[Xiphias]

I'm more on the WWE side of the fence, but I want TNA do succeed to make the whole wrestling business healthier as a whole. Increased competition = less laziness by creative writers = better product for all the fans. So as a casual fan here are some of my thoughts about TNA's product. Feel free to add to this / argue against or whatever.

- Get impact out of the damn impact zone. This means you have families attending universal studios who aren't into TNA/wrestling and don't give a crap. Bad audience = bad atmosphere for the show. Apparently this will happen (not sure if it's a one-off or not) in February. A step in the right direction.

- Stop elevating WWE rejects over original TNA stars. To me this is not only an absolute cop-out for a cheap attempt at better ratings, but it's basically implying that TNA originals who gotten over and stuck it out since the beginning are lower on the scale than ex-WWE wrestlers. To me this is TNA basically admitting defeat and that it's the lesser brand. Here's a thought: bring the ex-WWE people in and let them have their asses handed to them for a few months. WWE did this to the ex-WCW wrestlers (too much perhaps) as a way of saying "We're the WWE. Get to the back of the cue, bitches". TNA needs to do this to bring credibility to their brand.

- The X-Division. I have no problem with Jay Lethal / Robbie (I quite like his gimmick actually), but didn't there use to be a bigger division which had fantastic gimmick matches that everyone loved watching? Where the fuck has the X-Division gone?

- Bischoff & Hogan. Hogan is a cripple who's (currently not) there for the paycheck, and who didn't even mention TNA once when he did media appearances!? (just another reason nobody's watching), and Bischoff clearly doesn't give a shit about what he's saying whenever he talks. He's not a draw and has absolutely no fucking point being there. Ric Flair is awesome, however. Despite his failed retirement due to various issues he's a true wrestling business professional. The other 2 hacks on the other hand...

- Advertising: Where the fuck is it? Nobody knowing about TNA = Nobody watching TNA.

- Knockouts. A short while ago (2009 and before) everyone was raving about how much better the Knockouts were in TNA than the WWE. It doesn't seem that way anymore. TNA needs to roll the clock back and work out how to get back the previous formula which worked so well (as with the x-division).

- Tag teams. MCMG is great, Gen Me is okay (though why the fuck were they heels? Are they anymore?), and Beer Money kicks ass. But doesn't an entire division need more than 3 teams? Oh and the Knockout tag teams? lol.

- The Dudleys. For the love of God, put them out to pasture and give some youngsters e.g. Desmond Wolfe more air-time.

- The Pope. Wasn't this guy heaps over before? Wasn't he meant to be "fighting the good fight"? All of a sudden you have a guy who kicked ass and dropped money from the ceiling on some wierd non-wrestling 'give money to the children' angle? This is the same guy who was a few weeks beforehand putting notes down a stripper's clothes at a strip club. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?


I haven't watched the latest impact so I don't know how things have been this week. But Jeff Jarrett and his MMA thing = win and actually gets the crowd involved. Good stuff. TNA needs more of this.

 

[BORT]

How about fire Dixie.

 

[Xiphias]

How about fire Russo.

fixed

 

[BORT]

How about fire Dixie.

fixed

Fixed. Trust me DIXIE is the real problem not Russo. She is the only reason Russo has a job.

 

[Boom Baby]

Fixed. Trust me DIXIE is the real problem not Russo. She is the only reason Russo has a job.

Dixie is the reason TNA still exists. + She's a mark. Only a mark is going to sign Desmond(great but health problems)/PAC(she wanted to sign him)/GenMe. The list goes on.

 

[heyman deciple]

Fixed. Trust me DIXIE is the real problem not Russo. She is the only reason Russo has a job.

Yeah but saying fire Dixie is like saying fire Stephaniie McMahon; it's just not ever going to happen for obvious reasons.

Dixie would be better served to take a step back and let a wrestling person take the lead, preferably someone who didn't backrupt and kill another wrestling promotion; which serverly limits the list.

 

[Cerbs]

Dixie would be better served to take a step back and let a wrestling person take the lead, preferably someone who didn't backrupt and kill another wrestling promotion; which serverly limits the list.

That's exactly what she did.

 

[geraldinhio]

Logical booking and longtime storylines and planning for the future with a better business plan is the main way to improve TNA.

 

[BORT]

Dixie is the reason TNA still exists. + She's a mark. Only a mark is going to sign Desmond(great but health problems)/PAC(she wanted to sign him)/GenMe. The list goes on.

No her FATHER is. Dixie is merely what Eric Bishoff was to Ted Turner....an idiot with access to the bosses wallet.

Yeah but saying fire Dixie is like saying fire Stephaniie McMahon; it's just not ever going to happen for obvious reasons.

Dixie would be better served to take a step back and let a wrestling person take the lead, preferably someone who didn't backrupt and kill another wrestling promotion; which serverly limits the list.

It still doesn't change the fact the SHE is the problem. Whether she can be fired or not. I mean NONE of these cancers would be in the company if it wasn't for her and her blatant ignorance about the business. If Dixie was more like Vince and ran with an Iron Fist we would've seen idiots like Russo fired a long time ago.

 

[phatbob426]

Dixie is the reason TNA still exists. + She's a mark. Only a mark is going to sign Desmond(great but health problems)/PAC(she wanted to sign him)/GenMe. The list goes on.

Hey man, say what you will about GenMe, but the cougar gimmick with Tara is one of the most entertaining gimmicks in TNA. If TNA could find another big muscular goofy guy to do the Jersey gimmick with Robbie E and have those two dudes feud with GenMe, I think that'd be really entertaining. They could show one of the Jersey dudes hitting on Tara backstage and then GenMe walks in and it's on. It could even open the door for a Tara/Cookie feud, which could provide for some really entertaining shoots if done correctly.

They could even incorporate Jersey Shore's Angelina, supposedly coming to TNA, and have the Jersey girls, Angelina and Cookie, feud with TBP after the Jersey dudes were caught hitting on TBP by the Jersey girls.

Just a couple ways I think TNA could capitalize on the talent already on the roster without having to really change the characters they've already got going.

There's so many potential entertaining angles TNA has on the table with guys like GenMe and Robbie E/Cookie. In my opinion, the cougar gimmick vs the Shore gimmick could easily be one of the most entertaining feuds ever in wrestling, if done correctly.

 

[peowulf]

I was gonna say bring back Scott Steiner, but hey, my prayers have been answered!

 

[geraldinhio]

Honestly why do people mark for Steiner so much?If anything he's gonna hinder the product ,he's over the hill like half the roster.That being said he is funny sometimes(don't think he means to be ) and has a far better work rate than some of the older wrestlers.

 

[Freelancer]

Theres alot they could do.

The main thing in my book is the obvious, show Russo the door. His clusterfuck style of booking diddnt work 10 years ago at WCW, and its just as bad now.

Create and develop your own talent, don't rely on the WWE rejects.

Hogan and Bischoff can go as well. This isn't the 90's anymore. Well I guess it is according to TNA seeing as how they just did an ECW angle.

 

[SHIRLEY]

- Get impact out of the damn impact zone.

Would be a terrible business decision. Using the IZ is cost-effective and there is no proven market for going on the road every week, or even as a one-off tbh.

Nobody knowing about TNA = Nobody watching TNA.

History has proven that more than enough people know about TNA. They just don't think it's worth watching. Viewership was 50% higher than it is now, at one stage. PPV buys were 80% higher, at their peak. Those lost people just don't like the product.

- The Pope.

He's a midcarder for life. There's only so much you can do with a guy like him.

He's trapped in a limbo of being a junior heavyweight sized guy, who has been trained to wrestle like a generic heavyweight. This is the problem with a lot of former OVW guys, they were factory-build to be heavyweight midcarders. If WWE has rejected them it's because they weren't good enough for WWE's own midcard.

Of course Pope has an over gimmick, and some personality, but Matt Hardy was way over in WWE for years but it still never meant that he was a worthy main eventer. Tommy Dreamer was always pretty over but he was still a jobber. It takes more than overness, to be a top guy.

 

[faceface]

Lots of fresh ideas, then.

 

[Tha_Frost]

Get rid of the television title and put more focus on building talent through the x division like the good old days. I dont want to be all nostalgic about the past in TNA, but they had a great system with the x-division. That division was so unique in the early years of the division and sort of reminded me of the old cruiserweight division of WCW...but even better. Instead nowadays we get zero build on iMPACT for x division fueds even though TNA knows that their x division guys can and will deliver, week in week out.

Throw all the younger guys into that division and watch them shine TNA, if you insist on keeping the veterans in the main event picture for the time being. Lethal Vs Kaz in a proper built up fued would let these two guys shine.

It brings a tear to my eye knowing that guys like Austin aries, Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, Senshi and Christopher Daniels have all moved on from TNA because these guys made TNA exciting and fresh just as much as the AJ's and Samoa Joes did with their era of x division.

 

[Kim41]

For me the main problem with TNA is that I just can not get into it. I don't know what it is. I always liked watching all wrestling shows but I just can not get interested in TNA. It is not the wrestlers because they have such good talent.

The only solution I can offer is what everyone else said. Start useing your own talent more. I can see using big name stars for ratings but they can not ignore everyone else. Start building up their own younger guys more. And stop hiring people when you don't use the people you have right. Put the focus back on the X division again too.

 

[PauseMenuNotWanted]

Here's a few hints, see where they are leading to:

 

[Mr.King]

Sign The Briscoes. TNA should have tried to do this long time ago!

 

[HunterTN]

- Getting out of the Impact Zone would only be beneficial if they know they will draw crowds. House shows prove they can't yet. The only light at the the end of this tunnel is that when people realize Flair, Hardy, RVD, Styles, etc. will be there it would be a better turn out.

- Firing Dixie.. ehh, I think she should stay. She seems to have a secure financial backing (but none of us really know, no matter how many act like they do). Russo is the problem. I cannot for the life of me figure out WHY THE FUCK he should be there. He sucks so bad... GAHHH!!

- Focusing on the younger talent would be better in this order:

Step 1: Increase viewership by bringing in vets, ex-WWE talent, etc.
Step 2: Place the primary focus on the older guys, established stars. Have them dominate for awhile.
Step 3: Slowly have them succumb to the youth's energy, athleticism.
Step 4: Slowly weed out the ones who for sure cannot cut it anymore. Keep the ones who can talk (Flair, Sting) and can mentor.
Step 5: Elevate the young guys to the moon by booking them to WIN.

See, you have to transition like that. It's just exactly what WWE did in the early 90's. You cannot make these guys stars without viewership. That's what the vets are for. Once viewership has increased enough THEN and only then you can turn the young guys into stars. Having this take place on such a small scale would leave would be viewers alienated on WHY these guys are stars. Everyone has to see them start winning and whatnot.