The offical TNA thread - News, Spoilers and the rest...

Riddle101

the flananator wrote: »

When was this? TNA has an appalling live attendance record outside of the UK.

I remember last year they went on the road for a while, and they seemed to get some positive results. Then they decided to do it permanently.

There's no question that being in the Impact Zone was having a negative effect on the product. But taking TNA out of there without a solid financial plan was madness. It just wasn't viable. TNA Impact is a successful TV show. Like the Walking Dead, or Friends. It's one of the top TV shows on Spike. But as an overall wrestling company, its hugely unsuccessful. Their live touring, PPVs, video game etc. are all failures, usually financially, often critically.

I would have thought the plan was to go on the road, maybe visit the bigger cities and get more exposure, and hopefully make a profit. Thing haven't been working out but staying in the Impact Zone wasn't making them profits either.

As for the last bit you mentioned. They've only had one proper video game released, which was their very first and just didn't hold up to standard. I put that down to the fact, that the TNA game just can't compare to WWE's games which are better developed from years of experience. If TNA's game was a stand alone game, maybe it would have done better. The PPV industry is dying nowadays, thanks to people being able to stream PPVs online for free. Taking that into account, I wonder how many people are actually buying TNA PPVs or just streaming them for free. Also Impact might be one of the highest rated shows on Spike tv, but in general nobody really watches Spike tv. People have been saying that TNA needs to move to a different station because they don't get much exposure, but I don't know I don't live in the US so I don't know how it is over there personally.

Sting is reportedly on a fat money contract, as Scott Hall would say. Supposedly one of the sweetest deals in the business. Plus, they treat him like a legend in TNA, while for along time it was very unclear how he would be treated in WWE. He saw how they managed DDP, Goldberg etc. He is allowed to show up looking like crap in TNA and just wear a t-shirt in the ring, and no one says boo to him. He won't get away with that in WWE; he'll have to get in shape. I agree with you that there must be a big appeal to him to go to WWE, get the Hall of Fame treatment etc. and go out on a high. But there can be no question of just how comfy Sting has been in TNA for years, he's been very reluctant to leave. You'd think it would take something big to shake him. I'd say its a combination of things for him.

I think it's to do with the fact that he's planning on retiring and, maybe wants one last stint in WWE for the Hall of Fame deal. Maybe do one year in WWE, then retire for good. He's been talking to WWE for years, and he's spoken about how close he was to singing with them last time, so either he's lying or he really did consider leaving TNA in the past. But that would have been before these financial problem were reported. Doesn't make me think Sting wants to leave because of problems now though. I'm sure he's one of the guys who has a good contract.

Bringing in guys like TJ Perkins and Homicide can't be your example of "TNA doing just fine", surely? Williams etc. are on measly per night deals. They can only afford to bring in talents who WWE or Japan don't want, so they can pay them peanuts.

Who knows what their contracts are, but it can't be any worse then what the other people who were cut were getting. The Knockouts are paid per night as well, and they released three of them. Also those per night deals are not exclusive contracts, it allows those wrestler to wrestle on the indy scene too, not like WWE. So they work for TNA, but also get paid for appearances on the indy scene. But again, who knows what their deals are. Either way, TNA are still bringing in talent, and they seem to be able to keep an active roster too, so it can't be all bad. It's the ones who aren't worth keeping who are getting cut. Which isn't much a big deal to me anyway.

TNA used to get all the top indy names though. There was a perception that guys like Joe, Daniels etc. would be better off in TNA because WWE "Wouldn't know how to use them". But TNA has proven time and time again that in can't create stars, so if you are a young wrestler you are better off in WWE. But it doesn't have to be like this; if TNA could offer a worker like Devitt or Sami Callihan a competitive offer of pay for less dates (like WCW used to do), allow them to skip WWE's dreaded developmental system, and convince them that their talent wouldn't be squandered, there would be no reason TNA couldn't be competitive in snapping up top talent. But right now neither the will nor the finances seem to be there. It costs TNA $600,000 for one taping on the road. They could have signed Devitt for that.

TNA were able to sign talent that WWE didn't want, and wouldn't use. That's why guys like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels who did try out for WWE but never got in, ended up in TNA. Not to mention TNA had a deal with Ring of Honor back in the early 00s, which allowed them to use these guys while they worked for ROH. But like I said before, most wrestlers who get into the wrestling business aspire to be in WWE. That's why 9 times out of 10, most guys go to WWE. TNA have been fortunate in the past to snap some good talent like Styles, Joe, Daniels, Aries, Beer Money, Motor City Machineguns. Anyway, I don't know what else to say about that so i'll leave it at that.

TNA would have went bankrupt in 2002 if Panda didn't buy them, and would have went bankrupt many times since then if not for the Carters. Hell, they'd be going bankrupt NOW with this TV touring fiasco if it weren't for those mad hicks in Nashville. Its remarkable ECW was as successful as it was without any financial backing. At its height, ECW's PPVs got more buys and its live shows were better attended than TNA's are now. And the revenuesof the Rise and Fall DVD and ONS PPV are something TNA could only ever dream of.

I don't know what you're trying to prove here. I'm aware about TNA almost going bankrupt, mainly because of Jeff Jarrett if i'm not mistaken and Panda Energy saved it. People give Dixie Carter a pretty hard time despite her being a saving grace.

As for ECW, Vince McMahon invested money in ECW himself. Something that Paul Haymen would try to keep secret, or just didn't want to admit. But ECW was funded be WWE. I don't know how much to an extent but taking that into consideration. ECW did have it's financial backs as well. That being said, ECW was nothing more then a glorified indy promotion. I'm a fan of ECW myself, but that's how I see it. They just couldn't match WWE and WCW. TNA admittedly is kind've on the same level as ECW, but a little bit more above because they have national exposure and do have better financial backers. I guess if ECW had what TNA had, maybe they would still be around today, be a lot bigger then they were in the past. But ECW do have a better and bigger legacy then TNA does however. That's why it gets praised so much.

gnfnrhead

Machismo Fan wrote: »

And just for the record, the young company stuff is a load of nonsense. If TNA are a young company then Twitter is an infant. 11 years is a long time in business.

I can see the argument. Compared to WWE it is a toddler.

If you take Capitol as the start, after 11 years they had just formed WWWF. If you take WWWF as the start, after 11 years they were still just a territory.

Pretty pointless to compare them in that manner due to the vast time difference, but compared to WWE they are still young.

Jester252

GTR63 wrote: »

By landing them in the road do you mean the sh*t as when he joined they made some Stewart Downing level bad signings and this decision to go on the road full time was a rash decision.

As you said Dixie is getting pushed by others such as Spike TV, Hogan and Bischoff, regarding where to take TNA. The story is a repeat of WCW.

the flananator

Riddle101 wrote: »

I remember last year they went on the road for a while, and they seemed to get some positive results. Then they decided to do it permanently.



I would have thought the plan was to go on the road, maybe visit the bigger cities and get more exposure, and hopefully make a profit. Thing haven't been working out but staying in the Impact Zone wasn't making them profits either.

As for the last bit you mentioned. They've only had one proper video game released, which was their very first and just didn't hold up to standard. I put that down to the fact, that the TNA game just can't compare to WWE's games which are better developed from years of experience. If TNA's game was a stand alone game, maybe it would have done better. The PPV industry is dying nowadays, thanks to people being able to stream PPVs online for free. Taking that into account, I wonder how many people are actually buying TNA PPVs or just streaming them for free. Also Impact might be one of the highest rated shows on Spike tv, but in general nobody really watches Spike tv. People have been saying that TNA needs to move to a different station because they don't get much exposure, but I don't know I don't live in the US so I don't know how it is over there personally.



I think it's to do with the fact that he's planning on retiring and, maybe wants one last stint in WWE for the Hall of Fame deal. Maybe do one year in WWE, then retire for good. He's been talking to WWE for years, and he's spoken about how close he was to singing with them last time, so either he's lying or he really did consider leaving TNA in the past. But that would have been before these financial problem were reported. Doesn't make me think Sting wants to leave because of problems now though. I'm sure he's one of the guys who has a good contract.



Who knows what their contracts are, but it can't be any worse then what the other people who were cut were getting. The Knockouts are paid per night as well, and they released three of them. Also those per night deals are not exclusive contracts, it allows those wrestler to wrestle on the indy scene too, not like WWE. So they work for TNA, but also get paid for appearances on the indy scene. But again, who knows what their deals are. Either way, TNA are still bringing in talent, and they seem to be able to keep an active roster too, so it can't be all bad. It's the ones who aren't worth keeping who are getting cut. Which isn't much a big deal to me anyway.



TNA were able to sign talent that WWE didn't want, and wouldn't use. That's why guys like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels who did try out for WWE but never got in, ended up in TNA. Not to mention TNA had a deal with Ring of Honor back in the early 00s, which allowed them to use these guys while they worked for ROH. But like I said before, most wrestlers who get into the wrestling business aspire to be in WWE. That's why 9 times out of 10, most guys go to WWE. TNA have been fortunate in the past to snap some good talent like Styles, Joe, Daniels, Aries, Beer Money, Motor City Machineguns. Anyway, I don't know what else to say about that so i'll leave it at that.



I don't know what you're trying to prove here. I'm aware about TNA almost going bankrupt, mainly because of Jeff Jarrett if i'm not mistaken and Panda Energy saved it. People give Dixie Carter a pretty hard time despite her being a saving grace.

As for ECW, Vince McMahon invested money in ECW himself. Something that Paul Haymen would try to keep secret, or just didn't want to admit. But ECW was funded be WWE. I don't know how much to an extent but taking that into consideration. ECW did have it's financial backs as well. That being said, ECW was nothing more then a glorified indy promotion. I'm a fan of ECW myself, but that's how I see it. They just couldn't match WWE and WCW. TNA admittedly is kind've on the same level as ECW, but a little bit more above because they have national exposure and do have better financial backers. I guess if ECW had what TNA had, maybe they would still be around today, be a lot bigger then they were in the past. But ECW do have a better and bigger legacy then TNA does however. That's why it gets praised so much.

The contracts the new guys are on are well known. You don't dispute that they are worth peanuts either, so I can't fathom how you think they illustrate that TNA's finances "couldn't be too bad". You don't seem to even know what your own argument is. You keep repeating yourself and then making bollox statements like that "WWE had a deal with ROH" (It didn't. TNA contracts just weren't exclusive at the time so talent were free to work where they wanted), and "WWE didn't want Styles etc." (Again, not true. Styles, and others, didn't want the developmental deals WWE were offering as they had families to support. So they went with TNA). You're talking out of your hoop. I'm done arguing with you, tbh.

gnfnrhead

TNA & ROH had a very well known talent sharing arrangement until about 2005.

the flananator

gnfnrhead wrote: »

TNA & ROH had a very well known talent sharing arrangement until about 2005.

They had an arrangement where contracted TNA wrestlers could work for ROH if they wanted, sure. But they were under contract to TNA, not the other way around. They were also "sharing" their wrestlers with FWA and dozens of other small companies. That's not the point anyway. The point we're arguing is whether or not TNA is competitive right now in signing talent. They aren't. They are too busy blowing money on touring, paying bums like Anderson 6 figures and firing people with disabilities.

gnfnrhead

the flananator wrote: »

They had an arrangement where contracted TNA wrestlers could work for ROH if they wanted, sure. But they were under contract to TNA, not the other way around. They were also "sharing" their wrestlers with FWA and dozens of other small companies. That's not the point anyway. The point we're arguing is whether or not TNA is competitive right now in signing talent. They aren't. They are too busy blowing money on touring, paying bums like Anderson 6 figures and firing people with disabilities.

Pretty much half of the TNA roster competed in ROH and vice versa. A couple worked elsewhere, but not anywhere close to the amount that was shared between the two.

Also, you could do with reading this before spouting that crap about Sorensen: http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=79197

They really had no choice in the matter and were actually looking out for him the entire time.

the flananator

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Pretty much half of the TNA roster competed in ROH and vice versa. A couple worked elsewhere, but not anywhere close to the amount that was shared between the two.

Also, you could do with reading this before spouting that crap about Sorensen: http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=79197

They really had no choice in the matter and were actually looking out for him the entire time.

I've already read it, thanks. It's been largely rejected as TNA spin. You should really think for yourself before you believe all the crap you read online.

gnfnrhead

Rejected by who? Most people I've seen accept the fact that they didnt have many options. I've seen people suggesting a pay cut instead, but for all we know he turned that down. The majority of the rest was already known.

the flananator

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Rejected by who? Most people I've seen accept the fact that they didnt have many options. I've seen people suggesting a pay cut instead, but for all we know he turned that down. The majority of the rest was already known.

He broke his neck in their ring. Was promised a job for life, then got the boot. That's what we know for sure. We Cam also be fairly certain he was being paid a pittance compared to guys like Devon. Whatever they were paying him, it would have been worth it to avoid the PR disaster they are currently in. It's just another baffling decision in a long line of baffling decisions. Sorrensen could have sued the arse off them but stayed loyal to the company. This is how he gets repaid. They sacked Crimson while he was injured as well. Stay classy, TNA.

GTR63

http://www.pwinsider.com/article/79209/jesse-sorensen-returning-to-the-ring-tonight.html?p=1
Sorensen returning to the ring tonite, another example of why he is no longer in Tna.

rovert

So this is going to be DOC yeah?

Lord TSC

Looks like Hardcore Holly to me.

Or Senshi <_<

rovert

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Looks like Hardcore Holly to me.

Or Senshi <_<

Or an alien

GTR63

rovert wrote: »

Or an alien

They don't have ears. Unless its Alf.

rovert

GTR63 wrote: »

They don't have ears. Unless its Alf.

They have collars though

the flananator

That's Repo Man's chin!

Machismo Fan

TNA have essentially ruled out it being Bob Holly or Adam Pearce: http://www.impactwrestling.com/news/item/4897-UPDATE-Who-Is-Behind-August1Warning. Doc still seems the favourite.

GTR63

Bob Holly is quite gentle answering that response, pity.
It still might be Alf.

Riddle101

I'd laugh if it was Bob Holly. First Chavo Guererro and then Bob Holly? They're really scraping the barrel aren't they.

Chagan

Don't know if it's been posted but video 2 is out.

ricero

Could it be bobby lashley or dare I say it goldberg ?

GTR63

ricero wrote: »

Could it be bobby lashley or dare I say it goldberg ?

Any excuse to post this again :rolleyes:

rovert

Doubt it is someone from outside. Likely Jeff Jarrett.

eireannBEAR

Chagan wrote: »

Don't know if it's been posted but video 2 is out.

Randy orton.......

rovert

eireannBEAR wrote: »

Randy orton.......

Randy is committed to WWE for like 7-8 more years.

Machismo Fan

rovert wrote: »

Doubt it is someone from outside. Likely Jeff Jarrett.

I'm surprised more people haven't been suggesting Jarrett actually, he's usually the first person people suggest to these kind of things.

rovert

Machismo Fan wrote: »

I'm surprised more people haven't been suggesting Jarrett actually, he's usually the first person people suggest to these kind of things.

The LAW podcast pointed out that Jeff Jarrett is the common follower to everyone who has Tweeted about the viral video.

TNA is under budget pressure so I don't think it is a massive star.

If it was a big budget star. SPIKE would want TNA to advertise it on TV not online.

I believe pointing to outside names like Adam Pearce and Bob Holly are misdirections to make it seem like it is an outside name.

Jeff has been backstage at shows more and more. Including that major talent meeting at the last set of tapings.

Finally quite simply it is fecking time for him to come back.

Machismo Fan

rovert wrote: »

Finally quite simply it is fecking time for him to come back.

There have been far too few small children beaten up in wrestling lately.

chopperbyrne

Does Jarret still have any control within TNA or is he solely one of the talent these days?