How long until TNA is competition?

[Wrestlefan27]

1. Focus on the home-grown talent and the X division, because they are truly amazing athletes and put on excellent matches that show people things they've never seen before.

2. Don't televise matches with has beens that can no longer perform.

3. Better camera work.

4. I could care less about the arena or production values. It what happens in the ring and on the mic that matters.

5. No creative control by the wrestlers.

6. Personally, I like the Knockouts because most of them actually perform well in the ring.

7. Stop giving away ppv quality matches on tv.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Well, I think that there are several things that eventually need to happen before TNA is going to be considered real competition to the WWE. I know that some think TNA is already head and shoulders above the WWE and that's all well and good. But let's face it, WWE Raw generally outdraws TNA iMPACT by an average of about 3.5 to 1 domestically. When your competition's audience is more than triple yours, that means you're not competitive. Not nearly enough.

TNA is going to have to start having iMPACT outside of the Impact Zone. I understand that holding live shows outise of Universal Studios is going to be more expensive, but it's a necessary expense. As has been said by lots of people in lots of posts on this very subject in the past, the Impact Zone looks generic and cheap. It's being held in a studio on the grounds of an amusement/theme park and it just gives TNA a second class aura about it. Maybe that in and of itself comes from the knowledge that it's being shot in an amusement park. I know some concern centers around TNA having difficulty filling up arenas that are actually smaller than the Impact Zone. However, if TNA were to announce that they were going to be taping episodes of iMPACT, I'd say those attendance problems would be dramatically reduced. It's commonly known that, in most situations, more fans show up to live shows, television tapings and ppvs than to house shows. When you look at WWE selling out Madison Square Garden and TNA being on the lot at Universal Studios, you just get a sense that TNA is a second class company.

As has also been pointed out in numerous posts before, TNA's marketing of its product overall has been far from spectacular. With the exception of the live iMPACT that took plays on the 4th, it was pretty rare to see a TNA commercial on any channel. Unlike the WWE, TNA doesn't have its name to rely on. Even if people don't watch wrestling, they at least have some elementary idea of who and what the WWE is and that counts for a LOT. That's a huge disadvantage that TNA doesn't have. Unlike WCW, TNA doesn't have the near endless financial resources of Ted Turner backing it. TNA advertised the hell out of the live iMPACT and Hulk Hogan being a part of it and drew the biggest audience in the company's history.

TNA has often called itself an alternative to the WWE but, quite frankly, I don't really see it. TNA has put less emphasis on wrestling and has put more emphasis on various feuds dealing with who is ultimately going to control the company. Not to say that TNA doesn't put some quality matches onto iMPACT sometimes, but their focus has not been on wrestling for a while. A lot of people see that TNA, in some ways, is trying to copy the WWE and it's just not working. I think that Dixie Carter is so focused on wanting to be the #1 wrestling company in the world that she has sacrificed much about TNA that did make it a legitimate alternative to WWE Raw.

Also, I think TNA really should focus on building young stars within its company rather than bringing in older wrestlers that have been well established through their association with the old NWA, WCW, WWE or some combo of any or all of the above. This strategy, overall, just simply has not worked for TNA. Now, last week's iMPACT scored the biggest rating in the company's history and maybe a lot of that is due to Hulk Hogan's appearance. However, nostalgia only lasts for so long. The live iMPACT has happened, Hogan has made his debut and now we're going to see if TNA can sustain momentum. I personally doubt it. Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, the Nasty Boys, Ric Flair, and Sting all had their time. They have been, and some still are, big names in the business but most of them are practically senior citizens. At age 45 each, the Nasty Boys are the youngest of those wrestlers I just mentioned and they're far from in great shape. There's a lot of young, talented wrestlers on the TNA roster and, frankly, I think that's what TNA should focus on rather than gaining a reputation for being the unofficial rest home of pro wrestling.

 

[TheBestThereEverWillBe]

Wrestlers that jump ship always claim its because WWE has a grueling schedule and TNA's schedule fits them better. Maybe thats what it is. TNA should add a little bit of 'gruel' to their schedule. Maybe they should get out more. Show the initiative to want to be big by putting on more shows in more places. I'd love to see a TNA show but won't get the oppurtunity because they'd never come to the 2 places i am in japan or Seattle, so i'll stick the WWE side because the E will come visit me. so i believe TNA will be competitive when they start packing their schedule up some more.

 

[MizMark]

For TNA to get ANYWHERE near WWE they need to do, in no particular order;

1, Market their product, and put it out there more. (don't tell me they don't have the cash cus WTF are they using to Hogan/Bischoff etc...)

2, Stop the ridiculous face/heel turns every week. Tweener roles are fine, but you cannot have someone a face for a month, then turn them heel the next.

3, Sort the writing out. See point 2, but also have storylines that make sense and stop going over things from the past that happened in your competition, especially when that 'storyline' was a shoot, and this one is a work.

4, Stop taking pathetic jabs at WWE. They look bush league for coming out and running down the WWE product, and Hogan looks like a jackass telling Vince he's coming after him. He isn't going to even get half the rating RAW gets.

5, Branch out. WWE goes all across America/Canada/Europe/Australia/Asia for house shows and apperances, aswell as markets their product in those countries/continents and makes the people care about their product. Okay, TNA are still finding their feet, but you cannot stop in the Impact Zone your entire life, branch out and put on live events/tv tapings/live tv in other states/towns/cities/countries, that's how to put your product out there, market it in different states, promote the upcoming live taping of Impact, get people interested.

6, Final point, I've mentioned it before, showcase your young and coming stars, the ones who will carry the company, nobody wants the see The Nasty Boys face Team 3D on PPV. Why are Hogan/Hall/Xpac/Angle on to close the go home show into a PPV when only one of those is wrestling a damn match? Shouldn't AJ close the show out? Why are the likes of Orlando Jordan and Val Venis getting on TV?

They were NOTHING in WWE, and are NOTHING in TNA, showcase actual TALENT, not washed up, or not good enough for WWE 'stars'.

 

[GenMe]

As of right now TNA is going to be the competition for the E.Now that TNA will be moved to Monday nights,And now that TNA are starting some good storyline.Basically starting on march the 8 TNA will now be a major competition to the WWE.So WWE you better watch out cause TNA could bring you down.

I am a fan of both the WWE and TNA But now im actually getting more into TNA,Because of the new storylines and the new feud that the TNA are now having.Day by Day TNA getts better and better.

 

[Kayoh]

I think it's going to be a good 3-4 years until TNA starts to actually show some signs of competition for the WWE. Honestly, until Hogan gets his head out of his ass and stops bringing back all of his buddies who are has beens or never was's, TNA is going down the shitter. I loved TNA in its first 5 years or so, but it has gone downhill fast, and it's a shame because I'm a huge fan of Daniels, Styles, Joe, Sabin, Shelley, even TNA's versions of Jeff Hardy and Christian, pretty much all of the TNA talent that either didn't get a shot in the WWE or didn't get enough of a shot in the WWE. I want to see the good 15 minute long matches again, not this "joe gets squashed by Orlando Jordan in 3 minutes" bullshit.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

It is going to take TNA a good amount of time before they are true competition. WCW rose quickly because they had A LOT of recognizable names already. Hulk Hogan, Sting, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, The Giant, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, The Steiner Brothers, Harlem Heat, and yes for all you haters out there, the Nasty Boys. And many, many more.

TNA has some popular names. Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Kurt Angle, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash, Mick Foley, Mr. Anderson, Team 3D, and Ric Flair. But half of those guys are either not wrestling or are on their way out. Guys like AJ Styles, Abyss, Amazing Red, Matt Morgan, The Pope, MCMG, Samoa Joe, Wolfe, and Daniels are big names...AMONG TNA FANS! Angle is the only guy in the main event picture that is a really well known guy (Styles is getting there).

My point is, until their guys are given more national exposure, they cannot compete with the WWE.

And I am sick to DEATH of hearing about Hogan bringing in washed up guys, and this and that. Nasty Boys: no excuse, they sucked back then, they suck now. But who else can you REALLY complain about? Hall and Waltman? They have done NOTHING. They aren't full time wrestlers. If they are put into a ppv match, it is in the hope of creating ppv buys that WERE NOT THERE BEFORE!! Why is this so hard for some of you TNA super marks to understand???

The key to success at TNA is going to be exposure. They need as much tv time as they can afford. Moving to Monday nights is a GREAT start. But it's not enough to really compete. They need a Thursday night show as well, 2 hours would be perfect. I wouldn't mind seeing them have a Superstars-like show as well, that only focuses on actual wrestling (that should shut some of you super-marks up).

And also, with additional tv time you can do a few things. 1. You can establish and build up feuds. There just isn't enough time between their ppv's with such a light tv schedule. 2. They can't showcase all of their talent with one, 2-hour weekly program. Too many wrestlers, not enough time. TNA needs more structure as it pertains to their storylines, and more tv time will improve the quality of feuds and character development.

So while you super-mark crybabies are pissing and moaning about how Bischoff/Hogan are ruining you precious little TNA, keep a few things in mind. They are moving to Monday nights, which is good for EVERY wrestling fan. Direct competition makes for better wrestling.

Also, there are going to be more storylines. There is going to be more talking. SO JUST GET USED TO IT! Sports entertainment is not all about actual matches. It is a soap opera for men. That's what it is, like it or not. Half of pro wrestling is being able to act, and develop a character. Putting on two hours full of nothing but big spots will NOT work. TNA wasn't successful before, on a national level, and a good part of that was because they had NO storylines. Things are going to keep changing, so get used to it, or find something else to watch.

And as for those of you who complain and say TNA needs to focus on homegrown talent. 1. Most of that talent isn't homegrown, it came from somewhere else. 2. Focusing on guys who are not household names is RECIPE FOR DISASTER. Thank God some of you aren't running TNA, because if you were, your selfish, childish ideas would RUIN the company.

 

[samoan_joe]

OMG! As much as I mark for TNA, never. They will never be competition. We have no young, recognizable talent, only old retreads on their last legs and a bunch of young guys like Aj who people outside the small TNA audience don't know about. Eric B, Hogan and Russo are ten years past their primes and haven't had an idea that made any money in over a decade, we are always subjected to WWE ripoffs and name dropping and terrible angles. Austic, stupid baby Abyss? Aj the next Nature Boy? A gay man kissing another one? C'mon. As long as these fools are in charge TNA is going nowhere. The X guys can do all the spots in the world, TNA can trot out as many busted has beens as they want, you can have so many dumb angles but it never has and never will pay off. We need a creative mind like Heyman who knows how to maximize minimal product into maximum success. Until then TNA will always be a bush league, over glorified indy.

 

[Rokitka]

Getting out of the Impact zone is a huge necessity. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that smarky crowd ruins the show. Chanting "underrated" for Eric Young? Honestly? To answer the question though, I don't expect them to be pulling big numbers anytime soon. I believe they'll maintain the majority of their audience once they move to Mondays, maybe lose a little, but I can't see them pulling too many away from Raw, especially during the build to Wrestlemania. I hope I'm wrong though, competition is needed in wrestling pretty badly these days.

 

[TokiRKO]

Honestly they shouldn't be concerned with competing with WWE. Them moving to monday night is the most horrible idea ever conceived. They want to beat WWE by making us choose out of the two companies. There are TONS of fans who watch raw on monday, TNA on thursday, and the few who actually get smackdown. Making us choose will cause both shows to lose fans and one show will eventually die.

 

[Morpheus101]

I agree with those who say that moving to Monday nights is a HUGE mistake, at least right now. TNA should have remained on Thursday nights, where it could have continued to build on its existing fanbase. Now, people are going to be forced to choose one or the other and unfortunately, WWE will reign supreme.

Having watched TNA for the past couple of months, it does have a lot of positives going for it and a lot of appeal for those disillusioned with the WWE's "PG" era. TNA still has blood, it still has "hardcore" elements, bad language and it's female wrestlers are actual wrestlers, not just "divas". TNA is definitely more of an adult product and it should really seek to take full advantage of that, as it would surely win over far more fans (in time).

For the record, I thought iMPACT was really good tonight. It's a shame that iMPACT is switching to Monday nights, because now I'm going to be forced to choose....i.e. unless Raw turns REALLY bad, I'll only watch iMPACT during commercial breaks, divas matches or celebrity guest host / John Cena promos on Raw.

 

[Tastycles]

While I think the move to Mondays may prove a mistake, it's either going to make or break TNA. If they move there and start performing well, the hype they will generate is likely to drive them to higher ratings much quicker. I'm not sure they have the money to be able to compete on an international scale, but they could be drawing Smackdown-esque numbers before 2010 is out. It's all about being patient though, because TNA is a lot smaller than WWE right now, and there is no way they can hope to be true competition for a long time.

 

[seedx]

I think that slowly week after week tna will push up in the rating .

Now on monday i am counting on a 1.4-1.6 final rating, maybe even more but everything over 1.3 the first monday live is decent in my eyes..

And then the following weeks try to push the rating up but its like bishoff said the wrestling public is the biggest on mondays and slowly i think tna will be bigger and bigger..who big is hard to tell..but IF they are around 2.0 before the end of the year i think its very good beacuse we all know raw didnt get 3.5-4.0 over 1 night it takes years and also time for the public to see the show and get used to it...also i think tna MUST be live every week..but that will eventually come over time and when theres more money...ITS Time for TNA to take it to the next level..

 

[y2jnumber1]

TNA is nothing more then ECW part 2. It never be in WWE league. I'm sorry,but Hogan,Flair,and Bischoff are so 90's. They are no longer entertaining.

 

[Cable]

A word comes to mind.......NEVER

 

[psykohurricane]

It will never be competition for the WWE, especially if they continue with the mindset they are in right now. The last 2 weeks of IMPACT was unwatchable and the ratings prove it. Fans are getting sick and tired of the show been focus on the old guys. They are tired of not seeing Wrestling on a wrestling show. What was the lowest rated segment on last week's show, The whole Aj/Flair vs Abyss/Hogan segment hyping the main event for next monday's show. Sean Morely who came into TNA last january and was featured on last week show, decided to quit the company because they didn't have anything for him to do. That'S a guy that was suppose to be a big surprise last january, a guy that they wanted to push when he first arrive and now he's already gone from the company.


TNA needs to understand that the fans are not buying what they are producing right now. They've been doing the same mistakes for the last 5 years now. They bring in some big name guy as a surprise, they get the fan all excited about that surprise and then don'T follow through with it. When they brought in Angle in 2006, the first thing that everybody were expecting was a Angle vs Sting feud. 2 megastar that never wrestle each other facing up against each other for the first time but what did they do, they gave Angle a feud with Samoa Joe. No disrespect to Joe because am a huge fan of him, but he's not in Sting league and the fans that were expecting a feud between Angle and Sting completly forgot left when they gave him Joe instead and they forgot about Angle.

TNA seem to think that the only way to get fans s by getting the IWC excited about TNA. They don't see higher then that, if the IWC is excited then the casual fan will be to. They want the fans that stop watching wrestling when WCW died but what they don'T realise is that does fans have either move on from watching wrestling and internet wrestling site or started watching WWE or MMA instead. So these guys are gone and unless you found a way to get them back, which by the way it's not by having Hogan/Bischoff and all the rest of theses legends talk for most of the show, then they won'T be successful.

I've been a TNA fan since the beginning, i want through a lot of crap with them and while sometimes i was less then excited about some of the stuff they were doing( Stone Cold Shark Boy comes to mind) i was still entertain by the in ring product. Now i don't necessarily cares one way or the other. The last 2 weeks of IMPACT were so terrible that i would turn off my t.v after the first hour and go to sleep without recording the rest of the show.

TNA showed promise of being competition on january 4th, but they forgot like they always do to keep the momemtum going and now not only is the momemtum of the january 4th show gone, so is the interest of the casual fan that were expecting something new and exciting when they watch that show and what they got was something old and boring.

On a side note, how bad is TNA at promoting, for the second time this year, they completly forgot to promote a PPV. Destination X is in 2 weeks and still almost no mention of the PPV on either broadcast, Sure they talk about the Ultimate X match but to a casual fan that never saw an ultimate X match, that doesn'T mean much. They should have explain it to those fans that never saw one before or at less give some of the names that will be in that match. It's like the Destination X PPV is less important then the march 8th show. TNA needs to remember that most of the money that comes in the company is from PPV buys and if you don'T promote the PPV properly, people won't cares about buying the show even if you got stars like Hogan and Flair on the show, again if you don't believe me just try to find how much the Genesis 2010 PPV buyrate is. I'm sure it wasn'T that high.