Russo: "TNA Finally Needs to Drop the T&A"

[It's Damn Real!]

Make no mistakes about it – TNA, the initials of the second largest wrestling company in North America, stands for TITS AND ASS. How do I know? Simple because I phrased it, I pitched it, and I pushed it. This nonsense about its origins being Tuesday Night Action because that was the night that the show was originally set to air, is just that – nonsense.

Who in their right mind would have named their wrestling company Tuesday Night Action with the chance of the show someday moving to another night? Then what? If anybody out there is claiming ownage to Tuesday Night Action, that’s more ludicrous than even me claiming ownership to TITS & ASS!

In that conversation where I suggested the name for his new venture, I explained to Jeff that the “TNA” in TNA certainly meant just that, but, if we ever needed to, we could tell those who asked that TNA actually meant TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION. In other words, T-N-A was designed to draw attention, but if any conservative critics had an issue with its “true” meaning, we could shush them away with our alternative spin.

Once the original plan was scrapped, way back in the old Asylum days, the name TNA has ALWAYS held TNA back, and will continue to do so unless…it’s changed!

Dixie Carter desperately needs to change the name of her wrestling company…like, TODAY!

Going to a new network,you have this ONE opportunity to re-brand, and right the wrongs that haven’t been corrected over the past decade. And, it all needs to start with setting the name TITS & ASS on fire. Get rid of it!

I don’t want to hear about the “built in equity” that comes with it – that’s PR talk and that’s all it is. TNA has lost one million viewers over the past four years – do you really want that type of “equity” anyway?

http://www.wrestlezone.com/editorials/533703-tna-finally-needs-to-drop-the-ta

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Honestly, I used to be one of those "built-in-equity" people, and working in Marketing, I can tell you that re-branding a company is one of the most expensive, labor-intensive paths you can take as an owner. That's a lot of dime out of your pocket to re-brand everything from your show graphics to your t-shirts to the coasters you made, to the stickers you had printed, etc. In fact, for a wrestling company, this is even worse, because literally every t-shirt and every piece of collateral they've ever had printed up is now useless and of zero value. You can sell it off at a discount rate so as not to eat the total cost yourself, but ultimately, everything needs to be re-printed with the new graphics, the new logo, etc.

I have no idea what the budget would be for an undertaking like this, so to me, this conversation would have to be had on two very different platforms — public perception/reaction and financial burden where the two aren't actually mutually exclusive. Slippery slope there.

But for our purposes as fans, it's an interesting concept considering this type of "fresh start" the company is looking at and pumping up for January 2015. I do agree with one thing Russo has to say here, and that's that this is absolutely the prime opportunity to do so. You are transitioning to a new network with new graphics and everything, so there's simply never been a more appropriate time to tag along and attach a rider like this to the new bill.

The real question for me isn't whether TNA should or shouldn't do it, rather whether they can even afford to in the first place. But presuming they can, and would, what's your take here? Should they even entertain the idea, or is there still "built in equity" in the existing TNA brand that can be used to foot the new house build?

 

[TheICChampion]

Didn't TNA already do this with their "Impact Wrestling" thing they did a few years ago? I assumed that they were changing it to that.

 

[Starkist]

Didn't TNA already do this with their "Impact Wrestling" thing they did a few years ago? I assumed that they were changing it to that.

I remember when Mick Foley came out with this huge news and then left TNA shortly after. I was like "finally, they are getting rid of this TNA name."

I guess they could not afford to change their name that really needs to be changed. Impact Wrestling is so much better than TNA. Hell, I was hoping they would call themselves Impact World Wrestling or something to that extent. I don't think they could use Impact World Champion since I believe another company uses IWC acronym. This name change is long due. Every wrestling fan I talk to hates the TNA name an find it "hard to watch the show with the shitty name". Biased, I know but that is what they tell me.

I hope they can slowly get away from the TNA name and stick with Impact Wrestling and this time, focus hard on the wrestling product.

 

[ABMorales787]

How the fuck did he name the company if he was hired long after the name was trademarked? Wow, what a miserable shit stain he is. Fucker created everything good in wrestling but never did any of the bad stuff. If anything, it should stay TNA just to spite him.

 

[Dirk]

I'll be honest... here comes a really long and boring story I'll have to put in spoilers.

Spoiler

English is my second language and I'm not from the US or Europe. This meant that when I learned what "T&A" is much later than most of you guys.

There was this channel called "Action TV" that had its own adult ratings system and rated-16 was called "Non-stop T&A". Now, this wouldn't have been relevant, except that Action TV also broadcast TNA.

I saw this "TNA"-thing and it had a blonde dude* fighting a bald guy** and not a single uncovered breast. Teenage-me was quite disappointed.

*Christian
**Kurt Angle, but I didn't know this

tl/dr:
The name could be a little confusing, but I like how it doesn't have a "W" in it. Also, since it's Impact now, what's the issue? Russo is surprisingly vocal about a company that he worked for on the low until extremely recently. Where was all this a couple of months ago?

 

[Boring]

I've never really heard a lot of criticism about the TNA name, like an outcry from people, just a bunch of wrestling fans as well as people in the business saying it holds the company back.

If TNA were more successful would we be having this conversation or does it just give us something to talk about. Personally, I don't have a problem changing the name as a fan, but I like TNA better then Impact Wrestling just because it rolls off the tongue and I'm use to WCW, NWA, WWE, WWF, AWA, ECW, along with all the other acronyms. Impact World Wrestling I like a bit better, but I don't like the word "Impact."

It's like re-naming WWE RAW Wrestling Entertainment(not that bad actually) or Smackdown Wrestling Entertainment (stupid!)

I think most of us are still going to call it TNA as we have cause the Impact Wrestling/IW thing didn't catch on, so what's the use when a name doesn't catch on?

I care more about the product being re-branded then the name, but if the name has to be changed I'd like it to be something completely new because Impact has been apart of TNA all the while as well.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

The three-letter acronym thing makes sense if you are used to, or have already taken a liken to the glut of three-letter acronym companies, but remember, there are numerous successful promotions who didn't operate by that standard (some of whom are still in business) — New Japan Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Shine, Mid-Atlantic/Jim Crockett Promotions (didn't go by MACW or JCP), World Class Championship Wrestling, etc.

I still think the best opportunity they had with "Impact Wrestling" was simply to use Foley as the mouth-piece to re-brand the company "N Night Impact", where N is simply the day it falls on (allowing it to change if the show switched time slots). TNA Wrestling presents Thursday Night Impact. TNA Wrestling presents Friday Night Impact, etc.

 

[MC_Live]

I've been a proponent of changing the name for a very long time now. My suggestion- Impact Wrestling International. Tell everyone what you are. An internationally viewed, internationally touring wrestling company. If a complete revamp is too costly then I say bill it as "Total Nonstop Action Presents: Impact Wrestling International". Or in short, ""IWI presented by TNA". That way they can still use what ever built-in-equity (if there is any) they have in the beginning. Do that for a while, and put an emphasis on the IWI part. And then, when you've built that brand enough and have more money in the bank, do the complete overhaul changing the logos, re-printing the merch, so on so forth. The time is now. TNA is just not going to get them anywhere. I would argue that in today's PC world, TNA is a potential red flag for a lot of people, especially parents. They need a name change to go forward. I say that this is it.

 

[Boring]

The three-letter acronym thing makes sense if you are used to, or have already taken a liken to the glut of three-letter acronym companies, but remember, there are numerous successful promotions who didn't operate by that standard (some of whom are still in business) — New Japan Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Shine, Mid-Atlantic/Jim Crockett Promotions (didn't go by MACW or JCP), World Class Championship Wrestling, etc.

Well my theory is that people relate more with WCW, WWE, and UFC then they do with World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment or Ultimate Fighting Championship(when does anyone ever use that term?)

I remember something before CM Punk's infamous 2011 promo where WWE wanted to be known as WWE and not World "Wrestling" Entertainment, in that WWE was the name and people didn't like it - I think WWE no longer wanted to use the word "wrestling - but now I kind of understand. Especially in this new # tag world, #TNA is a lot easier then #ImpactWrestling or #Impact especially when you need as many characters as you can get.

I don't mind the re-branding, but I have less issue with TNA then I do with Impact. Like TNA presents "Monday Night Impact" doesn't seem to get us any further then we already are with TNA presents Impact Wrestling.

Now Chaos Championship Wrestling presents Tuesday Night Bloodbath or SSW (Six Sided Wrestling) is more so what I'd be looking for in a re-branding.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

I don't think the built in equity means hardly anything in this case. If say, McDonalds were to change their name, now THATS built-in equity, but were talking about a million viewers TOPS. In most cases, and certainly after their jump to Destination America, way less than that.

WWF chose to become WWE, and it was a weird adjustment, one that a lot of casuals still to this day, don't seem to have caught on to. Which to me is all the more proof this is a good time to do it, because if hardly anyone is aware of your product anyway, may as well change it while its still getting the small numbers.

Is a change necessary? In my opinion, yes. Even without Russo's story, its just a dumb name. Almost anyone that hears it will think "tits & ass" but asides from that, what does the phrase "Total Nonstop Action" really mean anyway? It doesn't even sound grammatically correct, and it has no mention of wrestling, which is the primary product they offer. Case in point:

Ring of Honor=Ring
World Wrestling Entertainment=Wrestling (sometimes)
Nation Football League=Football
Ultimate Fighting Championship=Fighting

…you get the picture.

A name carries a lot of weight, it is your identity. When your companies name has a juvenile sexual connotation at worst, and a weird nonsensical one at best, it's probably the time to consider making a change. Is "Impact Wrestling" that change? That I don't know. I think almost everything about the companies history has a somewhat tarnished reputation, and it may be best to start with something entirely fresh, ala NWA becoming WCW.

 

[wwesux]

I don t understand what the fuss is all about and it is understandable and readable in plain English TNA Total Nonstop Action cause we see wrestling bouts like x division and high flying daredevils that we don t see in worst wrestling excrement
Would you like it if I called wwe world wrestling e
Erection? Hey it has a good ring to it maybe Ejaculation? But you sound ****prejudiced remark removed**** if you don t like Tits N Ass and if it s a catchy name its good enough for me and any other wrestling fan alike! Besides all the female wrestlers have lotsa TITS N ASS to show unlike wwe that are old and ugly female wrestlers with the exception of Bella Twins and punky Brewster (Aj Lee) when they are TNA bound it will be easier. While wwe to me is worst wrestling erection or ejaculation which draws more ****prejudiced remark removed**** to that federation than anything!

 

[lil steroid meat]

I definitely think a name change would be a good thing right now. Since they already debuted a new logo that just features Impact Wrestling, it's probably very unrealistic, but hypothetically, a new channel, new logo, new color scheme, new name, new brand identity could be the refresher that TNA needs after years of mediocrity and failed opportunity.

I think something like Impact Zone Pro Wrestling (IZPW) would be cool. I don't know. I really personally wanna see more 4 Word Wrestling Companies.

But yeah, definitely now is a good time to change the name. Maybe even something that has nothing to do with TNA or "Impact". I could be mistaken, but WCW's name was something else, it only changed to WCW once Turner took over. It's all about brand identity and TNA/Impact needs a new one.

 

[New Hot Fed]

Even the guy that created the name thinks it was stupid keeping it when they stopped being edgy. I guess Dixie is really stupid.

Total Non-stop Action Wrestling
Impact Wrestling

Total Impact Wrestling

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I've never liked the name to be honest. I don't know if Russo's telling the truth but "Tits and Asses" inadvertently popped into my head when I saw the letters TNA. That said, it wasn't really a putoff and nor did I ever stop watching it because of the name. Still, I don't like it, all the same.

For one thing, the phrase seems somewhat nonsensical to me. I mean look at a name like "Ring of Honor". What comes into your mind? Perhaps a wrestling ring where people strive to earn honor. Total Nonstop Action implies...well...nothing...except that there would be constant "action" on the show which is what HAPPENS ON EVERY SHOW when there aren't commercials.

In my opinion, TNA should have a word like "World" or "Global" or even "Universal" in their name. I mean, you must think of yourselves as a huge company if you want people to think you're that good, isn't it so?

I don't know, maybe, I'm reading too much into this but I don't like bad names. It's the same with wrestlers to be honest. I hated the name McGillicutty. Dude, what's that, a cute squirrel? It's also one of the reasons why I never liked Dolph Ziggler. I mean, can you imagine a guy with that name? If someone was named so, I'd think that his parents hated him so much that they wanted to screw up his life or something.

 

[rmp0012002]

It comes across as a roadside tittie bar with mud wrestling. I'm sure sponsors are turned away by it but Impact Wrestling is much better.

 

[Daggdag]

I think TNA is fine. They should be marketing to men ages 15 to 40. The sexual inuendo is perfect.