Has TNA Impressed You?

[whoopin' ass]

We are a couple of months into TNA on its new channel and while there are still issues(like no tv deal here in Canada but at least we can watch it with no commercials on youtube the next day), there have been a lot of changes. Question is, has TNA impressed you at all since the switch?

For me, I like what I am seeing. They have brought in some new talent and brought back some older talent but seem to be using them well. Sucks that Joe left since he seemed to be getting a good push but sometimes those things can't be avoided. But I do think the shows are getting better all the time and really liked this last episode. Only thing that bothered me was the piledriver in the Roode/Young match - if it is supposed to be so devastating, then make it devastating and don't have the guys kick out of it so quickly(at least both guys still acted weak afterwards so that's something). But I do think they are improving. Can they sustain that? Wait and see since they have done this in the past too but I do think there is a noticeable improvement in the product and I am liking it way more than wwe right now.

 

[goalieman31]

I like where the product is heading also. TNA is making some smart business moves as well as putting on a good wrestling and tv product. It can't be over looked how smart out was for them to allow open contracts again. This allows them to bring in a wider range of Indy talent withoutpaying an outrageous price. Also starting with pay by appearance style allows them to get rid of talent that doesn't get over a well as they hoped. I like how good some of the stories being told are and the wrestling has been really good. I think tna has a great opportunity to grow with destination America. I still feel like they could utilize some of the good young indy talent. A Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole or Zach Saber could thrive in that environment.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

I really want to like TNA again, but I tried watching the first few episodes on Destination America, and I found it to be unwatchable. I don't know what it is about their presentation that just really turns me off. I think Taz and Josh are pretty good as commentators, I hate the 6 sided ring, the entrance way (depending on their location) has left a lot to be desired, the one at the recent Orlando taping that was shown online looks pretty decent. Also, the whole fly on the wall style backstage filming was cool the first time, but it has gotten old.

I don't know…their in-ring product for the most part has always been decent, and I think their women's roster is pretty solid. There's just something about them though that makes it very difficult to sit through a full show, which says a lot since Jeff Hardy is one of my all time favorite performers and he's there. Also, some of the guys they seem to consider top level talent like, Bobby Roode, James Storm, MVP…I really can't stand any of them.

It would take a lot to win me back at this point, I feel like TNA has been a case of fool me once shame on you, fool me 50 times shame on me.

That said, I am a Lucha Underground fanatic, so I've got my WWE alternative fix.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Absolutely. There were a lot of weeks in 2014 where I was watching more so out of habit than anticipation or excitement, and that's shifted almost entirely. TNA's mid-card alone is must-see wrestling TV right now with the level of blood rivalry and story-telling going on between EC3 and Spud, Magnus and Bram, Galloway and MVP/BDC, Roode and EY, etc. I mean last nights show didn't even feature the World Heavyweight Champion, Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, etc. and was still somehow the best show they've put on since the move to DA. How is that possible if things haven't improved dramatically?

I'm majorly impressed, even if I'm still upset over this move to DA. But I guess it's one step back in the hopes of two steps forward. At least that seems to be the plan.

I really want to like TNA again, but I tried watching the first few episodes on Destination America, and I found it to be unwatchable. I don't know what it is about their presentation that just really turns me off. I think Taz and Josh are pretty good as commentators, I hate the 6 sided ring, the entrance way (depending on their location) has left a lot to be desired, the one at the recent Orlando taping that was shown online looks pretty decent. Also, the whole fly on the wall style backstage filming was cool the first time, but it has gotten old.

I don't know…their in-ring product for the most part has always been decent, and I think their women's roster is pretty solid. There's just something about them though that makes it very difficult to sit through a full show, which says a lot since Jeff Hardy is one of my all time favorite performers and he's there. Also, some of the guys they seem to consider top level talent like, Bobby Roode, James Storm, MVP…I really can't stand any of them.

It would take a lot to win me back at this point, I feel like TNA has been a case of fool me once shame on you, fool me 50 times shame on me.

That said, I am a Lucha Underground fanatic, so I've got my WWE alternative fix.

Funny enough, this is exactly how I feel about WWE.

 

[#1druid]

I used to watch tna back in the day. I first started when aj styles vs Samoa joe vs Christopher Daniels(who was my favorite at the time) was the big feud, plus I enjoyed sting, Christian, jj etc then once they did the main event mafia I started getting turned off and then I tuned out completely when hogan and bishoff took over, at this point though from what I'm hearing I might give it another shot. How would you guys compare it to the other indies and the E(which is currently turning me off)?

 

[HBKistheHOF]

The switch to Destination America actually got me to watch TNA for the 1st time in nearly 6 years, as well as made me just interested enough to catch a couple minutes of the following weeks episode.

But am I impressed? No.

It still feels like a 3rd rate WWE show (that was taped at the county fair). Their roster is just not very good IMO. I either simply didn't know the talent, couldn't tolerate the talent, got bored because the talent was used poorly or in other cases like when Angle & Lashley come out, I just felt like I was watching a bad episode of Smackdown from 2006. They really didn't do a single thing that jumped out at me as being any better than before, let alone any better than another promotion. I still enjoy WWE infinitely more.

 

[ECPirate37]

I do think that TNA has put on consistently solid shows since the first set of tapings in NYC. (I was at those by the way) They FINALLY did a payoff on an angle by putting Dixie through a table. She's been gone, which makes the show more enjoyable.

As It's Damn Real said, the mid-card feuds are great! I've felt like there is a reason to watch each week.

I was surprised to see that you didn't like Bobby Roode or James Storm Charismatic Enigma. They are two of the better performers going.

I agree that their presentation is lacking. However, I overlook that because the in ring action is awesome. Hopefully they will keep making steps to make it look better.

 

[SmattyG]

I DVR it every week, but find myself watching more and more each week lately. The in ring action is great, which makes up for everything else which seems a step behind. If they can work towards Angle V EC3 for the World Title, I'll definitely keep watching.

 

[Rayne]

I honestly just don't know. TNA's in a weird place right now.

I've got some big, grand "Status of the Companies in 2015" post I'm working on, but I'll give the Cliff Notes version here for TNA. They've stopped taking steps backwards after 2014 was their annus terribilis, but at the same time, they don't appear to be making any steps forwards either. TNA is putting on high-quality matches, but in the truest measurement of user engagement I've ever seen, no one talks about them unless it's to repeat the phrase "TNA is putting on high-quality matches these days". The average age of the Impact audience is 49, which is an age bracket far less likely to purchase t-shirts, tickets, and all of the other ancillary items that pad a company's bottom line.

If there's one thing TNA is proving, it's that fans (in the general sense) do not care about professional wrestling. TNA's been offering the best match quality to be found on cable (without consulting a cable guide, astrological signs and a tide chart to figure out where the hell ROH is on), but you don't hear people get excited about it outside of these "is TNA awesome or not?" threads.

Over the long term I wouldn't be surprised to see TNA push much harder with story-driven elements of their programming. Wrestling Doesn't Matter once you put more than 200 people in an arena, and if your audience isn't growing, your show is dying. For now it seems that TNA is content with still getting to be TNA- which is just fine for plenty of people.

 

[MWRedskins]

i like how TNA is booking a lot of the show. the main event scene is juicy and has some great players in Angle, Lashley, Aries, Roode, MVP, Young and likely could have others. i still wish they had a mid card title for EC3 to get, but whatever. the tag team scene could use more tag teams and i like Low Ki as X-Division champion and Rockstar Spud having the case means a push for him winning that title could come soon and the knockouts division is much better than WWE Divas. the biggest problem i have with TNA is Drew Galloway's music (too Roman Reigns like) and i HATE Angelina Love being near the BroMans and speaking of losers, please repackage them. the BroMans tag team is annoying in mute my tv or change the channel form. Robbie E. acts like a teenage boy in high school, maybe even a middle schooler!! Jessie isn't bad, but Robbie E. and DJZ just act too childish. change the BroMans tag team up, name them something else and have Robbie E.'s hair style change. but other than BroMans, i like how TNA is doing. EC3 and Spud are two major future stars in TNA.

 

[whoopin' ass]

I agree that the presentation is a little lacking. I think that is the one thing that shows right away with both them and ROH - it doesn't look like what we think a professional show should look like. Sounds like TNA has a new set so maybe that will help a little. They seriously need to quit cutting back to the studio for the commentary though. I have to finish watching this weeks episode but I caught the start and when they cut to the studio, Matthews' is stretching back in his chair with his hands behind is head doing commentary - why would you show that? Could you ever see JR doing that back in the day? While TNA has impressed me more lately, I see stuff like that and it makes me wonder if they have decided if they want to be a wrestling company or a sports entertainment company because you can't be both - wwe has shown that. But like I said, they seem to be more focused than they were even 6 months ago so I will keep tuning in.

Charismatic Enigma, I am glad you found another alternative. Personally, I think that is going to be wwe's next battle - not fighting off another company to be #1 but fighting to show they actually do have the best talent when you have 3 or 4 other smaller company out there with just as good if not better talent. wwe can only go so long with the attitude that they don't have competition. With Punk and Lesnar in UFC, that is their competition. As well, any casual fan would see TNA or ROH and say it is the same type of product as wwe - different packaging and style but same type. There are a lot of alternatives out there now to wwe and maybe that will light the fire under them again.

 

[New Hot Fed]

I honestly just don't know. TNA's in a weird place right now.

I've got some big, grand "Status of the Companies in 2015" post I'm working on, but I'll give the Cliff Notes version here for TNA. They've stopped taking steps backwards after 2014 was their annus terribilis, but at the same time, they don't appear to be making any steps forwards either. TNA is putting on high-quality matches, but in the truest measurement of user engagement I've ever seen, no one talks about them unless it's to repeat the phrase "TNA is putting on high-quality matches these days". The average age of the Impact audience is 49, which is an age bracket far less likely to purchase t-shirts, tickets, and all of the other ancillary items that pad a company's bottom line.

If there's one thing TNA is proving, it's that fans (in the general sense) do not care about professional wrestling. TNA's been offering the best match quality to be found on cable (without consulting a cable guide, astrological signs and a tide chart to figure out where the hell ROH is on), but you don't hear people get excited about it outside of these "is TNA awesome or not?" threads.

Over the long term I wouldn't be surprised to see TNA push much harder with story-driven elements of their programming. Wrestling Doesn't Matter once you put more than 200 people in an arena, and if your audience isn't growing, your show is dying. For now it seems that TNA is content with still getting to be TNA- which is just fine for plenty of people.

You're right but what they care about is "Big Time Wrestling" which is what you get with the WWE and what you had with WCW.


For example, with myself, I don't know what it is but ever since they've gone to Destination America, I have not watched much of their shows. I try watching, even my favorites like Roode but cannot bring myself to it, I can't even watch the matches. I don't know if it's the lighting but it feels so small time. And with so many stars having left, it feels like I'm watching something in a dark street.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

You're right but what they care about is "Big Time Wrestling" which is what you get with the WWE and what you had with WCW.


For example, with myself, I don't know what it is but ever since they've gone to Destination America, I have not watched much of their shows. I try watching, even my favorites like Roode but cannot bring myself to it, I can't even watch the matches. I don't know if it's the lighting but it feels so small time. And with so many stars having left, it feels like I'm watching something in a dark street.

That's the mentality I can't really agree with. I get it, but I don't agree with it. It's not just with wrestling either. Sports needs to be big time, movies need to be big time, concerts need to be big time. I don't know if you're American or not, but I feel this "big time" thing is a really really North American characteristic. Americans love to show off and that's one way of doing it.

It's not so big in Europe, I think. England has no issue with TNA seeming small time. And Europeans don't focus on making something feel big time. Even football doesn't have a big time fee to it, even during the World Cup. Yes they have celebrations but not as insane as the SuperBowl (or WrestleMania), and it's a global event.

I don't think TNA needs to seem big time at all. They can look as they do now, but they need to embrace it and include it as part of their identity. TNA is small and we call know it. But they use production elements of a big time show and most times it looks laughable. They're the equivalent of a short guy wearing a lot of cheap bling to seem gangsta. No.

I think TNA should focus on being smaller, they should even make the show and the set up look much more gritty and sell it as that. At least then you have an identity and it's not confusing. They'll come off as the runt of the litter but clearly focus on quality rather than crisp presentation.

I mean why in the world would they even TRY to have crisp production values considering the WWE owns that domain. TNA won't get even close to what WWE does production wise so get the hell away from there. It's much better to pick your own thing and be strong in that. Being stylistically gritty is perfect. One - WWE can't and won't do it, no one will buy it they're huge. Two - it looks cool, it's different and it makes TNA stick out like a sore thumb. Right now they're neither. They're either plain or try to do what WWE does and fail so bad.

I hate the idea of wrestling HAVING to seem big time with a passion. WWE set it as the standard and now it's viewed by many as the only way to be. I completely disagree. WSX, for example, had tons of promise in terms of presentation. These guys nailed it. They made the whole set look like it did on purpose. It was run down, but it was stylistically run down. I think TNA can pull that off.

Even in the attitude era, the WWF was making money hand over fist but they didn't use the fanciest of fancy set ups. In fact they made the whole thing very very basic and gritty. They were far more bombastic in the 80's and early 90's when the whole production was about the logos, the colors, the cheesy set up with the RAW logo at the entrance, the In Your House set, you know what I mean.

So no, TNA not seeming big time shouldn't be an issue. Personal preference, of course, but TNA not being big time is what drew me to it. It's what I like about ROH, about the Indies. It's very "wrestling" when you strip it down to basics and I think that's a charm. Same goes for boxing. There's something more real and exciting about two boxers in a run down boxing ring than a hug ass arena with everything polished to the max.

 

[New Hot Fed]

That's the mentality I can't really agree with. I get it, but I don't agree with it. It's not just with wrestling either. Sports needs to be big time, movies need to be big time, concerts need to be big time. I don't know if you're American or not, but I feel this "big time" thing is a really really North American characteristic. Americans love to show off and that's one way of doing it.

It's not so big in Europe, I think. England has no issue with TNA seeming small time. And Europeans don't focus on making something feel big time. Even football doesn't have a big time fee to it, even during the World Cup. Yes they have celebrations but not as insane as the SuperBowl (or WrestleMania), and it's a global event.

I don't think TNA needs to seem big time at all. They can look as they do now, but they need to embrace it and include it as part of their identity. TNA is small and we call know it. But they use production elements of a big time show and most times it looks laughable. They're the equivalent of a short guy wearing a lot of cheap bling to seem gangsta. No.

I think TNA should focus on being smaller, they should even make the show and the set up look much more gritty and sell it as that. At least then you have an identity and it's not confusing. They'll come off as the runt of the litter but clearly focus on quality rather than crisp presentation.

I mean why in the world would they even TRY to have crisp production values considering the WWE owns that domain. TNA won't get even close to what WWE does production wise so get the hell away from there. It's much better to pick your own thing and be strong in that. Being stylistically gritty is perfect. One - WWE can't and won't do it, no one will buy it they're huge. Two - it looks cool, it's different and it makes TNA stick out like a sore thumb. Right now they're neither. They're either plain or try to do what WWE does and fail so bad.

I hate the idea of wrestling HAVING to seem big time with a passion. WWE set it as the standard and now it's viewed by many as the only way to be. I completely disagree. WSX, for example, had tons of promise in terms of presentation. These guys nailed it. They made the whole set look like it did on purpose. It was run down, but it was stylistically run down. I think TNA can pull that off.

Even in the attitude era, the WWF was making money hand over fist but they didn't use the fanciest of fancy set ups. In fact they made the whole thing very very basic and gritty. They were far more bombastic in the 80's and early 90's when the whole production was about the logos, the colors, the cheesy set up with the RAW logo at the entrance, the In Your House set, you know what I mean.

So no, TNA not seeming big time shouldn't be an issue. Personal preference, of course, but TNA not being big time is what drew me to it. It's what I like about ROH, about the Indies. It's very "wrestling" when you strip it down to basics and I think that's a charm. Same goes for boxing. There's something more real and exciting about two boxers in a run down boxing ring than a hug ass arena with everything polished to the max.

I think the World Cup is big time. You have the biggest stars, the top players, people are going crazy in the stands. There are big presentations with music and so forth.

Big time means you are the Top of your profession. It means you're gonna pull all the stop to create the biggest show and be the talk of the town. WCW didn't have the polished look of the WWF for instance, they didn't have big sets and screens like them but their matches felt big time, they hired Michael Buffer and more importantly they did everything to get the biggest stars, to stole them all from the WWF.

People don't just like wrestling for the craft, they watch it cause they want to see special people that they can't be like. They want to see them as superstars, as heroes and villains. That is why back in the day, they pimped Bruno Samartino and Hulk Hogan, they wanted to create larger-than-life characters that people would like to see and spend money on.

Take a sports team. You can have this little team with no money that is dedicated and try but they'll never win any championships. After a while as a fan, you'll lose interest in them. While take another team where every year they compete and every year they'll try spending money on getting the best athletes. Maybe they won't succeed, but as a fan of these guys, you'll be stimulated by seeing them TRY. Trying to be the best.

That is Big Time Wrestling. To be the Greatest Show on Earth. That is wrestling. Well maybe in the past the pyros were not there, maybe there was less promotion, maybe the arenas were less lite, but for people say in 1955, when Killer Kowalsky came to town, it was worth the price of admition. This was Big Time Wrestling cause he was the biggest star on the planet.

You cannot say this about TNA now. There's not any reasons for people to go see them, they don't hire guys that people would want to see. And the big problem is perception. The lost Sting, Hogan, AJ, Joe and so forth, it feels like they are giving up. They are not trying to be the Greatest Show on Earth. They are not even trying to get the best wrestlers on the Indy scene. They are just...there.

I watched last Friday and I saw Magnus vs Bram, Roode vs EY and I have the impression I've seen these wrestlers a thousand times. This company needs new blood. I see zero elements in them that make me excited. Roode was so bland, a shadow of his glorious 2012 self. Angle vs Lashley was good but I didn't care who win or lose. The storyline didn't seem that exciting. And it's always the same wrestlers. They hired Drew Galloway and that's good but it seems like they got him cause he had nowhere else to go.

They need to do something that would make people go "OMG shit is going down!". Also being on DA doesn't help either. They cannot compete with the WWE but show me that you TRY giving me the best show that you can do.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I think the World Cup is big time. You have the biggest stars, the top players, people are going crazy in the stands. There are big presentations with music and so forth.

Big time means you are the Top of your profession. It means you're gonna pull all the stop to create the biggest show and be the talk of the town. WCW didn't have the polished look of the WWF for instance, they didn't have big sets and screens like them but their matches felt big time, they hired Michael Buffer and more importantly they did everything to get the biggest stars, to stole them all from the WWF.

People don't just like wrestling for the craft, they watch it cause they want to see special people that they can't be like. They want to see them as superstars, as heroes and villains. That is why back in the day, they pimped Bruno Samartino and Hulk Hogan, they wanted to create larger-than-life characters that people would like to see and spend money on.

Take a sports team. You can have this little team with no money that is dedicated and try but they'll never win any championships. After a while as a fan, you'll lose interest in them. While take another team where every year they compete and every year they'll try spending money on getting the best athletes. Maybe they won't succeed, but as a fan of these guys, you'll be stimulated by seeing them TRY. Trying to be the best.

That is Big Time Wrestling. To be the Greatest Show on Earth. That is wrestling. Well maybe in the past the pyros were not there, maybe there was less promotion, maybe the arenas were less lite, but for people say in 1955, when Killer Kowalsky came to town, it was worth the price of admition. This was Big Time Wrestling cause he was the biggest star on the planet.

You cannot say this about TNA now. There's not any reasons for people to go see them, they don't hire guys that people would want to see. And the big problem is perception. The lost Sting, Hogan, AJ, Joe and so forth, it feels like they are giving up. They are not trying to be the Greatest Show on Earth. They are not even trying to get the best wrestlers on the Indy scene. They are just...there.

I watched last Friday and I saw Magnus vs Bram, Roode vs EY and I have the impression I've seen these wrestlers a thousand times. This company needs new blood. I see zero elements in them that make me excited. Roode was so bland, a shadow of his glorious 2012 self. Angle vs Lashley was good but I didn't care who win or lose. The storyline didn't seem that exciting. And it's always the same wrestlers. They hired Drew Galloway and that's good but it seems like they got him cause he had nowhere else to go.

They need to do something that would make people go "OMG shit is going down!". Also being on DA doesn't help either. They cannot compete with the WWE but show me that you TRY giving me the best show that you can do.

The company has new blood — Bram and ECIII among the brightest of their newly forming stars. They got burned hard the last time they fast-tracked a young budding star to the main event (Magnus), so they seem to be taking their time this go-around. I expect both to have full runs at the top soon enough. ECIII probably as soon as this year.

Right now they have so many things that are working that they're able to split their feuds by week. Magnus/Bram, EY/Roode and Angle/Lashley this week, then next week its Jeff Hardy and James Storm, BDC and The Rising, etc.

There are a lot of great things happening in this company. Even historical non-supporters like Xfear are coming back to watch every week. If that doesn't prove that "OMG shit is going down", I'm not sure what would. You seem to be asking for a unicorn.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I think the World Cup is big time. You have the biggest stars, the top players, people are going crazy in the stands. There are big presentations with music and so forth.

Big time means you are the Top of your profession. It means you're gonna pull all the stop to create the biggest show and be the talk of the town. WCW didn't have the polished look of the WWF for instance, they didn't have big sets and screens like them but their matches felt big time, they hired Michael Buffer and more importantly they did everything to get the biggest stars, to stole them all from the WWF.

People don't just like wrestling for the craft, they watch it cause they want to see special people that they can't be like. They want to see them as superstars, as heroes and villains. That is why back in the day, they pimped Bruno Samartino and Hulk Hogan, they wanted to create larger-than-life characters that people would like to see and spend money on.

Take a sports team. You can have this little team with no money that is dedicated and try but they'll never win any championships. After a while as a fan, you'll lose interest in them. While take another team where every year they compete and every year they'll try spending money on getting the best athletes. Maybe they won't succeed, but as a fan of these guys, you'll be stimulated by seeing them TRY. Trying to be the best.

That is Big Time Wrestling. To be the Greatest Show on Earth. That is wrestling. Well maybe in the past the pyros were not there, maybe there was less promotion, maybe the arenas were less lite, but for people say in 1955, when Killer Kowalsky came to town, it was worth the price of admition. This was Big Time Wrestling cause he was the biggest star on the planet.

You cannot say this about TNA now. There's not any reasons for people to go see them, they don't hire guys that people would want to see. And the big problem is perception. The lost Sting, Hogan, AJ, Joe and so forth, it feels like they are giving up. They are not trying to be the Greatest Show on Earth. They are not even trying to get the best wrestlers on the Indy scene. They are just...there.

I watched last Friday and I saw Magnus vs Bram, Roode vs EY and I have the impression I've seen these wrestlers a thousand times. This company needs new blood. I see zero elements in them that make me excited. Roode was so bland, a shadow of his glorious 2012 self. Angle vs Lashley was good but I didn't care who win or lose. The storyline didn't seem that exciting. And it's always the same wrestlers. They hired Drew Galloway and that's good but it seems like they got him cause he had nowhere else to go.

They need to do something that would make people go "OMG shit is going down!". Also being on DA doesn't help either. They cannot compete with the WWE but show me that you TRY giving me the best show that you can do.

Again I don't see your focus being on what matters. You care about seeming big-time, the network they're on (as if that makes your viewing experience worse), fresh new faces. For one thing, they have fresh new faces so please pluck yourself out of 2009 and plop yourself in 2015.

Besides, I get the wanting to live vicariously through these majestic individuals but again - that's not up to presentation, it's up to the stories they're in. If it was that simple, WWE'd be shooting out legends on cue. C'mon now ... if WWE can't build these amazing characters anymore, with even more opportunities to seem grand, that tells you the whole story. It's about the story. WWE can put together the greatest promo package on the planet, present the characters as grandiose as they want and it still falls flat. You've seen it happen. Wake up and smell the script.

Moreover, that whole "we want to be inspired by heroes" crap is so 80's. Kids are into that, and kids are inspired by a keychain. I'm a damn grown up, I don't want to live vicariously through RockStar Spud, I wanna see good matches, nice writing and storylines that outsmart me. We used to want to live through these people when we were younger, just like we wanted to be Superman and Batman. Now when I watch a Batman movie I don't wanna be him, I just want a solid movie with a nice story, cool visuals and awesome writing. My preferences have evolved, are yours the same as you were when you were 12? I don't need to see "larger than life characters". I'd rather see AJ Styles knock someone's teeth down their throat, or Austin Aries cut a great promo and wrestle a great match.

Once more, wrestling doesn't have to LOOK big time in order to be big time. What makes wrestling good are the characters, in-ring competition and storylines. That's it. Whether that's painted as big time extravaganza or small time edgy rough show is irrelevant, that's just the framing. What's in the frame is what defines the rest.

Wrestling has been good with very modest presentation, and it's been good with bombastic presentation. It's also been bad with either. You have your preferences as a viewer and I respect that, but I think a lot of it is very cockeyed. Presentation is a factor, indeed, but that much? C'mon man, they're not shooting it with a flip phone.

TNA has a LOT of things to work on. Things more important than presentation. It's hardly a top to bottom amazing show, but some people expect it to be damn near flawless before they bless it with their attention again. It's not, it won't be. But it's safe to say that right now TNA is enjoying its best wrestling, storylines, consistency, fresh talent and character development since 2008-2009. TNA has come a LONG way from the show that used to hotshot ex-WWE wrestlers, drop storylines sporadically, overload the show with long promos, shock-ridden moments and all the issues people have been unhappy with. That's a huge 180 in just a few short years. They deserve a solid shot and getting caught up on something as small as "they don't seem big time" and "they're on Destination America" is not valid in my eyes. At one point some fans have to tap out and give the damn show a damn chance because the days of denying TNA's quality are either gone or numbered.

TNA's good. It's getting even better. End of story.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

TNA can be getting better all they want but the fact remains its a dead Promotion and there's no buzz about it. I also don't like the fact that Destination America is starting to get involved in the creative process of TNA by telling them to put the World Title on Kurt Angle or saying they didn't want them having Shows in the UK.

That being said I did watch Impact for the first time in Months as my Dish lineup picked up DA though not sure if its permanent or just a free preview. I will say it was fine overall two things stuck out to me.

1.Can they not afford to fly in the Announcers for those Tapings and at least give off the impression they are at least commentating on these Shows? It just looks so corny showing them sitting in a studio calling the action.

2.Eric Young,I just cannot stand this guy. I don't get the obsession with continuing to push him as any major threat much less a Heel. His promo to Bobby Roode was so cringeworthy I wanted to punch a hole in my TV.

Not sure if I will continue to watch every week as I have WWE,ROH,and Lucha Underground which is enough weekly Wrestling for me but we'll see.

 

[whoopin' ass]

1.Can they not afford to fly in the Announcers for those Tapings and at least give off the impression they are at least commentating on these Shows? It just looks so corny showing them sitting in a studio calling the action.

2.Eric Young,I just cannot stand this guy. I don't get the obsession with continuing to push him as any major threat much less a Heel. His promo to Bobby Roode was so cringeworthy I wanted to punch a hole in my TV.

I agree on both. They are going a little too far into the tv show style by not having them there. Also that "next time" thing at the end needs to go as you just hear a match announced and they already have a promo for it - tells you that it is taped instead of live and wrestling should always act as if it were live. And yep on EY - should never have been made champ and is getting pushed way too much. Solid worker but the personality just isn't working.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I agree on both. They are going a little too far into the tv show style by not having them there. Also that "next time" thing at the end needs to go as you just hear a match announced and they already have a promo for it - tells you that it is taped instead of live and wrestling should always act as if it were live. And yep on EY - should never have been made champ and is getting pushed way too much. Solid worker but the personality just isn't working.

Why ... exactly? What possible good can come from live wrestling specifically? That a few hundred fans will stumble upon them online? Not an issue, considering a lot of them will still watch it.

Production is far better with a taped show, it's more structured. If you need the "live" feeling to enjoy it, something's wrong with the show. It's wrestling, not basketball.

 

[Hit with Dirty Deeds]

IMPACT wrestling are doing so many things right with regards to character development. EC3, Spud, Austin Aries and the rest of the. Main event scene. The tag Division and even the stables are impressive. The problem lies with the production of the shows. Understandably with smaller crowds the lighting hides them but on the tour of England when the crowds were large surely they should have accentuated that. The shaky camera angles and the switching to absent commentators are ridiculous. Maybe the shaky camera angles could differentiate the product if they were a little more clear. The show has a bad indie promotion look for a show which is meant to be the second largest promotion in the US.

 

[whoopin' ass]

Why ... exactly? What possible good can come from live wrestling specifically? That a few hundred fans will stumble upon them online? Not an issue, considering a lot of them will still watch it.

Production is far better with a taped show, it's more structured. If you need the "live" feeling to enjoy it, something's wrong with the show. It's wrestling, not basketball.

It goes back to the suspension of disbelief. This is being presented as real so it needs to be treated as real which means no teasers for next weeks show. Think of sports - you see things on a tape delay but they don't tape 5 games in a week and then play them out over 5 weeks advertising the next game each time. I have no problem with them taping shows in advance but the way they do it right now, it comes across as a scripted tv show and not as a event. Tape the shows but treat each episode when it airs as if it were live.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

It goes back to the suspension of disbelief. This is being presented as real so it needs to be treated as real which means no teasers for next weeks show. Think of sports - you see things on a tape delay but they don't tape 5 games in a week and then play them out over 5 weeks advertising the next game each time. I have no problem with them taping shows in advance but the way they do it right now, it comes across as a scripted tv show and not as a event. Tape the shows but treat each episode when it airs as if it were live.

You want suspension of disbelief, but you want them to pawn off (obviously) taped shows as live?

TNA can be treated as sports, but what other sports has a weekly TV show? I don't see Manchester United having a scheduled game every single week on the same day, at the same time, for an entire year. That alone makes it a TV show, and TV shows have previews.

And how does showing a preview of what will happen make it faker? It just tells us the shows are taped in advance. That can happen if wrestling was theoretically real. It doesn't imply anything about scripts and such, which once again - everyone knows about; it's not 1986.

This is one of those things that shouldn't even cross a fan's mind but someone has to think about it and complain. You wanna suspend your disbelief? Get off this website.

 

[MCMG]

I feel the talent, for the most part, is rather good. The storylines aren't all that. Drew Galloway is someone I should be really excited about but his rambling don't make for great TV. A lot of it is disguised WWE bashing which just doesn't work for anyone.

They are concentrating on the wrestling part which is obviously a good thing. They are never going to be like Ring of Honour so some top quality story telling would be nice to go with it. I quite like the simplicity of Lashley/Angle. Magnus/Bram has also been pretty good.

Sure I think Eric Young sucks. Sure, Rockstar Spud is awful. EC3 isn't doing much for me lately and neither is James Storm. They could have a more clear grounding of their mid-card - a mid-card title would help but that's irrelevant.

There are drawbacks to their TV and there always will be but it is a lot better than what it was. "Impressed", probably not because I still feel they can/should be doing better but I'm enjoying the product a lot more than I used to.

 

[Hem]

I like the direction TNA is headed towards. It's not the original direction which consisted of fresh talents who were different from the WWE or the direction where it felt like a WWE retirement home..it's a pleasant mix of the two

They have taken the young guys who WWE bailed on and made them into stars and I love it. It's almost like the ultimate middle finger.

The product seems fairly well focused and I'm intrigued by the current storylines. James Storm and Drew Galloway are doing great right now. It's good to see some big names forming tag teams and making the division relevant and the title picture feels very important as of late.

I wish there would be a bit more emphasis on the X Division and Knockouts division but I understand when you have 2 hours a week you can only do so much.

 

[whoopin' ass]

This is one of those things that shouldn't even cross a fan's mind but someone has to think about it and complain. You wanna suspend your disbelief? Get off this website.

Dude, what's with the anger? This whole business is built on the suspension of disbelief. News flash - most of these guys don't really hate each other. They are not really trying to hurt each other and who is going to be made champ is decided in a meeting, not in the ring. It isn't real but the whole premise is that you accept what you are seeing is real - you suspend your disbelief. That is why I think those promos at the end are a bad idea. When you just finish watching a match where someone gets their head cracked open and in the "next episode" promo you see them walking around backstage with their head all bandaged even though it has been 30 seconds, it kind of undermines your product. Why do wire removal in a movie? I mean, your not an idiot - you know Christian Bale isn't really Batman and can't really fly so why bother to remove those wires? It isn't like they pull you out of the movie or anything, do they?

And if I can make a suggestion: if you don't like what I am saying, why do you keep coming back? Start you own thread on TNA or us dumb fans and you can rant about 1986 all you want.