A Way to Get Out of the Impact Zone

[DirtyD79]

Being a sideshow at an amusement park is always going to make TNA look low budget. Yes it costs money to take your show on the road, but as the old saying goes "You gotta spend money to make money." If you're always running shows in the same place you're gonna keep getting the same fans. That's ok if you're some podunk jerkwater indy fed but not when you're trying to be a player on the national scene.

[Inittowinit]

If we are talking live impacts on a weekly basis, then it would work. Whats the difference f a talent has to fly into Orlando for one day versus having to fly to PA or NY? Besides it would help the lower guys make more money. If I am a promoter in say Ohio and TNA runs an Impact Thursday night, I would book a Gunner or such to headline my show that weekend. I have been to the Impact Zone and it does have a low budget feel. Most people who wait in line, think its for ride.

[owenmandias]

You'd think, that they would go to Spike asking for more funding if they get the ratings up by going on the road. If they pitched to them that their ratings would go up if they took the show on the road, surely Spike would say "yea we like the sound of that, how much more is it gonna cost us...?"

[kor420]

I Would like to see them out of the impact zone more, but the expense would not be in their budget to travel like the wwe does.

But what i would like to see is TNA traveling to different locations during the 'bound for glory series season'. Each and every impact is hosted at a different venue each week leading to their final stop at the BFG location.

[readytofly]

I just don't see it happening anytime soon. I think with all the cost it saves they really don't have enough to justify leaving it just for the sake of going to other venues.

[Brewski]

As much as I would like to see in TNA in larger arenas, they're not going to draw enough to go to worthwhile arenas. Earlier in this thread somebody mentioned ECW arenas, let me remind you that those venues were garbage. I was at November to Remember 2000 at the Odeum in Villa Park, IL, This was ECW's big show (I remember the Heyman promos: The NFL has the superbowl, WWF has Wrestlemania, WCW has... well WCW has SHIT, But ECW has November to Remember) and remember the dirty ass atmosphere vividly. 4,600 people at that show. I went to a CZW show at the ECW Arena(R.I.P.) more recently, POS bingo hall. Hammerstein ballroom? Actually looks kinda cool on TV, but still a crap venue. These places looked like shit on TV and even worse in person. Go youtube ECW, ROH, Chikara, CZW, DGUSA, etc. and pay attention to the bingo halls these shows are held, you tell me any one of them looks better on television than the Impact zone. It works for those small time promotions because it works for their character. Serious wrestling fan's don't give a damn what kind of crap venue they're in, TNA isn't just for the hardcore.

TNA is selling 4,000 tickets in the 70,000 seat alamodome and goes on location for 4 PPVs a year, They're not anywhere near at the level where it would be worth leaving the zone for. I'm no mathamagician or finance expert but it's pretty clear to me that putting a wrestling show on the road with a good looking stage and nice production is just too damn costly for a company like TNA to do. Once they start doing all their PPVs outside the IZ then maybe they'll start gaining enough traction to take their weekly show out.

Florida has ALWAYS been a hub for wrestling. Orlando is a great spot right between Volusia and Sarasota counties, about an hour either way. It's an easy place for wrestlers to get to on a weekly basis. As far as traveling schedule just imagine how much less of a draw TNA would get without the appeal of Hogan or Sting. It's perfect for those kind of part time guys, It's a huge perk for them to be involved in the organization.

I'm not saying the Impact Zone is great and I see how people consider it a burden, but on the grand scheme of things it's very low on the totem of TNA problems. If TNA can keep growing I'm very confident it can break out of the small venue and move into 10,000 fan arenas within a few years, Sooner for pay per views. For the time being though, they're fine right where they are.

[srchmast]

Some have correctly brought up the fact that what hurts the produce the most are the fans who come into the IZ and not the venue it self.

TNA needs to find a venue to replace the IZ instead of touring and here is why

TNA would keep the relaxed schedule that seems to be a reason why many wrestlers have stayed with the company
Orlando studious forces TNA to give preference to those with studio passes and they make no gate money. If TNA finds another venue, they can charge people and lure real wrestling fans and create a better atmosphere.

TNA's biggest challenge with this idea will be to find a venue that would agree to a recurrent schedule. NXT is recorded from some university auditorium but they record more than one show at once. IMHO, TNA needs to stick to live Impact shows since its their main show and in this day and age spoilers really hinder the product. The Impact zone allowed TNA to show Impact live from the same location.

[Mr Impact]

I was gonna put in my two cents, but you guys all said it better than I could've!!