Christopher Daniels On Difficulties Of TNA Competing w/WWE, Defends Older Wrestlers

[womenwrestlerfan]

credit: lordsofpain.net

Promoting last week's live episode of Impact at the the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago, Illinois, Christopher Daniels spoke to RedEyeChicago.com, where "The Fallen Angel" discussed the difficulties of TNA competing with WWE.

"The truth of the matter is sometimes it's hard to be different from the WWE when you're trying to gain those same viewers," said Daniels. "Sometimes there's a tendency to sort of follow in the footsteps of the WWE. And so it's sort of a fine line where you want to be recognizable as professional wrestling but you also want to set yourself apart from what some people consider the standard of professional wrestling, which is the WWE.

"I think the challenge for us as individuals is [to] try to stand out," he said. "Try to get people talking. Try to get that word of mouth out about our product. Not just ourselves but the entire roster as a whole. Trying to get people talking about the differences in our talent. The differences in terms of the stories we're telling in the ring. Trying to get some buzz about the things that we're doing."

Battle-hardened veterans have been a staple of TNA dating back to the promotion's inception in 2002. Daniels, who is 42-years-old, defended older wrestlers being placed in the spotlight.

"You see someone like Kurt Angle, who has had immeasurable success in professional wrestling as a whole, going out there and doing his best to try and make people aware of the product—you can't help but give 110 percent in that same respect," Daniels said.

[Mr. Tambourine Man]

Well my personal opinion on TNA competing with WWE is that all these things like word of mouth and being different are important, but where TNA has dropped the ball all these years was simply presenting a TV show that a person with a basic IQ could follow. It wasn't until maybe mid 2011 or early 2012 (which I believe is when Vince Russo left) that the TNA product turned around.

If you look at all the opportunities TNA had to get some buzz, like when Christian, Sting, Angle, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Scott Steiner, DDP, Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, etc. all joined the show there's no reason why their ratings and PPV buys couldn't have grown. Except, that no matter how great a job you do marketing and building your roster, the new viewers need to be able to follow the stories. If not, they will move on