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

[Your Fight Site]

If I were TNA I'd just announce the new TV deal. What are Spike going to do? It's not like Spike can cancel their run, and TNA aren't disparaging Spike by saying they're moving to another channel.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

They haven't signed it yet, in fairness. As soon as its official, they probably will announce it. Spike gave them an extra 3 months, so its not like they are going to give them the willy on the way out. I imagine they'll let them announce it on Wednesday if its all official.

[Psygnosis]

PWInsider again...

 

We can confirm that we have been told by a few TNA sources that the company is indeed done with Spike TV and is expected to begin airing on a new partner in January of 2015. For those asking why so many people from within the company were tweeting about Spike and Bellator last night, we have been told that TNA and Spike are not having an acrimonious break up. TNA will still have a connection with Spike through Bobby Lashley and at this point, the December episodes of Impact are still scheduled to air on Spike at this time. Unlike when Spike cut off negotiations with WWE years ago, costing them money in their TV deal with USA as their leverage was taken away, this situation is said to be the opposite.

The new TV deal is said to be extremely close to completed, if it’s not already. We have heard from numerous sources that it will be a multi-year deal, which means TNA will have at least two more years on the air. It should be noted that many have speculated that the company was going to die at the end of the year, as some felt that they wouldn’t be able to find a new home for Impact. Barring and unforeseen development, that will not be the case. TNA will live on.

All signs point to it getting done in the next week, as Dixie Carter tweeted last week that they would announce a deal soon. We have been told that it will air on a smaller, lesser known network. While no one will confirm where the show will end up, there has been a lot of talk that it will end up on Destination America, which is owned by Discovery Communications (you can see if you have access to the channel by clicking here). It is available in a little more than half of the country, though speaking personally it is not currently available on the plan I have with Cox. I will have to pay to add it here in Las Vegas.

All signs point to the fact that the new deal will bring in less money than the old one did, at least at the start. However, with the new deal the company will have more opportunities in other areas. They will reportedly be able to have more programming on the network than just Impact and they will be the bellwether brand for the new partner, putting them in a position where they will be a top priority for the new network. They will be in a position to potentially help grow a network. Even if they can’t, once the deal is signed they will have at least two more years to “start again” and that will be their plan once they start doing new shows in January.

 

[PowerButchi]

I never thought I'd say the day when TNA is the Bruno Sammartino to a station's Madison Sqaure Garden. Nothing says Watch This Channel Grow like Impact as the cornerstone. 

 

(Special prize for whoever gets that reference, and why it's even more fucked with Impact as the example).

 

[Except for John Lister]

[Benno]

Is that really a thing anybody believes anyway? I just read it as PWInsider putting some positive spin on behalf of their mates at TNA.

[WyattSheepMask]

Maffew/Botchamania's twitter had a good #HowWillImpactEnd going last night.

Favourites included

* Cut to black reading 'Created By David Chase'

* Tenay and Taz find an antique watch under the announce desk, sell it at auction and become millionaires

* double count out

[PowerButchi]

My money's on Swerve. Or something to do with a "they". There's always a They in TNA.

Edited November 17, 2014 by PowerButchi

[Forrest]

I'm hoping for it to cut suddenly mid-main event to Jeff Jarrett being suddenly woken up in a Panama City Beach hotel on the morning of the 26th of March 2001 by a phone call from Bischoff telling him the Fusient sale had went through after all as they'd found a new Network for Nitro.

[Loki]

I'm hoping for it to cut suddenly mid-main event to Jeff Jarrett being suddenly woken up in a Panama City Beach hotel on the morning of the 26th of March 2001 by a phone call from Bischoff telling him the Fusient sale had went through after all as they'd found a new Network for Nitro.

 

Ha!  That'd be brilliant!  Slight tweak, Bischoff should step out of the shower.

[tiger_rick]

Have to give Dixie credit for essentially starting 2005 again. No stars on the roster, a minor TV deal, no established house show business outside the UK or PPV business. With all the money they've lost, it takes some motivation to run a wrestling company that will be doing very well if it breaks even. I can't get my head around why you'd bother but she either has faith in herself to rebuild it or she just loves being involved in managing something.

 

It's like watching a football team who've gone into administration and been relegated five divisions. It's going to be incredibly hard work to get it back to where it was even 18 months ago. Fair play if she's up for that challenge.

 

Do Destination America have anything against Vinny Ru?

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Its because she wants to be on the telly. Bob Carter went to Toby Keith's house a year ago because they wanted to sell TNA. The thing that killed the deal was Bob wanted Keith and Jarrett to sign something which guaranteed Dixie would be still on TV in a Tod Gordon role. These days TNA is only alive so Dixie Carter can say she is on TV. Probably why TNA treats the wrestlers like pigs all the time. They are just extras.

[JNLister]

Random trivia/perspective at this point: if it's on Destination America, Impact will only be available just over twice as many homes in the US as it is in the UK.

[Loki]

When is Bobby Roode's contract up?

[PowerButchi]

Why? He wouldn't be going anywhere probably. Don't see WWE having any interest, and NJPW is Gaijin heavy as it is.

[UK Kat Von D]

Would you be able to clarify what "available" means? Could people upgrade their cable packages to get the channel, or is it just available in certain areas no matter what? I would assume it's the latter