Shadows Over Hell
Dark Match Jobber
After the rumor that Lockdown might only have a few Steel Cage Matches, I thought it would be necessary to detail the transition TNA has made over the past few years. This transition would take a few years but it would turn the company completely upside down.
Let's all be realistic, the product that we see today is not the one many of us were watching a few years ago. The ring has changed, management has changed, the look has changed, and a number of concepts have either been changed or just dropped. This is not the same TNA we were watching in 2007 and 2008.
The shift in the company really began in the Summer of 2009. When Jeff Jarrett was involved in an affair with Karen Angle which forced Dixie Carter to send him home. Dixie Carter ended up releasing a number of backstage personnel close to Jeff. It was at this moment that she began looking elsewhere for a momentum boost.
Only a few months after Jarrett was relieved of his duty, did TNA announce that they were bringing on Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. While Vince Russo (a Jarrett ally) was booking for a few months, it was just a clock ticking away.
Hogan and Bischoff made a number of changes within the company. The Six Sided Ring was eliminated in favor of the traditional ring. A number of TNA concept matches such as King of the Mountain, Steel Asylum and Feast or Fired were scrapped. The X Division (known for its "no limit" slogan) was given a weight limit and made into a modern day cruiserweight division.
With that said, a number of different ideas came to fruition. Reality TV came into play with Reaction and is still heavily featured on today's programming with British Bootcamp, Gutcheck, the "last week on IMPACT" opening and the well-known camera style. Along with that came some new concepts such as the Bound For Glory Series, which focused on the sport element of the product. TNA also created Open Fight Night, Championship Thursday and the Gutcheck Challenge last year.
TNA has a major overhaul in the look department as well. TNA IMPACT (TNA's Thursday show) became IMPACT Wrestling as the show went from red to blue. There seems to be a movement to change the company's name to IMPACT Wrestling but Dixie Carter is reluctant. The IMPACT Wrestling name change is truly symbolic however in how much the company has changed over the past few years.
One of the biggest changes was in the creative department. Vince Russo (known for his crash TV style show) was out while Bruce Prichard was hired. The Prichard product was much more toned down than the product that Russo offered. It also focused more on the in-ring aspect and progressed storylines at a much slower pace. The good news is that Prichard also focused on developing homegrown stars and had long-term storylines always in play.
This brings us to 2013 with the two major announcements of the change in venues and the change in PPV strategy. The IMPACT Zone, a symbol of the TNA product will be getting their last shows in March when TNA goes on the road forever. Along with that, TNA completely changed their PPV schedule only to focus on four major ones a year. They will also have seven taped specials that cost 15$ apiece.
It is the "One Night Only" specials that the fans of the old TNA will appreciate as many of the lost concepts will be making a return. They only happen a few times a year though. Below is a list of the major differences in the two products.
TNA
MANAGEMENT - Jeff Jarrett, Dutch Mantel, Vince Russo
CREATIVE TEAM - Vince Russo, Matt Conway, Jeff Jarrett, Dutch Mantel
CREATIVE STRATEGY - Crash TV focusing on weekly ratings and constant surprises.
IMPACT LOCATION - IMPACT Zone in Orlando, FL
PPV STRATEGY - 12 monthly PPVs a year at 35-40 dollars a pop.
RING - Six Sided Ring
LOCKDOWN - Every match takes place in the Six Sides of Steel.
TAG TEAM DIVISION - Heavy focus on tag team action with numerous legitimate tag teams.
X DIVISION - “Not about weight limits but no limits.” Concentration on daredevil style action. Deep roster.
KNOCKOUTS DIVISION - Heavy focus on in-ring action with deep and diverse roster. Heavily featured.
SPECIALTY CONCEPT - King of the Mountain, Feast or Fired, Elevation X, Ultimate X, Lethal Lockdown, Steel Asylum etc.
IMPACT WRESTLING
MANAGEMENT - Dixie Carter, Bruce Prichard, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan
CREATIVE TEAM - Bruce Prichard, Dave Lagana, Matt Conway
CREATIVE STRATEGY - Long-term booking; Heavy elements of Reality TV.
IMPACT LOCATION - Road Shows around the World
PPV STRATEGY - 4 major (more expensive PPVs) and 7 Taped PPVs for 15$
RING - Standard Four Sided Ring
LOCKDOWN - Only World Title and Lethal Lockdown take place in Steel Cage.
TAG TEAM DIVISION - Less focus on tag team division. Emphasis on makeshift tag teams.
X DIVISION - Modern-day Cruiserweight Division. Smaller roster. 225 pound weight limit.
KNOCKOUTS DIVISION - Focus on smaller number of Knockouts. Featured less.
SPECIALTY CONCEPT - Ultimate X, Lethal Lockdown, BFG Series, Open Fight Night, Championship Thursday, Gutcheck Challenge.
What is your opinion of the changes in the company? Did you prefer the product a few years ago or do you prefer today's product? Sound off below!
Hell Yeah...
Let's all be realistic, the product that we see today is not the one many of us were watching a few years ago. The ring has changed, management has changed, the look has changed, and a number of concepts have either been changed or just dropped. This is not the same TNA we were watching in 2007 and 2008.
The shift in the company really began in the Summer of 2009. When Jeff Jarrett was involved in an affair with Karen Angle which forced Dixie Carter to send him home. Dixie Carter ended up releasing a number of backstage personnel close to Jeff. It was at this moment that she began looking elsewhere for a momentum boost.
Only a few months after Jarrett was relieved of his duty, did TNA announce that they were bringing on Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. While Vince Russo (a Jarrett ally) was booking for a few months, it was just a clock ticking away.
Hogan and Bischoff made a number of changes within the company. The Six Sided Ring was eliminated in favor of the traditional ring. A number of TNA concept matches such as King of the Mountain, Steel Asylum and Feast or Fired were scrapped. The X Division (known for its "no limit" slogan) was given a weight limit and made into a modern day cruiserweight division.
With that said, a number of different ideas came to fruition. Reality TV came into play with Reaction and is still heavily featured on today's programming with British Bootcamp, Gutcheck, the "last week on IMPACT" opening and the well-known camera style. Along with that came some new concepts such as the Bound For Glory Series, which focused on the sport element of the product. TNA also created Open Fight Night, Championship Thursday and the Gutcheck Challenge last year.
TNA has a major overhaul in the look department as well. TNA IMPACT (TNA's Thursday show) became IMPACT Wrestling as the show went from red to blue. There seems to be a movement to change the company's name to IMPACT Wrestling but Dixie Carter is reluctant. The IMPACT Wrestling name change is truly symbolic however in how much the company has changed over the past few years.
One of the biggest changes was in the creative department. Vince Russo (known for his crash TV style show) was out while Bruce Prichard was hired. The Prichard product was much more toned down than the product that Russo offered. It also focused more on the in-ring aspect and progressed storylines at a much slower pace. The good news is that Prichard also focused on developing homegrown stars and had long-term storylines always in play.
This brings us to 2013 with the two major announcements of the change in venues and the change in PPV strategy. The IMPACT Zone, a symbol of the TNA product will be getting their last shows in March when TNA goes on the road forever. Along with that, TNA completely changed their PPV schedule only to focus on four major ones a year. They will also have seven taped specials that cost 15$ apiece.
It is the "One Night Only" specials that the fans of the old TNA will appreciate as many of the lost concepts will be making a return. They only happen a few times a year though. Below is a list of the major differences in the two products.
TNA
MANAGEMENT - Jeff Jarrett, Dutch Mantel, Vince Russo
CREATIVE TEAM - Vince Russo, Matt Conway, Jeff Jarrett, Dutch Mantel
CREATIVE STRATEGY - Crash TV focusing on weekly ratings and constant surprises.
IMPACT LOCATION - IMPACT Zone in Orlando, FL
PPV STRATEGY - 12 monthly PPVs a year at 35-40 dollars a pop.
RING - Six Sided Ring
LOCKDOWN - Every match takes place in the Six Sides of Steel.
TAG TEAM DIVISION - Heavy focus on tag team action with numerous legitimate tag teams.
X DIVISION - “Not about weight limits but no limits.” Concentration on daredevil style action. Deep roster.
KNOCKOUTS DIVISION - Heavy focus on in-ring action with deep and diverse roster. Heavily featured.
SPECIALTY CONCEPT - King of the Mountain, Feast or Fired, Elevation X, Ultimate X, Lethal Lockdown, Steel Asylum etc.
IMPACT WRESTLING
MANAGEMENT - Dixie Carter, Bruce Prichard, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan
CREATIVE TEAM - Bruce Prichard, Dave Lagana, Matt Conway
CREATIVE STRATEGY - Long-term booking; Heavy elements of Reality TV.
IMPACT LOCATION - Road Shows around the World
PPV STRATEGY - 4 major (more expensive PPVs) and 7 Taped PPVs for 15$
RING - Standard Four Sided Ring
LOCKDOWN - Only World Title and Lethal Lockdown take place in Steel Cage.
TAG TEAM DIVISION - Less focus on tag team division. Emphasis on makeshift tag teams.
X DIVISION - Modern-day Cruiserweight Division. Smaller roster. 225 pound weight limit.
KNOCKOUTS DIVISION - Focus on smaller number of Knockouts. Featured less.
SPECIALTY CONCEPT - Ultimate X, Lethal Lockdown, BFG Series, Open Fight Night, Championship Thursday, Gutcheck Challenge.
What is your opinion of the changes in the company? Did you prefer the product a few years ago or do you prefer today's product? Sound off below!
Hell Yeah...