Carter to Talent: Tighten Up!

[It's Damn Real!]

PW.net just ran an article noting that Dixie Carter held a talent meeting at 2pm (today) at the iMPACT! Zone where she addressed the roster and stressed that a number of wrestlers (unknown whether or not she singled anyone out) needed to "tighten up" their ring-work, and that she feels they are spoiled because they benefit from a taped show that can be edited.

It wasn't taken to kindly, apparently, as a source was noted as saying "Guys were fuming," when asked how the response went.

We all know how much of a control freak Vince can be over the in-ring work, as well as the commentary and all things representative of his company, and he's often criticized for it, so the question is, is Carter wrong here, too, or is she simply taking a page out from McMahon and those before him who emphasized work ethic?

 

[ABMorales787]

Tighten up? Are you joking me? Next time she should address the people with these problems directly rather than call everyone out. It makes people who have do no wrong feel like they are to blame. The last thing I saw in the PPV, which was recorded live, was sloppy work. Dixie really should pick her words better. Not to mention pay attention. Because last I check these guys worked live PPV's and got off a live Monday slot. I saw no difference between the live events and the prerecorded ones.

 

[a0161613]

This is freaking annoying.

Ok so apparently the PPV didnt go well, I get that and a response from creative was needed. However what I see is a company that is lacking leadership and direction.

Dixie had the right idea but she had no right to tell talent to tighten up when she has no experience to base that off on. I imagine the vets would be particularly perturbed and even guys like Kurt and AJ who have about 10-15 years, would probably be put off by this.

She needs to focus on getting a great creative & writing team who can get the talent putting out a better TV product every week.

Something is wrong with TNA and I am concerned.

 

[goodlay]

Dixie has it all wrong with this one. You can't blame the talent for the PPV last night. That was all creative/booking. Hell, the great talent that TNA has is what saved the PPV from being atrocious.

It's clear to me that TNA is having problems with leadership and finding a clear direction. Man, could TNA use Heyman right now or what? Regardless, Dixie needs to realize it isn't the talent, but its that the locker room needs leadership and a direction to go off of.

Like Numbers said, I feel something is very wrong and im concerned about it.

 

[Tenta]

Yeah, this clearly pissed people off, because of the fact that Dixie Carter, who has never taken a bump in the wrestling business, mind you, is telling her boys that they need to tighten up their wrestling.

You know who could pull this off, and no one would say a thing? Vince McMahon. Why? Because, simply enough, anything that he asks the boys to do, he would have no problem doing it himself. As a matter of fact, he has usually done it before. Falling off cages, through chairs, kissing someone else's ass? Yeah, that has Vince written all over it. He's done it, and when he asks the boys to do it, they have no problem with it. This reeks of Eric Bischoff ness, when he used to annoy the locker rooms by saying the only people that have ever drawn are Hogan, Savage, and Piper, with Dusty and Ric Flair on salary. Dixe, here, comes off kind of pathetically.

I've been quick to defend Dixie, but I just can't here. Until Dixie goes to take a bump herself, she should never have any say in the wrestler's performance in the ring. Leave that to the bookers and road agents, not her.

 

[The Damieon Humber]

How is she gonna tell the best roster in wrestling, imo, to tighten up. If anybody need to tighten up its her and her marks in the back. Pro Wrestling is only as good as who's writing. If you seen the PPV, you know it sucked. Now i don't wanna blame the talent but someone is to blame. Maybe she needs to look in the mirror before telling Kurt, AJ, RVD, Gunz, Pope, ect ect and ect to "tighten up"

 

[Schizophrenic]

I'm very shocked that this took place and i side with the boys andgo against what Dixie is saying here. I was impressed with most of the show last night and if Dixie had an issue with some of the people then she should have taken care of it personally in her office not in front of everyone while also chastizing everyone else as well for something they don't have the issue with.

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

How is the talent spoiled from being on a taped basis? Last time I looked, it was TNA's economic and business decision to tape their shows. The wrestlers just go with what they are told to do and what they are allowed to do within the context of their matches. And as for tighten up their ring work, I don't know what she's talking about as we had a great TV show last week with several good and one excellent match in Joe-RVD.

For me, this screams passing the buck down. Dixie Carter probably has a lot of pressure on her and is feeling it from multiple sources. Therefore, instead of taking some of the blame, she's passing it down to her employees. I'm not saying that the wrestlers aren't without some blame, but to call out her entire company like that, that's a little much. And there has been a history of her calling out talent, even going so far as to do it on TV once. I don't know what the inner makeup of TNA is or the egos that go on behind the scenes, but this isn't healthy for business. Maybe next time Carter wants to blame someone for TNA's problems, she should look in the mirror.

 

[klunderbunker]

"You guys need to tighten up."

"Why? The people that watch our show aren't changing the channel and we don't get new fans."

That's the ideal answer here. TNA has FAR bigger issues than the in ring work, which is certainly passable. Vince could get away with this because he's been around wrestling forever. Dixie has been around for what, 8 years with a fledgling company? Also, so what if they don't look perfect? The show is taped. Do you think Smackdown looks perfect on their first run? I credit Dixie for trying here, but she needs to realize her business moves are prettyd amn weak before calling out others.

 

[Carpathian Florist]

To be fair as the boss of the company she should really have a right to tell her employees to tighten up their work if she sees fit. The fact she hasn't been in the ring shouldn't have any bearing on this. In this instance she may be taking the wrong route and to say she has no right to say it because of that is fine. The problem I see is that this is her company, are you seriously suggesting that if suddenly most of the roster were putting on half arsed performances that she would have no right to have a go at them for it just because she has never been in the ring herself? That isn't the way to run a company either...
If she's wrong about their work ethic, then she's wrong, I am not questioning that but she is still the authority figure, whether she's been in the ring or not.

 

[Bashd Hendrix]

"Tighten up" was needed to be told to a few people on that roster (Jeff Hardy's in-ring performances are just sloppy to me in TNA). I just think Dixie was the wrong person to tell them and I also believe her having that meeting wasn't her idea! She don't know much about the wrestling business so I believe she always has to have someone in her ear. Maybe Bischoff like someone said earlier!

 

[It's Damn Real!]

What I don't get here is why Dixie feels she has to be the one to tell the talent these things, just as she did that whole televised kayfabe-breaking interview before they went head-to-head. She's got a number of talented and credentialed often ex-performers in the back who could handle this type of thing for her and not incite a general feel of disgust in the process – namely Simon Diamond, Jarrett, Zybysko, and even Angle himself.

I can understand if she wasn't happy with what they've been doing, or even if she was just trying to push them, but let someone else handle it, Dixie. You can't be the one to say these things – you just can't.

 

[Bashd Hendrix]

What I don't get here is why Dixie feels she has to be the one to tell the talent these things, just as she did that whole televised kayfabe-breaking interview before they went head-to-head. She's got a number of talented and credentialed often ex-performers in the back who could handle this type of thing for her and not incite a general feel of disgust in the process – namely Simon Diamond, Jarrett, Zybysko, and even Angle himself.

I can understand if she wasn't happy with what they've been doing, or even if she was just trying to push them, but let someone else handle it, Dixie. You can't be the one to say these things – you just can't.

Thats exactly what I was trying to say! Good job! People there don't really see her as a leader. Boss and leader can sometimes mean two different things.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Well that's the thing, I generally think she's trying to be that inspirational leader, but in the process she's also berating her own troops, because as was noted already earlier, in the case of McMahon, if/when he did this type of thing, it's because he was willing to do it himself – He'd never let anyone do anything in his ring that he wouldn't do himself, which instills a tremendous amount of confidence in the talent – not something Dixie is capable of doing, despite her good intentions.

I also think she struggles a little bit with the power, which is why she tries to come off as such an inspirational leader, and a all-hands-on-deck type boss so as not to seem too distant from her boys, but the problem is with certain things, she just can't be the one to say it, just like a kid getting his ass kicked for the first time doesn't want his mothers sympathies, or need them – he needs his fathers wisdom.

 

[Soapguy]

I also think she struggles a little bit with the power, which is why she tries to come off as such an inspirational leader, and a all-hands-on-deck type boss so as not to seem too distant from her boys, but the problem is with certain things, she just can't be the one to say it, just like a kid getting his ass kicked for the first time doesn't want his mothers sympathies, or need them – he needs his fathers wisdom.

Are you saying mothers don't have wisdom?

Aside from the eye-roll inducing comparison, I have to agree with you. This was one of the times where she REALLY needed to delegate. Not only would one of the road agents be more appropriate to deliver this speech but, dealing with in-ring work happens to be a main responsibility of theirs anyway. In doing it herself, she caused an action that isn't really all that bad to come off much worse than it actually is. Again, I see what she was trying to do, but. . . .but even if she chose her words carefully (which she isn't known for) it still had enormous backfiring potential.

 

[DirtyJosé]

At least she didn't air it leading into iMPACT this time.

I'm going with Riaku on this one. It should be common sense that if you have an issue to address with an employee, you speak to them directly and discretely. In Pro Wrestling, more than many other entertainment industries, morale among performers is critical to improving the product. Unless last night's show was beyond horrible (and I paid to see Destination X or whatever this year, mind you), there is no need to disrespect the entire locker room in this manner.

This reeks of frustration from Carter, or of pressure being brought down by Spike, or both. What this looks like to me is Dixie viewing (or being convinced) that the wrestlers are part of the problem. She's surrounded herself with people who have repeatedly demonstrated in the past that they are incapable of booking their way out of a wet paper bag, but who are the first to point out who's doing what wrong and who should be punished. The locker room is getting thrown under the bus for creative's inability to keep story lines interesting? The boys are getting degraded because the chaotic start-stop-forget pushes don't bring in new viewers? The collection of wrestlers that TNA has working for them is their strongest asset at this point, besides having a television program. If the boys balk at her after one too many "stop being spoiled" speeches and walk out, she and Spike are fucked.

 

[Saritafan]

So you guys are saying that Dixie should never ever say anthing bad to the locker room???thats bullshit, she's trying to send a message and her never setting foot in the ring has nothing to do with it, the woman is not an athlete, she's a middle-aged mother. Vince Mcmahon on the other hand is a MAN that loves to work out and look good, of course he's willing to do stuff in the ring.

I ordered Victory Road last night and I wish I didn't, the PPV was terrible and every match made me fall asleep, the only thing that caught my attention was the mystery biker chick in the knockouts match. You guys acts like the talent in TNA is being payed freely, Dixie is paying them money and if their not performing to her standards, then why is she paying them

Vince is always giving people shit, constantly banning pointless crap, yelling at the announcers, making everyone lower their movesets but he nevers get any flake from fans, why is Dixie???

 

[Jeritron5000]

This is coming from a lady who delivers empty promises of surprises and changes that will alter the entire industry? Nothing is more off-putting than this.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Once again Dixie proves that she does not know the core issues with TNA right now, especially since in-ring work is one of the last things that needs to tighten up in TNA, but that's not what this thread is about so no need to bash TNA.

To answer your question IDR, I really think Dixie should think a little bit before saying that to the whole roster pool since most of them are very polished in the ring (in ring wise TNA's talent is much more polished than WWE's in my opinion). If she wants to say it to a few guys who really need to tighten up their in ring work (like Rob Terry) then so be it (even though she really isn't the person to say such a thing. Maybe terry taylor, but not dixie). Dixie has got to realize that she simply doesn't understand wrestling and for her to make statements like that to people who have busted their asses for 10-20 years is quite idiotic, especially since most of the roster has been in the wrestling business longer than she has. I know she wants TNA to do better, but she's got to address the core issues here instead of berating the talent pool, most of which bust their asses for next to nothing. If I was someone like Chris Sabin, I would be fuming too.

 

[TRoN]

Dixie is the owner and has a right to voice her opinion on how TNA is run, but she has to learn to voice her opinion throught the right channels. It's not her place to call out the wrestlers on their performances, that why she has bookers and agents. Wrestlers actually respect those guys and will probally listen to them. Dixie had no pervious expericence in anything let alone wrestling and her only claim to fame is having a rich "daddy". She went from being a mark for wrestlers to being a mark for herself, Hogan and Bischoff are running the on screen show, what the hell is point of having Dixie on there?

 

[Tenta]

Vince is always giving people shit, constantly banning pointless crap, yelling at the announcers, making everyone lower their movesets but he nevers get any flake from fans, why is Dixie???

Because, everything that the boys would do, Vince would do just as well. Dixie is someone that's not a trained professional wrestler, and has never stepped into a ring. She bought into a company with her father's money, and is acting like the head honcho on all things wrestling by doing something like this. Vince can afford to, because he has done just as much, if not more, than most of the talent in the ring. Vince would never ask talent to do something he wouldn't do himself, and that's exactly what Dixie is doing. She's asking talent to do something she's never done in her entire life, and coming from her, it sounds phony, rude, and downright insulting to the boys.

So yeah... That's why Vince can do it, and she can't. Thanks for playing. Bye now.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Are you saying mothers don't have wisdom?

Aside from the eye-roll inducing comparison, I have to agree with you. This was one of the times where she REALLY needed to delegate. Not only would one of the road agents been more appropriatw to deliver this speech but, dealing with in-ring work happens to be a main responsibility of theirs anyway. In doing it herself, she caused an action that isn't really all that bad to come off much worse than it actually is. Again, I see what she was trying to do, but. . . .but even if chose her words carefully (which she isn't known for) it still had enormous backfiring potential.

Ha, no, but what I meant was that in that case, the mother would be coddling the child, instead of instilling a better sense of "being a man" in him, which is the job for a father, generally.

A better analogy might have been a father not being the one to talk to his daughter about her period, despite the fact he's dealt with it with her mother for years, or with girlfriends in the past. It's just not his place. It's embarrassing enough for her – she doesn't need him making it worse.

 

[Fuel The Fire]

God the morality level in tna has to be damn low right now. When you bash your talent like that what do you think is going to happen? This is not the first time she has done this and it's not going to be the last. It's going to be a matter of time before the talent sais fuck you dixie and looks at vince for work. Dixie needs to learn to fix her own office first before looking at the talent because im damn sure that they know exactly what we are thinking and why the show sucks at times.

 

[Prophecy of Darkness]

What I don't get is,what wrestler has not been trying to make this shit work?

I mean I'm not a huge fan of TNA right now,but I still catch Impact,and who has not been trying hard?Who has not been doing their job right?

Honestly,Dixie has very little right to say anything about the wrestler's performances,because she doesn't know how hard a job it is.I agree that it shouldn't have been her to say anything.It should've been one of the vets,like Kurt Angle or Team3D.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think that this is a perfect example of why Dixie Carter gets so much criticism from fans and insiders especially. I know that Mark Madden is going to have an absolute field day ripping her apart in his next editorial.

I can understand where she's coming from, but she's going about it entirely the wrong way. If there are some wrestlers that she feels are getting sloppy and lazy in the ring, I believe she needs to meet with those people privately and talk to them instead of addressing the entire locker room collectively. On one hand, I can understand why she feels the need to do this instead of having someone else within the company handle it, but the problem is that Dixie herself doesn't have nearly the type of credibility to pull something like this off without pissing off a whole locker room full of people. She hasn't been involved in wrestling all her life, she's never taken a bump in the ring or worked a single wrestling match yet she's handing out this criticism to the collective TNA roster.

I think that TNA has bigger issues to worry about than in-ring work, which is at least passable most of the time.