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

[Kyle]

Yet, Meltzer is making it sound like there's a good chance Prince Devitt signs with TNA, despite what is being said about TNA's problems.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Kyle

[CracktonMoj]

So, if WWE stays with NBC Universal, they get a physical hall of fame at Universal Studios, meaning TNA gets booted out of their warehouse, and can't afford to run anywhere else.

 

If WWE goes to Viacom (so back at Spike), then TNA gets booted off Spike. The only channel in the world who TNA pulls relative ratings for is Challenge.

 

We're going to get TNA at the WrestleTalk Studios, aren't we? They could afford Devitt then. Get him a Ryanair season ticket.

Edited April 13, 2014 by CracktonMoj

[JNLister]

If this week's Observer is right, the announcement "Christy Hemme has joined the creative team" should have an asterisk and the clarification "Christy Hemme has got a job as costume designer."

[Surf Digby]

So, if WWE stays with NBC Universal, they get a physical hall of fame at Universal Studios, meaning TNA gets booted out of their warehouse, and can't afford to run anywhere else.

 

If WWE goes to Viacom (so back at Spike), then TNA gets booted off Spike. The only channel in the world who TNA pulls relative ratings for is Challenge.

 

We're going to get TNA at the WrestleTalk Studios, aren't we? They could afford Devitt then. Get him a Ryanair season ticket.

Summer's coming. They can run them at beaches and theme parks like WCW. Think of how much they'll save by not needing lighting.

[Cobra1000]

Didnt see it mentioned in here but apparently Chris Sabin is done with these bunch of clowns too.

 

EDIT. Ah, I am a clown, just went back two pages instead of my usual one.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Cobra1000

[ajlee's future hubby]

On the plus side TNA have apparently signed former NXT wrestler Kenneth Cameron, things are on the up lol.

[Daaaaaad!]

Wasn't he the one who got arrested for drunkenly attacking a police officer?

[Loki]

It's all very sad, isn't it. TNA has at times in the last 10 years been a really fun alternative to WWE, and its broadcast on Freeview meant that it ended up at the most watched wrestling in the UK. Over the years its presented some great matches, and made some big stars (although I understand what Ian means when he says they've not made any - not at the WWE level).

 

But despite having all the things needed to succeed (financial backing, tv) it never really had a soul. Dixie's been in charge, but never had a vision apart from "be 2nd to WWE". They threw the dice once, but chose Hogan as their horse to back. Much as I love Hogan, he's no creative genius. If they'd put their money behind someone like Heyman perhaps things might have turned out differently.

 

I still think TNA has forced WWE to up their game in the last few years though. By providing a place for top talent to make a living outside the WWE Universe, they've made WWE build new stars, and think carefully about how they managed their current ones. If that's TNA's only lasting legacy, it's something at least.

[NEWM]

Fuck it though, really. Between around 2004-2009, TNA made me want to back it to the bitter end, and even then it was schizophrenic enough that I sometimes had to really grit my teeth. At this point, I pretty much hate it without even watching it. I have an irrational distaste for TNA, and I bet I can't be the only one. I've had my fingers burnt so many times by the show (which is really my own fault for giving them more chances than I should have), that it's mere existence only serves to annoy me, and make me realise just how brilliant WWE is at everything.

 

I think it's the popular option to reel off the old "TNA's good because WWE needs at least some alternative and it's good for the guys to have somewhere else to work", but I honestly think we're only saying that sort of stuff because it seems nice. Bollocks to the lot of them, if they can't fit in WWE, it seems like Japan (and to a lesser extent, the US indies) provides a decent living if you're the real deal. And WWE does have loads of competition, but I don't think it's ever considered TNA part of it.

 

TNA is an ugly surplus in wrestling at this point, and I have no problem in saying I'd like to see it just fuck off and leave me with a few fleeting moments where they nearly did some things right. Loki, you're bob on as well - the product never ever had a soul, because even when it appeared as if it might have, the booking was just too brilliant at ripping it away. Fuck TNA, it was mostly a balls up and the sooner it's gone the better.

[FLips]

It is odd the sense of hate TNA leaves you with isn't it? I actively want it to fail, and not even through a WWE/WCW pick-your-side attitude. Just something about it leaves a horrible taste in your mouth. I think for me, it's mostly because at one point I genuinely enjoyed TNA more than WWE, but they did their best to fuck it all up.

[Arch Stanton]

It's because we've all realised by this point that this company will never be the alternative product that wrestling fans want to watch and as such it's just wasting time and talent by hanging around. The sooner it goes the sooner that talent can move on to something worthwhile.

[King Pitcos]

It's because we've all realised by this point that this company will never be the alternative product that wrestling fans want to watch

What would be though? What is WWE lacking that any number two promotion can provide?

[shockindefendin]

What on earth is going on with Davey Richards hair, looks like he found the tin of bleach Samoa Joe used in the early 2000s, the sort of bleached blonde colour that looks like it's been mixed with a particularly runny bout of diarrhoea.

 

Willow's promos are a combination of hilarious & downright shit. He sounds like the type of voice you did when you were a kid and put a sheet over you pretending to be a ghost.

 

EY - good wrestler, I've actually found some of his comedy stuff mildly amusing but world champ, oh dear, oh dear. Having gone to every TNA UK tour so far (glutton for punishment) I'm seriously considering not wasting my money on next year's. Most TNA UK house shows or TV tapings are a good laugh, even Jokers Wild 2 in B'ham this year, which had a shit attendance, was a blast, but I worry just how much worse this is going to get.

 

That temporary Impact Zone or whatever they call it makes them look beyond 2nd rate. WCW Worldwide at MGM looked better, even with all the tourists in their baggy 90s T-shirts & Bermuda shorts. I can't believe they are in such a bad place. I used to really like TNA, then I spent a long time trying to like TNA, but it's just embarrassing now. Rant over.

Edited April 14, 2014 by shockindefendin

[Arch Stanton]

It's because we've all realised by this point that this company will never be the alternative product that wrestling fans want to watch

What would be though? What is WWE lacking that any number two promotion can provide?

Nothing that would make another company any sort of competition, but I believe there are a lot of wrestling fans out there that would watch something different to WWE, either as well as or instead of. TNA doesn't attempt to be different any more, it's just a crap rip-off promotion and nobody wants to see that.

[King Pitcos]

It's all well and good to say that, but what would such a promotion consist of? Hardcore matches and blood? Storylines for midcarders? TNA does both of those things, albeit TNA does both of those things.

 

Most of the things in WWE that people cried over the last decade are now being done by WWE -- there's a cruiserweight from the indies with both World titles who just beat Triple H clean, and the shows are full of matches that last forever, usually involving at least one or two flips and jumps out of the ring. Ex-ROH wrestlers are heavily featured. Short of CM Punk winning every main event and being champion forever, I don't know what a second company could do that would appeal to people looking for an "alternative" to WWE that doesn't already exist. Anyone who is a wrestling fan and anti-WWE is (a penis and) already aware of the indie/Chinese promotions now, and anyone who is a wrestling fan and likes WWE has about five or six hours of that a week. There's just no obvious gap in the market.