shattered dreams
Hexagonal Hedonist
How the general inferiority complex of current wrestling fans manifests itself amongst those that don't currently watch/know their programming.
Agree or disagree?
Agree or disagree?
TNAs Greatest Obstacle
- Thread starter shattered dreams
- Start date
I think you're wrong. That obstacle is blocking wrestling fans, not TNA. TNA is doing just fine in it's own regard.
shattered dreams
Hexagonal Hedonist
There is some truth in that Killjoy. I guess I mean greatest obstacle when it comes to growing further.
klunderbunker
Welcome to My (And Not Sly's) House
I'm not sure about that but I think the biggest obstacle they have is getting over the stigma that the name TNA brings with it. A lot of fans associate it with the stupid angles and old guys dominating. They need to break that mindset and show fans that they've got something worth seeing. As Dreamer said in Rise and Fall of ECW, "You can have the best show in the world, but it doesn't matter if no one is watching." Getting people to realize they're a different company now will help more than anything.
Yeah, but how does TNA do that at this point? They've almost done everything within reason but throw the kitchen sink. Fire Hogan, retire Sting and Angle and focus only on newer talents? Hire more X Division guys? They've put billboards right under WWE's noses, held campaigns for their anniversary show, payed whatever celebrity name they could drag and have them even wrestle, hired an MMA star and on. What else to do? Go on the road and a second show? And then what?
Shadowmancer
I am The Last Baron
going on the road is actually a logical next step, if they decided to do that and pre record they may be in a more useful position
shattered dreams
Hexagonal Hedonist
KB, IMO that stigma both came from and persists largely because of what I laid out in the OP.
klunderbunker
Welcome to My (And Not Sly's) House
No no no. The answer is two fold: be different and be consistent. TNA has been on fire for the last two months, but they've been on fire before and they've screwed it up with something stupid. Keep doing stuff like they're doing now and more fans are going to have faith in them. Also, stop trying to be WWE. They did that for years and it didn't work because they're never going to beat WWE at WWE's game, because WWE is WAY too established. People complain today about how WWE is too goofy and aimed at kids. Be a serious company and give the WWE fans a legitimate alternative.
I know I reference this a lot and that it's fake, but look at what I did with OCW when I was trying to prove how stupid WZCW was: I looked at every problem they had and did the opposite. They had too many writers, so I had one writer. They had too much drama over who got pushed, so I picked everything myself, meaning there was no drama. I took everything people were complaining about and did the opposite. I had prominent members of WZCW telling me they liked my stuff WAY better, and it went on that way for a long time. If TNA does something different and finds a way to get noticed (which to be fair is never something you can plan), it'll work.
klunderbunker
Welcome to My (And Not Sly's) House
I wouldn't say it's because of an inferiority complex the fans have. The most common complaint I see from TNA fans is stuff like it makes no sense or the old people dominate or it's too Russo-esque. They've fixed a lot of that stuff, but given how many times TNA has had momentum and blew it on something stupid, the fans have trust issues with them, myself included.
shattered dreams
Hexagonal Hedonist
My theory is something like this. Once upon a time there were pro wrestling fans. Over time for various reasons many people started to believe they had to pick a company. Then one company won out and for a significant period of time being a pro wrestling fan became just being a WWE fan. During this time the industry took a hit for various reasons and those that still enjoyed the industry became extremely defensive. Now many people operate under a misguided notion that attempting to enjoy both somehow detracts from the other. Many people that stuck with WWE/wrestling have a chip on their shoulder now. I can't think of another reason for all the hyperbole when it comes to the quality of TNA.
The #1 thing TNA can do is offer something different, like KB said. I don't want to watch TNA to see what would happen if the WWE had different performers . I want to watch TNA for something different. The main thing that drew my personal interest into TNA was the 6-sided ring and the X-Division, and let's be honest with ourselves, the X Division has gone from an entire division to one man: Austin Aries. Not that Aries isn't great, but you can't have a division with only one over performer. I miss what TNA USED to do that made them distinct. Ultimate X matches. 6 Sided Ring. King of the Mountain Matches were even innovative. I liked it back then because everybody was small and athletic, and then guys like Sunny Siaki, Lance Hoyt and Samoa Joe came into the mix and the smaller guys had to prove themselves against bigger competition. Now, it just feels like WWE Lite. Same philosophies, different performers.
shattered dreams
Hexagonal Hedonist
I rest my case.
For the sake of thoroughness a follow up question, what wrestling shows do you watch Kayoh?
This post is not good.
Pretty much anything that's got a TV deal.