Can TNA Wrestling Take Over the Number One Spot Someday?

[CM Steel]

You have TNA/Impact Wrestling up against the global juggernaut that is the WWE. The WW(F)E has been around for over 60 years, while this will be TNA's 11th year since it's a active company. In those last 3 years TNA has been trying to a big threat to the WWE by bringing in people from defunct wrestling companies like Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Sting, ECT. Those three guys along were apart of WCW, the wrestling promotion that the WWF/E on it's back for 84 weeks in a row in TV ratings during the peak of "the Monday night Wars" between the two rival brands.

Now TNA/Impact Wrestling is slowly starting to head on that road and has Bubba/Bully Ray as their world champion. If TNA did things right and have a better business mind. Can TNA Wrestling take over the number 1 spot someday? It would be hard to picture falling so low in wrestling once again like how they became the number 2 brand in the pro wrestling world under WCW for over two years back in the day. But the PG rating being the WWE's biggest problem to some wrestling fans. Could TNA intercept the WWE viewers like how WCW did with the Outsiders & the nWo?

If this were ever possible in the wrestling future. How could you see this going down?

 

[fdogg83097]

I don't see TNA or any other promotion taking over the number one from the WWE. TNA should be more concerned about building their brand more then looking at the top of the mountain.

Should TNA and every other promotion strive to be the best... of course they should but they have to walk before they run with the big dog. Sadly they were on a good run just before Hogan and Bichoff took over. They had an amazing tag team division, the best women's wrestling, and the X division to promote their product. They changed to highlight the heavyweights and tore down the rest. That set them back a lot.

I would love to see one day WWE, TNA, ROH and anyone else fighting it out for the number one spot. That would only benefit from the competition. The best only rise to the top when pushed to be the best.

 

[GameOver]

Yeah sure, if WWE decides to get out of the game otherwise they are more likely to lose there number 2 spot to someone else then get the number 1 spot.

Doesn't mean they shouldn't try atm they are the bigget global wrestling Company thats not WWE.

 

[Bryan Is A God]

There's no chance, TNA is still a ameteur wrestling company, they make way to many mistakes, their production value is not as good, they barely have enough money to go on the road.

 

[FPSRussia]

There's no chance, TNA is still a ameteur wrestling company, they make way to many mistakes, their production value is not as good, they barely have enough money to go on the road.

They have the talent to compete with WWE, they just need better booking.

It's not hard to beat out a company that has 20 minutes of in-ring action for a 3 hour program.

Not really hard to beat out a company who screwed up as bad as WWE did @ WM.

 

[heathyheath]

They have the talent to compete with WWE, they just need better booking.

It's not hard to beat out a company that has 20 minutes of in-ring action for a 3 hour program.

Not really hard to beat out a company who screwed up as bad as WWE did @ WM.

If it's not that hard then why haven't they done it yet?

To answer the post I honestly do think that TNA is doing a great job right now. Moving out of the Impact Zone and touring was a massive step forward because in my opinion the Impact Zone was always going to stop them from reaching the next level which they deserved to reach.

I honestly think that TNA's problem, 95% of the time isn't to do with what they do on the show. While they have made some choices that fans don't agree with, generally the wrestling is of a good quality and they've maintained that same reliable standard over several years, the ratings never really declining despite never really increasing proves that.

The problem is that pro wrestling in itself has taken a hit in popularity in recent years and a lot of the casual fans who stick around associate wrestling with WWE so closely that they're practically viewed as the WWE. If the casual fan wants to describe something in normal life as being played out or acted they'll say "it was like something from the WWF/WWE," and not "it was like something in pro wrestling," because without sounding like the WWE corporate machine, to so many fans, WWE is professional wrestling.

You only have to consider the fact that WWE had over a million buys at last year's Wrestlemania to realise how tough an uphill battle TNA will have to climb. They need to sort of reinvent the wheel so to speak which obviously isn't going to be easy. I like TNA, I really do, but I just can't see them eventually becoming the top company unless WWE hits a massive decline without pro wrestling hitting a massive decline, I really can't.

 

[suffolkspur]

There's no chance, TNA is still a ameteur wrestling company, they make way to many mistakes, their production value is not as good, they barely have enough money to go on the road.

Do you have any proof they barely have enough money to go on the road? Rhetorical question as I'm certain you don't.

On topic there is no chance of TNA taking over as number 1 company unless something goes badly wrong at WWE HQ. It is impossible to compete with the history that WWE has. As has been said when people think of pro wrestling more often than not WWE will be the first company that come to their mind.

Look at recently. They have just had the most boring uncreative build to Wrestlemania i have seen and they are breaking records all over the place.

TNA just needs to continue to do what they are doing. They have made strides forward internationally and it's a good sign that they feel they can take the show on the road. If they keep putting on decent programming as they have done the past year, keep working on getting their name out there they can continue to grow but in the short term they won't be competing with WWE.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

TNA can certainly be better than WWE as far as the product they put out. They can have better matches, better storylines, better promos, better commentators, better wrestlers. Some say they already do, and I'll agree with most of those things minus the commentators.

Having a better product is something TNA can do regardless of what WWE does. WWE has no impact on that.

However, as far as TNA being better than the WWE from a business, marketing and brand recognition perspective - not a chance. Not for at least 10 years, if not more. WWE has a monopoly on the industry and those aren't too easy to crack.

As it stands, regardless of how good TNA's product is, I really see no way for TNA to expand so much as to pose a legit threat to WWE's spot. I don't. It's not just about a product, you need legit businessmen in that company and while they have some, Vince has more. Including himself. And he has a network (of people, connections), don't forget that. TNA doesn't (I believe).

I really think TNA won't be able to expand more, ever. I think they'll just be the number two company, always underappreciated, always looked down upon and always being good and better than people think, despite what the armies of marks say.

And as a TNA fan, that is fine by me. If I had to choose between TNA being the number one company but having a product of the quality of WWE's or TNA being the number two company but having a much better product, the choice is easy. Forget about the numbers, give me something to look forward to on Thursdays and I'm a happy camper.

WWE fans will jerk their cocks at the sight of PPV buys and ratings and attendance and somehow make themselves believe that TNA is no better because of those numbers. Every time a TNA fan says TNA is better he'll get the same argument ... "if TNA was better how come they don't draw bigger ratings". That's the illusion. The reality is that TNA can be WAY better and draw 0.5's. Quality does not equal success, it never has. Quality and a slew of other factors, however, do. Especially in pro wrestling. WWE fans would NEVER start watching TNA just like that if it was extremely good. Loyalty is a bitch, the better TNA is the more hate it gets from WWE fans because it pisses them off that the little company is doing something right while the bigger company is dropping the ball left and right.

But who knows, the business is unpredictable and crazier things have happened. I just hope I have some wrestling to watch for years to come, preferably coming from TNA because if TNA is out of the picture I'm done with wrestling altogether.

 

[Pedigree1]

TNA will never ever take out WWE for the no1 spot! WWE has so much history on its side its ridiculous. Granted they have been around for over 60 years now while TNA barely has been around a decade. But that said,TNA has better matches better storylines.

But TNA needs ratings. If they are constantly drawing not even a one rating then they have no shot in hell at ever being no1. I know it takes time to build up a company but there just now starting to hit the road. I have said that always in order for TNA to be successful they need to get out of the Impact Zone. They are just starting to do that now congrats btw.

They Have Hogan who is a Genius in the business and Eazy E who is also a genius. Sure people can say TNA has the WWE rejects or WWE burnouts but these guys can still go. Hello Bubba is the TNA champ something the E would never let him achieve. Plus it seems like TNA cares more for its athletes than the E does.

Unless the E goes out of business TNA will always be second and sometimes that is a good thing.

 

[Trill Co$by]

From a realistic standpoint? Not any time soon.

But in a hypothetical view, it could happen. TNA would need to first find a lot of investors, similar to how WWE is right now. That way, they would have the money they need to travel weekly and pay stars great amounts. Then, they would have to get someone who's great at booking and doesn't need a lot of money. I'd say hire Russo. Fuck what anyone else says, Russo IS TNA. He made AJ Styles and Beer Money house hold names, he even made MeM the stable of awesomeness that it was. Russo knows what he's doing when it comes to creative so put him there.

And finally, they'd have to show no balls and continue to run up against WWE. They don't have to do it Monday Night Wars style, but rather just start delivering everything WWE isn't. The IWC loves its indy stars, so TNA should start there. They already have Kenny King, Zema Ion, and Austin Aries to name a few... and Adam Pearce... but they need to get more. Maybe they could get Steen and work in a Steen/Joe feud or tag team. Then maybe grab some other guys like ACH and Chuck Taylor so that they can add some much needed excitement to the X-Division. Cut back on titles or even show more dedication.

And last but not least, add a secondary TV show. It doesn't have to be the Smackdown to WWE's Raw. It could just be a little Heat style show just so they can get a few extra hours of TV time for the undercard. Also, it wouldn't hurt to rebuild past relationships. Global Impact was a nice idea, and I think if done right they can have specials like that that allow them to enter into Japan and Mexico with ease pretty much. And they should also go back to some original ideas. World X-Cup is the absolute greatest thing in Cruiserweight/High Flying history and TNA needs to expand on that.

 

[Olly]

TNA does have a second show - Xplosion. Does it not air in the US? It's on Challenge in the UK. Features one exclusive (usually midcard) match, recaps Impact, has a "Spin Cycle" chat-show segment where JB talks to four TNA stars, allowing them to show their personalities (obviously Kaz and Daniels rule house here) and a match from the vaults, even going back as far as NWA. It's not brilliant but it's better than any WWE programme other than Raw, SD and Main Event.

 

[Ovaltine]

TNA does have a second show - Xplosion.

No Xplosion does not air in the US. However, it did while TNA was still at the asylum in Nashville.

Can TNA compete with WWE and someday take the number one spot? Anything is possible, but can they do it inthe foresseable future- NO. TNA NEEDS to chang ea lot of things. These aren't suggestions either. These are things that they NEED to cahnge in order to get to the next level.

1. The TNA name! How long has almost everyone been saying this? That name is terrible. When Brooks was on Fox news promoting TNA wrestling it was treated like a joke due to that dumb name. Why it wasn't changed when the promotion went from Fox Sports net to Spike is beyond me. I have heard that Bischoff REALLY wants to change it, but Dixie doesn't want to. But with a name like that NO ONE will EVER take them seriously except for the die hard fans.

2.) Breathe life back into your non-existent divisions! The things that set TNA apart from WWE were it's great tag, X and womens divisions. Why they abandoned all of theos divisions is perplexing to say the least. The reason WCW kicked the crap out of the WWF was due to (SAY IT WITH ME) diversity! No one wants to watch a poor mans WWE!

3.) Book your other three titles like they mean someting. When was the last time the TV title was defended? When was the last time the X division title meant something? When was the last time a tag team in TNA had a super long reign. When a company promotes guys as 7 and 8 and 23 time tag team champions something is off! It worked for Flair, but it doen't really work for anyone else. It just makes it look like you play hot potato with your belts! All belt should be worth somethings ALL OF THEM!

4.) Better booking. Now, Impact is better now than it was a few years ago, but I still don't care if I miss a few episodes. And when I do, it doesn't matter. Hire someone that has a concept of how wrestling works. I am the best and you cannot beat me. It doesn't get better or more simple than that! And stop with the damn mega factions! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and thinking that there will be a different result. Aces and 8s, S.E.X. Planet Jarrett, World Elite, Front Line, Mainevent Maffia (although they were VERY cool at first) Immortal, Fortune (which could have been cool if it had just stayed four people) did I miss any? I probably did.

5.) Stop hiring so many former WWE guys. Sure some turned out okay, but most are useless. Knux, Ken Anderson, Doc, Wes Briscoe, RVD. Did any of thoes guys bump ratings? Did any of those guys do anything worth their overinflated paychecks? No. I don't even like Hardy, but he is at least a name and he sells merchandise.

6.) Having everything cented on Hulk Hogan! This must stop! Is there a place for Hulk. Yes, but does he need to be in every segment and in every fued in the company! NO! HELL NO! Stop it is Hulk Hogan overkill. The guy should be seen at most twice per episode and should overshadowing the roster- which he is!

7.) Gut Check. This crap needs to be changed! They sign one new wrestler a month. Gut Check should be a year long tournament. Take two guys and two girls and have them wrestle against another unknown or veteran. The winner goes on to the next bracket. For six months this can go on. Then for the next six months the winners of the prior six months go against each other to determine the winner. The ultimate winner goes on to recieve an Impact wrestling contract. They could have one male and one female winner. This a MUCH better plan than what we are currently getting. Someone comes in wins a match and they get signed. To sign that many wrestlers is nuts. Hand pick the best. If someone stood out durring the year long tournament sign them to developmental. At least we'd get the cream of the crop rather than someone new added to an already over inlated roster.

8.) Sting. Ugh I get so angry with how they book him. He is your Undertaker you special attraction that should only wrestle under VERY special circumstances! The guy is 52 and can still go. As a matter of fact currently he is better than The Undertaker. Sadly, Taker is very banged up and can only really have one match a year. I don't know how (since Sting has been wrestling longer than Taker) but Sting's body has held up better. So, book him like the Mega Star that he is. Only at PPVs and in BIG memorable fueds. He can wrestle the odd match on free TV, but hype that shit for a month or months! make people aware- make it into a BIG deal.

9.) Marketing! I don't know who it was (perhaps Mick Foley) but someone who worked for TNA said that they spent about $500,00 a year on marketing. Where are the TV commercials, where are the radio advertisments, where are the billboards, where is the cross promotion with other products. They aren't anywhere to be found. When Ted Turned owned TBS, TNT and CNN he cross promoted EVERYTHING! I know TNA doesn't have anyone with the kind of power that Billion Dollar Ted had, but a company needs to advertise in order to get the word out. TNA doesn't do this- AT ALL! They have Hulk Hogan the biggest icon in wrestling ever! Why the hell isn't he on all the late night and day time talk shows promoting Impact Wrestling?! WHY? It makes no sense to me that he hasn't been on Leno, Letterman, Conan or even the daytime talek shows! Get him on there ASAP! What is the problem?!

10.) Get a second show. TNA could have kept the Impact Zone for their weekend show. The weekend show could have been from 6-8 on Saturdays (Yes a nod to WCW if you don't like it screw off) It would give some of the wrestlers that we never see a chance to have some TV time. Their roster is simply too big for just Impact. Keep Impact on the road and make a Saturday show.

I am sure there are a lot of typos in this, but I typed it out so fast and I don't want to check it. Sorry.

 

[Miro_A12004]

While the quality of the product is getting better, TNA needs to let people know that they do exist. They should do proper marketing to let people become aware of their promotion and their product. Few of the casual fans know about TNA and almost certainly fewer see the product.

Having a better product for sure will help them higher their profile up but it won't make them more successful as a brand even when they are, in my opinion, producing a better show than the WWE right now. Arcade Fire produce better music than One Direction for example, but are rarely known outside the hardcore indie rock fan & that's the same dilemma TNA faces right now. You may think I'm taking the piss, but I know some people who think Kurt Angle & Jeff Hardy have retired since both no longer wrestle for the WWE and have never heard or seen about them in TNA.

Get better businessmen, more sponsors, which means more money to spend, which means more exposure and a better growth and they might become close, but they won't take the number one spot from the WWE, not in the near future anyway (who knows what might happen 20 years from now )

 

[theshadowranger]

WWE is just too big and too far ahead for anyone to ever compete with them again. For anyone to compete with WWE you'd need a billionaire backer like WCW had. If someone had 3-4 million/year apiece to steal john cena, cm punk, randy orton, and guys like that away then you could start competing. You'd also need a few million to get other top talent, advertise nationwide, travel and do live tv every week. You'd also need at least 4 hours of weekly tv time.

I love TNA and I enjoy it more than WWE but without the financial resources, it would take a miracle for any company to equal WWE.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

They can someday but it is going to take a while. They are going to need their "Ted Turner" because the current money restraints will not come close. WCW didn't start competing until they pumped a lot of money into it. They started competing when they started to take some of the WWF's top guys. Too bad they had no clue on how to use them.

You will know when they are close to competing when they take one of the WWE's big guys. Angle and Hardy don't count. Neither one moved the ratings or brings in a boatload of money. Smarks have heard of them but not the casual fan. The hardcore crowd is nice but you make your money off of the casual fans.

I would LOVE to see TNA be able to compete with the WWE. Unlike the fanboys on both sides I want both companies to thrive. The more the merrier when it comes to wrestling.

 

[EastCoastFan]

I'd have to say no. WWE is too big and too well-entrenched in people's minds. For TNA to take over the top spot, WWE would have to completely collapse, and that is not likely to happen.

 

[d_henderson1810]

I will give TNA credit for this over WWE!

TNA had the biggest deal segment of the year IMO!

WWE don't take any risks anymore, and wheel out the same old thing. Punk cuts promo, saying he is the best, Cena cuts embarrassing promo and then wins his match. Taker wins at Mania.

But I actually think TNA has not been given enough credit for things. Firstly, Aces & 's. It is a faction with a difference. No-one knew who was part of it. So, anyone's tag partner or best friend could really be a member of A & 8. It created a "watching your back mentality". It also drew in the whole company into one main storyline, and fed other stories off that.

Well, the biggest moment I talked about before by TNA- Bully Ray's heel turn at Lockdown. Why, because the final shot was Bully Ray, revealed as the leader of Aces & 8's, standing in the cage, Hulk Hogan trying to get in, and Aces & 8's mocking and spitting at him. Brooke Hogan was crying, and people were throwing rubbish. I haven't seen people throw rubbish for years. The heat and emotion in this one moment was higher than any moment in WWE for the past few years. This was like Hogan's heel turn in 2006. TNA struck freaking gold with this. They took Bubba Ray Dudley, a guy who was a stuttering fat mess who liked to break tables, and got him fitter, and his wrestling and stickwork has improved, and he is now a main-eventer. WWE would never have done that.

People also piss on the whole "wedding" angle, but it made logical sense. Bully seduced Hogan's daughter, to get her to marry him, to get Hogan, GM of TNA, onside, to give him a title shot, and become champion. People bagged this at the time, saying it was nonsense. But the story made complete sense. Bully Ray did what he did to get the title. He used Hulk and Brooke, to be champion, and have Aces & Eights reign supreme. What WWE storyline in the last year has played out where things that seemed to make no sense all came together, where the storyline played out for months. Everyine wanted TNA to change direction, but they kept course, because everything had a purpose. WWE stories are often abandoned and rushed through. As Fandango says "let it breathe!"

I think TNA have a lot to offer. They have an iconic legend (WWE has Taker, TNA have Sting), TNA has Kurt Angle, they have a better women's division, they have cruiserweights, Robbie E's "Jersey Shore" imitation is much funnier than Zack Ryder's. TNA need to get into merchandising more.

The fact is, TNA will never compete, to a lot of people on this board, but these people will never give TNA credit for anything. There are WWE marks who won't hear anything positive about another company. But, ten years later, TNA is still around, and looks to be around for some time yet.

Besides, a strong TNA would make wrestling strong, because it would give WWE proper competition, and, as demonstrated by the "Monday Night Wars", WWE lifts its game when its back is against the wall. Complacency has killed the WWE product, so a strong TNA could lift things out of the mire.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I don't think so. WWE is a financial powerhouse, it would take a HUGE collapse in that company for TNA to ever compete at their level, whether the in-ring product is better or not.

WWE's production values, worldwide reputation, marketing and social media is faaaar greater than TNA's, they have better advertising, power within the TV industry, the PPV figures dwarf TNA's and the company draws more to House shows than TNA ever have for a PPV.

TNA in my opinion has a much more entertaining roster than WWE, plus alot of big stars with name value. They do offer something different for the viewer which is why I usually prefer to watch their product to the 'E, but I think it would take something very special from TNA, such as a new billionaire owner combined with a massive collapse from WWE for them to ever become the number 1 company.

 

[Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D.]

TNA will never amount to half of what WWE is. It's an incredibly poorly managed company. They've had several shots at trying to compete or even catch up with WWE, and they seem to blow it all the time.


This is coming from a dude who did enjoy TNA for what it was back in 06-09. I was excited for Hogan showing up, but man it's been *terrible* since then. I stopped watching completely.

 

[ABMorales787]

TNA will never amount to half of what WWE is. It's an incredibly poorly managed company. They've had several shots at trying to compete or even catch up with WWE, and they seem to blow it all the time.


This is coming from a dude who did enjoy TNA for what it was back in 06-09. I was excited for Hogan showing up, but man it's been *terrible* since then. I stopped watching completely.

So basically, you're talking without knowing. If TNA ever has problems reaching any new heights it's because of pissant wrestling "fans" who just seem to never be satisfied. TNA moves out of Orlando, they have live shows, less PPV's, focus on new talent. No, fuck that shit. Lets piss about Hogan and how he hogs the light. Lets totally ignore how it's because of him AJ Styles and Bully Ray are TNA's top stories going. Because in wrestling, it shouldn't be about the product being fun. It should be about the age of the people trying to make that fun.

Not pointing the finger to you though. You simply said the product is *terrible*. Which I personally do not get because I had just as much fun watching this weeks Impact from Texas as I did watching Raw from Bizarro World.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

Of course, anything is possible. But I don't see it happening for many, many years. TNA has only been around for 11 years while the WWE has spent 60 years building their company and their fan-base. TNA does exceed WWE in a few areas though. Their wrestling is superior, their tag division and women's division are far superior plus they have the X division which is starting to get more attention now than it has been. They finally got out of the God-awful Impact Zone. Going out on the road is a risk but I think it'll pay off for them in the future. Promos are also better plus they focus on storylines more so than WWE does nowadays. TNA's biggest problem is marketing. They need to get off of Spike TV and go to a station that is more widely popular so they can reach out to a wider audience. Of course this can also be achieved by marketing at live events but a lot of people don't even know what Spike TV is. I love TNA right now more than I do WWE right now but until it gets a bigger fan-base, it won't be competing with WWE anytime soon. I won't blame it on Hogan although I can't stand that old, washed up waste of space and time. I'm starting to believe that he's in it to help TNA although the majority of me still thinks it's to line his own pockets. I look forward to the next several years though. Maybe we'll see another Monday Night War some day.

 

[The Boss]

The way I see it TNA has already taken over the top spot. Not because they are bigger than wwe but because as WWE has stated many, many times over the years, they are no longer a wrestling company. They are a B-movie studio and a major corporation. Like a television actor who has grown to such fame that he has moved on strictly to movies and refuses to do television any more. Sure he might make an occasional cameo somewhere if the price is right but for the most part is done with television.

The same is true with WWE. Wrestling is no longer there concern. This past WrestleMania season - which was once their biggest time of the year was met with lackluster hype and overly predictable middle of the road matches. As a company they are not even allowed to say "wrestling" anymore. The WWE is promoted as a marketing brand to sell anything and everything they can using the WWE logo. Long gone are the days when pro wrestling was their main concern - or their main attraction.

The time has come when we the fans must let the WWE balloon fly away and move on as we focus on promotions like TNA, ROH, OVW, CZW and a host of others as we build the next wave of mahor pro wrestling promotions. WWE will always be there but we as fans have to keep the sport of wrestling alive. Even for you WWE purists out there. For only by elevating another promotion will WWE ever consider improving the quality of it's current product.

 

[shalliin]

No Xplosion does not air in the US. However, it did while TNA was still at the asylum in Nashville.

Can TNA compete with WWE and someday take the number one spot? Anything is possible, but can they do it inthe foresseable future- NO. TNA NEEDS to chang ea lot of things. These aren't suggestions either. These are things that they NEED to cahnge in order to get to the next level.

1. The TNA name! How long has almost everyone been saying this? That name is terrible. When Brooks was on Fox news promoting TNA wrestling it was treated like a joke due to that dumb name. Why it wasn't changed when the promotion went from Fox Sports net to Spike is beyond me. I have heard that Bischoff REALLY wants to change it, but Dixie doesn't want to. But with a name like that NO ONE will EVER take them seriously except for the die hard fans.

Ah, they did change the name. They are now called Impact Wrestling. It's not just the name of the show it's the name of the product now. They almost never refer to themselves as TNA any more, always calling themselves Impact Wrestling.

2.) Breathe life back into your non-existent divisions! The things that set TNA apart from WWE were it's great tag, X and womens divisions. Why they abandoned all of theos divisions is perplexing to say the least. The reason WCW kicked the crap out of the WWF was due to (SAY IT WITH ME) diversity! No one wants to watch a poor mans WWE!

I agree and disagree. I agree that the tag/X/ and womens divisions were the best thing about TNA and I loved the tag of 'It's not about weight limits, it's about no limits' for the X division. And you are right, no one wants to watch a poor man's wwe, but that doesn't mean as much now since the WWE is a poor man's wwe itself.
But I disagree with the WCW. It was never about diversity, it was about finding 2 things and running them into the ground, forcefeeding them into the public conciousness with nonwrestlers. The NWO and the Goldberg Streak were the two big things and the fact that it aired on Turner's own network meant he could juggle things around and get pretty much massive amounts of free marketing.

3.) Book your other three titles like they mean someting. When was the last time the TV title was defended? When was the last time the X division title meant something? When was the last time a tag team in TNA had a super long reign. When a company promotes guys as 7 and 8 and 23 time tag team champions something is off! It worked for Flair, but it doen't really work for anyone else. It just makes it look like you play hot potato with your belts! All belt should be worth somethings ALL OF THEM!

Ah, people are always talking about past titles and such, even when those people might not be a title holder in the current company. And it makes me laff when people talk about Flair. He's a 16time champ, which means he also lost those titles 16 times, which takes away some of the impressiveness of the feat. Flair's only quality was that he had the belt because without the title to focus on, he was nothing.

4.) Better booking. Now, Impact is better now than it was a few years ago, but I still don't care if I miss a few episodes. And when I do, it doesn't matter. Hire someone that has a concept of how wrestling works. I am the best and you cannot beat me. It doesn't get better or more simple than that! And stop with the damn mega factions! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and thinking that there will be a different result. Aces and 8s, S.E.X. Planet Jarrett, World Elite, Front Line, Mainevent Maffia (although they were VERY cool at first) Immortal, Fortune (which could have been cool if it had just stayed four people) did I miss any? I probably did.

5.) Stop hiring so many former WWE guys. Sure some turned out okay, but most are useless. Knux, Ken Anderson, Doc, Wes Briscoe, RVD. Did any of thoes guys bump ratings? Did any of those guys do anything worth their overinflated paychecks? No. I don't even like Hardy, but he is at least a name and he sells merchandise.

6.) Having everything cented on Hulk Hogan! This must stop! Is there a place for Hulk. Yes, but does he need to be in every segment and in every fued in the company! NO! HELL NO! Stop it is Hulk Hogan overkill. The guy should be seen at most twice per episode and should overshadowing the roster- which he is!

Out of those, I agree with you on Hogan. He stopped being worth the effort to have a program focused on around the turn of the century. But twice per episode? That's still too much. Twice a month at best.

Youre right also about the brining in old wwe guys but not because of lack or ratings but because they are usually OLD wwe guys who take the focus off the younger and more talented guys that have been showcase of TNA for years. AJ, Joe, Daniels and others pushed to the side for bringing in Hardy, Angle and others. The only true TNA guy pushed is Roode.

7.) Gut Check. This crap needs to be changed! They sign one new wrestler a month. Gut Check should be a year long tournament. Take two guys and two girls and have them wrestle against another unknown or veteran. The winner goes on to the next bracket. For six months this can go on. Then for the next six months the winners of the prior six months go against each other to determine the winner. The ultimate winner goes on to recieve an Impact wrestling contract. They could have one male and one female winner. This a MUCH better plan than what we are currently getting. Someone comes in wins a match and they get signed. To sign that many wrestlers is nuts. Hand pick the best. If someone stood out durring the year long tournament sign them to developmental. At least we'd get the cream of the crop rather than someone new added to an already over inlated roster.

Didn't you just say earlier that they needed more diversity? I feel the main problem with all wrestling shows is the focus on too few of the wrestlers, cramming the same people into our faces too much. And for me, the ratings drop shows that people are getting fed up with seeing the same people all the time. As teh saying goes, Variety is the spice of life. WWE has this issue ten fold. They have over 60 people on the main roster, but you see the same 10-15 on every show or at least being referenced constantly on every show.

8.) Sting. Ugh I get so angry with how they book him. He is your Undertaker you special attraction that should only wrestle under VERY special circumstances! The guy is 52 and can still go. As a matter of fact currently he is better than The Undertaker. Sadly, Taker is very banged up and can only really have one match a year. I don't know how (since Sting has been wrestling longer than Taker) but Sting's body has held up better. So, book him like the Mega Star that he is. Only at PPVs and in BIG memorable feuds. He can wrestle the odd match on free TV, but hype that shit for a month or months! make people aware- make it into a BIG deal.

Sting sucks. He hasn't had a good match in at least 5 years. The most interesting thing he's done in the last 10 years was when he was ripping off Heath Ledger's Joker. But that's all Sting has ever done, ripped off others. He started as ripping off both Bret Hart and LOD(stole LOD's look and Bret's moves) when he was tagging with Warrior, his turn with the NWO he ripped off Brandon Lee's 'the Crow' which really pissed me off at the time. And since he was a dark, brooding character he started being compared to Taker. Once he might have been a good worker, but he's somewhere between Mick Foley and Hogan in terms of in ring limitations at this time. Taker might have gone down a bit as well, but he can still steal the show with his matches and looks better now then he did 10yrs ago, while it seems like Sting is aging before our eyes.

9.) Marketing! I don't know who it was (perhaps Mick Foley) but someone who worked for TNA said that they spent about $500,00 a year on marketing. Where are the TV commercials, where are the radio advertisments, where are the billboards, where is the cross promotion with other products. They aren't anywhere to be found. When Ted Turned owned TBS, TNT and CNN he cross promoted EVERYTHING! I know TNA doesn't have anyone with the kind of power that Billion Dollar Ted had, but a company needs to advertise in order to get the word out. TNA doesn't do this- AT ALL! They have Hulk Hogan the biggest icon in wrestling ever! Why the hell isn't he on all the late night and day time talk shows promoting Impact Wrestling?! WHY? It makes no sense to me that he hasn't been on Leno, Letterman, Conan or even the daytime talek shows! Get him on there ASAP! What is the problem?!

NO ONE WANTS HIM ON THEIR SHOW. that's why he hasn't been on them. His star has not only faded, it's gone out. He's been relugated to the status of former reality tv star. About as much of a draw as the 1st person voted off on the 6th season of survivor. As in, none at all.

10.) Get a second show. TNA could have kept the Impact Zone for their weekend show. The weekend show could have been from 6-8 on Saturdays (Yes a nod to WCW if you don't like it screw off) It would give some of the wrestlers that we never see a chance to have some TV time. Their roster is simply too big for just Impact. Keep Impact on the road and make a Saturday show.

I'm sure TNA would love to have more shows, but their ratings don't inspire confidence in any of the networks. Even Spike is showcasing them a lot less now then they used to. When the current contract is up, I don't know if Spike will want to renew TNA.

Now, for my view.

No TNA will not be number one. They are only number two because Smackdown and NXT are also part of wwe.
TNA has some of the best in ring workers but their booking is horrible because they keep bringing in guys who want to turn them into WCW 2.0. There's a general sensation when watching that there is a complete lack of passion in the back regarding the stories.

Unless someone with passion for business and a knowledge of current trends starts taking an interest, they won't improve. Not to mention they'd need a financial backer to match McMahon and the public trading shareholders. Maybe Bill Gates could rumage in his sofa cushions and donate some loose change to help them out. He's big on charity right, and there's no more obvious a charity case then the current TNA product.

 

[#IndyRules]

YES! YES! YES! YES!

It certainly can. Why? It's simple its like WCW was back in the day. Cut-throat and filled to the brim with the right talent. Just look at the oldies : Sting, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and Bully Ray to name a few. Then you have new young and i mean young in the sense that they are not as recognized or as prestigious as the likes above so you have guys like : Aries, James Storm, Samoa Joe and Abyss.

There product is more wrestling orientated unlike WWE. This definetly attracts more Indy-followers and older WWE fans which grows an audience.

They are slowly but surely growing a market world-wide. Recently they announced they will be taping all 4 of there UK tour dates including a live Impact broadcast from Glasgow. Because they are all being taped this brings in a larger audience who want to see the lights, camera and action that can only be seen in London or Manchester when WWE come to town.

They are NOT like WWE. They are a massive alternative and I think people will soon see this and start watching and we'll have an new equivalent to the Monday Night Wars with-in the next 5 years.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Stranger things have happened in the world, but I doubt it'll come about.

In spite of all the various comparisons that've been made between TNA & WCW, TNA isn't WCW. WCW had a lot of things going for it that TNA simply doesn't have. Not saying that to put the company down but it's just simply how it is.

When Turner bought Jim Crockett Promotions & renamed it WCW, the company already had generations of built in viewers and history to go with it. For decades, many of the top wrestlers in the business would pass through and work for Jim Crockett, Sr. & Jim Crockett, Jr. and it continued to be that way when the company came under Turner's control. WCW was also able to field wrestlers who were major stars and in their physical prime. With Ted Turner's near limitless financial resources, WCW was able to draw some of these major stars from the WWE and was able to genuinely compete with WWE.

Since the mid 80s, the WWE is generally what people think of when they think of professional wrestling. Play all the various word games & bullshit you want with the "sports entertainment" stuff, it doesn't change anything. Even people who don't watch wrestling, and never have, know of WWE. WWE is part of the public consciousness in the United States and, frankly, in much of the world itself when it comes to pro wrestling.

In my view, there are a couple of possibilities. I don't see TNA supplanting WWE without a LOT of time passing by. When I say a lot of time, I mean decades. Like WCW, AKA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, they're going to have to simply build the audience and keep the audience tuning in for a very, very long time. If they're able to do that, if they're able to generate the kind of revenue that WWE does and if they're able to build a solidified presence for themselves in the consciousness of the country at large, it could happen. Another possibility is if WWE simply crumbles when Vince steps down. However, that could irreparably damage the pro wrestling industry in the states as a whole.