looking at current state of TNA through a fans eyes.

[instant classic Dan]

Looking at most of Glen Gilbertti's columns it seems he can't take criticism and always go to the "We like a product that can't draw" BS argument. Glen also always resorts to ripping on ROH every column basically ripping on them for being a "product that doesn't draw" even though ROH shows get around the numbers of TNA house shows sometimes and had sold out 70% of Hammerstein Ballroom WITH OUT ANNOUNCING A FREAKIN MATCH!!.Anyways on to TNA. I've been a fan for around 4 years, I saw one of the last weekly ppv's and was hooked as I thought it had the look of Southern style wrestling which I like as WCW was my favourite company growing up. TNA then went on a hot streak in 2005 and produced some of the greatest modern era ppv's.(my personal favourite was No Surrender) The PPV buys were around 35,000 and this was before the influx of "big names". Back then the main draws were Jeff,Raven,Abyss,killings,AJ,Monty and later on in the year Rhino.Impact aired on FSN and averaged around 0.2 every week which wasn't great but for the timeslot they were on at they were decent. TNA continued to grow in small doses picking up Christian,Sting,Stenier and Angle in 2005/06. The future looked good for TNA with not only big names working for them but a roster filled with potenial. Then around September 2006 it was annouced the booking team needed a shake up, So Tenay,Da'more and others were removed in favour of a 3 team booking team in Jeff,Dutch and Russo. Now i'm not going to hate on Russo becuase I honesty don't know what goes on into writing a show but I found it staggering to actually remove guys and make the team smaller, wouldn't adding Russo and Dutch to the all ready existing team benefit TNA more? by removing Tenay,Da'more and others it cut down the potenial ideas and puts pressure on 3 guys to produce a show for a roster of 50 + I didn't see the logic.Over the next few month's TNA's started to focuse more on skits and stupid angles. Sure the ratings were going up but the ppv buys were slowly declining. Now lets look at TNA today they have a 2 hour primetime show and they're getting the same rating ECW use to on the channel.ECW had NO FREAKIN ADVERTISING while TNA has Spike wrapped around their little finger!. Impact has so many angles and skits that alot gets lost in translation. After seeing a serious angle we go straight back to "funny" skits. To me it seems the booking team has their booking back to front. What I mean by this is sometimes it feels like PPV's are built to make us watch impact, as we see number 1# contender matches on ppv and see the actual title match on IMPACT!. This week we see LAX who are the number #1 contenders being not a major part of the match,so what was the point of them being number #1 contenders in the first place if Kaz and Eric are going win?,It makes no sense.It also seems stupid to tell people to tune into IMPACT if there watching the ppv, Who seriously orders a ppv if they haven't seen the free show? of course there are countries in the world which only get ppv's. (Australia was one of them till a month ago)Now Iv'e heard rumours that Lockdown drew TNA's highest buyrate since Genesis 06 which was around 60,000 buys. What does this tell us? well Joe and Angle was built up so well with no stupid comedy bs and come off as something you had to pay to see.So maybe "grasp" the fans want to see some serious build to feuds!.Joe and Angle come off as something you could suspend your belief that wrestling is a worked sport. This was the best peice of work the booking team had done since coming into power. TNA is predicted to break even this year, but with work it really could make a good profit as Joe and Angle proved the fans want to see Wrestling spelt W-R-E-S-T-L-I-N-G. Before I wrap this up I just want to touch on Glen Gilbertti alittle more. I have nothing agianst Glen as I have nothing but the up most respect for him but he tries to sell TNA current direction as the best writing in the history of wrestling, If you think its just the sheet writers hating on TNA because they like a "product that can't draw" then maybe you should rewatch IMPACT and hear the massive pop Jim Cornette got when he apologized for all the stupid crap going on.And for god sakes stop ripping on ROH they're are FREAKIN indy promotion who are doing pretty well for themselves.

 

[Talon_DR]

Looking at most of Glen Gilbertti's columns it seems he can't take criticism and always go to the "We like a product that can't draw" BS argument. Glen also always resorts to ripping on ROH every column basically ripping on them for being a "product that doesn't draw" even though ROH shows get around the numbers of TNA house shows sometimes and had sold out 70% of Hammerstein Ballroom WITH OUT ANNOUNCING A FREAKIN MATCH!!.

First of all, your grammar sucks. Spacing and punctuation are very important to keep a reader reading. As for ROH, let's hope it sells out 70% of the Hammerstein Ballroom which by the way isn't very big. Since touring in the Northeast is one of the focal points of ROH, I would only hope that they are successful at it.

Anyways on to TNA. I've been a fan for around 4 years, I saw one of the last weekly ppv's and was hooked as I thought it had the look of Southern style wrestling which I like as WCW was my favourite company growing up. TNA then went on a hot streak in 2005 and produced some of the greatest modern era ppv's.(my personal favourite was No Surrender) The PPV buys were around 35,000 and this was before the influx of "big names". Back then the main draws were Jeff,Raven,Abyss,killings,AJ,Monty and later on in the year Rhino.Impact aired on FSN and averaged around 0.2 every week which wasn't great but for the timeslot they were on at they were decent. TNA continued to grow in small doses picking up Christian,Sting,Stenier and Angle in 2005/06. The future looked good for TNA with not only big names working for them but a roster filled with potenial.

How would you know what the buyates are? TNA is a privately owned company and from what I know, they don't release buyrate results to the public. These buyrate results are only what you hear on the internet. Not very reliable.

Then around September 2006 it was annouced the booking team needed a shake up, So Tenay,Da'more and others were removed in favour of a 3 team booking team in Jeff,Dutch and Russo. Now i'm not going to hate on Russo becuase I honesty don't know what goes on into writing a show but I found it staggering to actually remove guys and make the team smaller, wouldn't adding Russo and Dutch to the all ready existing team benefit TNA more? by removing Tenay,Da'more and others it cut down the potenial ideas and puts pressure on 3 guys to produce a show for a roster of 50 + I didn't see the logic.

Once again your ignorance on the subject shows. How do you know how much input Mike Tenay and Scott D'Amore has. I have heard that Tenay is a consultant for the booking team. As for moving from a 5 man booking team to a 3 man booking team, it is easier to come up with a plan with less people rather than have more people with contrasting ideas.

Over the next few month's TNA's started to focuse more on skits and stupid angles. Sure the ratings were going up but the ppv buys were slowly declining. Now lets look at TNA today they have a 2 hour primetime show and they're getting the same rating ECW use to on the channel.ECW had NO FREAKIN ADVERTISING while TNA has Spike wrapped around their little finger!.

ECW was around during one of the most popular time periods in wrestling where the wrestling fanbase was much bigger. If TNA was around then, their fanbase would be bigger as well. Spike TV (then known as TNN) advertises as much for TNA as they did for ECW. Spike TV probably likes TNA way more because it is more family oriented where ECW was a niche product focused on violence and sex.

Impact has so many angles and skits that alot gets lost in translation. After seeing a serious angle we go straight back to "funny" skits. To me it seems the booking team has their booking back to front. What I mean by this is sometimes it feels like PPV's are built to make us watch impact, as we see number 1# contender matches on ppv and see the actual title match on IMPACT!.

In TNA, TV is just as important as PPVs as TV is where they get their new fans. PPVs don't attract new fans, they are their for the fans they already have. Part of the reason buyrates are down aren't because of the creative direction but rather the lack of hype for the PPV. You are obviously a traditional wrestling fan who is very close-minded. PPVs offer matches people want to pay and see. There is a difference from advertising something and not delivering (which TNA did during the Feast or Fired Match) and advertising something and delivering. Just because their are #1 Contenders Matches on PPV doesn't mean that the matches aren't important. For example why would you pay for a Title Match on PPV when you can see the result later that week on TV. PPVs are about action and wrestling, not storylines

This week we see LAX who are the number #1 contenders being not a major part of the match,so what was the point of them being number #1 contenders in the first place if Kaz and Eric are going win?,It makes no sense.It also seems stupid to tell people to tune into IMPACT if there watching the ppv, Who seriously orders a ppv if they haven't seen the free show? of course there are countries in the world which only get ppv's.

While I didn't like the whole Eric Young segment on IMPACT I will say that TNA likely did this because the show needs to be unpredictable. You are watching to see LAX win the titles but now that they didn't win, your gonna tune in later to see them eventually win.

The PPV can hype a TV product, it builds anticipation.

(Australia was one of them till a month ago)Now Iv'e heard rumours that Lockdown drew TNA's highest buyrate since Genesis 06 which was around 60,000 buys. What does this tell us? well Joe and Angle was built up so well with no stupid comedy bs and come off as something you had to pay to see.So maybe "grasp" the fans want to see some serious build to feuds!.Joe and Angle come off as something you could suspend your belief that wrestling is a worked sport. This was the best peice of work the booking team had done since coming into power.

TNA has provided serious wrestling for the longest time. What about the Robert Roode vs Booker T feud? Was the Kurt Angle vs Christian Cage feud built on comedy? What about Abyss vs Judas Mesias

TNA is predicted to break even this year, but with work it really could make a good profit as Joe and Angle proved the fans want to see Wrestling spelt W-R-E-S-T-L-I-N-G.

That's the only way you spell wrestling. I don't know how spelling has anything to do with what you see on iMPACT!

If you think its just the sheet writers hating on TNA because they like a "product that can't draw" then maybe you should rewatch IMPACT and hear the massive pop Jim Cornette got when he apologized for all the stupid crap going on.And for god sakes stop ripping on ROH they're are FREAKIN indy promotion who are doing pretty well for themselves.

While I like TNA's direction, there are things I find stupid on the show, like the Super Eric situation.