Could This One Thing Move TNA to the Next Level?

[Suneeboy]

I am pretty new to TNA. I started watching it around "The Brawl" and when WWE started the guest host format. I must say I am interested, and I have for the most part been pleased and entertained.

Now I was watching Global Impact 2 the other day (for the first time), and I was thinking...wow these guys can wrestle. I never seen them wrestle like that on TNA or on any of the PPV's, and I got to thinking...why do they look so good right now?

Well for one, they were in the Tokyo Dome so they had an audience. The lighting was great, and the spectacle was created...the Impact Zone just doesn't do it for me. But the one thing that really clicked in my head was....

The Ring. It was square! And the guys were moving around it so nicely and had such great ring presence and chemistry.

TNA in an effort to be "different" opted for the 6 sided ring, which I think takes away from the match somewhat (for me at least), and it looks 2nd rate. To compete with the WWE you would have to bring WWE fans over, and one of the things that can keep a fan away is presentation. I believe TNA would get a better look, and would put on even BETTER matches if the ring was the traditional square ring. It would have more bounce, irish whips would have more momentum, the wrestlers would have more room, and the impact would be louder.

Could implementing a square ring erase some of the bias that TNA receives and help push them to the next level of sports entertainment? Personally for me, a square ring would go a long way. Every Thursday at least once while watching either my wife or I will say..."All TNA needs is a square ring." We say that so much that I had to make a thread for it and see what the IWC thinks.

 

[bfred27]

For me the biggest thing that holds back TNA isnt the ring, but instead is how poorly they market their product. I hardly ever see commercials for impact or their pay per views on spike tv. This is what sets the WWE apart from TNA at the moment is that they are able to get people to turn into their products and ppvs. TNA can have the greatest wrestlers in the world but if you arent able to get people to watch you will never be able to move up

 

[a0161613]

The ring will make no difference to the mainstream. But you are right about the other factors. The iMPACT zone doesn't cut it for TNA anymore.

It doesn't help that it's free to get in at Universal Studios. I always get the impression that 60% of the audience doesn't care about the product or take it too seriously. And you rarely get that impression when they tour for their PPV's. I've seen them at Wembley and the amosphere was electric.

So I think they can improve massively in other areas, but the ring and (generally) what goes on in it, doesn't need to be changed just yet.

 

[xJAYxJAYx]

TNA Wrestling at one point did have a traditional square ring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxs1qXPimSw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Voka9a5KI

I honestly enjoyed the square ring a lot more then the current 6 sided ring. Yes, the 6 sided ring was unique when TNA first debuted it, but in my opinion it has lost all uniqueness and yes looks just a little 2nd rate. Just because it has lost it's "uniqueness" doesn't mean they need to change back to a 4 sided ring just yet though.

I'm one that enjoys the TNA product a lot more than the current WWE product, and can't wait for the day that TNA will be able to compete WWE Monday Night Raw. Some fans might not tune into TNA because of their 6 sided ring and some fans wont care what shape it is.

TNA wont make it to the next level though until they get out of the iMPACT Zone, start advertising a lot more, and until they are on either a different or an additional network other then Spike TV that will promote TNA Wrestling a lot more.

 

[Suneeboy]

The ring will make no difference to the mainstream.

Do you have friends who like wrestling but don't necessarily watch it? I do, and I would say I was one of those fans for the years between the attitude era and the current PG era.

One of the things we talked about with TNA was "the ring". While you can get used to it and then over look it, at first glance it is very awkward. I think they made the 6 sided ring because they were trying too hard to say "we aren't the WWE" instead of trying to really do something innovative. A square is the standard shape for a pro wrestling ring.

On to the arena I agree with you. They will never get bigger unless they get out of that "Impact Zone".

 

[Pedro08]

For me the biggest thing that holds back TNA isnt the ring, but instead is how poorly they market their product. I hardly ever see commercials for impact or their pay per views on spike tv. This is what sets the WWE apart from TNA at the moment is that they are able to get people to turn into their products and ppvs. TNA can have the greatest wrestlers in the world but if you arent able to get people to watch you will never be able to move up

I agree completely. TNA seems to have a marketing problem, not just for Impact, but for house shows, where they only average about 1,000 people per show. With their Spike TV deal, they should be some more cross promotion within the network.

TNA has done well when it's gotten out there. There were rave reviews for their appearance and matches as the San Diego Comic-Con. They done episodes of 'Made' on Mtv and the Knock-outs will be in this months Muscle & Fitness magazine. With Bound for Glory coming up in LA, there should be an effort to get wrestlers on shows like Leno or Good Day LA or on Radio Stations all over LA to try to boost attendance.

This is where you have to use people like Kurt Angle, who is a known because of his Olympic Gold Medal, or Mick Foley who is a best-selling author and what radio show would turn down a visit from Velvet Sky or Christie Hemme. Heck, throw Traci Brooks out there to talk about her Playboy spread.

TNA has a good product and is an alternative to the WWE, but they have to do a better job of selling themselves.

 

[lefty1876]

The thing holding them back is production...production....production.. The Impact Zone looks cheap, its the same crowd every show, the cameras are cheaper, the intro's are cheaper, everything other than the top talent is of a much lower grade than their competition. Yes I also believe the 6 sided ring hinders them as well. The ring is smaller, it brings no added benefit or viewers, it slows the wrestlers down (how many times do we have to watch a guy have to slow down while looking to see if he's gonna hit a turnbuckle when trying to gain speed to do a move off the ropes?). They have alot to work on, and I feel like if they upped the ante on the production values now while they still have some good talent (because their young talent is not very good, outside of Styles(not young) and Roode)they would be much more of an actual competitor to WWE.

 

[a0161613]

Do you have friends who like wrestling but don't necessarily watch it? I do, and I would say I was one of those fans for the years between the attitude era and the current PG era.

Absolutely I do and I am taking two of them to Wembley for the next UK tour. I've spoken to them about it many times and everyone comments on how different the ring is.

I don't think the awkwardness of the performers is due to the ring. I can't think of anyone who REALLY suffers - if anyone is awkward within their ring then its likely they would be awkward in in a four sides. Most performers can and will adapt.

Four sides is standard, yes but TNA needs to be as un-standard as possible.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The shape of the ring means nothing to me or to most others for that matter. That's like someone hating a wrestler for the way he styles his hair even if he's solid gold on the mic and in the ring. If someone is that petty, then I don't see anything that TNA could change to possibly make someone care more about their product.

A lot of TNA's biggest faults have already been brought up. TNA is eventually going to have to get out of the Impact Zone and hold Impact in other arenas if they hope to be perceived as moving onto the "next level". The IZ also seems to have primarily the same audience there every week, or at least a good portion of the audience is the same. Advertisement for TNA Impact is also pretty bad. It seems that Spike is always advertising something for the UFC every 10 minutes or so, they plug the shit out of the Ultimate Fighter but TNA just seems to be left fluttering in the breeze a little. However, I can't lay all the blame on Spike since TNA management doesn't seem to be killing themselves to spread the word either.

Speaking of TNA management, I'm not overly thrilled about those ultimately in creative control of the company. Only recently, within the past few months, has TNA really even started to do anything with the younger stars within the company. And even still, they've missed a few good opportunities to really advance some of said younger guys. For much of the past few years, TNA's focus has been trying to bring in older stars that have already been established in the WWE and/or WCW. The hope has been that these big names will just pull in ratings and, for the most part, that hasn't happened. Guys like Kurt Angle, for instance, did help move TNA into the 1s in the Nielsen Ratings but there hasn't been this huge increase like TNA had hoped. Instead of developing homegrown talent and younger guys coming into the company, they made the older veterans the focus. Now, if an older guy still has the juice and can still perform at a high level then I don't really have much of a problem with that. But, the majority of these older stars don't are well past their prime and their work in the ring has shown that. Despite that, they have continued to remain the focus of the company until very recently.

Even still, I personally feel that TNA doesn't really use a lot of the young talent they have to any useful degree. There are a lot of young and talented workers on TNA's roster that hardly see any significant matches, feuds or even air time on Impact. For instance, I have no interest in seeing Abyss wrestle Mick Foley in a Monster's Ball match. As much as I respect Foley, his best days are far behind him and Abyss is little more than a Mankind rip off with a dash of Kane tossed in that's only even remotely interesting in a hardcore environment. Rhino is another talent I simply have no desire to see. I've never really been all that into the guy and, outside of ECW, he's never really been a significant factor in any wrestling program. I think workers like Consequences Creed, the Motor City Machine Guns and several others could be put to far better use than TNA has for them.

TNA's X-Division is a shell of what it was once supposed to be. I've only been watching TNA for a little more than 2 years but people say that around 2005 and 2006 that the X-Division was the shit. It's supposed to be what put TNA on the map but this year hasn't really shown me anything as to why. One empty, relatively meaningless run after another, many of the champions looking weak and Amazing Red is a good example of that. I've got nothing against the guy, he's fast and agile and does have some exciting offense. But, typically, a wrestler is usually built up before a championship is put on them, not the other way around. Since his return to TNA, he has primarily worked dark matches for Impact or has jobbed out.

Anyhow, I suppose I've gone on a rant but it wasn't my intention. But, no, changing the shape of TNA's ring isn't going to improve TNA's product to any degree. It's not the ring, it's not really even the talent, it's the decisions being made by the decision makers backstage.

 

[SARIEL]

Tna could be alot better if the did the four sided ring. But there biggest problem is just advertising. They would become a lot more popular that way.

 

[Saritafan]

It's not just the 6-sided ring, It's that stupid stacker 2 logo in the middle. IDK what TNA was trying to accomplish with this stacker 2 thing but it' been an epic fail so far, get that logo off that ring because it makes the ring look smaller and stupid.

I invited my friend over to my house like 2 weeks ago on thursday and he's a HUGE WWE FAN, we watched WWE superstars and then after that, we were bored and I suggested we watch TNA and he said "what,TNA sucks,there ring is so fucking stupid" and I said "do you even watch TNA" and he said "no because it sucks,they have no money" but i basically changed the channel to TNA anyway and when he saw the TNA ring with that stacker 2 logo on it,he started laughing and said "WTF is that" but anyway,we still watched TNA and he kinda liked it but he didn't have any desire to watch it again,he said "the wrestling is good but the company looks cheap"

take that story for what it's worth,i love TNA and I feel there biggest problem is the way they present themselves,they never leave the impact zone, every week is the same people in the same arena and I swear, some of those people sit in the exact same spot every new taping, there ring is kinda small so the wrestlers don't have much space to work with, that stupid logo in the middle is just so distracting, some of there storylines stink, and they can't seem to manage there time better

changing to a 4 sided ring could actually help but I doubt TNA will do it, for now I say get that logo off

TNA's marketing also stinks. If TNA had commerials playing during WWE Raw,that would awesome advertisement for them but we all know Vince won't be happy about that. But TNA can't even advertise on there own channel Spike TV, all they do is market UFC, they don't give a care about TNA, the only time I ever see a TNA commerial on spike TV is when TNA impact is on, how sad is that

 

[Suneeboy]

The shape of the ring means nothing to me or to most others for that matter. That's like someone hating a wrestler for the way he styles his hair even if he's solid gold on the mic and in the ring. If someone is that petty, then I don't see anything that TNA could change to possibly make someone care more about their product.

We are wrestling fans, and to come here and post on a message board shows that we are passionate wrestling fans. There are wrestling fans who don't go on the internet and post and look for "inside" news. Its not about being petty, its about being comfortable with what you are viewing. Its about conditioning, and that goes a long way. The 6 sided ring doesn't necessarily hurt TNA, but it DEFINITELY doesn't help at all. To be blunt it looks bootleg, and I think it is a detriment as opposed to a benefit to their OVERALL presentation. It's like having a beautiful home, but having a whole bunch of weeds on the lawn in the front. It's not that bad or horrible, but it isn't doing the house any favors and it would be nice if they cut the damn grass.

Anyhow, I suppose I've gone on a rant but it wasn't my intention. But, no, changing the shape of TNA's ring isn't going to improve TNA's product to any degree. It's not the ring, it's not really even the talent, it's the decisions being made by the decision makers backstage.

It's not only the ring, but the ring is one major move that could over night improve the presentation of the show. It's like going from Standard Definition to High Definition. SD is ok, but it is so much more better looking in HD. Same goes for wrestling matches. They look that much better in a 4 sided ring.

If I were to create a petition for a 4 sided ring do you think it could make some noise online?

 

[Suneeboy]

Also to add...wrestling is a show, more like a live action play if you will. The ring is the stage that the performers work on. You need a nice looking stage for your performers so your show looks like its going somewhere. Could you imagine the Grammy's being performed in a high school gym? Could you imagine Beyonce coming out performing on a small stage with 2nd rate lighting, and no platform to reach out to the fans? The ring is very important, because it is the center of attention and is where 90% of the show is conducted from. Presentation and appearance goes a long way in TELEVISION folks. Actually that's all television is about. Presentation and Marketing. TNA first has to improve the Presentation, then focus on the marketing.

 

[data66]

I agree that TNA needs to advertise, but that isn't the problem right now. They need to do 2 things.
1. Get out of the Impact Zone. It makes them look like a small time regional promotion. If they want to become more, they need to start touring around the country, and produce a product that looks and sounds much better good.
2. Ditch the fossils. Right now the main stories and matches involve Sting, Foley, Nash, Booker, Stiener, Angle and other old retreads. Meanwhile guys like Suicide, Jay Lethal, Machine guns, etc, are stuck opening the show. TNA will not go anywhere on the shoulders of Angle, Sting or the other vets. Don't get me wrong, I like watching most of them, but for example, When Sting can't do a muscle buster (Victory Road 09), then Sting should NOT main event the next PPV. Sting main events the next 2 PPVs. Foley and the rest have a place, the problem is that TNA puts them on top, when they should be supporting the up and commers. This is the role Michaels, and even Triple H (to a point) has assumed in the WWE.
There is a glimmer of hope that TNA finally gets this, as they are pushing AJ, Morgan, Hernandez, and Joe more than they have been. This needs to continue and expand. Beer Money (I like the team) needs to be broken up and both wrestlers pushed as singles to the top of the card. Jay Lethal needs a push, as does Suicide. TNA needs to treat their future stars much better than they have been. When they do, they can step up to that level because the young guns can get them there.

just my 2 cents

 

[Suneeboy]

I agree that TNA needs to advertise, but that isn't the problem right now. They need to do 2 things.
1. Get out of the Impact Zone. It makes them look like a small time regional promotion. If they want to become more, they need to start touring around the country, and produce a product that looks and sounds much better good.
2. Ditch the fossils. Right now the main stories and matches involve Sting, Foley, Nash, Booker, Stiener, Angle and other old retreads. Meanwhile guys like Suicide, Jay Lethal, Machine guns, etc, are stuck opening the show. TNA will not go anywhere on the shoulders of Angle, Sting or the other vets. Don't get me wrong, I like watching most of them, but for example, When Sting can't do a muscle buster (Victory Road 09), then Sting should NOT main event the next PPV. Sting main events the next 2 PPVs. Foley and the rest have a place, the problem is that TNA puts them on top, when they should be supporting the up and commers. This is the role Michaels, and even Triple H (to a point) has assumed in the WWE.
There is a glimmer of hope that TNA finally gets this, as they are pushing AJ, Morgan, Hernandez, and Joe more than they have been. This needs to continue and expand. Beer Money (I like the team) needs to be broken up and both wrestlers pushed as singles to the top of the card. Jay Lethal needs a push, as does Suicide. TNA needs to treat their future stars much better than they have been. When they do, they can step up to that level because the young guns can get them there.

just my 2 cents

Huh? Last I checked TNA was building and putting over their young stars. AJ is the champ for christ's sake. You don't put over new stars by having them feud with new stars. They have to feud with established guys...its called "passing the torch". Foley is working with Abyss, Nash with Young and Hernandez, Booker, Steiner, and the Dudleyz with Beer Money and The B.I., AJ with Sting, Lashley with Joe, Angle with Matt Morgan, what are you talking about? They are building their guys to perfection in my eyes. By this time next year the ME scene will look completely different, with all fresh new faces.

Its the iMPACT Zone, and the 6 sided ring that is holding the company back as far as good television goes.

 

[thaivuN]

Tna needs to make their own stars like aj styles (which i think it took that so long to give him the freaking belt). they should stop using old wrestlers on main events. seriously that just shows russo is too lazy to push any young wrestlers. Kurt Angle is in a terrible shape and has private issues. i don't think he should wrestle for another 2-3 months. Steiner, Foley and Sting should retire. Booker can still go on but needs to stop changing his freaking accent. Also the whole MEM thing is like NWO. seriously Russo sure hasn't learned of his errors in the past.

Then it brings me to Kaz. the whole suicide stuff is boring to me, that doesn't help Deniro if i see him in a match agaisnt Suicide who is boring me to death. The gimmick is getting old. Bring back the old Kaz. He has the profile and talent to become TNA champ.

I don't see a great futur for Daniels in tna. it's obvious Russo will never and EVER push the dude.

Why in the hell are they killing Hernendez chance at the title with Eric Young screwing him up? Eric Young used to play a paranoiac ******. A few months later, he becomes leader of a stable.

 

[Jonno]

I'm reading alot of comments about TNA not advertising enough and not being marketed properly. Really? Maybe in America it's different, but TNA get alot of ad time here in Australia. They just had Jarrett on our biggest talk show (Rove), they are running radio spots and T.V commercials hyping up their Australian tour in 2010 and Fox 8 (the Australian channel that plays all WWE/TNA programming) play more ads for Impact than they do Raw or Smackdown.

 

[samboisdead]

Just changing the ring wouldnt propell them into the stratosphere, but it would help. I gotta say the 6 sided ring sucks and is pointless. These are popular in lucha libre wrestling but that is because like 90% of their matches are 6 or 8 men matches so it gives them more room. Americans for the most part are traditionalist those and cant except change. It reminds me of the XFL instead of having a kickoff having a scramble for the ball to determine who gets the ball first in a game. Honestly though TNA in the long run is suffering from the same problem WCW did. It is owned by people who dont no anything about wrestling. and they also dont depend on it for a living. I have long belived that the reason WWE is so strong is because Vince McMhaon has no other talents. You take away the WWE and you take away his living. For Dixie Carter if TNA goes bankrupt, well she losses some buisness credibility but she still has a job and a bank account.

 

[lakersyr09]

There are alot of things TNA needs to change, I have been watching tna since it started to air TV shows on Fox sports Net or whatever it was like 5 years ago. The main thing is like most people say is the ring, because some of the moves they do in that ring look good but if it was a four sided ring the moves would look better especailly some of the high risk moves, second thing is that now WWE is PG Tna can step up its game and do some of the things WWE use to do before they went to a PG rating such as the HLA, Bikini matches, also Tna need to get in the mainstream and advisted the PPVs like WWE does, and have wrestles good on Tv and do guest appearences like on teh late night shows, or tv shows like the rock and austin use to do for wwe such as going on Leno, or O'Brien or other shows like that. Also Tna needs to bring back what brought them to the table and that was the X-division and start having my x-divison matches, instead of having stupid segments that involve the MEM/WE, most people on these sites now that Traci is going to b in playboy so TNA needs to do what wwe use to do and push that harder, One thing that I believe can help Tna is they have 2 hours a week so doing impact why don't they star doing one gimmick match per Impact and maybe they can get some ratings exspecially if they adviste the type of match it is all over different tv channels and ever advist it doing Raw, TNA can do something like on this Thursday's Impact we are having an X-division Ultimate X match for the X-title featuring AJ styles/danials/Joe, or etc, becuase the x-division is somthing that wwe doesn;t have, because their is no crusierweight title so TNA has the advantage there.I kind of see Tna going back to what it use to do and have time limits on matches which sometimes is good, but not always. And TNA needs to leave the impact zone and start doing live shows like RAW does and TNA needs to do more things like they did with teh Riot fight.

 

[hawaiianbulldog]

I agree with you that the ring is second rate compared to the standard square ring. On the other hand i see what TNA was going for by making a statement toward WWE but I have to say they feel very short. I also agree that the IMPACT ZONE is not "were it is at" like R-Truth would say. Simply because the IMPACT ZONE is no Madison Square Garden or other huge arenas like that. And last but in my first marketing for PPVs suck if i did not watch TNA every week i would not know that BFG is there biggest PPV. So I do think you are on to something with the square ring.

 

[T2KFreeker]

Advertising . . . what a concept. So far, the point has been made that the only time we see TNA advertised on Spike is when IMPACT! is on the air. The sad thing about this is that Spike used to be TNN and when TNN was running ECW on the network, it was the same damn thing. Not sure how many people on the board at Spike are from the old TNN days, but something tells me that somebody doesn't care for wrestling there. I also agree that part of the success of TNA would be another television show on another network that would advertise the show and they could, in turn, advertise IMPACT! and get people interested.

Now, onto a couple other things I have to pull out here. TNA has the tallent, they have the budget at the moment, and they have a television contract. Want to make things better? Let's have some long term feuds for the belts, as in old NWA style. Build the feuds up and give us the match that makes us stand up and cheer. Make the belts mean something at TNA, not like the place holders they have become at WWE. The Tag Team Division belts are still going strong due to the strong division. The Legends Belt really means nothing. It could mean something if some TNA Legends actually had it, but I haven't seen it. The Knockouts championship and the X Division haven't been killed off yet, but we need the same attention to those divisions as we have seen in the Tag Division. The X Division can still be amazing if TNA would build up the wrestlers again. Don't give all of the Television time to the MEM. People are saying that Steiner and Booker are leaving. I say good because it opens the doors for someone else. I am a fan of them, but some on, their careers have little time left. Time for the new guys to keep the industry moving.

The Heavyweight division has been come and go and this really needs to go somewhere. I don't want a Superman Champion like John Cena, but someone with a strong personality that they could build off of and have good feuds could be what the company needs. No more of Angle being the the face of the company as he needs to take time off and it's time to move in another direction.

The ring is just fine at this point. AAA had a great idea with the ring and it will work out if they go back to pushing the X Division, who shined as bright as any star in this industry when they are pushed and allowed to utilize the ring. I also agree with it being time to get out of the Impact Zone more often. They left the Asylum and now they need to go on the road and go live as well. It's beyond time for it.

Just my bag of dimes as ten cents ain't covering it.

 

[data66]

Huh? Last I checked TNA was building and putting over their young stars. AJ is the champ for christ's sake. You don't put over new stars by having them feud with new stars. They have to feud with established guys...its called "passing the torch". Foley is working with Abyss, Nash with Young and Hernandez, Booker, Steiner, and the Dudleyz with Beer Money and The B.I., AJ with Sting, Lashley with Joe, Angle with Matt Morgan, what are you talking about? They are building their guys to perfection in my eyes. By this time next year the ME scene will look completely different, with all fresh new faces.

Its the iMPACT Zone, and the 6 sided ring that is holding the company back as far as good television goes.

I point out that the push of young guys has recently started in TNA. Before AJ's title win, he had jobbed to Nash and others in previous PPV's, and the other young guys were similarly jobbing to the MEM and other vets. But the young guys push has started and picked up steam these last couple months, which is a good step in the right direction.
I totally agree with the Impact Zone, I think the ring can stay, if they turn the damn mike under the ring down, but I could be wrong about that.

 

[Freddy4190]

Just like someone said above. It's the booking, the way they promote, not the ring that draws fans away. Hell, if anything the ring draws fans to TNA. I know I was very intrigued when I heard a little company was using a 6 sided ring. I think TNA needs to do exactly what WWE needs to do, start grooming these young guns and severely underrated talents for the main event, because the MEM only have so many years, if that.. left.