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

[Vamp]

Russo's always burnt out. I seem to remember some sulky article or interview in Total Wrestling or Power Slam where he moaned about how "just when you think you're out" Jeff Jarrett calls you.

[King Pitcos]

The only thing left for TNA to save them is take the show to three hours. I don't know how I didn't see it before but that one is bound to work.

 

You know, going to one hour might not be a terrible idea, depending on the impact it have on revenue and such like. They've got a depleted roster and a lack of creativity at the moment, WWE's flagship show goes on for three fucking hours a week, they could save costs on using people and manage to keep people fresh by not using them each week, etc. Although it'd look like another regression and I'm not sure you could spin it as anything but that.

It wouldn't be a regression, it would be a death. TNA isn't a wrestling promotion, it's a TV show that thinks it's a wrestling promotion. The one thing keeping it alive is that it is reliable enough to draw a decent rating for two hours a week on Spike. If Spike start thinking they can lose an hour of TNA, then TNA is dead and fucked.

[pgi86]

AJ Styles' latest tweet seems to confirm the rumour that the plan is for him to be defending his title outside of TNA for the time being: "Really looking forward to defending my title around the world. No worries, I'll bring the belt to you."

Edited October 26, 2013 by pgi86

[Vamp]

The only thing left for TNA to save them is take the show to three hours. I don't know how I didn't see it before but that one is bound to work.

 

You know, going to one hour might not be a terrible idea, depending on the impact it have on revenue and such like. They've got a depleted roster and a lack of creativity at the moment, WWE's flagship show goes on for three fucking hours a week, they could save costs on using people and manage to keep people fresh by not using them each week, etc. Although it'd look like another regression and I'm not sure you could spin it as anything but that.

It wouldn't be a regression, it would be a death. TNA isn't a wrestling promotion, it's a TV show that thinks it's a wrestling promotion. The one thing keeping it alive is that it is reliable enough to draw a decent rating for two hours a week on Spike. If Spike start thinking they can lose an hour of TNA, then TNA is dead and fucked.

 

Yeah, you're right. Hence my 'depending on the impact it'd have'. Just wishful thinking on my part really.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

They said on Observer Radio today that the Carters have had enough of losing money and are "100%" looking to sell the company right now. Hence the huge changes over the last few weeks. Looks like there will be new owners in the next few months. Interesting times ahead.

 

We should all chip in for it. We'll turn this ship around. If someone gets TNA in the Secret Santa this year, dont be to stunned.

Edited October 27, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[CTXRussomark]

Surely the only interested parties are going to be Viacom and Vince? Why would anyone else be interested in buying something with such a low potential for profit? And to be honest if Vince wasn't in the picture Viacom would be just as well allowing the company to fold, picking up the assets on the cheap, then starting from scratch.

[King Pitcos]

There's little to no benefit to Vince McMahon buying TNA. As a company, it's worthless. As a videotape library, it's an embarrassment in the careers of anyone who matters. Unless they've got a Self-Destruction of Jeff Hardy DVD planned, there's no cause for TNA footage anywhere in a WWE release. I suppose they could buy it as filler for the network, mind.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Surely the only interested parties are going to be Viacom and Vince? Why would anyone else be interested in buying something with such a low potential for profit? And to be honest if Vince wasn't in the picture Viacom would be just as well allowing the company to fold, picking up the assets on the cheap, then starting from scratch.

It comes with a TV contract, which no other wrestling company does. There are money marks under every rock so who knows. Buying into wrestling (especially now) is madness in itself, but look at the Carters. They popped up and bought a weekly money loser who only had PPV's every week to promote their company. If there are money marks still around, someone is bound to look into it.

 

There's little to no benefit to Vince McMahon buying TNA.

Daffney sued TNA last year and was the closest person to get someone to look into the wrestling contract issue. If someone looks into wrestling contracts, WWE are going to have pay out huge money to ex employees and current ones. Wrestling contracts are so one sided and completely mental. There might be a chance WWE would buy TNA just to shelve it and stop something like this happening. Especially know when a few are looking into taking TNA to court (and Scott Steiner currently is).

Edited October 27, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[Vamp]

There's little to no benefit to Vince McMahon buying TNA. As a company, it's worthless. As a videotape library, it's an embarrassment in the careers of anyone who matters. Unless they've got a Self-Destruction of Jeff Hardy DVD planned, there's no cause for TNA footage anywhere in a WWE release. I suppose they could buy it as filler for the network, mind.

 

I think they'd want the footage. Mostly because they could slot it into the network but also because they just like owning footage. They clearly see themselves as the curators of wrestling. They won't do much with the footage but they'll be satisfied owning it.

[unfitfinlay]

Surely the only interested parties are going to be Viacom and Vince? Why would anyone else be interested in buying something with such a low potential for profit? And to be honest if Vince wasn't in the picture Viacom would be just as well allowing the company to fold, picking up the assets on the cheap, then starting from scratch.

 

Is the potential for profit really that low? They were apparently making money before they took Impact on the road, and that was with Pay Per Views that didn't draw, House Shows that weren't properly advertised and free admission to TV tapings. If they could make money despite glaring issues like that, imagine what they could do if it was run properly?

 

Of course it's more than likely they'll end up with someone, like the Carters, who'll look at the money WWE makes and assume TNA will make the same if they just do the same things.

 

Daffney sued TNA last year and was the closest person to get someone to look into the wrestling contract issue. If someone looks into wrestling contracts, WWE are going to have pay out huge money to ex employees and current ones.

 

Absolutely. They'd also face a huge fucking bill for all the taxes that they've avoided paying for decades. It would be a complete disaster for them.

[King Pitcos]

Is the potential for profit really that low? They were apparently making money before they took Impact on the road,

They weren't, they just weren't losing a million a month on the TV show.

Edited October 27, 2013 by King Pitcos

[truthofsin]

There's little to no benefit to Vince McMahon buying TNA. As a company, it's worthless. As a videotape library, it's an embarrassment in the careers of anyone who matters. Unless they've got a Self-Destruction of Jeff Hardy DVD planned, there's no cause for TNA footage anywhere in a WWE release. I suppose they could buy it as filler for the network, mind.

 

Although there is a lot of garbage in the archives, there is still some good stuff with the likes of Angle over the years WWE could put on some of their releases. If nothing more, i think they'd use some of the footage on docs about guys like Sting (who you would assume would do a short term WWE run and HOF for sure if TNA folded, if not before), Angle, Goldust (it was a bad time for Dustin, but it's part of his story and recovery. So i think it's relevant) and Jeff Hardy. Hell, a rise and fall style doc on TNA would be great if they could get the right talking heads. Jerry is on great terms with Vince so that's one, and i'm sure a lot of the talent would be willing.

[Forrest]

I've always had an odd thought about how if WWE did buy TNA's footage brilliant it would be if WWE had a brawl in their big warehouse, purely because I would love to see them use a box od videotapes marked "TNA weekly PPVs" as a throwaway weapon. It would be the ultimate way to get across just how little WWE vire TNA, and ever since I've thought of this, I've really wanted WWE to buy TNA just so this can happen.

[King Pitcos]

Although there is a lot of garbage in the archives, there is still some good stuff with the likes of Angle over the years WWE could put on some of their releases. If nothing more, i think they'd use some of the footage on docs about guys like Sting (who you would assume would do a short term WWE run and HOF for sure if TNA folded, if not before), Angle, Goldust (it was a bad time for Dustin, but it's part of his story and recovery. So i think it's relevant) and Jeff Hardy.

As I said, for anyone important, a TNA stint is just an embarrassing footnote. A Sting DVD should gloss over the years after WCW or stop there anyway. It would make him look worse for including footage of how he spent a decade arsing around in joke leagues. Jeff Hardy or Hulk Hogan, if they did a self-destruction DVD, it could work to show how bad things got. Same with Kurt Angle, but given his perpetual proximity to death, they probably don't want to do a DVD either laughing at his drugs problem or celebrating our Olympic hero being off his tits and doing stupid stunts in slum promotions. Clips of TNA would just serve the same purpose as that stock footage of pills being poured out that they always use for "I was a druggie in them days, aye" parts of documentaries.

 

Hell, a rise and fall style doc on TNA would be great if they could get the right talking heads. Jerry is on great terms with Vince so that's one, and i'm sure a lot of the talent would be willing.

For them to do that documentary, TNA would have to have a rise first, and if that happens, speculation about WWE buying it out is years off.

[truthofsin]

Although there is a lot of garbage in the archives, there is still some good stuff with the likes of Angle over the years WWE could put on some of their releases. If nothing more, i think they'd use some of the footage on docs about guys like Sting (who you would assume would do a short term WWE run and HOF for sure if TNA folded, if not before), Angle, Goldust (it was a bad time for Dustin, but it's part of his story and recovery. So i think it's relevant) and Jeff Hardy.

As I said, for anyone important, a TNA stint is just an embarrassing footnote. A Sting DVD should gloss over the years after WCW or stop there anyway. It would make him look worse for including footage of how he spent a decade arsing around in joke leagues. Jeff Hardy or Hulk Hogan, if they did a self-destruction DVD, it could work to show how bad things got. Same with Kurt Angle, but given his perpetual proximity to death, they probably don't want to do a DVD either laughing at his drugs problem or celebrating our Olympic hero being off his tits and doing stupid stunts in slum promotions. Clips of TNA would just serve the same purpose as that stock footage of pills being poured out that they always use for "I was a druggie in them days, aye" parts of documentaries.

 

While i agree for the most part, there have been many stand out matches over the course of TNA's history alongside the terrible. Angle for sure has had some great matches during his time in TNA, despite his issues. So i feel these would be of some value for comps WWE puts out. They put that XWF match between Hogan and Hennig on a comp, so i don't see why they wouldn't use a good quality match that happened in TNA. While Sting's work hasnt been at the standard of his previous work, it could easily be edited into a video of him being the centre piece of a fledgling promotion for use on a WWE comp, to bridge the gap between his WCW and WWE days.

 

Hell, a rise and fall style doc on TNA would be great if they could get the right talking heads. Jerry is on great terms with Vince so that's one, and i'm sure a lot of the talent would be willing.

For them to do that documentary, TNA would have to have a rise first, and if that happens, speculation about WWE buying it out is years off.

 

I did say 'rise and fall style' as TNA obviously have never risen. But they have, for lack of competition, been the #2 promotion for the past 10 years. And i feel a documentry of a similar style telling the story of how they started out and grew to a point they couldn't go beyond no matter how they tried would be interesting. If you get the likes of Russo, Jerry Jarrett, the talent, Brother Love etc involved it would make for interesting viewing. Hogan, Bischoff, Heyman etc would likely get involved too. If for no other purpose, it would show that WWE is an untouchable #1. Vince likes putting out docs about companies that couldn't beat him, so i don't see why this would be any different.