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Do you think when TNA tried to move to Monday nights was the downfall of the company?

3K views 35 replies 31 participants last post by  Billy8383 
#1 ·
I think they got humbled so fast, they moved back to thursday 2 months later.

that must have cost them so much cash, and ever since then it's just gone downhill.

i will always love TNA, but if i could go back in time i would tell dixie that they are no where near ready to challenge raw.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

It was in retrospect but what a lot of people don't realize is that TNA had A LOT of momentum going after that January 4th show. They had signed Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy and had Mr Anderson waiting in the wings to debut a few weeks later on PPV. Flair, Hardy and Anderson were all fresh out of WWE with Flair having had the great send off and Hardy having his best year in 2008 and 2009 winning the World Heavyweight Title and WWE Title 3 times. Hogan of course hadn't been seen on national TV in a while so it was all very exciting and everybody (Including ex wrestlers and staff) had high hopes for TNA.

With that in mind I understand why they did it to an extent. As a fan of TNA back then I wasn't expecting them to win the war but I was thinking they could possibly stay there on Monday's and get a decent little fan base there. Obviously I was wrong but so were a lot of fans around the world and so were TNA staff.

So yes, it hurt them but I don't think it was their true downfall. Their true downfall was last year when they went on the road and blew millions of dollars before returning to Orlando with their tails in between their legs and had to let go of almost all of their top stars because they couldn't afford them anymore.
 
#7 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

Signing Hogan was..
No it wasn't. Hogan opened up doors of opportunity for TNA that would have never happened if it wasn't for him.

If TNA had a solid product in 2010 then the move would not have been such a failure. Instead it turned out to be one of TNA's worse years ever because the booking was horrendous and legit comedy.

Like others said, losing money on the road and BUDGET CUTS was the true downfall.
 
#6 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

Yea going on the road was very damaging to them. I wouldn't be surprised if Hogan leaving had a lot to do with it, not cause of the how he is paid but because it was he and Bischoff's decision and Hogan prefered to bail rather than taking the blame for the screw ups.

But I think coming out of January 4, it's unreal to see how the stars they were going after and there was energy and exitement in this company. If we put going on Mondays aside, part of it is I think they failed to to use the momentum to create something positive for the company. I mean Ric Flair in your company can help you a lot. There's never a doll moment with him. But they didn't use him well, probably overused him. The whole "is Hogan a face or a heel" stuff wasn't the best strategy. AJ Styles losing the belt to RVD was a slap in the face of the company and TNA fans. Hell AJ vs RVD should have used a good built up too, given that it was a dream match.
 
#8 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

If it was TNA of 2012 then it wouldn't have been as bad newish stars on the rise Roode was brilliant AA winning the belt Gut Check was good and if it was on the road it would of helped as well unfortunately it was nothing like this and it failed dramatically.
 
#9 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

i am still baffled why they thought running impact during wrestlemania season was a good idea or why running monday night in general (the most competitive night on tv).

what exactly were the expectations come september when you had to go head to head with raw and monday night football
 
#12 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

It wasn't so much the move it was more that there didn't see to be a plan to follow up on it.
Storylines floundering about, a bit of a mess. Look at the segment with bischoff, hall, nash, waltman, hogan from that show...Fuck thats the nwo in the ring, if you're going to go that route have a proper plan worked out. All seemed totally on the fly week to week. Also were hogan/bischoff supposed to be faces or heels? nobody really knew. What was Hogans role? don't think he was even GM at that stage was here.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

It wasn't so much the move it was more that there didn't see to be a plan to follow up on it.
Storylines floundering about, a bit of a mess. Look at the segment with bischoff, hall, nash, waltman, hogan from that show...Fuck thats the nwo in the ring, if you're going to go that route have a proper plan worked out. All seemed totally on the fly week to week. Also were hogan/bischoff supposed to be faces or heels? nobody really knew. What was Hogans role? don't think he was even GM at that stage was here.
I think more than a few people probably disagree with me but if as a promotion you decide to use the past like this, to feed on the Monday Night War and talk about old talent and bring in the nWo members and Hogan, well then don't turn around the edge, JUST DO THAT. DO THE NWO. I mean Immortal was another thing where Hulk and Co wanted to create another nWo and had Hardy do a heel turn. People don't want a half-ass rethread. If you want to make money with the nWo, THEN DO THAT. Hell during their UK tour recently they were thundred of nWo t-shirts in the crowd still. I still think a company could make money from nostalgia, esp. from the thousands of WCW fans.

Instead, the first show they had Hogan show up with a nWo-like music, he meets the former nWo guys and the swerve was no he's a good guy this time! All the nWo' fans arms dropped in disappointment. Instead Hogan should have showed up in red and yellow with the music he used in the WCW at the beginning(sort of the new take on "Real American"). He shows up, meets with Dixie Carter in the ring smiling and all. Saying it's good to be back. Then you do a big angle that night WITH A BIG SWERVE. Where he turns heel and is joined by his former nWo friends. And they could have used the Wolfpac name and music from then on. Again it's not something dirt sheets would have liked but that's what WCW/nWo fans would have liked IF YOUR GOAL IS TO DRAW ON THESE FANS.

Here's what they could have done:

1. Hulk comes in, he's patriotic, he's red and yellow, he has an entourage and American made is played. Gives a good speach in the ring with Dixie Carter. Then you hear JJ's music played and he's pissed and pushes Dixie, he said "you took the company from me and gave it to this con man!". Much chaos in the ring. End segment.

2. Kevin Nash was essentialy Eric Young's bodyguard at the time in the World Elite group. EY was the Global title champion. British Invasion were tag champs yet, their pal Nash had just won the tag team contendership case at Feast or Fired.

3. Have Nash surrendering his tag team contendership case "as good gesture" for his World Elite friends.

4. Then during the show, we see Eric Bischoff for the first time on the big screen. That would have given probably a decent pop. He would say that since he will be TNA's co-Vice President with Hulk, he has decisions control and his first decision is to have the tag team case being decided in a match where the cases will be suspended and the participants will be Beer Money and Team 3-D. During the match, a dark-claded masked man comes in and cost Team 3-D the case. Beer Money gets title shot. BMI seems perplex.

5. Last match on the show is Eric Young, British Invasion against MCMG and Jeff Jarrett. Match ends in chaos as The whole World Elite group(except for Nash) attack JJ and the MCMG, giving them a beat down. Then you hear the Hogan music and he and Beer Money come to save JJ and MCMG, they clear the ring. Hogan and JJ shake hands afterwards.

--------------------

Next week:

-Epic match between World Elite and Hogan Booked.

-Hogan and Beer Money vs Eric Young and British Invasion.

-All the titles are on the line. Meaning the guy that gets pined, if he has a title, he loses it. During the match the other World Elite guys come in to do interference. Rob Terry and LAX comes in but Steiner comes in and Hall and Syxx comes from the crowd and there's a fight between all six guys around the ring. Nash doesn't know what to do, he gets to the side of the ring, pulls out an electric stick and touch EY and BI with it when the ref doesn't see it! Roode gives Williams a spine-buster, Storm gives Magnus a super-kick, and Hogan gives EY the big boot, then the leg drop and the three guys are counted 1-2-3! Beer Money are tag champs, Hogan is Global Champ. Nash then hit the other World Elite members with a chair to help Steiner, Syxx and Hall. A nWo-like group is formed with the former nWo members + Beer Money.

-Dixie would be in the crowd in tears.

---------------

In the weeks to follow:

-You could have Hogan bragging that the Global title "is better than the TNA World title".

-EY could go on a leave of absence(for him to return as the goofy face that we love).

-JJ would realise that Hogan really screwed his company over. He could meet the World Elite members, saying to them if they need help "i'm there".

-As World champ, AJ could be the leader of the faces(instead of turning heel with Flair). And they could play on Hogan being a fake champ and AJ being the real World champ. You could see AJ facing various guys of the new heel group whether it's Pac, Steiner and so forth. I guess you could add guys in the group for AJ to face such as Desmond Wolfe and Morgan.

The End Game could be Hogan putting AJ over at BFG, uniting the two titles.
 
#13 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

The downfall started in 2007 when they started to get too happy with signing "big name" guys. And TNA has always had a marketing problem.
 
#15 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

TNA deciding to move Impact at that specific time didn't help anything. This was the start of Wrestlemania season in the WWE basically, so TNA was going to have a tough time regardless going head to head with the WWE on Mondays at that time of year. I never agreed with Impact moving to Mondays anyways, they should have always stuck to Thursdays. Just another move that they tried, and found out failed, much like going on the road full time was a move they tried, and found out failed.

Hey I will say this, at least TNA was attempting new moves and seeing how they would work out. Perhaps doing a bit of research beforehand, or something like that, would have been a good idea. The downfall of TNA, in my opinion, was last year when they decided to take Impact on the road full time. However, they are doing pretty well now, and things seem to be improving slowly.
 
#23 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

Do we think in a few years when tna builds all the money back up there is a chance of them trying Monday nights again ?
I would hope not, the only way it would work is if TNA were responsible for some kind of wrestling boom and people just flocked to them because they had an amazing original idea that worked on every level and talent started jumping to them.

The likelihood of that is very very low and I'd suggest that WWE or even ROH have a better chance of setting the world on fire then TNA.
 
#17 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

They just jumped rather than testing the waters with something like a one-time PPV style special first. Even doing that they needed to avoid WWE's peak times like WM season. I still don't see TNA ever competing with WWE at any time on any level except maybe story-wise if they get a real booker.

The thing TNA fails to see is that people who want WWE style are satisfied with multiple hours of WWE each week. They needed to go in their own direction and build their own following.
 
#18 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

The company is in downfall? Thats news to me. Still seems to get roughly the same ratings as it did pre move to Monday nights. Realistically, it's just ticking along and hasn't really had any major highs or lows as far as a business goes.
 
#20 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

I don't think Hogan was the company's downfall.

I firmly believe they fell off after re-hiring Vince Russo in September 2006. That was an appaling decision.
 
#21 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

"The downfall of TNA". I've seen this crap so many times I'm starting to wish the company goes under so that we could talk about other things.

Besides perhaps damaging their relationship with Spike, TNA lost about zero dollars by trying monday nights... unlike their tour where they were indeed paying a lot of money by doing weekly live shows.
 
#24 ·
Re: Do you think when TNA tried to move to Monday nights was the downfall of the comp

I'm not sure about "the downfall," but the move to Monday nights was probably the biggest setback they've ever had. It effectively killed all the momentum they'd gained up to that point, and it was a good while before they recovered.
 
#25 ·
Re: Do you think when TNA tried to move to Monday nights was the downfall of the comp

It was a bad move, but if they were going to take that leap they should have waited to see where they stood as a company first, Hogan and Sleazy E had just arrived and they had no idea where they we're headed creatively so they were putting a jumbled mess up against RAW.
 
#26 ·
Re: Do you think when TNA tried to move to Monday nights was the downfall of the comp

IMO changing the time of Impact from 9 PM to 8 PM had more of an effect than changing to Monday nights. for awhile the first hour at that point was always way down compared to the 2nd hour/regular starting time.

ratings are a ridiculous way to judge/value the show. people always seem to say TNA had rating "X" and don't include what time period it was whether it was the Monday switch or the time change switch.

going on the road was not really a bad decision. getting away from the Impact Zone was a good decision, they just picked terrible places to go.
 
#27 ·
Re: Do you think when TNA tried to move to Monday nights was the downfall of the comp

going on the road was not really a bad decision. getting away from the Impact Zone was a good decision, they just picked terrible places to go.
How so? I think they hit their popular areas during that time and couldn't do over 3000 most nights.

TNA should have only left the Impact Zone if they were confident of regularly getting x amount of fans through the door. Impact Zone is a pretty sweet deal so why leave unless you know you can make money week to week on the road?
 
#28 ·
Re: do you think when TNA tried to move to monday nights was the downfall of the comp

It was a fine example of the disastrous decisions which were made in that era.

People tend to forget that there was a lot of optimism about the company at that time, though. They had an influx of stars, and people on these very forums were going on about how TNA would rise to ratings of 2 in months.

The problem was that the first show of their new era was an utter trainwreck and things didn't pick up from there.

Going to Mondays wasn't the cause of the downfall - they'd already lost pretty much all the additional ratings in just a few weeks. Going to mondays just highlighted the failure, and the lack of awareness at the company (and among some fans; it would be hilarious to revisit posts from that time).
 
#29 ·
Re: Do you think when TNA tried to move to Monday nights was the downfall of the comp

Signing Hogan was not a bad decision, but thinking he was bigger than he was and still as big a draw as he was in the 80s and 90s was foolish. They shouldn't have expected to compete with the WWE just because they had a legend who doesn't wrestle any more on the roster.

If they had signed John Cena at the time(or Punk in 2011 or Bryan in 2014) then maybe they could challenge raw, but a non-wrestling legend, no.
 
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