't ever done anything to make the show look distinctly different. You could argue the six sided ring stuff, but that had more detractors than it had supporters until it was gone and a vocal bunch of clowns cried about it. I'm talking about themes for shows and set designs. I watched Bound For Glory and they used the same set as Impact and the same black curtains and ring aprons they use all the time. I'm not asking for the statue of liberty to he hanging from the set or anything. Just make it look different. Change the colour scheme to mix some orange or purple or something into it. When I think of WWF in the 80s I never think of Warrior or Hogan. I always think blue ring aprons and blue curtains. When I think of Pro Wrestling NOAH I think of this big sea of green. When I think of Impact I think of dark building with the same font for every entrance video. Have some artwork on the mat or have some advertising boards around the barrier. Just to make the shows look better. WCW had Halloween Havoc with the big pumpkin and Bash at the Beach with the sand castles and deck chairs. When you watch Lockdown, you should be thinking "I wonder what the set looks like? I wonder if they will have security guards monitoring the ramp like its a prison or cages on the entrance way". But instead you get the Impact set. Like the one you saw on Thursday. I many ways, the Impact Zone is pretty good for them in that sense. You could mock that place up and take down the decorations like its Christmas time at Poundstretcher if you want to go for a themed Impact. And they never do vignettes (I wouldn't call that shite with ECIII a vignette). They need to build characters before their debut and unleash people. They need some ideas. They need a Boogey Man. Or a Hornswoggle. Or a Great Khali. Or a Umaga. Or a Vampiro. Or a Bray Wyatt. They might be shit, but they are like train wreck to watch. Which sometimes is better than great wrestling. If you build someone like these via vignettes, you generally go "I need to see this bloke debut". Even if they turn out to be a disaster.

 

TNA should get themselves out to college campuses or hit Club La Vela where Spring Break used to be held. And dont play it up like its going to turn the company around. They are always guilty of that. They always make a big fuss over something that could turn out to be shit. Like an ECW themed PPV or something. Just have Tenay say "next week we'll be broadcasting from Club La Vela. You may see tits". WWE had the right idea with the Full Sail University gig. WWE runs from there and has the college kids working with the production staff for work experience. And they always get a full house. And its a young audience.

Edited October 25, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[Quentin]

And they never do vignettes (I wouldn't call that shite with ECIII a vignette). They need to build characters before their debut and unleash people. They need some ideas. They need a Boogey Man. Or a Hornswoggle. Or a Great Khali. Or a Umaga. Or a Vampiro. Or a Bray Wyatt. They might be shit, but they are like train wreck to watch. Which sometimes is better than great wrestling. If you build someone like these via vignettes, you generally go "I need to see this bloke debut". Even if they turn out to be a disaster.

 

We all know what needs to be done...

 

 

 

 

"I figure it's some guy's name. Some guy named Gabbo."

 

It'll probably turn out to be Devon though.

[Sphinx]

Yes, Ian! I mentioned before that they need.to change the set (#wrestlingguru) but you've articulated it better than I could. I personally think they need to be looking at USPs and gaps in the market. They're presented too similar to WWE, but ultimately aren't close despite some of the names they've had.

 

Their main priority at the moment should just be solid booking. An alternative look could help build them up again. As others have said, WWE have the workers now whereas in '05 TNA had potential stars who were fresh. Trying to create a similar product is only.going to serve to make them look 'WWE-lite'.

[air_raid]

I reckon Trytan put them off ever doing the Gabbo build again.

 

Just have Tenay say "next week we'll be broadcasting from Club La Vela. You may see tits".

 

I would definitely take a break from watching non-stop round the clock hardcore porn to watch that. Take away the anal and facials and give me wrestling matches... but I'll still see tits? Sold.

 

I mentioned before that they need.to change the set (#wrestlingguru)

 

You can knock that off.

[Glen Quagmire]

Could the unthinkable happen and TNA might consider bringing back Vince Russo?

[CleetusVanDamme]

I reckon Trytan put them off ever doing the Gabbo build again.

 

My favourite TNA moment was seeing him in a dark match before an Impact taping, going under the name 'Titus', getting the shit heckled out of him by a drunk, foghorn-voiced guy in the crowd, who kept chanting "TIIIIIIIT UUUUUUSSSSS!" Goldberg-style, over and over again for the duration of the match, desperate to emphasize the 'Tit' part. He was the only person in there making any noise at all.

 

I like to think that he was the reason the name got changed.

[UK Kat Von D]

All they need is good simple stories, then let the few really good wrestlers they have turn it into gold. Let AJ just wrestle. Let Joe kill people. Let Aries be Aries. Let Roode be a cunt and after a while give him some ducks to look at so we all love him again. Send Angle to put on great matches. Bad Influence will be fun. Gunner can stomp around looking like the most intense man in the world. Sign a few new people for those guys to work with. It's really simple.

 

The problem is a lot of that's been diminished. AJ's just been wrestling in TNA for ten fucking years. Joe used to kill people but they can't recapture the lightning, its diminishing returns. They probably shouldn't be relying heavily on Angle going out there and putting good matches on either. AJ and Joe are pretty much depleted. They're never going to be bigger than they are now, and they're never going to use much either. That's a way to create a decent but dull product.

 

They have to make the most of what they have before bringing new people in. They can't just sack every wrestler and have nothing but vignettes for a few weeks. TNA fans still want to cheer AJ and Joe, they just don't any reason to. Plus if TNA want to sign anyone worth a fuck they would have to prove that they can look after their wrestlers with decent pushes first. It's not just fans that have no faith in TNA, it's the free agents as well

[thefallenangel]

Would building to a Lockdown main event of AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe help them? Go to an hour time limit draw and advertise it as pro wrestling? Just keep it simple.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

No. Why would it?

 

Those three couldn't go for an hour. Could you see Samoa Joe working an hour match at this stage of the game?

Edited October 26, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[Vamp]

I think Fallen was being sarcastic and taking the piss out of TatsAreGay but I might be wrong. That's the way I understood it.

[The King Of Swing]

Could the unthinkable happen and TNA might consider bringing back Vince Russo?

 

Would Russo even come back at this stage? I got the impression that he was pretty burnt out when he left.