Big Changes Coming to TNA

[flame3169118]

Source: http://nodq.com/tna/356305025.shtml http://nodq.com/tna/356305106.shtml

Morale behind the scenes at Thursday's Impact Wrestling was great, with talent feeling better about the company's creative direction than they have in a long time.

TNA has been focusing on long-term booking as of late, mapping out creative plans several months in advance. Television scripts are being written weeks in advance, with tweaks being made when necessary.

As previously reported, TNA's announcement that Lockdown is being moved from April to March is a result of the company cutting back on the number of pay-per-views and breaking from the monthly-PPV format.

The latest on this situation is that February's Against All Odds pay-per-view has been scratched, so TNA will have Genesis in January and then Lockdown in March.

It's believed that TNA will remove more pay-per-views from the calendar as well. No word on whether TNA reducing the frequency of their pay-per-views will result in a price increase for the remaining shows.

[jtpickens]

Good move it'll give them enough time to build up feuds and matches as well as quality ppvs plus the fans will be more excited about them if there were only a handfull of them in contrast to one every month.

[Mighty Boosh]

Something that people on the forum suggested is actually being done! My God that is a big change!

They need to improve the PPV's now though, since they're no longer going for quantity over quality like WWE. TNA always provide great matches but often the matches on paper aren't that impressive, they're not must see. They'll also have to stop announcing/booking matches at the last minute. They definetley have to improve Bound For Glory, they've never been able to get the big PPV right and that will show even more with less PPV's.

Not that this isn't a good thing, it will force them to really look at the PPV's and book them strongly and it can really improve the product. They need to put the work in though this is no time to rest on your laurels, they need to start pushing forward and putting on PPV's that WWE to shame. But for that they need to work their asses off.

[The Indy Junkie]

Let me get this straight the big change announcement was actually about a real change? This could be interesting. And makes the BFGS interesting even with the length. So let's see if the breakdown will work it, which will stay and which will go?

[flame3169118]

UPDATE: http://nodq.com/tna/356341032.shtml

TNA is dropping September's No Surrender pay-per-view in according to Wrestling Observer. This move will allow a two month build up leading into TNA's biggest event of the year, Bound for Glory. Earlier today we reported Against All Odds would be removed as well.

[The Indy Junkie]

UPDATE: http://nodq.com/tna/356341032.shtml

TNA is dropping September's No Surrender pay-per-view in according to Wrestling Observer. This move will allow a two month build up leading into TNA's biggest event of the year, Bound for Glory. Earlier today we reported Against All Odds would be removed as well.

So either this mean BFGS will be over by HJ or at a super show before the event

[The Indy Junkie]

I came to a theory the other day. Ic no one has come to the same theory or they just don't want to say it, so as usual it falls to the Junkie to make the counter point. What if TNA is doing this solely to fix financial troubles that they are having? Could this be the sign that TNA is in trouble?

[Shockage]

Dixie Carter's been saying for the last year that she's been wanting to cut back on ppvs. It only looks like TNA are finally executing the plan. Also in the last few weeks they've announced sponsorship deals with two other cmopanies. Not to mention that they've resigned Velvet Sky and Eric Young to new deals.

[WWE Gary]

Hope that WWE learns a thing or two from this . They now have Raw on for three hours , plus Smackdown and they've just added a new show recently . Then you got at least twelve PPVs on top of that . In my opinion......go back to the big five . No wonder wrestlers are regulary out injured . These guys must be really burnt out .....in fact the fans are too .

[The Indy Junkie]

Dixie Carter's been saying for the last year that she's been wanting to cut back on ppvs. It only looks like TNA are finally executing the plan. Also in the last few weeks they've announced sponsorship deals with two other cmopanies. Not to mention that they've resigned Velvet Sky and Eric Young to new deals.

Again the TNA teet suckler defends. Last year huh? Well the last two years have been hitting TNA hard. Maybe it is not want it is need. They have been doing these monthly PPVs for years, what changed all of a sudden? Could it be money? Sponsorship deals let me guess the insurance place is calling quits? Again this could be seen as a need for more money. Resigned Velvet and Eric? Is this supposed to impress me? Its not like we are talking the best of the world we are talking TNA's glorified clown and the pretty girl they did nothing with for a long time. This is hardly inspiration to defer the thought TNA maybe in financial trouble.

[Shockage]

I know what to buy you for Christmas, a box of tampons for every time you have a period for asking a question and getting the answers that you didn't want to hear.

[The Indy Junkie]

I know what to buy you for Christmas, a box of tampons for every time you have a period for asking a question and getting the answers that you didn't want to hear.

No what you need to do is give an answer that shuts me up. Thus far you fail almost every time we have this exchange. Then you go about mike some off comment and walk away thinking you said something smart like George W. Bush would do.

[Shockage]

I don't need to give an answer to someone who won't go and to his own research, rather he would speculate/fantasize over TNA losing sponsorship from Direct Auto. Go look up the Dixie Carter interviews where she's said in the last year or so that she wants to do less ppvs or the business deal that TNA struck up with a Mexican channel to get their shows and ppvs broadcasted on their network, or the lottery company that TNA is partnering with thwere TNA wrestlers will get national exposure through their images being shown on their lottery tickets. What it all leads to is advertisement, something that TNA lacks in but are slowly getting into. Their ppv and ratings troubles comes down to bad advertising which also leads to no awareness from the casual fan. It has absolutely no resemblence on what many minjes are calling a bad product. You would've known this if you weren't such a mongering hater.

[The Indy Junkie]

I don't need to give an answer to someone who won't go and to his own research, rather he would speculate/fantasize over TNA losing sponsorship from Direct Auto. Go look up the Dixie Carter interviews where she's said in the last year or so that she wants to do less ppvs or the business deal that TNA struck up with a Mexican channel to get their shows and ppvs broadcasted on their network, or the lottery company that TNA is partnering with thwere TNA wrestlers will get national exposure through their images being shown on their lottery tickets. What it all leads to is advertisement, something that TNA lacks in but are slowly getting into. Their ppv and ratings troubles comes down to bad advertising which also leads to no awareness from the casual fan. It has absolutely no resemblence on what many minjes are calling a bad product. You would've known this if you weren't such a mongering hater.

Ok sarcasm fails again. The Direct Auto was a sarcastic comment. She is wanting to go 6-8 I know, but your defending only the reason's that are stated. You think they would openly say "We are struggling?" I don't know a single wrestling company that wasn't booking shows and making deals to its final day, also haven't seen one that closed that cut back on shows before it did. You're arguing that a Mexican Channel and Lottery tickets are not signs of struggling? Why, because Mexico is the hardest country to get a TV deal with? I am sure it is not. I am sure American money was the best incentive. Also have you taken a look at the lottery tickets? It's not just money, it's PPV and impact tickets, meeting TNA stars, cameo's on PPV of all things. Because we all know those who buy lottery scratchers want nothing more than to travel to Florida to watch Pro wrestling. And under consideration anyone can walk in off the street to attend iMPACT without paying the only change for that one is to meet TNA stars and considering Dixie already has made the offer in the dumbest manner possible that is not really a win. In terms of wrestling I agree one of the best products on the market, in storyline the show fails frequently especially this last year.

[Mr. Tambourine Man]

In terms of wrestling I agree one of the best products on the market, in storyline the show fails frequently especially this last year.

Not gonna argue with any of your other comments but are you saying that the TNA story-lines this year have been at all worse than TNA story-lines were before this year?

[The Indy Junkie]

Not gonna argue with any of your other comments but are you saying that the TNA story-lines this year have been at all worse than TNA story-lines were before this year?

based on the frequency of them, the lack of closure and proper pay-off, pretty dang close. If you can correct me I welcome it.

[Mr. Tambourine Man]

In my opinion this has been the best year for them as far as storylines are concerned simply because a person can actually watch an episode of impact without having to break their head trying to figure out what is going on.

I remember years back when there was a storyline involving Team 3D and the X division, where Team 3D and Johnny Devine stole the X title, and there was a match on impact for POSSESSION of the title. Not a match to crown the champion, but just an opportunity for Jay Lethal to be able to wear his belt again and if Devine won he would still not even be champion, just the guy carrying the belt around.

I remember when Christian and Kurt Angle were feuding with eachother and Tomko/AJ Styles were in the middle. AJ Styles was the focal point of the story as the guy everyone wanted on their side, yet he was literally hiding in his grandmothers house, scared out of his mind. The thing made no sense at all.

Compare Joseph Parks booking to Chris Park/Abyss booking and it is miles apart. I mean Abyss do you remember when TNA was hyping him up as this big monster, and he actually shrieked at the sight of Dustin Rhode's pet mouse? Or when Hulk Hogan's WWE Hall of Fame ring gave him magical powers? Compare that to the guy who is evolving into a wrestler but has remained pretty much the same lovable guy from day 1 he walked onto the impact zone looking for his brother.

Samoa Joe for a long time was this geek who trusted Kurt Angle multiple times and got screwed over every time to the point where he just looked like the worlds biggest idiot. Compare that to Joe today, who is probably beyond economical repair but at least he is not looking like a goof.

And these are just things that come to my mind right now, there was seriously something like this that would bother me at least twice a show every week up until the last year and a half. They would literally contradict themselves from one segment to the next on the same episode of impact. Even dumb things like the GM saying interference was illegal in one match and then the very next match guys would run in and nothing would happen. Or two guys being shown LIVE in location X and the next segment being shown in location Y. You could sit with a pen and paper in your hands and keep note of everything, yet still be confused.

[The Indy Junkie]

Valid points, let me see in time if I can try to be as valid.

[balfrey]

Hopefully, TNA can build their younger talent up, promote their talent effectively, build stronger feuds, and possibly write the shows even better. Although their shows have seem to gotten better, I still see them lacking consistency.

[Veritas]

Holy crap, there's a report out that TNA is making and changes and *gasp* they're actually MAKING CHANGES?!! I am shocked? I am flabbergasted! I am....still not interested. TNA right now is in the shape WCW was in 2000 in that they've done so much wrong for so long that it doesn't matter what they do, who they bring in, or what creative direction they take - they've crapped on their audience for years and it's going to take years to get the trust back.

Dropping PPVs is a smart move for them. Firing Vince Russo was a brilliant move for them. They have a great roster (talent wise, I'd put them on par if not slightly ahead of WWE). But they also still have two used up warhorses in the stable who already helped kill off one company - Hogan and Bischoff. I understand the value they THINK Hogan brings but, at this point, I think Sting is a more valuable commodity than Hogan. Sting is as big as Hogan in the US and has a certain international appeal, he's able to deliver in the ring (to a degree but that degree is still bigger than Hogan's) and most importantly he's ALWAYS been a team player - something Hogan's only learned to pretend he is in the last few years.

TNA is doing alot of things right - the stories make sense, the new guard is being pushed, they're bringing in more outside talent instead of relying on WWE castoffs, and they've developed a legitimate training camp. But in my opinion they still need to do one thing - cut ties with Bischoff and Hogan. They've gotten all the mileage they can get out of those two, it's time to put them out to pasture and focus on the talent that is actually earning the checks they cash.