It's Official — TNA Taking Impact on the Road Permanently Starting 3/14 in Chicago!

[fenderjapan]

Originally Posted by snoopy

Why can't people just stop harping on Tna's production. Just stop it! Tna's production is fine and it's different. They don't have to follow the WWE's lead on how they produce a show. It's Tna's style just like Ecw had their own distinctive style.

Its different and IMHO it doesn't do justice to the in-ring action. Its not conducive to wrestling. Its just an opinion, I get dizzy watching their camera work. No one said anything about WWE.

WCW had their own style too...it was different than WWE's but it suited the product. Distinctive isn't always good though and IMHO TNA is an example of that.

[MB1025]

Originally Posted by braveh

The positives are:

WCW used to around 4000 for their Clash of champions. The big TNA PPVs do from 3000 to 5000. So if they somehow can do what WCW did and grow the audience for their weekly tv-show it could be growth. It's not impossible

The negatives:
Ratings for Impact were down last year. It's not like they have grown their business since 2009. They had to cancel the monthly PPVs. Is this really the time and the place for this?

The ratings were down last year because they were transitioning new talent at the main event level. Hulk Hogan and Sting took a back seat. Kurt Angle, RVD, and Mr. Anderson took a step back from the main event scene. We saw Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, James Storm, Christopher Daniels, Bully Ray, Kazarian, and Jeff Hardy become the faces of Impact Wrestling. Not to mention there was a change in creative.

When you pull back Ric Flair, Sting, Hogan, Angle, and RVD you are sure to lose viewers who are just watching for them. However they got a 1.2 the last 2 weeks. Going on the road is just as good as advertising your product. They can now promote in every city they go to to get people to come out to the show.

[DirtyD79]

Good. It's about time TNA stops being a free sideshow at an amusement park. Every episode it's the same bored tourists killing the show. It's time to take TNA on the road to real venues with real wrestling fans, not a bunch of freeloaders.

[Papa Pillman]

The most important word in this announcement to me was "permanently".

I didn't expect TNA to completely move all Impact episodes completely out of the Impact Zone in this swift a manner. They have to be commended for making such a bold move, as it would have been much easier to rotate back and forth between road tapings and Impact Zone tapings until they really got their footing with the traveling production.

The major things that remain to be seen are:
First, How will the schedule look? Are we going to see an every other week scenario for roads tapings? If so, will we always get one "live" episode followed by one taped episode? Because that would appear to be the most conducive set-up, And one I think all the fans could get behind. It worked well in the early days of Raw(whenever Bischoff wasn't forcing Schiavone to spoil results on Nitro).

And Second, What is the stage set-up going to be? Are they going to have a new stage set, or are we going to see the return of the old road set with the triple screens that raise for entrances? Are they going to upgrade to a set-up that features pyro? None of their past road sets allowed for it, making pyro Impact Zone exclusive. I think the stage and "Dixie-tron" configuration will go along away toward determining just how much more "big leaugue" the road shows will look on television.

[KJ]

Credit: Orlando Sentinel

A representative for Universal Studios Orlando says the theme park would like to still continue working with TNA after the company takes iMPACT! on the road permanently starting in March.


Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said, “We are grateful for the partnership we’ve had with TNA. We look forward to the opportunity to work with them again in the future.”

The final regular iMPACT! TV tapings in the Impact Zone are set for February 28 and March 7 before the Lockdown PPV on March 10. TNA has not yet stated where they will tape their new themed PPV specials which will be released on-demand. TNA’s new model will be four live Sunday night PPV’s a year, which will still be on the road.

The door is open for a different deal with Universal Studios. Crappy, repetitive audience aside, having TNA be still in the Studios did attract lots of people just for the show. It was a guaranteed 1100 people who might go out after the show for some drinks at Universal Citywalk or hang around the parks before the show at night. Another interesting thing is where will TNA hold the One Night Only PPV's? Will they tape them before/after a live broadcast at some point, or will they take Universal's offer and use the Impact Zone for these special occasions? Furthermore with such a wide amount of talent including OVW, maybe they should look into making special attractions there.

[Papa Pillman]

Originally Posted by The Killjoy

Another interesting thing is where will TNA hold the One Night Only PPV's?

This was an immediate question I had upon hearing of this move to go completely away from Universal Studios.

And then I remembered several sites reporting on this article:
http://www.citypaper.net/authors/a_d...013_01_03.html
It basically states that the current owner of the former "ECW Arena" may have softened her stance on no longer using the building to hold wrestling/boxing events, which had been one of its main functions for many years.

That combined with the fact that we also had several outlets report that one of the One Night Only PPV themes was:
-TNA Hardcore Justice 2 - ECW reunion style "hardcore" show featuring hardcore stipulation matches bringing in ECW talents

And it made me consider the possibility that TNA could tape this reunion show in the original ECW arena. And then I marked out at the mere thought.

I suppose that TNA could also go the route that WWE went with One Night Stand, and film from the Hammerstein which would be almost as mark-inducing.

Along those same lines one of the specials has been described as:
-TNA "10 Reunion" - Stars from the early days of TNA battling inside a Six-Sided ring

Could we possibly see that show emanate from The Asylum(which as far as I know is still standing and was being used for Crossfire events earlier in 2012)?

These types of possibilities could really help add to the nostalgia factor, and increase the viability of the events.

[thomasgj]

Good news. The only thing is that most ex-WWE talent that move to TNA made the move due to less traveling... now what?

[Shadows Over Hell]

Great decision but TNA would need cool storylines to make people watch. They should make people connect with them, and build a brand. But with the modern creative, I just dont see it happening.

[countryhearts4]

Technically yes TNA are taking The TNA Tapings Out On The Road from March 14th 2013...but... and I say... but....because is still...

Impact Wrestling TV Taping Thursday 7th March 2013
Impact Wrestling Lethal LockDown PPV Sunday 10th March 2013
Impact Wrestling ''One Night Only'' PPV Tv Tapings on 17th,18th & 19th March 2013

which are still left to be filed at The Impact Zone...

Impact Wrestling Last Ever Appearence at The Impact Zone is on 19th March 2013 for the Final ''Impact Wrestling One Night Only PPVTV Taping''