TNA has the Key to attracting new viewers-but just aren't using it!

[The Hiphopapotamus]

TNA needs new viewers.It's plain and simple.We all know about the 7,000 Slammiversary buyers,and it just proves that TNA needs to improve when it comes to grabbing new watchers.But these viewers don't want to endure Impact!,they want to enjoy.If they're channel surfing,and come across TNA impact,TNA needs something to real them in.The key to this isn't the names.The well established wrestlers,are good for bringing people who have been wrestling fans for a while now.Kevin nash and Scott Steiner won't bring in any fairweather,new age fans.The knockout division,as much as TNA tries,will not bring in new fans.They won't grab people and get them interested in the product,unless they're diehard women wrestling fans.But when it comes to attaining potential pay per view buyers,TNA has the answer right under their noses.

The X Division.

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Now bare with me.You can say "Spot monkeys aren't going to reel in new viewers".I beg to differ.Imagine you're on the commercials,andd decide to check the channels.You switch on Spike/Bravo and TNA is on.Do you think people will keep watching if they:

A)See Kurt Angle and Sting putting on a great match for 20 mins,full of mat wrestling,submission holds,in ring psychology,storytelling and charisma.

or

B)See Amazing Red and Homicide running across the ring in an adrenaline pumping,action packed X division match.

B I assume.To be honest,I didn't really know much about in ring psychology and storytelling untill I came to wrestlezone.So how is some newbie expect to know.I do prefer the X division most of the time,as i watch wrestling for excitement,and I'm sure most of you do.And that's what others will put TNA on for.I occasionally show my friends matches from pay per views.They don't watch wrestling.So what I don't show them are the heavyweight matches,I show them the X division matches.Even if it's a spot fest,they LOVE it,well at least enjoy it.I've even got some of them to start watching.(you're welcome TNA)

Vince McMahon believes wrestling should focus more on the youth,and TNA should follow suit and get with the times.I ask you,who are 3 of the most popular wrestlers in WWE at thhe moment.Jeff Hardy,Rey Mysterio and Evan Bourne.The common denomiator between the 3:High flying of some fashion,risk taking.Now,if only TNA had a whole DIVISION dedicated to that style of wrestling.What a perfect way of roping in the kids.Kids love high flyers.I have a 9 year old brother,and he couldn't give a shit about "boring" heavyweight matches.He loves X division matches.

The thing is,once you get these interested in the product,they start to watch the "real" matches.They enjoy Kurt Angle,Hernandez,Samoa Joe and AJ Styles.But you can compplain that you got them hooked with the wrong product.That cruiserweight wrestling isn't wrestling,it's just a bunch of small wrestlers jumping about.But as Slyfox always says,it doesn't matter how you win in regards to styles,whether it be brawler,technical or power.As long as you get the job done.Surely the same applies to obtaining higher ratings and viewers.It doesn't matter if you do it with high flying or mat wrestling.

As long as you get the job done.

But TNA needs to start focusing on it more.Surely it shouldn't take a backseat to the KNOCKOUTS.Please,I like women's wrestling,but prefer mens.If TNA starts pushing this division instead of burying it,they might finally break that elusive 1.5 rating.Who knows?It couldn't hurt.

What do you guys think.

 

[2012isbs]

I agree I personally love the occasional spotfest and who doesn't, you may look back on that match and realize it sucked, but as you watch it the first time you're like "o holy shit they just did that" and "O my god he can't do that .... he just did O my god". So yes spotfests are great to rope in new veiwers. Cuz if you channel surf and something you see makes you go you will continue to watch it.
As for WWE they have an established fanbase that watch it out of habit, so no matter what they do some one will always watch. Unlike TNA where people aren't wtaching out of habit and will stop if they don't like the episode they watched.
So all in all Tna should focus just on high flyers once a month have like 3 spotfest matches in one episode that way your almost gauranteed to get people to watch again.

 

[Ronin]

I watched Homicide and Amazing Red's webmatch yesterday, all I have to say about it is, they both can't sell the little things. Homicide takes a dropkick and looks like hes been hit with a wet bus ticket.

Thematch itself was crap, the spots were average, best thing was a wrestling move in the Gringo Killer.

Boring spot fest or boring mat wrestling?

To be honest, TNA needs to find a middle ground. Otherwise the X Division might as well just be the light heavy weights.

 

[just a wwe fan man]

I like tna but the x division is lame, I do like tna though. It’s just a glorified high flying light weight title.
I am just not entertained in watching acrobatic match after acrobatic match. That’s all they do is jump around all fancy. WOW.

Personally I think they should have replaced the “X” division title with the legends title. Think about it the Legends of tna title is what it could have been

 

[Da Blind Man]

When did the X division get left behind i mean come on. you got amazing red, MCMG, suicide, creed & jay, etc all doing shit damn jeff!

 

[just a wwe fan man]

I love TNA but the one (1) thing i don't like is the x division title. it's the same stuff over & over again. "look at us, we can do flips & jumps & stuff" I think the legends title could have replaced the x title.

I mean the "future" legends of tna title would have elevated them SO much to a higher level of status. I mean they didn't even use the title at the last PPV when MEM took all the titles. Somoa Joe could have won the title for MEM.

But it wasn't even used, which lowered the status of the x division title even more

 

[X]

You have got to be kidding me. The X Division? Please. The majority of wrestling fans in America do not give two shits about lightweight divisions, and they never have. Rey Mysterio is pretty much the only truly successful lightweight to draw in the United States. You remember the lightweight division in the WWE 10 years ago and how much of a massive failure it was?

Sorry, but lightweight divisions have never drawn in the US, ever. And they never will. You know what draws? Great storytelling, not fancy flip moves. If high-paced in-ring action drew, than ROH would be filling up arenas instead of bingo halls.

 

[just a wwe fan man]

you are 100% right, I just hate to bash the x division title. But it just does not draw any attraction as a wrestling title. And I really think TNA can get better with time

 

[HypnotizedHero2010]

i like the high flying faced pace matches and i like the technical fights. they really need a compination of both. the x division is what kida started tna and they need to keep it intact because it makes them different than the wwe.

i love seeing the crazy spots. like in ultimate x. i've seen some crazy shit in those matches. but its more about what type of wrestling you like. most people in america do like the big technical guys because thats what america is about. football ufc backetball

these people are all huge or amazing technical fighters.

people in japan and most of asia exjoy the high fylers because thats the kind of spots they are into. martial arts in general are way more popular in asia than in the U.S.

so its really about the type of style you want to see and i think with the x division that tna has a good mix

 

[Kliq]

I don't know how you can make the argument that TNA needs to use the X Division to gain new 'channel surfing' viewers, when MTV had Wrestling Society X (nothing but spot matches) and didn't do any better than Impact does now. Bottom line, there isn't any one thing they can do to bring in a new wave of fans. It's not like the every day person doesn't know what pro wrestling is. They aren't going to flip to Spike, see a crazy X Division match and say "Oh my God, so this is what Pro Wrestling is? I'm tuning in weekly now".

I personally don't like the X Division, and I would say I'm about as average a viewer as you'd meet. If you want more viewers, you are just going to have to keep promoting and hope someone sees something they're interested in and will tune in to find out more.

 

[Just-Dun Biased]

You have got to be kidding me. The X Division? Please. The majority of wrestling fans in America do not give two shits about lightweight divisions, and they never have. Rey Mysterio is pretty much the only truly successful lightweight to draw in the United States. You remember the lightweight division in the WWE 10 years ago and how much of a massive failure it was?

Sorry, but lightweight divisions have never drawn in the US, ever. And they never will. You know what draws? Great storytelling, not fancy flip moves. If high-paced in-ring action drew, than ROH would be filling up arenas instead of bingo halls.

Yeah, because Hammerstein Ballroom is really a bingo hall *sigh* Fucking moron.

American fans have been taught that the little guys don't matter. Years and years of WWE making guys like Jamie Noble and Funaki joke wrestlers, and basically saying "these guys are small and don't matter". But then again, WWE is the biggest fucking ball sucking joke going around.

 

[X]

Yeah, because Hammerstein Ballroom is really a bingo hall *sigh* Fucking moron.

Hammerstein Ballroom has a max capacity of a little over 1,000. That's fucking nothing. And ROH has never even filled that ballroom. Hammerstein is barely larger than a bingo hall.

You seriously want to argue that ROH is anything other than an incredibly small indy?

American fans have been taught that the little guys don't matter. Years and years of WWE making guys like Jamie Noble and Funaki joke wrestlers, and basically saying "these guys are small and don't matter". But then again, WWE is the biggest fucking ball sucking joke going around.

Great, another smark who doesn't know the first thing about the wrestling business. Explain to me how the WWE is a joke, I'd love to hear that one.

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

Wow. Well first and foremost, let me just say that all of you are complete and utter idiots. I mean how can you sit here and critique what would get TNA more viewers when you don't watch TNA yourself? Because if you did, then you would have noticed that TNA actually took the time to listen to you ROH faithfuls (yes, I know all of you whinners watch Ring of Honor religiously) and actually put some spotlight on the X-Division several months ago when their ratings were on the rise. And do you know what happened? The ratings declined back to the pre-"WWE rejects" numbers. Hell even the per match breakdowns show that the X-division matches draw less viewers than that Knockout's division.

So what does that tell us class? What it tells us is that many of the people who want to see more X-Division matches aren't actually watching the product. And while they can sit on the sidelines and boycott the current product until the X-Division gets more focus, they are only shooting themselves in the foot. If you don't watch, you don't win. It's that plain and simple guys. And nobody really gives a shit what you think if you aren't at least watching enough to show that the division has support. I mean what else can you want. They gave you Samoa Joe as champ. They even made Kurt Angle champ. Shit, they then gave you little punks what you really wanted and slapped the title on Shelly. But what did you do? You quieted down and STILL didn't watch. God, that is pathetic.

Hell, if you morons keep up this master plan of yours, then the X-division just might eventually go the route of WWE's cruiserweight division and the Legends title will then move into the number two title slot. And then you smarks will have something to run around the wrestling boards complaining about. But until then, I say this. Either watch it, or shut the fuck up. Because I've watched you people complain about it for the past year couple of years. And if you aint doing anything about it, then all you're doin is blowing hot air.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Yes we all like an X division match every now and then and I'm sure 99.9% of wrestling fans would agree that they are amazing performers, but most people just aren't interested in that. Do you seriously think that most people would choose Homicide v. Amazing Red over Angle v. Sting? Absolutely not.

Yes they should do more with the division, but unless there are guys who can be both X division wrestlers AND main event wrestlers (Styles, Joe not Jay Lethal or Amazing Red) it won't mean anything. The X-division was what made TNA different and people will check it out, but it's not what's going to make it a mainstream success.

TNA's biggest problems are money, production value and promotion.

 

[Talon_DR]

TNA does need to focus on the X Division More. Build the characters build storylines within the division. While some spots are cool. Ive seem em all. I like in ring psychology and the X Division needs it. Every PPV they stick all the X Division guys in one match and nobody gets a chance to stand out

 

[just a wwe fan man]

The X division will always be a mid card title/division. People want to see World Heavy Weight Title Matchs Instead of young 130 pound guys doing flips & drop kicks.

That's all the x division title will ever be, a mid card title. I like tna but the x title will never be on the same level as their World Title or Tag titles.

Let's just face it the X title is a Glorified "look at us we can jump threw the air a bunch of times" Title. They are doing the same stuff they are doing when tna first started & recently they didn't even use the X title at the last PPV.


The X title will always be a high flying indi title & that's it

 

[Blade]

Well I see where you're coming from Hiphopa. But the X division can only get you so far. Sure, there's fans out there who want to see the X division wrestlers have some great matches. It could be argued that the X Division is what helped the company become so huge.
But right now the X Division just isn't that great. Suicide is the top guy, so how can we really take the X division seriously? And the Sheik whatever his name is. They just don't belong with performers like Jay Lethal and MCMG. Don't get me wrong, I like Kaz alot, but his Suicide gimmick is a joke. It's a character from an unsuccessful video game and TNA seemed to thing that pushing him to the top of the X division while beating all the beloved X Division wrestlers will help sell the game while entertaining the fans at the same time.

But there's only so far that good wrestling can take a company. It's great for building a wrestling company, but after that you need big names. Some fans just want to see the big names. Hell, I'd go see a TNA event just so I could say I saw Kurt Angle or Sting or whatever.
Case in point, the NWO. Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash became some of the laziest wrestlers in the world when they joined NWO. But because of how good the angle was and the name value of the stars, WCW became huge. At the same time, WWF were putting on awesome matches thanks to guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. But they still got their asses kicked in the ratings. It's sad, but big name stars are more important than good matches.

There's only so far good wrestling can take a company. They need big stars and they need big angles. X Division guys are good, but alot of the matches are just spot fests, and there's alot of people that just hate spot fests. In WWE, the huge spots are done rarely, which makes them more special when they are done. The X Division puts on too many spot fests, so people get bored of them after a while. Say what you want about the quality of TNA's current main eventers, but they know how to tell a story and you'll never see them do the same kind of match twice.

So while the X Division can help TNA, they'll never matter as much as the main eventers because there'll never be a huge X Division star and people just won't care about the matches as much as they care about the main eventers' matches.

 

[The Hiphopapotamus]

See,I don't think everyone read my post properly.I mentioned how the X division can help bring in people who AREN'T wrestling fans already.I showed how the X division spot fests can get them hooked on TNA,and THEN they start to watch the great matches with Sting,Angle,Joe and AJ Styles.Think of the X division as the bait.

You have got to be kidding me. The X Division? Please. The majority of wrestling fans in America do not give two shits about lightweight divisions, and they never have. Rey Mysterio is pretty much the only truly successful lightweight to draw in the United States. You remember the lightweight division in the WWE 10 years ago and how much of a massive failure it was?

Sorry, but lightweight divisions have never drawn in the US, ever. And they never will. You know what draws? Great storytelling, not fancy flip moves. If high-paced in-ring action drew, than ROH would be filling up arenas instead of bingo halls.

This is what I mean.The X Division will help bring in people who weren't already wrestling fans.These people will have no idea about storytelling and psychology,but do know about flips and tricks.Then gradually,they start to become interested in the product entirely,and become engrossed with the heavyweight matches.But in order to catch a fish,you need the bait.