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

[Jon-Carr_92]

 

Also interesting to note, that the final episode of British Bootcamp 2 on November 30th was watched by more people (104,000) than Impact was (94,000), despite Impact airing immediately after it. 10,000 wrestling fans actively changed the channel rather than watch the main TNA show.

 

 

I think that was in large part due to how terribly Dixie Carter came across. The ending of the show left a bad taste.

Yeah. Some way to congratulate everyone. Good match, but something really drags you down!

[Doctor Whos Next]

This is going to sound like a shit trolling post, but I don't mean it to.

 

I really wanted to want to keep watching TNA, I really did. Ever since I was a kid, and I actually thought during UK Rampage '91 the WWF crew would be having scraps with Big Daddy and his mates, my mind was open to what might be.

 

When the local paper shop got in 5 or 6 different wrestling mags, and I saw the other US promotions that were around in the early 90s, I yearned to see them all on telly. So when WCW popped up on Sky Sports, and I think it was WCCW on Screen Sport, it was all good for me.

 

When I was watching wrestling through the early Monday Night Wars, I found myself rooting for the

WWF, at the end, I wanted WCW to hang on in there, but I never wanted to see one or the other out of business, so much so that the idea of a WCW vs. WWF war was really excitibng, even if it really just one company

 

I'm a big wrestling fan. Not big enough to pay out for Sky Sports, I'm happy with the results, clips online and watching PPVs at my Brothers. I've always followed TNA with interest, so getting to see a "flagship" wrestling show, for free, was something to be excited about.

 

TNA had its flaws, but when this thread started, my simple response to any critiicisms was that "Its Wrestling, might as well stick it on." There have been some good times, don't get me wrong. Seeing folk getting a chance to ply their trade outside of WWE is always a good thing. You can't be number 1 without number 2. On a personal note, I've seen Kris Travis, The Blossoms, and even Spud at my local village town hall. Seeing them get exposure on Bootcamp and Impact made me feel proud, like seeing a band you saw when they first started hit the big time.

 

Unfortunately, despite attempts to show otherwise, TNA just isn't big time anymore. Every three months there seems to be a direction shake up - how am I supposed to get behind folks if their motivation changes every few weeks? How many spin offs on the nWo/Corproation do we need? If you want believable heel turns, why not try managers? "Yeah, this is me manager now, he's going to help me get more money." is a better reason to turn than "We're taking over... cos we want to run everything".

 

The Rumble was a bit pants this year, but the crowd reactions during the Rumble match made the show for me. For all I know, TNA could be dubbing in crowd noise from 2005 shows, and the entire arenas are empty save for a few dozen friends and families of the boys and backstage staff. In no way, shape or form can I ever in my wildest dreams imagine this tinpot lot taking on WWE. If a lad in the front row is playing on his phone instead of looking at the wrestlers as the enter the ring, why should I care about them?

 

And that, is the the crux of the matter... despite my overall markishness, despite the fact that I used to travel by taxi to small Brit Wres shows in my area, despite the fact that I once booked the day off work to meet Shelton Benjamin at a signing even though I wasn't going to the house show that night, and despite the fact that writing the first two paragraphs of this post almost made me miss my train into work, I just can't seem to bring myself to care about a free alternative to WWE when their own developmental territory does a better job of providing an alternative than TNA does, and I can watch huge chunks of the nWo Invasion/Attitude Era/ECW (delete as applicable to what ever TNA's direction is today) on the network, without having to see watered down carbon copies. .

 

Maybe once the newness wears off the network, and my current pay per view marathon gets me to 1994, I might be fed up of the Network, and I'll spend two hours of my Sunday Nights watching it. But considering I found myself lamenting the fact that I could have watched Summerslam 88 on demand instead of watching first run TNA programming, I doubt that's likely.

 

So, for the time being, I'm done with TNA

[wrestleuk]

I'd say that's true, but I'd also venture to say that perhaps it's that the UK scene is more "starved" (for want of a better word) of mainstream-looking, televised wrestling than the US is. People who go to TNA shows perhaps aren't necessarily drawn to TNA, just to the "big-time" experience of seeing wrestling in a big arena; I reckon the same people also go to WWE when they come around.

This whole starved thing are we really anymore "starved than say any 1 particular area of the usa? We have TNA over every year, wwe over every year, ICW have toured england and are coming back there's also a whole host of UK indies

 

I Realy don't think were as "starved" as is often made out

[JNLister]

Meltzer reporting 1,500 for TNA in Glasgow. If that's true, they were outdrawn by ICW, which is pretty amazing on both sides.

[Ant]

Meltzer reporting 1,500 for TNA in Glasgow. If that's true, they were outdrawn by ICW, which is pretty amazing on both sides.

Perhaps TNA's defence is the ticket price variation with ICW.

 

However in my view, as I think I posted from the Glasgow show, attendance was so weak as to be considered embarrassing when smaller venues are available.

 

I'm sure a standard show at the Hydro facilitates 13,000 spectators. TNA used the floor space for ringside seats, with limited use of tiered sections.

 

Similar story to come from Manchester I'd guess, with ticket sales being circa 15% potential capacity.

[PowerButchi]

Last year people on here were saying that now the Hydro was open they'd get massive attendances for all shows and even sell out Smackdown. I think TNA, ok granted it's TNA, doing only about 1,500 (which may well have some paper, a friend got free tickets for Manchester due to being an ex serviceman) which will only decline as the new arena smell wears off even more next year, proves WWE right to stay in Manchester, Liverpool, Brum.

[bono]

Have TNA announced a new tour for next year yet?dont they normanly announce it at thr shows

[Big Benny HG]

Is the Grado stuff with Al Snow from Glasgow actually going to air on Impact, or was it just done for the house?

[PowerButchi]

They had him with Galloway in GLasgow, so that's gotta air. Dunno about his appearances in London and Machester though. Him and the Wolves twatting MVP definitely sounds like "Pop the live crowd" stuff though.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I like MVP, Joe, Low Ki and Kenny King. Their matching wooly hats and trackies make them a favourite of mine. The name Beat Down Clan is definitely one of the worst names ever, though.

[Benno]

I really enjoyed them at the Manchester tapings, although they did get a bit stale at about the 87th time they came out, which is typical for your TNA heel stables at those double tapings.

 

Love Kenny King as the mouthy one of the group and Gangster Low-Ki is always my favourite kind of Low Ki. Would love to see him and Joe as a tag team just battering people in their wooly hats.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Benno

[PowerButchi]

Matching trackies really make a crew, don't they? Team Angle were gash without theirs, and TNA's only two good stables in Team Canada and MEM had matching Aribas on. 

 

EDIT: I think British Invasion had swish trackie jackets at one time too. Again, Good team.

 

Shellsuits don't make the team, but they make the team better.

Edited February 5, 2015 by PowerButchi

[mim731]

World Elite had some pretty swish tracksuits if I remember rightly. 

[Jon-Carr_92]

Aces & Eights had the biker gang thing going on. I saw a guy at Manchester Fan InterAction actually had one of the replica ones they sold. They ran out of steam after a while though.

[Ant]

Last year people on here were saying that now the Hydro was open they'd get massive attendances for all shows and even sell out Smackdown. I think TNA, ok granted it's TNA, doing only about 1,500 (which may well have some paper, a friend got free tickets for Manchester due to being an ex serviceman) which will only decline as the new arena smell wears off even more next year, proves WWE right to stay in Manchester, Liverpool, Brum.

I disagree, but the only way we'll find out is if they do hold takings in Glasgow. I'd be surprised if it wasn't on the short list based on the good reviews the arena receives from punters and acts.

 

Surely it wouldn't do as bad as Liverpool Smackdown tapings.

Last year people on here were saying that now the Hydro was open they'd get massive attendances for all shows and even sell out Smackdown. I think TNA, ok granted it's TNA, doing only about 1,500 (which may well have some paper, a friend got free tickets for Manchester due to being an ex serviceman) which will only decline as the new arena smell wears off even more next year, proves WWE right to stay in Manchester, Liverpool, Brum.

I disagree, but the only way we'll find out is if they do hold takings in Glasgow. I'd be surprised if it wasn't on the short list based on the good reviews the arena receives from punters and acts.

 

Surely it wouldn't do as bad as Liverpool Smackdown tapings.