Jerry Jarrett To TNA: "Cut The Cancer Out"

[Jack-Hammer]

Jerry Jarrett, father of Jeff Jarrett, gave an interview yesterday to PostandCourier.com in which he blasts the current creative aspect of the company he helped found nearly a decade ago.

A few of Jarrett's choice words include:

“Until they make radical surgical changes in creative, and unless they get some people who comprehend the wrestling business, they are doomed to be the financial drain on Panda (majority owner Panda Energy) that they are now and have been since inception. “The core of their problems is the creative development of their product. They have to cut the cancer out.”

“He obviously has qualities that I don’t recognize or understand. How can a person who has a 15-year history of failure still keep a job?”

Jerry Jarrett also says the idea for hiring Russo was Jeff's rather than his own:

“I would deserve the label ‘stupid’ if I had made the decision to hire Vince Russo. But I made the horrendous mistake of yielding to my son’s (Jeff) wishes."

The article covers a lot of other stuff, including opinions from the likes of Jody Hamilton & Dutch Mantel, as well as some of the more recent stuff that's been making a buzz as of late. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/...rent&transport=fragment&frame=f1a3265eccdb84a

 

[closet_fan]

Dixie is the main problem with TNA, yes TNA. She blows money like it's paper, but the product hasn't gotten much better since the beginning.

She should sell the company and give it to someone, other than Vince, who actually has some sort of wrestling mind and can get the company back up again.

I watched old TNA videos and there were some really good matches. It's nothing like it is now.

 

[silrock316]

TNA isn't as bad as you people think and if you people truely loved wrestling you would tune your tv to TNA every week even if you dont watch it. Leave the room, let them get ratings and make money and then the product ends up getting better because they make more money.

Why don't most of you fans on here understand that two wrestling shows is better than one? And it is OK to support both companies.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I totally agree with Jarrett on this one, depending on what the expectations and aspirations of the company are. If they are content to be a distant second place company, a landing ground for people who have nowhere else to go, a fraction of what they should be able to achieve, then Jarrett is dead wrong, and they shouldn't change a thing, because if they stay on their present course, that will be their fate for the next several years, and then they'll start moving in reverse as their nostalgic draws continue to advance in years.

But if they want to improve, if they want to reach their potential, they have to excise the cancer, if they are even able to ascertain who comprises the cancer. A logical staring point would be Russo. This guy has been using the same approach, with the same story lines, and the same guys, and has been consistently failing. I think he has to go, and someone, anyone, with a fresh approach, has to take over.

They may also want to rethink the nucleus of their company. While this may not need to be totally excised, they definitely need to be trimmed back. They have been going with nostalgia for at least a couple of years now, and while some claim otherwise, I see little progress and if here is any, it is occurring at such a painstakingly slow pace that by the time it starts to pay dividends, their aging attractions will be gone, and then it's back to the drawing board again.

They need young talent, a new direction, and a refocused approach. They used to have a great tag team division, a good Knockout division, and an interesting X-division, all of which has gone to the sidelines and is dead in lieu of veterans who can no longer get the job done. They have guys who are capable of moving forward, but they are lost in the shadows.

Of course, money is of paramount importance and without an influx of it, this discussion in mute. As long as they have a pre-taped show in the Impact zone which looks like it was filmed on a home camcorder, they are going nowhere. Story lines and in ring action are of course important, but without any production value, it looks second rate. And that's not a good thing when it is already second rate anyway.

 

[snoopy]

Dixie is the main problem with TNA, yes TNA. She blows money like it's paper, but the product hasn't gotten much better since the beginning.

She should sell the company and give it to someone, other than Vince, who actually has some sort of wrestling mind and can get the company back up again.

I watched old TNA videos and there were some really good matches. It's nothing like it is now.

TNA is better now then it has every been! The problem is that people don't think when watching the show! Tna gives you numerous clues as to what's going on! You can find them on the Internet and on Impact, You have to be willing to try and figure it out.

Example; Winter saying blood runs deep and orgasmic, If you think, this is a hint that Paul Burchill is coming to TNA!Because Winter and Burchill was supposed to do an Incest angle in the WWE!

A couple of months ago after Impact Hulk Hogan was leaving he went to his car and spray painted on the side of the car was the name "GOLDBERG".

And there's other Hints that I figured out like Ric Flair is Now working with Dixie and Sting. And that Crimson will not win the Bfgs!

And there's many more little hints I've figured out that I won't spoil!All I have to say is this stuff is going to shock you people!

It's like a big puzzle put some segments together and think then maybe you figure some of this stuff out, But for all the hate TNA gets all these people will be Kissing TNA's collective asses when this stuff goes down! Mark My Words!

 

[Nada]

TNA, throughout its history has barely been better than WCW in 1999-2001, ie its worst days.

Yet TNA has for quite along time had a better talent pool than WWE, not just from a wrestling perspective but also from a "entertainment" perspective.

I know i will be a old man one day, reading Russo's final book where he basically admits to being a absolute fraud, a con artist "I had no idea what the hell i was doing in WCW or TNA, but the pay was good so why not?".

We dont even know who is worse, Vince who hasent cared about wrestling in years now and seems to just use his own company for his own entertainment or Dixie Carter, a woman who i doubt knows much about anything, let alone wrestling.

At the end of the day, and what i think JJ point is, we cant really blame Russo, Stephanie McMahon, the Hollywood Writers in WWE etc, because at the end of the day these people have managed to keep their jobs writing downright lousy storylines, dialog and everything in between for a whole decade almost, and are looking to simply keep doing it. Vince and Dixie are the ones who simply either cannot, or wont step in and make drastic changes.

Dixie does not know

Vince does not care

 

[It's Damn Real!]

See... the problem I have with statements like these, and the posts that follow them are that not a one of them actually issues an alternative, which makes every one of them come off like jealous, bitter and jaded whining over a company who for all their apparent faults are actually doing better under this "cancer" regime than they were without it.

When someone says that TNA should lose Russo, Bischoff and Hogan for Paul Heyman for his five-year plan or whatever it was he had where he intended to lop the head off anyone over the age of 35 (or whatever the age was) and only push the young guys, that's actually a plan. It's a statment/post with more reason given for the call to action than "because they killed WCW" or "because they suck".

Sorry, Jerry, but you sound just like dozens of users who post on these forums themselves, albeit you actually know what you are talking about a bit more than they do.

 

[Mustang Sally]

But I made the horrendous mistake of yielding to my son’s (Jeff) wishes."

In pro wrestling, as in other businesses, many people rise to their level of incompetence. Hulk Hogan is a great example: because he spent so many years as a wrestler, many folks (including himself) believe that he has a great mind for the business...... but just because someone has been a great performer in the ring doesn't mean he'll make a great front office person.

This might also apply to Jeff Jarrett, as suggested by his own father. Jeff had been a savvy ring performer, so after he burned his bridges with WWE, he apparently felt qualified to run an entire wrestling company. Now, we have Jerry blaming his son for the hiring of Vince Russo, who is another example of what I'm talking about here.

Russo was a fine creative writer, at least when functioning as a part of a writing team in WWE. Once he left WWE to become the head writer at WCW, he apparently rose to his level of incompetence. He still had some good ideas, but his inflated opinion of his own creative abilities led him into disastrous mistakes, not the least of which was casting himself as a prime character in his own scenarios. When he was with WWE, I had never heard of him because he operated behind the scenes, where a creative writer should be. With WCW, suddenly the guy couldn't resist placing himself in a starring role.

All in all, if a person functions well in a position, it shouldn't be presumed they'll excel if they take the next step up. Hogan, Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo are prime examples......and there's always someone out there, ready to make the same mistakes.

 

[TheViper723]

The problem with TNA is that, well what didn't work for WCW or WWE-well it clearly won't work for TNA either. When you hire WCW rejects and WWE rejects, it is not going to set up a better product. Vince Russo is an idiot. When he was with the WWF during the 1990s, the WWF was not even worth watching and WCW was way better. Then he got fired or left and all of a sudden, WWF began more relevant. Then for Russo came WCW...and he drove that company down the drain faster than a speeding bullet. And now he is in TNA. How TNA has managed to stay in business for as long as it has is beyond me. I can only imagine that their balance sheet is so far in the RED and Negative that if it wasn't for Jerry Jarrett's fat wallet, they would have long folded. Let's look at some negatives of TNA:

Vince Russo-pure cancer for any place he has worked in. Surprised as much as Jerry Jarrett that the man still has a job.

Jeff Jarrett-barely a mid-card wrestler who cried like a bitch to his daddy to make him a wrestling promotion where he would feel like a top-card draw.

Dixie Carter-More beauty than brains. She is a businesswomen by education...not by trade nor by brain. She has no idea about the wrestling business. She couldn't tell the difference between a side Russian Leg sweep and Cross arm-bar takedown if it was painted for her.

Hulk Hogan-another cancer that just does not know when to quit. He should have retired peacefully after his last run in WWE and found his peace. At least Shawn Michaels knew when to quit.

Ric Flair-another Hogan.

Eric Bischoff-He had a vision in nWo when he was in WCW. He needs to realize, times have changed and we are not in the 90s anymore. We are in 2011 and what worked back then won't work now. Fortune and Immortal are rip offs of nWo Hollywood and Wolfpack.

If it wasn't for Kurt Angle and Sting, AJ Styles, and some other few hard working wrestlers....I don't know how they would manage this company. Their product sucks, they have a fraction of a fan base the WWE has worldwide, and they won't improve their product because with this bad economy, sooner or later it will catch up to them. Its true, its true...

 

[RD_21]

TNA is better now then it has every been! The problem is that people don't think when watching the show! Tna gives you numerous clues as to what's going on! You can find them on the Internet and on Impact, You have to be willing to try and figure it out.

Example; Winter saying blood runs deep and orgasmic, If you think, this is a hint that Paul Burchill is coming to TNA!Because Winter and Burchill was supposed to do an Incest angle in the WWE!

A couple of months ago after Impact Hulk Hogan was leaving he went to his car and spray painted on the side of the car was the name "GOLDBERG".

And there's other Hints that I figured out like Ric Flair is Now working with Dixie and Sting. And that Crimson will not win the Bfgs!

And there's many more little hints I've figured out that I won't spoil!All I have to say is this stuff is going to shock you people!

It's like a big puzzle put some segments together and think then maybe you figure some of this stuff out, But for all the hate TNA gets all these people will be Kissing TNA's collective asses when this stuff goes down! Mark My Words!

It was never spray painted Golderg on Hulk's car, the x-division guy spray painted Next or You're Next to scare them and Hulk said when he saw it, "what now, Goldberg is coming?"

Anyway to the subject it's true that some people just won't give TNA any slack or change has they have been given a good product lately. I was watching them as my main source of wrestling before the Punk angle got me interested again in the big E (until they f it up in the future like they usually do).

TNA isn't perfect but it's not that bad either, they just need more production value, get out of the Impact zone, going live and change a thing or two.

I don't think Russo is that bad either but I would still prefer an Heyman return, one can dream.

 

[rge2010]

I agree with Jarrett. For me, the 3 stooges - Russo, Bischoff and Hogan all need to go. Russo is failure, Bischoff is still dining off his 1996 TV wars win and Hogan is well past his sell by date. Yes, he is a huge name, but he isnt a huge draw anymore. Especially given he is a big fish in a small pond. Put him back in WWE, yes, he would draw lots of fucking money but in TNA he doesnt have a chance.

I would also get rid of Ric Flair. He is just old, saggy and I cant even understand a word he says anymore. If he was a dog, he would be put down. Sting has 8/9 months left. Don't give him another contract either. He's old and becoming irrelevant like Flair. Scott Steiner is another they dont need. I see a pattern here actually.....can you guess?

TNA can survive and turn over a profit if Styles, Angle, Joe, Crimson, Anderson, Roode and a 'drug free' Jeff Hardy running the Main Event.

While it is true TNA sign alot of WWE rejects, I dont think that is a bad thing because people like Pope, Anderson, Morgan ahve done well. This is why I think they should move for Chris Masters (they probably will aswell).

 

[hatehabsforever]

See... the problem I have with statements like these, and the posts that follow them are that not a one of them actually issues an alternative, which makes every one of them come off like jealous, bitter and jaded whining over a company who for all their apparent faults are actually doing better under this "cancer" regime than they were without it.

When someone says that TNA should lose Russo, Bischoff and Hogan for Paul Heyman for his five-year plan or whatever it was he had where he intended to lop the head off anyone over the age of 35 (or whatever the age was) and only push the young guys, that's actually a plan. It's a statment/post with more reason given for the call to action than "because they killed WCW" or "because they suck".

Sorry, Jerry, but you sound just like dozens of users who post on these forums themselves, albeit you actually know what you are talking about a bit more than they do.

I hear you, IDR, I really do, and people are definitely guilty of criticizing without a sound alternative, myself included. The thing is, they need an alternative, any alternative. When you are trying a plan of action (if there even is a plan) and isn't working, you have to try something different. Do I have the answer, something that would definitely work, no. But I do believe that TNA was moving in a reasonable direction the latter half of 2009, just before the arrival of the new regime, and then they abandoned it in favor of the same old same old, and the product has suffered. Why not return to that? Refocus on the tag team division that has gone from really good to being on life support. Try to return the Knockouts division to what it was before, rather than a B-version of the divas. That PPV featuring the X-division seemed to do well, why not look to expand on this?

I think that taking the focus off the has been's and putting it squarely on the are's or could be's is essential. BFG 2010 focused squarely on these immortal guys. A year has passed, the focus is still on them, and the results have been nonexistent.

Here's a rough analogy. The Chicago Cubs stink. They have for a long time. They continue to throw obscene amounts of money at lucrative free agents, looking for the quick fix, yet season after season, they underachieve, and I think their fans deserve more. Now they are stuck with some large contracts which are nooses around their necks. Watching Sportscentre this morning, I heard that they had finally fired their GM, beginning the process of excising their cancer.

Some baseball analyst came on and suggested that they should try to deal away their oppressive contracts, and go to their farm system to rebuild. It will mean a few lean years, but it will allow them to finally build upon something real and eventually, the results will be there. TNA could learn from this. Get rid of the old dudes, and really commit to a youth movement with a fresh and exciting product. Will this yield immediate results? Of course not. Would this make BFG 2011 a resounding financial success? Likely not. But short term pain for long term gain may be a way to go. Otherwise, I would imagine that 5 years now, TNA's buy rates and ratings will still be exactly where they are today, and BFG 2016 will still have a main event of Hogan/Flair/Sting.

 

[arcticfox04]

Jarrett is 100% right on this one. Gut out the backstage. Look at the WWE how many people did they remove from creative over the years just to get a product that's somewhat decent again. Remove Russo, Hogan, Bischoff and get some fresh minds in there to make up better story lines. Crap like Immortal and Fortune should of been dead months ago.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I hear you, IDR, I really do, and people are definitely guilty of criticizing without a sound alternative, myself included. The thing is, they need an alternative, any alternative. When you are trying a plan of action (if there even is a plan) and isn't working, you have to try something different. Do I have the answer, something that would definitely work, no. But I do believe that TNA was moving in a reasonable direction the latter half of 2009, just before the arrival of the new regime, and then they abandoned it in favor of the same old same old, and the product has suffered. Why not return to that? Refocus on the tag team division that has gone from really good to being on life support. Try to return the Knockouts division to what it was before, rather than a B-version of the divas. That PPV featuring the X-division seemed to do well, why not look to expand on this?

So "any alternative" is better than an already progressing regime? How does that make any sense in the world of logic and reason? Hiring the writers for Sesame Street is a better alternative because it's an alternative? Hiring a shit-throwing monkey who uses a spinning wheel to pick and choose his matches based on where the majority of his fecal matter lands is better because it's an alternative?

Additionally, a one-off PPV designed to motivate TNA fans of old to buy it or potentially come back to the product based off the nostalgic kick of bringing back the X Division is not a sound plan structure for building a future. It's a 50/50 shot in the dark just as capable of complete failure as it is for ignition.

I think that taking the focus off the has been's and putting it squarely on the are's or could be's is essential. BFG 2010 focused squarely on these immortal guys. A year has passed, the focus is still on them, and the results have been nonexistent.

Do you even watch TNA anymore? Crimson, Roode, Storm, Gunner, Kendrick, Aries, Shelley, Magnus, etc. All being pushed. Not a one of them couldn't be considered a "could be".

Here's a rough analogy. The Chicago Cubs stink. They have for a long time. They continue to throw obscene amounts of money at lucrative free agents, looking for the quick fix, yet season after season, they underachieve, and I think their fans deserve more. Now they are stuck with some large contracts which are nooses around their necks. Watching Sportscentre this morning, I heard that they had finally fired their GM, beginning the process of excising their cancer.

Some baseball analyst came on and suggested that they should try to deal away their oppressive contracts, and go to their farm system to rebuild. It will mean a few lean years, but it will allow them to finally build upon something real and eventually, the results will be there. TNA could learn from this. Get rid of the old dudes, and really commit to a youth movement with a fresh and exciting product. Will this yield immediate results? Of course not. Would this make BFG 2011 a resounding financial success? Likely not. But short term pain for long term gain may be a way to go. Otherwise, I would imagine that 5 years now, TNA's buy rates and ratings will still be exactly where they are today, and BFG 2016 will still have a main event of Hogan/Flair/Sting.

Incomparable. Sports teams do not function on or even like a professional wrestling program, and here's why:

Jo Jo's Wrestling opens it's doors tomorrow and has the choice to go in two different directions:

Direction 1: Bring in 35 completely unknown young wrestlers, many of whom are still green and none of whom have ever worked for a major promotion before. Put them on TV week-after-week and hope to build a successful company.

Direction 2: Bring in a mixture of well-known ex-WWE/WCW/ECW/TNA wrestlers to compliment the second half of lesser knowns or completely uknowns as a means to bring those men/boys into prominence as a new era of budding stars.​

Which do you think is going to have more success?

You are stuck on this "youth movement" nonsense because of the marginal success a company who has 50 years of legacy has had with it in recent years, not understanding or refusing to realize that the history of the brand[i/] it's occurring in has everything to do with how well (or not well) these "youths" get over.

Youth movements do not work unless that youth is incredibly talented, and even then they still require the grooming and tutorage of savvy veterans, just as pro sports rookies attest to.

 

[Rayne]

We've really had this discussion on this board about a hundred times now, so there isn't anything new to add here.

The only thing that stood out for me was that Jerry referred to TNA/IW as a financial drain on Panda Energy. I imagine the only possible explanation for this is that Jerry Jarrett is a 10%er?

 

[RavensEdge]

\Jerry Jarrett also says the idea for hiring Russo was Jeff's rather than his own:

“I would deserve the label ‘stupid’ if I had made the decision to hire Vince Russo. But I made the horrendous mistake of yielding to my son’s (Jeff) wishes."

I've got to agree. The problem with Russo in TNA is he really doesn't have a filter. I've read interviews with numerous people who say Russo did the good job he did in WWE because he had to filter his ideas through McMahon. So if he had a stupid idea, like decorating the ring like an Italian bistro for a Little Italy street fight, Vince would tell him no. Now in TNA he doesn't have someone like Vince stopping him from making any of his ideas come to fruition. I know Jeff likes him because they were buddies in WCW and Russo let him be the "top guy" he always thought he should be but Jeff needs to realize that Russo can't be the "top guy" that he thinks he should be.

 

[punkrules]

i'd fire dixie,russo,bischoff and hogan and hire paul heyman cause with all the heyman guys out there he could put together a awesome roster

 

[WWE Ice Cream Bar]

This is the problem with Tna fans right now. An old personality like Jarrette speaks more sense than some of the delusional tna fans found right here on this forum.

The only reason why Vince russo was hired by Tna in the first place is because he did Jeff Jerrette a favor by letting him be WCW champion.

The existence of Tna is based on the fact that Jeff Jarrett wanted to fuel his ego in proving everyone that there is money in him and he is a major star. Reality is, he is mediocre at best.

The reason he has made it this far is because of daddy Jarette.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

We've really had this discussion on this board about a hundred times now, so there isn't anything new to add here.

The only thing that stood out for me was that Jerry referred to TNA/IW as a financial drain on Panda Energy. I imagine the only possible explanation for this is that Jerry Jarrett is a 10%er?

Absolutely not, but "financial drain" does not necessarily equate half the regurgitated rhetoric you hear/read TNA's detractors refer to it's future as — "going out of business", "need to be sold", etc.

"Financial drain" could simply mean Jerry views the TNA/IW product as not being worth the investment Panda Energy is putting into the product, which is his opinion, even if it is an informed one.

 

[AnthonyM4]

It's my understanding that Hogan and Bischoff's contract ends in November. These two guys were supposed to save TNA and change it for the better, but they haven't at all! I like Hogan he's my favorite wrestler of all time, with that being said I hope he doesn't re-sign. Bischoff I can't stand so ditto for him. I want Flair to leave TNA just so he can be free to induct Arn Anderson in the hall of fame next year. He isn't making much differnece in TNA either.

After all of them are gone, I hope Paul Heyman comes in. Now he would make radical changes to the joke that is TNA creative.

 

[hatehabsforever]

So "any alternative" is better than an already progressing regime? How does that make any sense in the world of logic and reason? Hiring the writers for Sesame Street is a better alternative because it's an alternative? Hiring a shit-throwing monkey who uses a spinning wheel to pick and choose his matches based on where the majority of his fecal matter lands is better because it's an alternative?

See, now you've confused me. You mean, a shit throwing monkey with a spinning wheel hasn't been responsible for TNA's booking for the last couple of years? With the amount of logic and direction I've seen, I assumed this was the case, and that Russo was just a front, a convenient fall guy

Clearly I am exaggerating. Of course "any alternative" is not sensible. Maybe I should have said "any reasonable alternative". I am not espousing Sesame Street writers to be hired, although it may be a step up from a guy writing the same drivel with the same guys that was popular, albeit short-lived, over a decade ago.

"An already progressing regime"? Really? Really? (sorry). Progressing where? I don't claim to be an expert in analysis of the numbers, but it seems ludicrous to me to suggest they have made significant progress. I see minimal progress from any perspective. At the snail's pace of progress that I have seen, if any, it will be several years before there is any tangible results, and by then, Hogan will be in his '60's and even more decrepit. Flair will be approaching 70, and if he's still alive, he'll probably still be main eventing.

Additionally, a one-off PPV designed to motivate TNA fans of old to buy it or potentially come back to the product based off the nostalgic kick of bringing back the X Division is not a sound plan structure for building a future. It's a 50/50 shot in the dark just as capable of complete failure as it is for ignition.

Are you, an admitted TNA mark (no offense intended) actually going to tell me with a straight face that this X-division PPV was a "nostalgic kick", and that this is not a "sound plan structure". Jesus, TNA has done nothing but nostalgia for two years running, and based upon the lead up to BFG, this doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. Hey, at least a 50:50 venture has half a chance of success. Force feeding us Hogan and friends in 2011 and beyond has a far worse prognosis than this.

Do you even watch TNA anymore? Crimson, Roode, Storm, Gunner, Kendrick, Aries, Shelley, Magnus, etc. All being pushed. Not a one of them couldn't be considered a "could be".

I watch TNA far less than I did since I largely tuned out after BFG 2010. It would appear I'm not alone. I like Crimson from what I've seen and heard, and I like the fact that he's getting a "push," but he's still playing second fiddle to the relics. Roode and Storm are an awesome tag team, so cue the singles push. Aries just arrived, so I know little about him, but even though I'm not overly impressed with him, he is the type of guy I think they should push.

Incomparable. Sports teams do not function on or even like a professional wrestling program, and here's why:

Jo Jo's Wrestling opens it's doors tomorrow and has the choice to go in two different directions:

Direction 1: Bring in 35 completely unknown young wrestlers, many of whom are still green and none of whom have ever worked for a major promotion before. Put them on TV week-after-week and hope to build a successful company.

Direction 2: Bring in a mixture of well-known ex-WWE/WCW/ECW/TNA wrestlers to compliment the second half of lesser knowns or completely uknowns as a means to bring those men/boys into prominence as a new era of budding stars.​

Which do you think is going to have more success?

Hey, I never suggested the analogy was perfect, but the point is still relevant.

Your analogy is worse, though. I would hardly equate TNA to JoJo's wrestling which just opened it's doors, TNA has been around for quite some time and already has a core roster which is good but underutilized and mismanaged. They already have Kurt Angle. AJ Styles. RVD. MCMG. Beer Money. (gulp) Ken Anderson. They have some developing guys like Crimson and Gunner. They by no means have to start from scratch, they just have to start using these guys better, instead of Scott Steiner, Hulk Hogan, and the rest of the WCW gang. JoJo's Wrestling is doomed to failure. But Impact Wrestling doesn't have to be, unless they continue to follow the direction of that damn shit flinging monkey.

You are stuck on this "youth movement" nonsense because of the marginal success a company who has 50 years of legacy has had with it in recent years, not understanding or refusing to realize that the history of the brand[i/] it's occurring in has everything to do with how well (or not well) these "youths" get over.

Youth movements do not work unless that youth is incredibly talented, and even then they still require the grooming and tutorage of savvy veterans, just as pro sports rookies attest to.

It's not nonsense. A youth movement can work anywhere if done properly. Blaming the lack of success of TNA on their lack of history is a copout, and suggesting that WWE's "marginal success" is only due to it's admittedly long lineage , that's an IWC generated fallacy. I think TNA does have some talented youth, and some savvy veterans to help develop it. They should just use the talented veterans under 50 to do so, and put the other guys out to pasture (like WWE tried to do with Flair a few years ago).

 

[sdaniel1977]

I totally agree with Jerry Jarrett on this. Sadly that's what he gets for listening to that flair wannabe son of his. TNA is nothing more than wcw 2011 and it will suffer the same fate if they don't execute the vampires in the organization namely Russo,Hogan,Bischoff. Let's not forget WCW was beating Vince until these 3 geniuses took over in Atlanta and ran it into the ground. I have an idea for creative: hire fans, forget the college degree in butt kissing and get people who actually watch wrestling and know what they like. The knowledgable fan, and by that I mean non mark, can look at either wwe or tna and see the problems, but neither company asks for the insight.

 

[AnthonyM4]

I'm sorry, but I don't think hiring fans would be the solution. Somebody asked Konnan when he visited these boards, if dirt sheet writers would be good bookers and he said "probably not, there is more to booking than they will ever know". I believe it.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

I can just guess what the typical TNA-mark reaction to this has been: "What does Jerry Jarrett know about wrestling? He's just another WWE mark!! He just hates TNA because he hates pro wrestling!!! He just hates TNA because he's not in it and he's not super awesome and brilliant like those of us who think for ourselves and 'get' TNA!!!"

All kidding aside, the number one complaint against TNA is about creative. It's a complaint that's been made not only by fans and ex-fans of TNA, but by other wrestlers, internet columnists and industry insiders, TNA's own employees, and now one of the FOUNDERS of the company. Yet rather than accepting that a lot of people genuinely dislike Vince Russo and the other 'powers that be' in TNA, it's die-hard fans keep deluding themselves and attacking everyone who disagrees with them, blaming the negative feedback on WWE bias or the Impact Zone fans or whatever is convenient, and tirelessly pointing out all of the ways in which TNA is superior to the WWE. Yet the complaints continue, because the reality is that no matter WHAT TNA does, the HOW will always be directly influenced by the creative team. And if people genuinely don't like the writing, how can they possibly like the product? Good actors and directing plus a shitty script still equals a shitty movie.

As for who could do a better job with creative (as IDR asked), it's not the job of Jerry Jarrett or of the fans to offer alternatives to TNA's current creative direction. Criticism isn't a job application, it's a subjective assessment of quality relevant to the expectations of the critic, and it can be based on anything from personal experiences with similar products to their own ignorant expectations of how things should work. Regardless, it should be TNA's job to take into consideration criticism when it's offered, as they are in the business of keeping their viewers happy. And when that criticism comes from someone as knowledgeable as Jerry Jarret, it might not hurt to pay a little more attention, as the man knows what he's talking about. And if the most consistent criticism from your critics AND your peers is that they hate your writing, than why not try replacing the writer?

It doesn't need to be as complex as hiring Paul Heyman, or Jim Ross; there are plenty of writers out there who are cheap to hire and easy to replace. Vince Russo himself started out as a writer for WWE magazine, and did his best work shortly after that (the point being that the writer doesn't even need to be someone in the public consciousness). TNA has been willing to experiment with every other aspect of it's programming; the roster, the timeslot, the set, the name of the show, etc. As much as TNA loyalists like to point out that Impact's ratings have increased slightly in the past few years, there's nothing to suggest that these (minor) gains aren't directly attributable to these other changes, and that they wouldn't have been even more pronounced if the creative team weren't changed as well. And until TNA tries, they will never know. Given how pronounced and consistent the hate for TNA's creative is, I can't imagine that any change wouldn't be beneficial.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Clearly I am exaggerating. Of course "any alternative" is not sensible. Maybe I should have said "any reasonable alternative". I am not espousing Sesame Street writers to be hired, although it may be a step up from a guy writing the same drivel with the same guys that was popular, albeit short-lived, over a decade ago.

More rhetoric. Still no viable solution provided. You can put any arbitrary adjective you want before "alternative", but until you provide one, your responses are no different or any better than Jarrett's or anyone else who whines about TNA needing "change".

"An already progressing regime"? Really? Really? (sorry). Progressing where? I don't claim to be an expert in analysis of the numbers, but it seems ludicrous to me to suggest they have made significant progress. I see minimal progress from any perspective. At the snail's pace of progress that I have seen, if any, it will be several years before there is any tangible results, and by then, Hogan will be in his '60's and even more decrepit. Flair will be approaching 70, and if he's still alive, he'll probably still be main eventing.

Yes, an already progressing regime. Ratings are consistently posting around the 1.1/1.2 range, they have a deal with DirectTV to offset the cost of producing live PPV events, etc. Things are on the uptick. I'll take 1.1's and 1.2's over Jeff Jarrett as champion with Dutch Mantel booking everything in an "on a pole" match to score a 0.8 any day of the week.

Minimal progress is still progress. I'm curious though... how would your "reasonable" alternative change that any? Ah, that's right... you don't have one.

Are you, an admitted TNA mark (no offense intended) actually going to tell me with a straight face that this X-division PPV was a "nostalgic kick", and that this is not a "sound plan structure". Jesus, TNA has done nothing but nostalgia for two years running, and based upon the lead up to BFG, this doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. Hey, at least a 50:50 venture has half a chance of success. Force feeding us Hogan and friends in 2011 and beyond has a far worse prognosis than this.

Yes, I am, because yes, it was. The X Division was never the focus of TNA. It was a[/] focus, but never the focus, even when it was at it's greatest of heights (according to fans). The NWA World Heavyweight Championship was always the main focus, and the guys wrestling for it — Raven, Jarrett, Cage, Hall, etc.

The second half of your post is more rhetoric considering not a single one of Hogan's "friends" are with TNA any longer. I suggest you find a new argument... one that actually has relevance in the TNA of today. Nasty Boyz, Morley, Jordan, Hall, Nash, Waltman, etc. are all gone, and they've been gone for a while now. I strongly suggest you actually watch the program you love to chastise for the things it did that you quite obviously think it's still doing.

Hey, I never suggested the analogy was perfect, but the point is still relevant.

Your analogy is worse, though. I would hardly equate TNA to JoJo's wrestling which just opened it's doors, TNA has been around for quite some time and already has a core roster which is good but underutilized and mismanaged. They already have Kurt Angle. AJ Styles. RVD. MCMG. Beer Money. (gulp) Ken Anderson. They have some developing guys like Crimson and Gunner. They by no means have to start from scratch, they just have to start using these guys better, instead of Scott Steiner, Hulk Hogan, and the rest of the WCW gang. JoJo's Wrestling is doomed to failure. But Impact Wrestling doesn't have to be, unless they continue to follow the direction of that damn shit flinging monkey.

No, it isn't, as I already explained that sports teams and wrestling companies do not function on the same platform. What sells in wrestling is names. What sells in professional sports is success, regardless of name value. Your Boston Bruins are a prime example of that. I wonder how many Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby jerseys are sold compared to David Krejci, eh?

It's not nonsense. A youth movement can work anywhere if done properly. Blaming the lack of success of TNA on their lack of history is a copout, and suggesting that WWE's "marginal success" is only due to it's admittedly long lineage , that's an IWC generated fallacy. I think TNA does have some talented youth, and some savvy veterans to help develop it. They should just use the talented veterans under 50 to do so, and put the other guys out to pasture (like WWE tried to do with Flair a few years ago).

Right, but the guys who are 49 and younger are A-OK, right? Age is a number. All that matters is the drawing ability of the veteran as well as his/her ability to put younger talent over. Period.